Most days everyone at my dinner table gets served the same exact thing. Maybe one person gets a little less squash or a little more broccoli than another but the same basic elements are on each plate. Sometimes though, I like to mix things up a bit and use ingredients I know my kids will hate. Like mushrooms, spicy foods and really stinky cheese, just to name a few.
That's why I love finding the type of recipe that is adaptable to please both kiddos and adults without a lot of extra effort. This recipe for homemade crepes was just that. Just whip up a batch of crepe batter (be sure to leave 1-3 hours to refrigerate the batter) and add any type of veggie, cheese and/or meat combination you want. I made the Spinach, Mushroom and Gruyere filling that was suggested in the recipe for the grown-up types while the younger set got basic ham & cheese. Then with the leftover batter (I had doubled the recipe), John made cinnamon-sugar crepes for dessert! (By the way - I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all-purpose flour instead of all whole wheat for the crepes)
The recipe came from The Earth Bound Cook, a new cookbook by Myra Goodman, co-founder of Earthbound Farm Organic (you know - the salad people!) The book is chock-full of recipes for healthy, delicious food plus tons of ideas and tidbits about eco-minded living. If you are looking for a basic healthy food cookbook to add to your bookshelf, I recommend it!
Whole Wheat Crêpes (Makes about 8 crêpes)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups whole milk, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Spinach, Mushroom and Gruyere Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup minced shallots
3½ cups (10 ounces) chopped white, cremini, or other fresh mushrooms
½ cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound baby spinach, well rinsed and patted dry if needed
¹⁄³ cup Crème Fraîche (optional)
Assembling
¼ cup milk, if needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for cooking the crêpes
2 cups (7 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
1. Prepare the crêpe batter: Place the flour and salt in a medium-size bowl and whisk to combine. Add the milk and the eggs, and whisk to combine. Add the melted butter and whisk until the batter is smooth. You can also make the batter in a blender or with an immersion blender if you prefer. Cover the bowl with a plate and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours.
2. Prepare the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and wine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the spinach to the mushroom mixture and cook, covered, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. (It may be necessary to add the spinach in two or three batches, depending on the size of your skillet.) Remove the cover and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the crème fraîche, if using, and stir to combine. Set the filling aside and keep warm.
4. When you’re ready to make the crêpes, if the batter is too thick—it should have the consistency of thin pancake batter—add 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk to combine.
5. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, or a crêpe pan over medium heat and when the pan is hot, brush with some of the melted butter. Pour or ladle ¼ cup of batter into the center of the pan, lift the pan off the stove, and tilt and swirl the pan so that the batter spreads thinly across the bottom of the pan in a widening circle; don’t worry if the crêpe is not a perfect circle. There may be some small holes, but again this is not of consequence as the crêpes are meant to be thin. If the holes are large, you can immediately dot a bit of batter on them to fill them. Cook until tiny bubbles begin to appear in the crêpe batter; depending on how hot the pan is, the crêpe will be ready to flip in 15 to 30 seconds. With a spatula, lift up one corner of the crêpe to check if the cooked surface is lightly golden around the edges, and if so, flip the crêpe.
6. Sprinkle the cooked side with ¼ cup of cheese, and spoon a scant ⅓ cup of warm filling in a strip down the middle. By this time the second side of the crêpe should be a light golden brown. Fold all four sides of the crêpe into the center to enclose the filling. Turn the crêpe over with a spatula, and cook until both sides are golden brown, about 1 minute.
Serve immediately, folded side down. Alternatively, keep the crêpe warm in a 250°F oven while you repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling.
7. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling, whisking before making each crêpe. Make sure to also grease the pan lightly between each crêpe. The batter may thicken as it rests. If so, thin it with a tablespoon or two of milk as needed.
I have to admit - my crepes did not look quite as fabulous as the ones in this photo but they were awfully good. The boys LOVED them and I'm pretty sure that Crepe Night is going to be a new family tradition around here!
Photo and Recipe excerpted from The Earthbound Cook
Copyright 2010 by Myra Goodman
Used by permission of Workman Publishing Co., Inc. New York
All Rights Reserved
(Full Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Earth Bound Cook at no charge.)
(this post is linked to Fresh Bites Friday on Real Food Whole Health)
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