No-Grain Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Lemon Zest

More woodland flowers from a walk on the bluff top, a pair of Bloodroot blooms.  This North American native is a member of the Poppy family and the root was used as a dye for baskets and clothing.  Here are more tidbits about the medicinal uses of this beautiful Bloodroot, or Sang de Dragon.

I can’t stop eating these little buddies!  High protein and no grain—this has been a handy breakfast treat as I try to eat less carbs.  I made them without sugar so I could nibble them throughout the day, but the cottage cheese and almonds give it a little sweetness of their own.  And a splash of maple syrup doesn’t hurt them, no not at all.

When using almond meal and no grain these are a little tricky to fry but it’s worth the effort.

Two things are affecting the flippability: the lack of grain and the presence of cheese.  Grain absorbs liquid better than almond meal so these won’t behave exactly as you know a pancake to behave, and the cheese adds another challenge of slightly melting when heated.  Basically the thing that is holding the pancake together when you flip it is the sealed fried bottomside of the cake.  I found it worked best to make these really small, maybe 2-3 tablespoons of batter, so the cake can fully cook on one side before flipping.

I hope you are not deterred by that last paragraph, these cakes really are delicious and snackable for the rest of the day without giving you the sleepies, and the lemon zest adds another level of yum.  It’s perfect for the season as well, everyone is trying to unload their eggs right now because here on the prairie spring means chickens are in full production—friends brought these eggs to my front porch!  I’ll have to start buying large tubs of cottage cheese, I’m salivating already.

Enjoy!

No-Grain Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Lemon Zest

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Whip in a bowl:

3 Eggs

Add:

1 cup Cottage Cheese, small curd, Drained

1/2 – 2/3 cup Almond Meal or ground Almonds (Alternatives: Chopped Oats, Coconut Flour, GF Flour Mix, or Flour)

1 teaspoons Lemon Zest

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 + teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt or Real Salt

Optional: 1-2 Tablespoons Sugar

Stir together and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the liquid to be absorbed. 

Heat a heavy sauté pan to medium heat.  For every pancake use:

1/4-1/2 teaspoon Coconut Oil

Without flour to absorb the liquid of the eggs the batter will seem a little runny.  Stir the mixture with every scoop and try and get an even amount of the eggs and the cottage cheese.  

Note: If you are not using a grain flour the pancakes have a little trouble holding together while they cook.  Make them small—2 – 3 Tablespoons of batter—so they will be easier to flip.

Fry until cooked on one side then flip.

Serve with your favorite pancake toppings:

Maple Syrup

Whipped Cream or Crème fraîche

Berries and other sliced Fruit

Nuts

Yogurt

OR

Slather it with Nut Butter and make a little sandwich.