RECIPE: Savoury Pancakes - Pancake Day 2013

This year I decided to make savoury pancakes instead of the usual sweet pancakes. The great thing about savoury pancakes is that it can be eaten as a meal for lunch or dinner, not just for breakfast. I was so overwhelmed with the different recipes out there for savoury pancakes, I was spoilt for choice, they all sounded too scrumptious that I found it very hard to decide which to include in this blog. Keep in mind that you can vary the recipe according to your own taste and feel free to experiment with different ingredients and spices. Here are the ones I made for me and family:

Standard pancake recipe

1.       In a bowl combine the ingredients; 125g of wholemeal flour, 300ml semi-skimmed milk and 1 medium egg. Mix thoroughly, until there are no lumps.

2.       With a kitchen towel dab oil on to a frying pan, or spray some fry light.

3.       Pour some of the batter onto the hot pan and swirl the pan to let the batter spread to the edges.

4.       Let it cook on medium heat for a few minutes, bubbles should appear on the surface and the edges should brown a little.

5.       Like a pro, flip the pancake and let it cook for a few minutes.

6.       Slip onto a plate and serve.

Breakfast Egg pancake

If you still want pancakes for breakfast but as a savoury why not try this breakfast pancake omelette recipe. It’s like a different version of a French toast, so the pancake and egg is combined as one. If you don’t like that idea, you could always make the pancake as instructed above and have some scrambled eggs (cooked separately) with the pancakes instead of your usual toast.

How to make the breakfast egg pancake:

1.       Put 100g of wholemeal flour in a bowl.

2.       Add 2 eggs and 130ml of semi-skimmed milk.

3.       Add some grated cheese, chopped tomatoes and sliced mushrooms.

4.       Whisk thoroughly until there are no lumps.

5.       Season as you like. I used black pepper, chillies and cumin powder for an Indian spicy taste.

6.       Pour the mixture onto a hot non-stick frying pan. Let it cook and brown around the edges, then flip it over.

7.       Let it cook on the other side for a few minutes.

8.       Slide onto a plate and top with some chopped chives.

9.       Enjoy!

TIP: You can use other vegetables, like grated courgettes or carrots.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese pancake

Smoked salmon is so delicious I had to try it out with pancakes. It’s so simple yet so tasty and light, so you don’t need to worry about the calories. These can be cut into bite size pieces to be served as an appetizer or leave whole for a light lunch.

TIP: You can also put some chopped smoked salmon in your egg pancake above for a nice variation.

1.       Make the standard pancakes as directed above.

2.       Chop up the smoked salmon (6oz).

3.       Mix with 200g of cream cheese. You can use crème fraiche instead of the soft cheese, if you prefer.

4.       Season with black pepper and chopped chives.

5.       Place the filling in a warm pancake and roll it up.

6.       Voila!

7.       Serve with some fresh rocket salad.

Spinach and feta stuffed pancakes with marinara sauce

This is a lovely dish, great to have for dinner; it’s a bit like cannelloni, so if you like that you’ll love this. Once I tasted this I knew that I would be making it again. Spinach is a great source of iron and has many health benefits. It is known to have great strength building properties (just think of Popeye!), by strengthening the immune system, bones, gums, teeth, and the digestive system. Here’s how to make this tasty dish:

Make the marinara sauce:

1.       Add 1/2 tin (200g) of chopped tomatoes to a pan and 1 tbsp of tomato puree.

2.       Season as you wish, like garlic, parsley, basil, coriander, oregano or dried mixed herbs. I added red chilli powder, garlic paste and dried mixed herbs.

3.       Simmer on low heat until nicely cooked and combined.

Make the standard pancakes as directed above.

Make the filling:

1.       Wash about 4 handfuls of fresh spinach and drain well. You can use frozen spinach as well.

2.       Spray some fry light onto a hot pan and add a sprinkle of cumin seeds, green chillies and garlic paste. Let is cook for 2 mins.

3.       Add the spinach to the hot pan and a splash of water.

4.       Cover and let it cook until the spinach has wilted.

5.       Mix and

6.       Mix 50g of crumbly feta cheese with the spinach.

7.       Season with some nutmeg and black pepper.

Place the spinach filling in the pancakes and roll it up. Place the pancakes in a dish side by side.  Pour the warm marinara sauce over the pancake and top with some grated feat cheese and black pepper and rocket leaves.

Tuck in!

If you do feel like some sweet pancakes, click on the following link for my fruity healthy pancakes -> Sweet Pancakes.  

I hope you enjoyed these recipes. They were different and really tasty, but don’t just take my word for it, try them for yourself and let me know how you get on. I love reading your comments, so please feel free to write any reviews, tips or suggestions below. Thank you!

A H Nutritionist

12^th Feb 2013