Pancakes are classic all American breakfast fare. That bad news is that they are carb laden and generally smothered in butter and maple syrup. This is not a good combination for weight loss surgery patients. As a Lapband patient, they are also way too heavy. I am always on the look-out for a low carb, high protein pancake recipe. Awhile back I posted this recipe for waffles I adapted for a weight loss surgery diet from a Martha Stewart recipe that is pretty damn good.

This recipe comes from AllRecipes.com. It is very low in carbs with only 1/3 cup of flour. I made a few other changes. I reduced the oil to 1 tablespoon and used Egg Beaters rather than eggs. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. My husband Brett added dried cherries to his. They turned out perfect. The pancakes are very soft and fluffy. One thing that I noticed is that they take a little longer to cook. I love a simple healthy recipe, especially in the morning.

COTTAGE CHEESE PANCAKES

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup Egg Beaters egg substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Handful of dried cherries, blueberries, or cranberries (optional)
• cooking spray

Combine cottage cheese, flour, oil, Egg Beaters, oil, and vanilla in a blender. I use a Ninja Blender. A Magic Bullet would also work well. Blend for 30-60 seconds until smooth. Stir in the dried fruit if you like.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/3 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.