Feta Blueberry Pancakes

Breakfast is one of those areas I haven't conquered quite enough in.  I'm always looking to try new flavors out, and wanted to challenge myself in some foods of the morning variety.  I had some feta cheese leftover from some recent Tiropita and Spanakopita baking, and though I was thoroughly enjoying mixing in salads, I felt the urge to try something new.  That's where pancakes come in.

I stumbled on a recipe Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes and they sounded so unique and delicious I had to give it a shot with a few of my own variations.  I have enjoyed many a blueberry pancake, however had yet to make them for the blog.  This recipe called for blending the berries, which I had never tried before.  I've always seen blueberries in solid form when it came to pancakes.  Challenge accepted.

I started this out by adding the eggs, blueberries, flour, and salt to my blender cup (I used my Magic Bullet for this one since it was a small quantity), then blended the mixture until it was smooth.  Easy!

I heated up some olive oil in a nonstick skillet, then poured in about 1/4 of the batter.  The original recipe called for separating the batter into about 8 pancakes, but I decided to go larger.  Once the edges started to brown, I sprinkled on the feta. I had some ricotta on hand, but it was a spreadable variety and not the kind that could be sprinkled.  Feta was definitely the cheese of choice for this project.

I let the pancakes cook for another 2-3 minutes,until the bottom was brown.  I followed it up by topping them with the paprika and Parmesan cheese.

These turned out quite well!  The feta melted perfectly and made for a great flavor.  I tried one with olive oil drizzled on top, but I think my flavor expectations of sweet when it comes to pancakes hindered me from really enjoying it.  I grew up on pancakes with syrup, so I added maple syrup and was delighted.  The pancakes themselves are not super sweet, so the syrup made them perfect for me.  Next time I will still blend the berries but will also add some solid ones to let out more of that blueberry flavor, and may toss in some sugar (brown of course!) as well.  I'm glad to try recipes without adding sugar, though, since that's always the healthier way.  I'm glad to have another recipe for the breakfast menu.

Feta Blueberry Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese
About 1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Place eggs, blueberries flour, and salt in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Pour about 1/4 of the batter into the skillet. Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown on one side, then sprinkle with a tablespoon of feta cheese. Flip pancake and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown. Move to plate and continue cooking remaining pancakes. Before serving, sprinkle with smoked paprika and Parmesan cheese. If desired, top with some drizzled olive oil or syrup.