​Lemon. And pancakes. Pancakes so good syrup isn't needed.

After numerous local write-ups and reviews, I finally had a taste of the Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes at Hell's Kitchen. I now know what all the fuss is about. However, I ordered Heuvos Rancheros instead of the hotcakes, so I was left with just a taste from a friends plate. This morning I couldn't help but think about this delicious dish and how I could re-create it...and with a healthy twist.

My attempt was a success so I need to share the recipe with you. One batch makes roughly 6 pancakes, or 3 servings (2 if you've got an appetite). Total caloric damage? Only 365 calories. Add a few strawberries and round it up to 400. Not bad for a weekend indulgence!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Adapted from the "Joy of Cooking"

3/4 C. AP Flour (I used GF Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 C. Ground flaxseed (mmm good ole fiber -- you can sub flour if you don't have flaxseed)
1/3 C. Granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 C. ricotta cheese
1/3 C. milk
1 egg
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Zest of one large lemon
1/4 C. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract

Mix your dry ingredients with a whisk: flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl combine the remaining wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture until well mixed (no lumps with this recipe).

Scoop roughly 1/2 cup of batter per pancake and cook on a medium heat griddle or frying pan. (I recommend between 350-375 degrees for griddle.) Serve with berries and powdered sugar. If you must, use real maple syrup.

We'll start out with the healthier recipe. With barely any cheese, there's no guilt here.​​ I first heard about this idea while listening to Splendid Table. There are numerous other ingredients that would lend well to this recipe - for example, capers and orange zest -- but I kept it simple knowing what I like.

1 lb. roma tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/2 a jar roasted red peppers, chopped (equal to roughly one full pepper)
1/4 C. parmesean cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. olive oil
​Pita chips for serving

First, roast the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice the tomatoes into rounds and place on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the over for roughly 20 minutes until tomatoes start to blister and brown. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients - artichokes, red peppers, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a stick blender (or a regular blender), pulse until the mixture has a rough chop. I like mine a little chunky, but feel free to pulse for a more smooth consistency. Serve at room temperature with pita chips. Leftover dip is great with pasta and grilled chicken!

All things are OK in moderation, right? I have a really hard time walking away from this dip - call me partial, but this is my favorite of the 3. The trick to making this shrimp dip stand out from other similar recipes is to use raw shrimp and cook it yourself. Some recipes call for canned shrimp -- and that just makes me shudder -- yuck! You could try cooked shrimp too, but I just don't think it tastes as good.

1/2 lb. raw peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed (20-30ct. per pound)
1/4 C. onion, minced
1/2 C. celery, diced
1 oz. package cream cheese (feel free to use the 1/3 less fat kind), room temperature
6 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. cajun seasoning
​Pita chips for serving

Begin by cooking the shrimp. Fill a deep skillet or saucepan with a 3-4 inches of water. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp. Boil for 2 minutes then immediately place shrimp in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Once shrimp is cool, drain, and chop into small bits.
In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, and cajun seasoning. I prefer to use a stick blender to ensure a smooth consistency. Once smooth, stir in the shrimp, onion, and celery. Taste and add more cajun seasoning if desired. Chill until ready to serve. 

There's nothing fancy about this last recipe. It's a tried and true staple that my mom used to make for parties when we were growing up. Best of all it's super easy and will appease the most picky of eaters. We all love the classic Velveeta dip, but try this next time instead.

The recipe below is the classic version, but feel free to mix things up by using homemade chili, or in my opinion, double the diced green chilis!

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 4 oz. can diced green chilis, drained
1 15 oz. Hormel Chili No Beans
1 1/2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips for serving

Using a microwave safe dish, (I recommend a glass pie pan but anything similar with do), spread the softened cream cheese into an even layer across the bottom. Layer on the green chilis, then Hormel chili. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese. When ready to serve, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5.-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and ingredients are bubbly. You can also bake this in the oven at roughly 350 degrees for 30 minutes (do not cover in the oven). 

Also known as Haluski, this Eastern European dish translates as "noodles". I first heard about this amazingly simple (and CHEAP!) dish from a distant cousin who was old enough to learn recipes first-hand from my Austrian Great-Grandmother. If you know me, you know that I love family ancestry, but let's just say my Scandinavian, Austrian, and Polish background doesn't lend to many mouth-watering recipes! So I'm super excited to share this one with you because IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD!

The only thing that you need to afford yourself before diving into this recipe is PATIENCE. Take your time caramelizing the bacon and onion, because this step will carry the dish. If you don't bother, be prepared for bland. Also, don't be shy with the salt. Seriously.

1 lb. bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 head cabbage, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 pkg. wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

The first step is to caramelize the bacon and onions. In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon and onions over medium-high heat. It will feel like forever until the bacon starts render down and turn brown in color, but that's OK. The onion is slowing it down. Continue to saute for 20-30 minutes, turning the heat down if necessary, until the bacon is finally crisp and the onions are translucent. Set aside and DO NOT DRAIN THE GREASE.
Next, add the chopped cabbage to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. You'll want to brown the cabbage almost as if it were charred all while cooking it through. The leafy pieces of the cabbage will cook down fist while the core pieces will stay more crisp -- this texture variance makes a bit of interest, so it's OK. Salt and pepper the cabbage liberally to taste. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl (or the empty stock pot from making the noodles), toss together the cabbage and noodles. Using a slotted spoon, scoop in the bacon to the mixture so that the grease is left behind. Once all the bacon is added, add in as much of the grease as you like. I used roughly 3 tablespoons. Salt and pepper yet again to taste.