Vegetarian

Healthy pancakes with spinach, ricotta & pine nut brittle

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This new savoury spin on pancakes makes a tasty change to lemon and sugar, and the spinach provides numerous health and beauty benefits. Simply fry your buckwheat crêpe, layer with your topping, and pop under the grill – a fun and filling meal for one.

Wellbeing Wisdom

  • Buckwheat flour is gluten-free and low on the glycemic index, helping to lower blood sugar levels
  • Spinach is a great source of vitamin K which is vital for good bone health

Ingredients

    For the buckwheat pancakes

    • 3 heaped tbsp buckwheat flour (you can substitute buckwheat with spelt)
    • 40ml milk
    • 1 organic egg
    • Knob of butter

    For the brittle

    • 3 tsp butter
    • 2 large handfuls of spinach
    • 3 tbsp ricotta
    • Squeeze of lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp honey
    • 50g pine nuts
    • Lemon zest
    • Salt and pepper

    Method

    Buckwheat pancakes

    1. Mix the flour, milk and egg. Heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and ladle in the mixture. Move the pan around or use the back of a spoon to thin the mixture.
    2. Let it cook for two minutes on each side, before carefully removing the pancake with a spatula and placing it onto a baking tray ready for your topping.

    Spinach, ricotta and pine nut brittle.

    1. Preheat the grill to 200°C/400°F/ gas mark 6. In a saucepan, melt two tsp of butter over a medium- low heat and add in the spinach. Cook for a minute or so until the spinach has wilted, then mix in the ricotta cheese and lemon juice. Season well and spread the mixture over the pancake.
    2. Wipe the pan clean and heat the remaining tsp of butter and the honey. Swill it around before adding in the pine nuts, covering them with the honey. Allow the pine nuts to turn golden for a minute or so, being careful not to burn the honey. Pour the pine nuts and honey onto parchment paper. Place the pancakes under the grill for five minutes while the brittle cools.
    3. To serve, break the pine nut brittle into chunks on top of the pancake, season well and grate over a scattering of lemon zest.