Spinach Pancakes

A perfect breakfast, dinner   side dish or simple supper entrée  for low carb dieters, South Beach diets, and healthy eating...not one bit of flour!  We love them for  breakast.   Quick to make, both  soft and crispy, and delicious. It's a nifty  way to get spinach into your kids. This morning I found we had no feta, and used shredded (NOT powdery) Parmesan cheese, which was  a super substitute,  and might  go over even better with kids. If you do use Parm  add a little salt to the batter, since ordinarily the feta would provide a bit  more  saltiness.  We like to  let extras cool completely on paper towels, then freeze with plastic or wax paper between the patties...they  are terrific reheated slowly  just for a  minute in the microwave.


Mix 8 beaten eggs with 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and WELL drained, and 1/4 c. finely chopped onion, . Heat 2 TB oil in a skillet on medium-high. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 c. of the mixture into the hot oil , wait a couple seconds to let the very bottom start to firm up, then  sprinkle about 1 TB of feta cheese over each.  (You'll need a total of 4 oz crumbled feta or about 1/2 c Parmesan).   Flatten  the pancake a bit with the back of a spoon before adding the cheese.   Cook 2 minutes or until golden; turn, cook til golden brown and a litle crispy. Serve topped with sour cream - use lite or low fat if you like.

Spinach Spirals

I love the chewy texture of these cheesy spirals. Served as bread or as an appetizer, one tube makes about 14 slices, but they disappear quickly, so plan on 2-3 per person. Good the next day, cold or zapped for a few seconds to warm them.

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, combine  10 oz  frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, with 1 c. Co-Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, 1 beaten egg and 2 TB dried minced onion. On a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, roll  out1 14-oz. tube of refrigerated pizza dough into a 14-in. x 10-in. rectangle; seal any holes. Spread spinach mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; seal ends and place seam side down on a  cookie sheet. If baking more than one, curve the rolls to get two on a pan. The shape  on the pan doesn't matter, you'll be slicing them anyway.  Brush with 1 TB melted butter; sprinkle with 2 TB Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve warm.