Fish

Spirulina pancakes recipe with spinach and salmon

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Make a light and healthy brunch with this recipe for spirulina pancakes with spinach and salmon. Incredibly tasty and full of potent nutrients, these gorgeous green pancakes are fantastic with fish.

Long before it became a regular on the shelves of wholefood stores, spirulina was a staple of the Aztec tribes of ancient Mexico. Rich in protein, it also has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as important minerals. In fact, it contains traces of almost every nutrient needed for good health. Its iron and protein content makes it especially good for vegans.

When sourcing your salmon to serve with your spirulina pancakes, always opt for fish that features the blue tick of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) on its labelling. The MSC only provide the blue fish label seafood from fisheries that have been certified to the MSC’s standards for sustainable fishing.

Discover more delicious brunch recipes from Liz Earle Wellbeing

Ingredients

    For the pancakes

    • 150g frozen spinach, defrosted, or freshly cooked spinach leaves
    • 200g self-raising flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp spirulina powder
    • 150ml organic whole milk
    • 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
    • 25g melted butter, plus a knob of butter for frying

    For the filling

    • 200g low-fat crème fraîche
    • 1 shallot, finely diced
    • 1 tbsp capers, chopped
    • 200g organic smoked salmon
    • Handful of fresh spinach and lemon wedges, to serve
    • Black pepper

    Method

    1. Line a sieve with kitchen paper and set over a large bowl. Tip the spinach into the sieve and drain for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been removed. Run a knife through the spinach to finely chop.
    2. Mix the flour, baking powder and spirulina in a large bowl. Whisk the milk and egg together with the melted butter in a separate bowl, then stir in the chopped spinach. Form a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and whisk in the wet ingredients to make a thick, green batter.
    3. Heat the knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until small bubbles appear on the surface. Carefully flip the pancakes over and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the pan, cover loosely with foil and keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes.
    4. For the filling, put the crème fraîche into a small bowl and stir in the shallots and capers. Divide the pancakes between plates, add a dollop of crème fraîche to each, layer over some smoked salmon and add a handful of spinach leaves. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze and plenty of black pepper.