Rx Recipes: Palačinke

Choose savory or sweet with this family recipe from Rada Zunich, PharmD candidate ’23

Recipe by Rada Zunich | Published February 14, 2023

Our Rx Recipes series explores recipes provided by faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Rada Zunich, PharmD candidate ’23, shares her family recipe for palačinke (pronounced pa-la-ch-in-ka), a Balkan dish much like a thin pancake or crepe.

Ingredients:
2 Eggs
1/8 Tsp salt
4 Tbsp sugar
10 Tbsp flour
4 Ounces club soda
4 Ounces oat milk
1 Tbsp oil

Directions:

1. Put eggs, salt, and sugar in a bowl and beat 3-5 minutes, until fluffy
2. Add 5 tbsp of flour and beat until mixed in
3. Add remaining 5 tbsp of flour and beat until mixed in
4. Add 4 ounces club soda and beat
5. Add 4 ounces oat milk and beat until smooth
6. Refrigerate overnight
7. Heat a pan on the stovetop over medium heat
8. Add 1 tbsp of oil to pan
9. Pour in a small amount of batter, creating a thin layer in the pan (amount will depend on size of pan)
10. Cook on medium heat until the top of the palačinke bubbles, then check the bottom of the palačinke – when lightly browned, flip
11. Check the bottom of the palačinke often – remove from pan when bottom is lightly browned
12. Fill the palačinke with your desired fillings – Nutella or peanut butter and chocolate are excellent choices! Top with powdered sugar.

This recipe comes to us from Rada Zunich, PharmD candidate ’23. The recipe came to the United States with her great-grandparents when they emmigrated from Serbia and Croatia in the early 1900s. Rada is grateful her family has maintained a lot of traditions, including baking and cooking. Palačinke is one of her favorite dishes. “I have really fond memories of palačinke, because I associate baking them with family,” she says. “For as long as I can remember, we make palačinke whenever a family member is visiting.” Rada says they can be served with either savory or sweet fillings and go equally well as either breakfast or dessert.

Rada hails from Cleveland, Ohio. She attained her BS in chemistry from the College of Wooster, where she also played for the varsity soccer team. After shadowing her uncle, a pharmacist at the Mayo Clinic, Rada chose to pursue her PharmD. “I saw all of the opportunities within the career and I loved that I could help others while doing something I enjoyed,” she says. Rada chose the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy after attending Candidates’ Day. “After interacting with the faulty and students, I knew this was the school for me,” she recalls.

At the School Rada has been involved in many student organizations. She served as Vice President in Student Senate, managing the Peer Mentor Program (including creating and organizing the Peer Mentor Bonding Event), organizing student recruitment events (Senate Carnival, Pharmacy Bridging Course Presentations), organizing Family Day, and assisting the President wherever needed. She has also been involved with Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) as a committee co-chair, Phi Delta Chi (PDC), and Recruitment Ambassadors Program (RAP).

Rada is currently in her last semester at the School. After graduation, she will be heading up to Boston for a US Medical Affairs Fellowship with Alexion in conjunction with MCPHS.

Thank you for the recipe, Rada!