Pancake Day - Spinach and Mozzarella Pancake Bake

It's Shrove Tuesday - Pancake day.

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day is the Tuesday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday and the commencement of Lent. This date is determined each year by the dates of Easter.

The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word  meaning "absolve".

Many people believe that they should give up their excesses and indulgences for Lent. Therefore Shrove Tuesday is the last day of indulgence prior to the forty days of the penitential time of Lent.

The term Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lent. 

Like many European and UK holidays the Pancake day was originally a pagan celebration. Before the Christian era, the Slavs believed that the change of seasons was a struggle between Jarilo, the god of vegetation (the Green Man), fertility and springtime, and the evil spirits of cold and darkness.  

People believed that they had to help Jarilo fight the darkness and the winter cold and thereby bring in the spring time. The most important way for them to do this was by the making and eating pancakes at Shrovetide (a week- long celebration). The hot pancakes symbolised the sun and its return.

I love traditions such as these and many people indulge in sweet pancakes (eg with lemon juice and sugar) on Shrove Tuesday but this year I decided to make a savoury version of pancakes which we had for dinner. This is a low-fat vegetarian recipe which is very tasty while still being good for you. 

Spinach and Mozzarella Pancakes: 

Firstly the Pancakes:  
very easy - and much tastier and fresher than the bought ones. 

You will need: 

1 cup gluten free plain flour mix 
pinch of salt
2 eggs 
2 cups milk

How to make your  pancakes : 

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the eggs and mix. Gradually add the milk and mix thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture.  
Beat well until bubbles rise and then pop the mix into the fridge for at least an hour. 

Heat a fry pan and lightly grease with butter. Pour about 1/2 cup of the mix into the fry pan and swirl the pan around to create a round thin layer of mixture. 

Watch for  bubbles to appear in the upper side of the pancake and then turn the pancake over - you'll see that the first side is a lovely light brown colour. 

Cook the reverse side until also lightly browned.  

Repeat until all the mixture has been used up - this should make about 7-8 medium sized pancakes.

Set aside and allow to cool. 

Now for the filling : 

You will need: 

1 large red onion - chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic- finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
400- 500  grms of baby spinach leaves
2 tblspns Lemon flavoured olive oil
2 large mozzarella balls
5500 - 600 grms of Tomato pasta sauce or tinned tomatoes with garlic and herbs 
Magic Ingredient - 1/2 tspn of Nutmeg 


Make your filling: 

Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry up your onion and garlic until soft. 
Add the spinach leaves, mix and blanch in the heat. 

Add the Magic Ingredient - the Nutmeg and stir in 

Now add and stir in one chopped up large mozzarella ball. 

Allow the filling mix to cool. 

Put some of the filling into the middle of each pancake and roll up . 

Fit the pancake rolls into a lightly greased oven dish.

Cover the pancakes with the tomato sauce. 

Slice  the second large mozzarella ball and  arrange on top of the sauce. 

Cook the pancakes for about 40 mins in the oven at around 350 degrees C. 

Serve with a fresh green salad. 

A great way to indulge. 

Keep an eye out for my next blog - for the green salad recipe to go with this pancake dish. 

Ruthie Phillips 

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Penne with Two extra Magic Ingredients

I used to be the teensiest bit addicted to pasta in my younger days so I tend not to cook too much of it now. 

However, when I do make it I want my pasta to be tasty and zesty and full of flavour - not gloopy and too tomato-y and just run of the mill.  

So here is my latest version of Penne pasta- which you can make with durum wheat pasta or the one of the new gluten-free varieties we can get these days.

This is a great supper for a big crowd or for a casual family dinner.  

Just vary the quantities to suit but this recipe will feed four pasta lovers.

Roasted Cauliflower Penne 
with Chorizo, Lemon and Hazelnuts.  

Gather together:

• I small- medium cauliflower cut into small florets
• 250 grms or so of Spicy Chorizo sausage
• 1 red capsicum cut into strips

•  1 red onion sliced into strip

• 2 fat cloves of Garlic crushed

• 500 grms or thereabouts of Penne pasta (your choice whether it is regular or gluten free) 

• 1 tblspn Lemon infused Olive Oil~ Magic Ingredient ~ the Lemony Olive Oil helps the cauliflower to "sing" 

• Grated zest of ½ Lemon 

• ½ cup of chopped Hazelnuts – I use a kitchen whizz thingy to do this ~ 2nd Magic Ingredient ~ gives a great texture to this dish 

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Here’s how to create this zingy dish:

Let’s deal with the cauliflower first.

Heat your oven to 180 degrees C

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Put all your cauliflower florets into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of

Magic Added  Ingredient Lemon Infused olive oil, add salt and pepper. 

Lay out cauliflower in a single layer on the tray, season and pop in the oven for 5-8 minutes. 

Check after this time and turn the cauliflowers florets over so they brown evenly.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so (don’t overcook) 

Once done, but still firm, remove from oven and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Then:

Slice the chorizo into thin-ish round pieces, 

Slice the onion and capsicum and crush the garlic. 

Warm a deep frypan on the hot plate and then add the chorizo to cook. 

Just gently bronze the chorizo – don’t overcook - and when done use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. 

Using the oils from the chorizo in the pan, gently fry the onion, capsicum and garlic until soft.

Meanwhile cook your penne until it is “al dente” (that means: it can be just bitten through) in a large pot of boiling water or in the microwave or in your Thermomix. . Whichever works for you. 

Drain your pasta in a colander

Add the cauliflower and chorizo to the pan

Followed by the pasta 

Then add the grated lemon zest, the crushed hazelnuts 

and the half a glass of dry white wine. 

Add at least half of your grated parmesan cheese and stir gently to combine. 

If the mixture seems a tad dry then splosh in a bit more wine.

Season to taste.

Serve  in hot bowls and top with a little more parmesan on each dish. 

It’s nice to serve this pasta dish with an accompanying green salad (I like lambs lettuce in this case) that has been dressed with the magic ingredient again - a splash of the lemon-infused olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. 

Buon Appetito, 

Ruthie Phillips

Soup for the Soul

When it's cold or you have a cold - this is the soup to soothe the dreaded lurgy.

Chicken Noodle Soup with a twist..

I like to keep batches of single or double serves of this in the freezer for moments of dire need or sole/soul dining.

Apologies to those who love exact measurements - sorry I "wing it" a bit with my cooking.

You will need: 

1 tblspn oil 
1 large onion cut into strips
4 fat cloves of garlic chopped roughly
About a thumb of peeled fresh ginger cut into thin matchsticks sort of things
1 stick of Celery chopped into small bits
Either one fresh large red chilli without seeds and pith and chopped finely
Or  a good sprinkle of dried chilli flakes
About 400 grms of fresh chicken breast fillet

Around a cup and a 1/2 of grated carrot 

Those thin Rice Noodles - about three birds nests of them

Chicken stock - about 4 cups or so

Here's How: 

Heat the oil in a large pot

and gently cook the onion, garlic, ginger, celery and chilli until soft

add the fresh chicken breast

cook until sealed but not browned

Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil

Gently simmer for about 4 minutes or so

Then add the grated carrot 

and stir. 

Add the rice noodle nests and take off the heat  immediately as the noodles will continue to cook anyway. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste then...... 

Add the Magic Ingredient- 

A few splashes of Tamari sauce. ( wheat free soya sauce) 

Serve in warmed bowls with crunchy bread or crackers or whatever you fancy. 

Very more-ish, nourishing and good for whatever ails you. 

Enjoy, 

Ruthie Phillips