Cottage cheese pancakes with fresh strawberry jam
Cottage cheese ups the protein content of these American-style pancakes, and along with the fibre-rich carbs from the oats they make a satisfying breakfast. The no-added sugar jam relies on the flavour of the fresh strawberries for its sweetness so choose perfectly ripe in-season berries. For a savoury alternative, serve the pancakes topped with poached eggs and grilled tomatoes instead.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Prep: 15 minutes + resting
Cook: 20 minutes
115 g/4 oz rolled oats
3 large eggs
200 g/7 oz cottage cheese
1 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for cooking
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Greek yogurt and chopped toasted pecan nuts, to serve
Fresh strawberry jam:
225 g/8 oz strawberries, hulled
2 tsp chia seeds
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
First make the fresh strawberry jam. Puree half of the strawberries using a hand stick blender and stir in the chia seeds. Leave for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the seeds swell and thicken the fruit puree. Using the back of a fork, roughly mash the rest of the strawberries and stir in the vanilla and lemon juice. Stir the strawberries into the chia mixture and set aside, allowing the jam to thicken further, while you make the pancakes.
To make the pancake batter, blend the oats, eggs, cottage cheese, melted butter, pinch of salt and bicarbonate of soda together to make a smooth, thick batter.
Heat enough butter to lightly coat the base of a large, non-stick frying pan. Add 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake to the pan – you’ll be able to cook 3–4 at a time – and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden. Keep warm in a low oven while you make the rest of the pancakes – the batter makes about 12.
Serve the pancakes with a good spoonful of the jam and yogurt on the side with pecans scattered over the top.
