You may only think of whey as a type of protein powder you add to post-workout smoothies, but whey is a traditional food used throughout the ages in recipes for everything from chicken soup to feta cheese. We asked the experts at Cultures For Health to give us the scoop on cooking with this healthy, but often over-looked ingredient!
The perfect ‘way’ to experiment in cooking with whey for the first time is with this simple and delicious recipe for classic Saturday morning pancakes. Not only will you get an extra-fluffy stack of flapjacks, but you’ll also get cakes with more protein and more easily digestible starches!
Cultures For Health: “Learning to use whey to cook with has many benefits, especially when it comes to baking! Adding whey to baked goods actually makes them more digestible, providing acid and probiotics to help break down starches. Whey also creates a fluffier, lighter result in baked goodies as the acid interacts with the leavening agents.”
Perfect Morning Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
· 2 cups flour of your choice
· 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 cups whey*
· 2 large eggs
· 2 to 4 tablespoon bland-flavored oil or melted butter
Directions:
1 Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
2 In a smaller bowl, beat together the whey, eggs, and oil.
3 Blend the liquid ingredients with the dry. Don’t overdo it!
4 Pour pancake batter onto a skillet or grill. When the batter is dry on the top and the bubbles that form have just started to burst, gently flip the pancakes and brown lightly on the other side.
Add fruit or smother in real maple syrup and enjoy with friends and family for the perfect morning breakfast!
How to make your own whey:
Ingredients:
yogurt
cultured buttermilk
milk kefir or raw milk (If using raw milk that has not been cultured you will need to allow the milk to sit at room temperature for several days until it separates – don’t try this with pasteurized milk!)
You’ll also need:
a colander
cheesecloth or a tightly-woven dish towel
a large bowl
Directions:
1 Place a colander in a bowl on the counter. Lay a piece of multi-layered cheesecloth, a tight weave dish towel or a pillowcase in the colander.
2 Pour the yogurt, buttermilk, milk kefir or raw milk into the cloth, gather up the edges of the cloth and tie it so the cloth hangs from an upper kitchen cabinet and drips into the bowl (you can remove the colander if desired).
3 Allow the whey to drip until no more whey escapes the cloth or the desired consistency of the yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, etc. has been reached. This process can take 2-24 hours.
4 Once the process is complete, place the whey in a jar and the resulting soft cheese in the cloth in a container. Store both in the refrigerator using air tight lids.
5 Add the whey to your pancakes and other recipes!
For more information and to buy supplies for cultured foods like whey check out tips from Rosalyn of Cultures For Health and read more of her simple cultured recipes soon on the Chalkboard!
