Spinach Cakes with Lemongrass Infused Crème Fraiche

Today I share with you one of our favorite Monday meals. This is one of several “go to” 20 minute meals that I make when we are short on time and don’t have a lot of food in the fridge. Fig loves these spinach cakes and can put more than a few back under proper conditions. It’s also a great meal to make with a toddler since it’s so simple and requires measuring and mixing; two toddler favorites.

I’ve tried these cakes with chard, tomatoes, kale, and a number of other vegetables. All of the cakes turned out delicious, but the simple spinach recipe remains our favorite.

Spinach Cakes with Lemongrass Infused Crème Fraiche.

Ingredients for the Spinach Cakes:

• 1 cup of pastry flour
• 1 ¼ cup of finely chopped spinach
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp of ghee, melted ( clarified butter)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2/3 cup of milk
• ½ of a medium sized shallot, finely chopped
• 1 egg white
• Oil for frying

Ingredients for the Lemongrass Infused Crème Fraiche:

• ¼ lemongrass stalk
• 1/2 cup of crème fraiche
• Juice from 1 small lime
• ½ tsp of sea salt

For the Spinach Cakes:

• Chop spinach finely (I typically use the organic bagged triple-washed spinach for this recipe to save myself the “hassle” of washing and drying the leaves )
• Next mix the flour, baking powder, whole egg, ghee, salt, cumin and milk in a large bowl
• Add the spinach, mixing well.
• Finally, add the egg white, folding it into the batter.
• Turn a frying pan on medium and place about 2-3 tablespoons of batter. Pat down to desired thickness. The cake is ready to be flipped when little bubbles appear on the surface, usually a few minutes at most depending on thickness.

For the Lemongrass Infused Crème Fraiche:

• Grind the lemongrass in a spice blender and whisk with other ingredients. Alternatively, you can finely chop the lemongrass and whisk all ingredients together.

Serve the pancakes warm with a dollop of lemongrass crème fraiche and top with sprouts. Literally, this recipe is a piece of cake! Oh, and don’t forget to do the dishes…Fig never let’s me forget since it’s quite possible he loves cleaning the dishes more than cooking ( that will last forever right?)