Pancake
Everyone looks forward to pancakes in February - but they don’t have to be just a sweet treat. Pancakes can be the perfect vehicle for a huge variety of stuffings and make a nice change for a weekday supper.
You can add chopped herbs or spices to the basic batter to add flavour and colour, then let your imagination run wild when it comes to ingredients to place within.
Roll pancakes around a warm filling, place them in either a large buttered ovenproof dish or individual ones, give them a good sprinkling of cheese - after a few minutes under a hot grill you have a delicious suppertime starter.
Try using pancakes instead of pasta when making a lasagne or stack warm pancakes and a selection of warm fillings and slice like a savoury cake.
One of my favourite fillings was a bit of an invention involving shredded white cabbage, garlic and onion cooked in butter with salt, pepper and ground cumin. I added some creme fraiche and grated cheese and wrapped the mixture with pancakes flavoured with chopped, fresh coriander. With the addition of parmesan over the top and a blast under the grill, it was quite delicious.
Or how about pancakes flavoured with fresh chopped tarragon, wrapped around diced cooked chicken breast, lemon juice and olive oil, mixed with crumbled feta and wild rocket leaves?
Or stir-fried onions, garlic, prawns, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and spinach, wrapped inside a pancake flavoured with smoked paprika?
Just have a rummage in the fridge and see where the pancake creator in you ends up!
Jane Honey