Potato Pancakes

Living in a city with 14.2 millions of people comes with some extreme challenges. Many people have to wake up before sunset and start driving if they do not want to spend their entire mornings in the  traffic rush. This year, I have to wake up at 6 o'clock to go to school but I am used to it because since 1st grade I have been getting up very early in the morning. That is why it is not a big deal for me to skip breakfast. 

I know that skipping the most important meal of the day is extremely unhealthy. But I do not have enough time. However just because I am not having breakfast at home doesn't mean that I do not have breakfast at all. When I arrive to school I pick up a grilled cheese or a yoghurt and have my breakfast when I arrive to school. 

Weekends therefore are really important for me because weekend is the only time where I can properly have a breakfast with my family. But I am very picky when it comes to breakfast. For example, I do not like the classic white bread, I prefer whole-wheat. Also, I do not like scrambled eggs, I prefer omelettes. 

In a classic Turkish breakfast, you can find tomatoes, green peppers, olives, feta cheese, eggs, sucuk (a spicy Turkish sausage), a variety of savoy baked goods like poğaça or börek, honey, jam and the classic Turkish tea, which I also do not like. So, I prefer to prepare some things that will fit my taste palette and will be a healthy option in the morning. 

Today I am going to share a recipe that is a great alternative if you have some leftover mashed potatoes. I did not have any leftovers but come on, boiling some potatoes is never that difficult. I woke up this morning craving some pancakes, but then I realised that I actually wasn't in the mood for a sweet pancake. So, I decided to go with this version. I was very amazed with the outcome so, I hope you'll like time. They might not look like a perfect pancake, but I assure you that they taste amazing. These pancakes will be a great option for your Sunday Brunch. So, here is the recipe;

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes

1 egg

4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. of milk

3/4 cups of cheddar cheese, white cheddar and mild (shredded)

2 tbsp. of chopped scallions

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Peel the potatoes and slice them into cubes. Boil some water in a medium pot and add in the potatoes and some salt.

2) When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the potatoes. Add in the milk and give it a nice stir. Then let the potatoes cool for about 15 minutes. 

3) Add in the egg and mix until well combined. After that, add in the flour and mix continuously until you have a dough-like batter. Stir in the cheese and the scallions. Season well. 

4) In a medium skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Using a spoon, drop the batter in to the pan when the pan is hot. Do not over crowd the pan, otherwise they will stick when you are flipping them. 

5) After 2-3 minutes, flip the pancakes, my pancakes took about 2 minutes but you can adjust depending on their sizes. Make sure to flip when a crust forms on the outside of the pan. If you flip too much, the crust will not be crunchy, so only flip once. 

6) When they are cooked, take them to a plate lined with paper towel. Add in some more oil and continue with the second batch. Be careful, since the pan is very hot, the pancakes will take less time to cook. Keep an eye on them or you will end up burning a batch. Repeat until you ran out of the mixture. 

7) Serve with some more chopped scallions on top. Enjoy :)