my first sandwich!

One of my go-to foods prior to surgery was a sandwich.  I used to love a bologna and American cheese sandwich on moist, dense white bread (or a soft roll) with a ton of Hellman's mayo.  I'd usually top it off with a thick layer of whatever chips I could find in the house:  Doritos, potato chips, Fritos, or cheese curls.  (I'm sure at least one person is thinking. "OMG that's nasty!") There aren't many foods I miss, but I so miss sandwiches.  Or, rather, I miss the experience of having a sandwich.  I haven't had a sandwich in six months.  But bread isn't much of an option anymore.  I mean, I can eat it if I want it, but it's loaded with carbs, which will slow down my weight loss, and I just don't want to get back into the bad habit of eating tons of bread like I used to.

Recently I found a recipe to make savory pancakes.  Not breakfast pancakes that get slathered in syrup, but savory pancakes with green onions and chives.  When I read the commentary on the recipe, I found out that the author uses them cold as "bread" to make a sandwich.  I was skeptical, but I figured, why not?  At worst, I'll have wasted 15 minutes of my time.  At best, I'll have a way to enjoy a sandwich that's also diet-friendly.  I had most of the ingredients already, I just had to buy the chives and green onions.

It was very easy to make these pancakes, but they do not spread like regular pancake batter.  I had to spread them out once I got the batter in the pan.  I used my cookie scoop to measure the batter.  When cooked, the pancakes are about 3 inches across.  Yup, they're tiny.  But that's a normal portion for me know.

I made a sandwich with two pancakes today.  I added about 2 ounces of low-sodium ham and a slice of roasted garlic cheddar cheese.  I really liked it.  The pancakes taste like green onions and chives, and the texture was soft, not mushy.

I would most definitely do this again.  They were very easy and taste great.  I'm thinking I'll make a double batch and freeze them.

I'm already dreaming about a bologna and cheese sandwich...

Here's the recipe:

Savory Ricotta Pancakes
(found here:  The World According to Eggface)
Makes 8 pancakes (about 3 inches across)

Each pancake contains:  51 calories, 3g fat, 3g carbs, and 3g protein

1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 Tablespoons multigrain pancake mix
1 TB grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB chives
1/2 tsp oregano
1 green onion, diced fine
dash of salt
black pepper, to taste

1. Mix pancake ingredients together. 
2. Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray. 
3. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure out the batter.  You will need to spread the batter when you put it in the pan.  
4. Cook on low till bubbles appear and then flip. Cook until done. 

These pancakes can be made ahead and reheated, or used cold to make a sandwich.