Orange and poppy seeds pancakes!

I was taught early on by my mother that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To this day, I religiously follow her advice. Forget all the technical jargon nutritionists throw left and right, which most of the time I don't really understand, but I firmly believe if you start your day on a positive note you will most likely have a good and productive day.

I like to treat myself during the weekends with a more decadent breakfast. Pancakes, among others, are a favorite of mine, as they can be easily tweaked and modified so that you are never bored and feel as if you are trying something new every single time. Whoever invented pancakes, I salute you, you deserve my deepest gratitude!

For this pancake recipe, I used orange peel and poppy seeds as the main flavoring ingredients. Orange add a wonderful taste and fragrance whereas the poppy seeds add the crunch and more nutritious elements.

I topped the whole with strawberry sauce for a fresh, fruity and sweet touch. For me, it's the perfect way to start your day, especially on the weekend, or just any other if one has time.

For the pancakes you need (for 2 people):

• 130 g flour
•  20 g vanilla infused sugar (or just sugar)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 egg (yolk and white separated)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 160 g buttermilk
• 25 g melted butter

Combine all the dry ingredients with the zest and seeds and mix well. Mix egg yolk, vanilla and buttermilk. Beat the egg white until soft peaks form (or you can just mix the whole egg with the buttermilk, but beating the egg white apart will give a great fluffy texture so it´s really worth it if you have time). Make a hole in the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk mixture then the butter and mix well, slowly fold the egg white, in 2 or 3 batches, when well combined, just let the batter rest for 10 minutes and bake it in a large skillet over medium heat.

Strawberry sauce:

• 100 g finely diced strawberry
• 20 g  sugar (vanilla flavored is better)
• 3 tbsp orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and let it slowly simmer on a low heat, after 10 min, the sauce will be ready. You can serve it chunky or blend it to have a smoother sauce. This time I wanted it smooth, even if I prefer the chunkier variety, but it's up to you to decide which suits you better.  

I served the pancakes with a strawberry sauce, but they really go well with raspberry or blueberry sauces or even dark or semi-sweet chocolate sauces. The choice is yours, after all it's your power breakfast and it has to be your way!