Strawberry Shortcake Greek Yogurt Pancakes

The real estate market is strong this week. I showed 9 properties and closed on 1. The pipeline is strong. The phone rings with the steady rhythm of a business that has taken six years to build and refuses to slow down.

Sunday dinner at Mama's was the usual controlled chaos. Mama made moussaka and it was, as always, extraordinary. The table held fourteen people. The arguments held more opinions than the chairs held bodies. This is how Greek families communicate: loudly, with food, over each other.

I thought about Baba this week. Not the grief — the grief is always there, a familiar companion now — but the man. The way he stood at the bakery counter with his arms crossed. The way he hummed Greek songs he never knew the words to. The way he loved us in silence, which was the loudest love I have ever known.

I made avgolemono tonight. The broth was golden, the lemon sharp, the rice soft. Comfort in a bowl, the Greek answer to everything. We ate at the kitchen table, just the three of us, and for a moment the house was not quiet or loud — it was exactly right. Full. Fed. The sound of forks on plates is the sound I love most in this world.

The olive oil in my kitchen is from a Greek import shop in Tampa that sources from Kalamata. It is expensive. It is worth it. I use it on everything — salads, fish, bread, vegetables, the edge of a pot of soup — because olive oil is not a condiment in this family, it is a philosophy. Use it generously. Use it without apology. Use it the way you use love: poured freely, never measured, always more than you think you need.

After a week of nine showings and a closing, and a Sunday table loud with fourteen people and Mama’s moussaka, the mornings that follow are for something quieter — just the three of us, something warm, something that still feels a little Greek even at breakfast. Greek yogurt in these pancakes does what Greek yogurt always does: it makes everything better, tangier, more substantial, more honest. Baba would have eaten these without a word and gone back for seconds, and that would have been the whole review.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 (about 12 pancakes)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for strawberries)
Whipped cream, for serving
Butter or neutral oil, for the pan

Instructions

Macerate the strawberries. Toss sliced strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Stir to coat and set aside for at least 15 minutes while you make the pancakes. They will release a beautiful syrup.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix — a few lumps are exactly right. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
Cook the pancakes. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with butter or oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve. Stack pancakes and spoon the macerated strawberries — syrup and all — generously over the top. Finish with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Strawberry Shortcake Greek Yogurt Pancakes — A Little Greek in Everything We Make