Ricotta pancakes with carrots and chives

This recipe is a result of a whatever I had available in the fridge on one particular evening, when I got home from work and was too hungry to make anything that needed more than 15 minutes total. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these soft fluffy pancakes speckled with little bits of carrots and chives. The creaminess of ricotta cheese elevates both the taste and the texture.

Ingredients:

¼ cup ricotta cheese (I used low fat)

1 egg

¼-½ cup milk

½ cup of whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)

2-3 tbsp finely grated carrots

1-2 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp Chia/Flax Seed powder (optional)

salt

pepper

~1 tsp oil/butter for frying the pancakes

Beat egg, add ricotta, carrots, chives and mix well. Add flour and milk (adjust milk quantity till you get desired consistency to make pancakes). Add chia/flax seed powder (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

In a pan over medium-low heat, add a couple drops of oil. Add about ¼ cup of batter. Cover and cook for about a minute until the bottom is cooked and the pancake can be lifted without breaking. Uncover and flip the pancake. Let the other side cook for a minute or so. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serving suggestions:

1. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with chopped chives.

2. Serve warm topped with a poached egg. The runny yolk makes for a wonderful sauce.

3. Make a “sandwich” with two pancakes. I did this with the leftovers as lunch for the next day (it reheats nicely in the microwave in just a few seconds). For the filling, I thinly spread sour cream on one side, avocado on the other side, and the filling was thick and chunky tomato sauce that I had leftover from something else. You can get creative with the fillings.

Any way you choose to eat it, it will make a delicious snack/meal!

~Gayatri