Ricotta Pancakes with Spinach

M was working quite late on a recent cold and snowy night and she had to drive many hours for work. So I wanted to make a warm, soothing, but light meal for her to have when she returned at 10 pm. I decided on ricotta pancakes. I love ricotta and spinach together, and a dash of lemon adds just an extra tart, fresh flavour. This recipe makes 6-8 mini-pancakes or 4 larger ones, and it can be served as an evening snack or as breakfast. In that case, I’d add lemon peel to the batter and serve the pancakes with blackberries or blueberries. They can also serve as canapés for a dinner with guests.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp basil
75 g spinach
butter or oil
125 g ricotta cheese
1 egg, separated
1/8 cup flour
1 pinch salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:
1. Lightly fry the basil and spinach in butter, stirring frequently.
2. Mix the ricotta cheese and the egg yolk. Add the flour, salt, and lemon juice.
3. Whisk the egg white, then add it to the ricotta mixture.
4. Drop tablespoonfuls of the pancake mixture onto the spinach. If needed, add more butter to fry the pancakes.
5. Fry until golden on both sides, then turn out onto plates. Top with any spinach that hasn’t cooked into the pancakes. Serve.