Beth Morey, Writer + Artist

Pancakes: they're what's for breakfast. Feeling tired of my morning routine of yogurt with granola and sliced banana, I decided to shake things up a little. Delving into my Moosewood cookbook, I selected a recipe I had never tried before: cottage cheese apple pancakes. I altered a couple of elements, such as using fat free cottage cheese, whole wheat flour as opposed to white or all-purpose, and egg replacers instead of real eggs, and I halved the recipe as I was cooking just for myself. My favorite part of this recipe, aside from the intriguing and unexpected use of cottage cheese as the only form of dairy in the pancakes (eggs not withstanding) was the sprinkle of nutmeg. I ordinarily avoid this rather strong spice, but the nutmeg gave these pancakes a delightful zing.

I have never eaten pancakes that were more moist than these puppies. In fact, they sizzled with such succulency on the skillet that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to flip them without a tragic tearing catastrophe. Fortunately, the exteriors crisped nicely and I could cook both sides without event. I served them up with maple syrup, the remaining slices of apple, and a little extra cottage cheese. I think I need to start my day like this more often!