Yummy & Healthy – Cheese Blintzes!

I love cheese blintzes, don’t you? Hated them as a kid – all that cheese inside? Yuck! Then I learned how to make them myself while doing a Weight Watcher diet – and I was hooked! Here’s a photo from Home & Garden, but it looks like I’ll have to make some tomorrow and upload a photo of my homemade “real” blintzes.

If you want to, you can make homemade Ricotta cheese for your filling. Here’s the link to learn how: http://budurl.com/qnhw. Once you have the cheese made (or bought), mix 1 C Milk, 1 Egg, and 1 C Flour together to form a thin batter. Depending on your weight loss plans and dietary choices, you can use whatever type of milk (including nondairy), and I’ve used white flour and also whole wheat flour without any problems. Cooking only for myself, I cut the milk and flour to 1/2 C each – which makes about 4 pancakes. I’ve even seen some recipes that don’t have wheat – cool!

First of all, place a large plate or platter in the oven and turn the oven on to about 175 degrees to warm the plate.

Heat your fry pan, spray some oil on it if your pan is not nonstick. When the pan/oil is hot, pour some batter into the middle of the pan. About the size of a saucer (teacup size saucer, that is). Pick up the fry pan and tilt the pan in a circular motion, allowing the batter to flow outwards and making your pancake as thin as possible. The first few times you do this, don’t be surprised if your thin pancakes have weird legs and antennae! If you have kids, serve them that way and make some facial features with whipped cream and berries for eyes/nose! The circle shape will come with a little practice. Remember, it’s all in the wrist!

You’ll see bubbles in the pancake. When it’s ready (there’s not a lot of soft batter left – mostly firm pancake), turn it over – easily and carefully. Allow it to cook to the count of about 10, then take it out of the fry pan and place it on the plate you have heating in the warm oven. When the batter has all been transformed into thin pancakes, or when you have as many pancakes as you want, prepare your dishes and the toppings.

Have ready: ricotta cheese, sour cream, strawberry jam (or other fruit jam – or fresh fruit and whipped cream!). I use Smucker’s Sugar Free jams – and they’re plenty good! I also recommend a separate spoon for each condiment. Okay, now here’s the funnest part (except for eating them, of course).

Place 1 thin pancake on a plate (it’s actually called a crepe, but whatever you call it, it’s still a delicious creation). Spoon some ricotta cheese across one end of the pancake then roll the pancake until it’s all rolled up neatly, snug like a bug in a rug. Do this with 3 pancakes and lay them next to each other on the plate. Spoon strawberry jam between the rolled up pancakes, so it’s sandwiched in between them. Then add a little more to the outside edges of the 2 outside pancakes, so you have yummy (sugar free) jam on both sides of each pancake. Now for the coup de grace – spoon a large dollop of sour cream on top of each pancake. Spread it (as neatly as possible) the length of each pancake. Don’ t they look pretty? Wow, I’m drooling just writing about this!

Place a completed plate in front of each person dining and give everyone a few seconds to admire your creation, then dive in, being sure to savor every yummy bite.

Accompany your meal with a cup of strong coffee (tea if you’re a wuss), and allow your mouth the gift of being thoroughly pleasured by the mingling and shifting of flavors. I guarantee, you will want these again and again!

Time to prepare: 15 minutes
Time to eat: That depends on your self control.

Enjoy, and be sure to forward this post, and tweet it as well!