Goat Cheese Stuffed Spinach Pancakes - My Meatless Mondays

Keep me away from cookbooks!  Keep me away from Foodie magazines!  Keep me away from the food sites and blogs!  I fall too quickly and I fall hard.  I saw this recipe on food.com and that was it.  I became fixated with it and could not wait to make it. 

Actually the recipe is called Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Pancakes with Tomato Sauce.  I had little time to make these and was going to use one of my bottled tomato sauces rather than make one until I tasted one of these pancakes.  No way, was I diluting, their wonderful flavors with tomato sauce. That is like putting ketchup on a delicious dish.  I happened to have spinach in the house so subbed that for the zucchini.  I am sure, it would be just as delicious with zucchini or other vegetables.


I am still falling for this dish and wish I had more.  These are put on the top of my list for side dishes, for vegetable dishes, for savory pancakes, for everything.  I love them.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Spinach Pancakes  (adapted from Emeril Lagasse)

 Ingredients

Goat Cheese

• 2 cups spinach
• 1/4 cup grated yellow onions
• 1/2 teaspoon dried  basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 (5-ounce) log goat cheese, very thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, onions, basil, zest,  garlic, salt, and pepper. 

In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the eggs and flour mixture to the vegetables and stir just until combined.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. When hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the batter by tablespoons into the skillet (making sure to spoon both batter and vegetables), leaving 1-inch between the cakes. 

Immediately drop a round of cheese into the center of each pancake. Top with another tablespoon of batter to enclose the cheese. 

Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook on the 2nd side until golden brown, about 1 minute. 

Remove from the pan and place on a baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven while preparing the remaining pancakes.

Husband's observation - "This is filled with something."  A few minutes later. "Delicious - make it again."  A success!

                                         
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