I have been experimenting today with various things, including these delicious stuffed pancakes. The youngest of my two daughters is a busy community nurse and has asked me if I would do some lunches for her. Of course I would! You know how I love to twiddle in the kitchen, well, maybe you don’t, but I do, I really, really do 🙂
The picture is of the pancakes stuffed into a plastic box that isn’t quite big enough for them to lay flat, ready to be put into the freezer.
I will do her a months worth, so 20 or so, of soups and pasta etc and see what she likes and what she doesn’t. She really likes the tomato dhal and rice, and a simple ratatouille with buttery couscous, but that works out to £1 a portion, so too expensive for here.
Amongst other things, I know she will like these, and I thought I would do them with the very basic pancakes I spoke of before, using no eggs or milk, just flour and water, on the theory that they would be cheap enough to blog. And they are. They are delicious just on their own, or topped with cheese, with just the tomato sauce on top, and of course, with tomato sauce and topped with cheese.

Serve 2
Filling
150g value soft cheese, 75p/350g, 37p
250g frozen spinach, defrosted, £1.39/1kg, 35p
Half tin to tomatoes, 17p, optional
Nutmeg, optional
Salt and pepper
20g cheese, optional

You would be able to use less soft cheese if you like, 150g was plenty

Pancakes
100g value flour, 45p/1.5kg, 3p
200ml water

First of all make the pancakes. Whisk the flour and water together to make a smooth paste. Season it with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan and add a little oil, half a tsp. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, add a quarter of the batter. Cook until set and the underside has golden spots on it, flip over and do the other side. Put on a plate, and repeat with the other 3 pancakes.

While the pancakes are cooking, mix the spinach and soft cheese together. Season well with salt and pepper, and add quite a bit of nutmeg if using. The mixture needs to be well seasoned, or the finished dish may be bland.

When the pancakes are all cooked, put a quarter of the spinach and cheese mixture in a line on each pancake and roll up.

Season the half tin of tomatoes with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.

Put the pancakes in an ovenproof dish, top with the tomato sauce and sprinkle over the grated cheese if using.

Heat in the oven or under a grill, or in a microwave, until piping hot.

You could add flavourings to the pancakes, such as chives, fine chopped rosemary, fine chopped sage.

You could substitute many and various vegetables for the spinach. I have some sorrel still in the garden, and some spinach still, so I will try that mixed together. I also have some dark spring greens that I think would be delicious here, in fact any dark green leafy vegetable. How about a mix of fine shredded carrot, beetroot and swede, or parsnip, turnip and carrot, or onion and almost anything.