The tradition is to eat pancakes with lemon and sugar, and whilst they’re worthy toppings I often find that I prefer something savoury in the evening. If nothing else, it helps to avoid the inevitable sugar crash you could expect from sweet pancakes! Below is my recipe for Cheese & Leek Pancakes. The recipe is vegetarian, but you can also add ham if you so wish. Enjoy!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the pancakes
- 150g plain flour
- 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
- 200 ml milk
- 60g of butter, to fry the pancakes plus a little extra to grease the tray
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- Butter for greasing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large leek – washed, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1⁄2 tsp ground roasted cumin
- 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 tsp black pepper
- 1⁄4 tsp salt or to taste
- 150g spinach
- 3tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
- 40g toasted pine nuts
- 150g Lancashire or Wensleydale finely crumbled
- 30g Gruyère cheese, finely grated
Cooking Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 200°c/fan180°c/gas 6. Butter a shallow baking dish.
- Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the eggs, milk into the well. Using a wooden spoon gradually beat until smooth.
- Place a medium sized (20 cm) non-stick frying pan or crepe pan over a medium-low heat. Add a knob of butter when hot, pour in a little batter and rotate the pan so that it is evenly coated in a thin layer.
- When it begins to set, loosen the pancake with a palette knife and flip over. Cook for 30 seconds more, then slip onto a plate and cover with a cloth. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture.
- Heat the oil in a clean pan. Add the leek and garlic and cook on a low heat until softened.
- When the leeks have softened, add the spices. Cook for further few minutes until the oils in the spices has been released, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spinach and allow it to wilt. Switch off the heat.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the cheeses (but not the gruyere cheese) first to help cool down the mixture, then the parsley and pine nuts.
- Lightly fold the mixture together. Let it cool a little so not to break the pancake
- Take the first pancake, add 3-4 tbsp of the leek mixture. Neatly roll it up and place in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining pancakes. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
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