Sally's stuffed pancakes

This unashamedly 1970’s dish was made by my mother when I was a child. I suspect she got it originally from Delia Smith. I have added a few bits and pieces over the years and this is now one of my favourite stand-bys. I sometimes make half with spinach and half without, to appease any children who still resist the idea of too much ‘green’.

• 8 pancakes (made with 1 egg, half milk half water and a pinch of salt)
• A large tub of plain cottage cheese
• About 400g of spinach
• Two tins of chopped tomatoes
• Two onions finely chopped
• Two cloves of garlic
• About 2 tables spoons of fresh chopped basil
• Grated nutmeg

Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little oil for about 10 minutes, make sure they are well cooked and transparent but not brown. Add the tomatoes and basil and season with some salt and pepper. Let this cook with a lid on for about 30 minutes.

Steam the spinach for a few minutes until it is wilted and soft. Squeeze any excess water out and chop up. Add about 3 teaspoons of spinach and the same of cottage cheese onto a pancake. Grate a good sprinkling of nutmeg and roll the pancake up into a fat cigar. Line the stuffed pancakes in an oven proof dish and pour over the tomato sauce. Cook the dish for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Sprinkle a bit more basil on the top before serving.