What do you make if you have a big bunch of fresh spinach? Chances are not pancakes but don’t say no before you try it. I first discovered I can make spinach pancakes while reading one of my favorite cookbooks, inspired by Nordic cuisine. I made them once and since then I keep thinking of them.
Spinach Pancakes, a Finnish inspired recipe
The book I was talking about is The Nordic Cookbook, by Magnus Nilsson, and if you are interested in exploring the Nordic cuisine I totally recommend it. You can also see more about Magnus Nilsson on Chef’s Table, Season 1, Episode 6. Spoiler: he is running a restaurant in the middle of nowhere in Sweden, hard to get to, and as you can imagine you need a booking :).
Back to pancakes, I was inspired to make a lectin-free, grain-free, dairy-free version of the Finnish pancakes: pinaattiletut when I saw the recipe in the book. They were quite simple: flour, milk, eggs, spinach. Not only I replaced the wheat flour with cassava and almond flours, but I added way more spinach. The milk was replaced with a mix of full-fat coconut and hemp milk; you can use only one if you wish, I wanted the fat of the coconut milk but I didn’t want the taste to be overpowered by coconut, hence I mixed in some original, unsweetened hemp milk.
It took me few trials until I found the right quantity of flour; if not enough flour they’ll be too soft. Mine came out perfect in the end, but you might need to make your own adjustments. Collagen isn’t necessary but it’s a nice nutritional boost for these pancakes. I use Premium Marine Collagen from Further Foods.
When it comes to toppings, even if they are savory pancakes, I like them with warm blueberries (I use wild frozen blueberries and bring them to a boil in a sauce pan). But you can get creative and use them the way you feel. I also eat the leftovers, cold, just as they are or next to another meal. They also make a nice lunchbox addition.
Tell us what you think!