Pinterest "Pancakes"

Are you on Pinterest? It's like a digital corkboard where you can store all sorts of ideas, projects, outfits, decorating ideas, and of course, RECIPES! I saw a few friends pin a low-carb (and gluten/grain free!) pancake recipe that sounded too good to be true, but too good not to try. These. Are. SCRUMPTIOUS.

While I found this recipe on Pinterest, it originally appeared here on I Breathe..I'm Hungry, a gorgeous & fun food blog run by Melissa S.

Cream cheese, eggs, a dash of cinnamon, and sweetener (I used a scant 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda). That's IT. I let the cream cheese come to room temperature, threw all 4 ingredients in my mini food processor, and 30 seconds later, I had batter. Very thin batter, but it smelled like the real thing!

I cooked these up 2 at a time in my nonstick pan. They browned up perfectly and smelled so good! There were pancake-sized but closer to crepe in feel.

I doubled the recipe and made half for dessert, and then cooked the rest the following morning. This time I made them pancake size AND crepe size, topping them with whipped cream (also sweetened with Splenda) and fresh nectarine slices. Oh, Summer!

Don't let the cream cheese scare you--these are not heavy, clunky, bready bits. They're light, delicious, and left me sated but not in a simple-carb stupor.

As Melissa mentions, these are not like the old, sit-in-your-stomach-food-coma-inducing pancakes (which I also have from time to time). They're like a delicious pancake/crepe hybrid. The springy, thin texture was more like a crepe to me-- and deliciously similar to the Dutch pancakes ABF & I had back at Amsterdam's Pancake Bakery (review here). That is NOT a bad thing at all-- I just wouldn't expect fluffy, pillowy, Bisquick-type pancakes when you make this. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with the taste. These are a new favorite for me, and I'm so happy Pinterest led me to Melissa's blog!

Cream Cheese Pancakes from I Breathe...I'm Hungry(check out her blog for more delicious inspiration)

Original Link HERE

For eight 6-inch pancakes/crepes

4 oz cream cheese (half a bar)

4 eggs

scant 1/2 tsp Splenda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Let it rest a few minutes, or put in the fridge overnight (my next-day crepes were even better!) Cook until golden on each side--I like mine more gold than brown-- and top with syrup, fresh fruit, whatever you'd like! Makes about 8-10 pancakes/crepes.

Follow @Lkpnyc

Dosas in SoHo: Hampton Chutney Company

I got caught up in commuting chaos yesterday, and once again, ABF came to my rescue. He met me halfway in SoHo as I went above ground (since the trains weren't going in OR out of Brooklyn anytime soon). He noticed that I was flagging a bit, so we walked a short block over to Hampton Chutney Company, right near the Prince street N/R subway stop. The 3-store company first started in Amangansett (in the Hamptons), and now has two locations in NYC, in Soho and the Upper West Side.

It had been years since I'd eaten here, but knowing ABF's penchant for Indian cuisine, I thought he'd get a kick out of it. HCC is famous for their dosas, a soft, crepe-like wrap made from rice (so it's gluten-free, FYI!) We snagged the bench seat in the front and I ordered 2 dosas, an iced chai for me, and a hot cardamom coffee for ABF.

I'd forgotten how big these things are-- we could easily have split one. Note for next time. I had the #10 dosa, with chicken, potato masala and spinach. Deeeelicious. I love those spicy potatoes!

Each one comes with a free chutney-- cilantro for ABF (we both love cilantro) and mango for me (I love mango, ABF not so much)

ABF had the #10 dosa with roasted peppers, onions & arugula. While he thought the sandwich was good, he loved the cilantro chutney most of all. The #10 was tasty, but we both much preferred the #8 (aka mine!) Has my order envy come to an end? Well, not completely. While I love the iced chai at HCC, ABF's cardamom coffee was out of this world. I'll have to try that on ice next time.

