The humble pancake:

more versatile than you may think!

Spinach and Turkey Crepes

If you’re someone who thinks that pancakes are just for Shrove Tuesday or for breakfast; or if you stick with the same old lemon and sugar combination every time, then it might be time to get out of your pancake rut. To help people to enjoy pancakes all year round, Schwartz have put together some great pancake recipes  – some filled, some topped – to give you a little more inspiration.

Super simple to make, pancakes use just a few basic ingredients that are found in almost every kitchen. While I’m not knocking the lemon and sugar combination, there are so many more ways in which the perfect pancake can be used to create breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and desserts. You can even make diet-friendly pancakes, as I’ve shown with the recipe for my 5:2 fast day blueberry & oat pancakes with cinnamon, which are great for breakfast. Pancakes are also versatile as an evening meal choice, though, which is why I love this recipe for Spinach and Turkey Crepes. If you can buy local ingredients so that you know where they come from even better!

Spinach and Turkey Crepes

Ingredients:

For the Pancakes:
80g plain flour, sifted
1 medium egg, beaten
2 tsp Schwartz Italian Herb Seasoning
200ml milk
Oil, for frying
50g butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
350g diced turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
275g (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained well
1/2 tsp Schwartz Ground Nutmeg
100ml single cream
4 tbsp Grana Padano cheese (you can also use Parmesan)
Sea Salt and Schwartz Ground White Pepper to season

For the Sauce:
30g butter
30g plain flour, sifted
1 pint milk, preferably full fat
2 tbsp Grana Padano cheese (you can also use Parmesan)
Sea Salt and Schwartz Ground White Pepper to season

Directions:

STEP 1: For the pancakes, sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the beaten egg. Add the milk and a teaspoon of the Italian Herb Seasoning, and blend until you have a smooth batter. Cook 8 small pancakes with this mixture in a lightly oiled frying pan, and set all of the pancakes aside once cooked.

STEP 2: For the filling, melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the turkey with the garlic and chopped onion and shallots, until cooked. Mince this mixture in a food processor or a mincer, along with the spinach. Stir in the nutmeg, cream, Grana Padano cheese and the rest of the Italian Herb Seasoning. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Divide this mixture into 8 and place each portion in the centre of the pancakes, rolling up and lining up, the open end at the bottom, in an ovenproof dish.

STEP 3: Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, 4O0°C, Gas Mark 6.

STEP 4: To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, little by little, and bring to the boil, continuing to whisk as the mixture heats. Add a tablespoon of the Grana Padano cheese, along with the salt and white pepper to taste. Pour this sauce over the rolled pancakes and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and heated through.

STEP 5: Serve the pancakes with either salad or vegetables, as a main course or starter.

*Commissioned Post*

This post was shared as part of my duties as a “Flavour Ambassador” for Schwartz Spices – please see my other post with my recipe for Durban Bunny Chow here:

Modern Masala: South African “Street Food” Durban Bunny Chow Recipe