Inspired Dinner: Make Your Own Crepes

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)

Comments

[Sofia's Ideas]

My MIL makes incredible crepe dinners - many courses all stuffed into crepes. My husband grew up with this as a tradition. I would love to recreate this but I have one question - what HEALTHY pan option do I have? While you're at it, what type of bakeware do you recommend?

Thanks a bunch!

[Elle]

Yum! Can't wait to try this - I heart crepes.

[Nad]

I had the exact same question... I used to use only non-stick pans and have since realized how bad they are for you. I am using some stainless steel ones now but my omelettes get stuck (and burnt) so I doubt they'd work for crepes... You mentioned cast iron, does that work well???

[veronica lee]

Yummy!!

Hi! Stopping by from MBC. Great blog.

Have a nice day!

[Sara S.]

I love this recipe -- and my kids love crepes because they get to personalize them. Sofia, they don't take fancy cookware. We use a well-seasoned cast iron pan.

[Micaela]

As Sara said, a well seasoned cast iron pan does work for this. You can also get Teflon-free non-stick pans like Scan Pan, GreenPan and Cuisinart Green Gourmet. I have to admit that I used my trusty old non-stick griddle which I have not been able to find a decent replacement for. It's not scratched so the risks from using it are low although I really do want to replace it.
For bakeware I tend to use aluminum without the non-stick coating. A lot of people swear by silicone, but I have not tried it yet.

[Nad]

Thank you for giving me some non-stick options to look into... I admit that I've been at a loss and lacked the time to properly research. The cuisinart green line seems great! :)

[Abby]

I love the idea of mixing half whole wheat flour and half regular. Such a great way to make a favorite dessert healthier! I also like your comment on how you sometimes just stick in food that your kids will hate. It is so hard to cook to please them without taking away from some our your favorites. But have you tried cooking with your kids? A study run through Columbia University found that kids who cook are more likely to try new and healthy food!

That is why I work for Monday Campaigns a group partnered with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My favorite health initiative that we run is our The Kids Cook Monday which encourages kids to cook and eat with their families every Monday! Please visit our website to see the many benefits of eating family meals together http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/.

We would love if you would write a blog for us on Monday about cooking your kids. Please email me if you are interested! TheKidsCookMonday@gmail.com

I promise your kids will love it!

[Sofia's Ideas]

Thanks, Sara, for taking the time to answer my question! I do have a cast iron skillet - I guess I should just trust you & try it!

[Sofia's Ideas]

Micaela, Thanks so much for taking the time...

This really helps me alot!!!