These pancakes are great for a weekend breakfast, and, unlike many types of pancakes, these are protein-rich, tangy, light, and great topped with fresh fruit--like strawberries--and a dollop of yogurt. As well as the obvious cottage cheese, the pancakes have eggs in them, and, with a significant amount of protein, they'll keep you fueled for the morning. The little pancakes also reheat well in the toaster, so you can have any leftovers later in the week for breakfast or a quick, healthy snack. Try them--they are good! Enjoy!
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese Pancakes -- Serves 3-4
16 ounces of low-fat cottage cheese
3 large eggs
Zest of a medium orange
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2-3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Strawberry Topping (optional, but good)
Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat and spritz it with olive oil spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together well the cottage cheese, eggs, orange zest, vanilla, and sugar. Stir in the flour and baking powder until combined (don't whisk the batter). When the skillet is hot, add several dollops (about 1/4 cup each) of pancake batter and spread each dollop out a bit with the back of a spoon. Let the pancakes cook 3-4 minutes until the edges are firm and bubbles appear on the tops. Flip the pancakes and let them cook another minute or two until done. The pancakes will be a little delicate, so flip them carefully. If you tear any, don't worry. Just eat them or spread yogurt and strawberries on less-than-perfect parts later. Remove the first batch of pancakes, keep them warm, and repeat the process with the remainder of the batter. Serve the pancakes with fresh fruit (like the strawberry topping below), jam, yogurt, or whatever you'd like.
Strawberry Topping
8 ounces of fresh strawberries
2-3 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Slice the strawberries into a bowl, add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir everything together. Let the strawberries sit for 5-10 minutes, stir them again, and serve them with their juices on top of the pancakes.
