Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Kate and I spent our "Momday" morning stockpiling our freezer with buttermilk pancakes (my favorite) and blueberry protein pancakes (her favorite).  I got this blueberry protein pancake recipe from my friend Jill who came across it in the September 2010 issue of Health magazine, and while it sounded very strange on paper, I decided to give it a try because I'm always looking for ways to sneak protein into Kate's diet.  These are now one of her favorite breakfast foods--she can't get enough of them!

Ingredients
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c. cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. blueberries (frish or frozen, thawed)

Directions
In a blender or food processor, combine oats, cottage cheese, eggs, and vanilla.  Blend or pulse until smooth.  Gently stir in thawed blueberries.  Coat skillet or griddle with cooking spray, and spoon about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto your cooking surface.  Cook about 5 minutes per side, or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.  Carefully turn pancakes over; cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until golden. 

My Notes
You should know right up front that these "pancakes" do not have the look or fluffy consistency of regular pancakes--they are much more dense.  This is also why you want to keep them on the smaller side (about 3" in diameter).  Also, don't freak out if your batter turns purple once you add the blueberries; it's no big deal.  Your pancakes may have a bit of a blue-ish/purple-ish hue even after they're cooked, but that's also normal.  This recipe freezes really well.  I make several batches at a time, cool them, and then seal them in freezer bags and pop them in the freezer.  Lastly, these pancakes have enough flavor that they don't need any topping, but if your little one insists on a topping, consider trying plain or vanilla yogurt instead of syrup.   

Enjoy!