i*hop. i*what?!

so, one of my favorite carbs has to be pancakes. when i*hop aired their all you can eat pancake special a few weeks ago, we hit 'em up twice. we're big breakfast people anyway, but when you throw a little maple syrup in the mix, it doesn't get much better in my book. well i found a recipe a couple of days ago and tried it out last night... i'm not sure that i'll look at at a traditional white flour pancake the same ever again.

i'm not going to lie, i was a little skeptical when the recipe called for flax seeds, but they were light and fluffy, and had a great nutty taste. although they don't taste like i*hop's short stack, they certainly didn't taste like cardboard. here is the recipe:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 cup canola oil
1 1/4 lowfat buttermilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp flax seed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Combine flour, flax seeds, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix eggs with oil and buttermilk. Heat pan over medium to medium high heat. Now add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined.

To test your pan for the right temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water in your pan and it should dance. Using a measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup batter onto the pan. Brown lightly on both sides, turning once. The pancake will set, poof up a little, and start showing tiny bubbles when it's ready to be flipped and they flip beautifully. After some practice, you'll "just know" when it's ready.

*note* next time, i might add some molasses the batter to add a little sweetness...

some healthier topping choices include:

fresh berries
bananas and walnuts
low sugar orange marmalade
ricotta, sliced almonds, and chopped apicots
low sugar vanilla yogurt and lowfat granola

i topped mine with blueberries and strawberries and scrambled 2 eggs with 1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach and a tablespoon of fresh grated parmesan. i felt anything but deprived... enjoy!