Those dosas can be tricky to handle, so I usually just go at them with a knife and fork. If you're wanting something more mainstream, you can also try their sandwiches and other entrées. Everything is fresh, light, won't weigh you down, and the extra-friendly, welcoming service is great, too! A big thank you again to my Awesome BoyFriend (ABF), for rescuing me from commuting chaos and helping me get back on track in mind, spirit, and stomach! I know this place won't replace his love for Chicken Korma and other heavier Indian dishes, but now we both have a new love for cardamom coffee, and I'm glad he's a good sport to try new things with me...and rescue me when the MTA seems bound & determined to make me cry. Yay, ABF, my hero! :)

Hampton Chutney Co

68 Prince Street

New York, NY

(212) 226-9996

(see their website for other locations/info)

Follow @Lkpnyc

Looking Back: 2010's Best Recipes

2010 is coming to an end tonight, and I must say: I am READY! Bring on 2011! But first, a look back at my 10 favorite recipes of the year. There are a few more worth checking out, but 10 in 2010 had a nice ring to it. ;)

Most of these recipes are actually quite simple, maybe 3 or 4 ingredients, tops. Others require a little more, but they're hardly complicated. And every one of them is worth trying and enjoying! You know me by now--great food can be easy and affordable!

Garlic-chive butter: ABF's signature compound butter. It will transform your breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Another Foodie Friend!

My friend MK has launched her own food blog this week, and I'm so excited to have her join us! The photo to the right is of us from way back when--she was one of my first friends in NYC. Over the last few years she has developed allergies to shellfish and other seafood (no sushi for her boo!), but she's not giving up on having a delicious life! MK's blog will feature recipes for people with food allergies, but it's just as delicious for people who don't have allergies, too!

You may also remember her appearing a few times on this blog, including the time where she brought in homemade cupcakes and kugel last year. YUM!

Why don't you pop on over to her new blog, Epi-Curious (as in epi-pen! Do you like the name? I hope so--I came up with it--ha!!!), right now!

Crustless Mini Quiches

Every year I line up outside with my neighbors to watch the marathon runners go past our building. It's awesome, it's inspiring, and it's something I think every New Yorker should witness at least once. I decided, this year, to throw a party that morning, and after we cheer on the crowds, we can eat! Win-win. I don't have to run 26.2 miles AND I get brunch! (Note--these just happen to be gluten-free as well--if you skip the flour, which you will not miss)

I found a recipe on TheKitchn.com, but it was further down in the comments where I found THE recipe. It was a little simpler, more streamlined. The Kitchn's recipe called for a 1/4 cup of cornstarch, which just seems unnecessary to me. In the comments section I saw another reader's suggestion, which was flawlessly simple:

4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp flour
Sauteed veggies (about 2 cups)
grated cheese

Keeping close to the Kitchn's recipe, I sauteed some onions and zucchini, threw in some shallots, added plenty of pepper and a little salt (the cheese is salty so I wanted to be careful with this). I had a few leftover mushrooms, too, and those went right in the pile. I took a bite of it before moving on to make sure it was all seasoned right- yum!

Thanks to one of my favorite kitchen toys, my Williams-Sonoma chopper, all that dicing took about, oh, ONE MINUTE. Awesome.

That's right...2 zucchini, one onion, 2 shallots, and a mess o' mushrooms. Chop, chop, chop, DONE! I LOVE this chopper.

For the cheese, I used Gruyere (my favorite for quiche) which was on sale at FreshDirect.com, and a little bit of Emmenthaler, which is much cheaper but not quite as delicious. :)

You can do these in steps, a pinch of cheese, a teaspoon of filling, a tablespoon of egg mixture, or you can just mix it all together and go that way, too. Either way it will give you savory, scrumptious bites of deliciousness that are so easy to prepare ahead (giving you way more time with your guests!) And yeah, I totally copied the composition of the step-by-step photo on the Kitchn's site--such a pretty shot!

I made a few dozen of these in the week before my party, and I can testify that they reheated beautifully in the oven. ABF's nieces both loved this, even the one who wasn't sure about quiche at first--victory! *I* loved this! These are now a staple from here on out--they keep beautifully in the freezer and heat up in 5 mere minutes in the oven (you could use the microwave, too, but I thought the oven warming resulted in a better texture). The possibilities are endless, and so are the rave reviews! Your guests will love these.