Cooking Done Light

Nothing will get me out of bed faster on a Saturday morning than the thought of making these pancakes! “Scrumptious” would be an understatement when referring to these heavenly delicious, rich blueberry delights. The chunky blueberry sauce is just a bonus – even the pancakes by themselves are stellar. If you are a die-hard fan of drizzling your pancakes with honey or syrup – be my guest (just watch those calories!!!) You can keep these pancakes warm in a 200 degree oven for hours if you plan on being generous enough to save some for the “late-risers” in your family. Just wait until right before serving to add the sauce so that they don’t get soggy.

1 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2 whole eggs plus 2 additional egg whites

1 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice)

zest and juice from one whole large lemon

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw)

Place the milk in a small bowl and stir in the vinegar. Set aside to “curdle”. (This is your replacement for “buttermilk”)

Whisk flours, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk ricotta, eggs, egg whites, milk mixture, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

Spray a large non-stick griddle or skillet generously with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Once skillet is hot, pour a generous 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, and sprinkle the top evenly with some of the blueberries. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly. Flip the pancakes and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

You may need to re-spray the skillet multiple times in-between batches. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the heat because the longer you have the skillet on the stove, the warmer the surface will become.

To Make the Sauce:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (again, not thawed)

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon lemon zest (about half of a large lemon)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer . Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 15 minutes). Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes and serve warm.

PANCAKES: Makes 16 Pancakes. Per serving (4 pancakes): 268 calories, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 4 g added sugar, 12 g protein, 234 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol, 128 mg calcium.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE: Makes 1 1/3 cups. Per serving (2 tablespoons): 21 calories, 0 g fat, 5 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 5 g added sugar(from the honey), 0 g protein, 0 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 15 mg calcium.