Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.12 of 12 - Spinach and Mushroom Pancakes

Ho Ho Ho! Whilst you won't find the hype and shopping madness of Western countries, in major cities you'll see lights, trees and Christmas decorations on the streets and in stores. Christmas Day is not even a bank holiday in China, although it is in Hong Kong and Macao.

Christmas recipe serves: 4 calories per serving: 375 preparation time: 1 hour plus standing & soaking cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes suitable for freezing (pancakes only)

Christmas recipe ingredients:

• white flour, plain 50 g (2 oz)
• wholemeal flour, plain 50 g (2 oz)
• egg, 1
• milk, skimmed 350 ml (12 fl oz)
• salt and pepper
• vegetable stock, 300 ml (10 fl oz)
• mushrooms, dried 25 g (1 oz)
• oil, vegetable 30 ml (2 tbsp)
• spinach, fresh washed 450 g (1 lb) or
• spinach, frozen leaf 350 g (12 oz)
• soft cheese, reduced fat 225 g (8 oz) mushrooms, brown cap 450 g (1 lb)
• spring onions, 1 bunch
• garnish, flat-leaf parsley

Christmas recipe instructions:

1. Use a food processor for the batter so mix the egg, a pinch of salt, milk and both flours. Then stand for 30 minutes. Soak the dried mushrooms and stock for 30 minutes.
   Ho Ho Ho! Ask each guest to bring nine and a half dozen of their favorite Christmas goodies with recipe cards of the recipe. Here's how the Goodie Formula works: 9 guests = 9 dozen goodies, plus add an extra dozen for 9 dozen goodies.
2. Coat the base of a non-stick pan with some batter after heating oil in it. Cook until golden brown (usually a couple of minutes), then cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Repeat with the rest of the batter till you have about a dozen or so pancakes.
3. Cook the spinach for a few minutes before allowing to cool, removing the liquid and cutting up. Add the soft cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook the chopped onions and brown-cap mushrooms in 15 ml (1 tbsp) of hot oil until light brown in color. Add the stock and mushrooms, and seasoning, then simmer for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is syrup like.
5. Take half of this mixture, make smooth in a processor, then return to the pan.
6. Take the spinach mixture from step 3 and put in an oiled ovenproof dish. Then layer half a dozen pancakes with the mushroom mixture in between along with the remaining spinach mixture. End with the mushroom layer.
   Ho Ho Ho! There are of course your traditional Christmas cookie shapes. These come in the form of candy canes, Santas, stars and just about any kind of shape that you can associate with the Christmas season.
7. Cook until weel browned at gas mark 6 (200 degrees centigrade, 400 F) for about 30 minutes.
8. Serve with flat-leaf parsley garnish.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Gifts-for-Christmas.com, bringing you recipes and unique gifts for christmas including their online home collectibles and russian gifts stores.

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