Plated + Served: Crêpe Expectations
Mama hit the wall last night.
My life in the carpool lane kicked into high gear—the Internet was down so some of the kids couldn’t get their homework done, and while there were tons of leftovers in the fridge, there wasn’t enough of any one thing to make dinner. Or so I thought.
Crêpes to the rescue.
Sautéed spinach, feta, green onions & pine nuts
I see you rolling your eyes… but you’ve gotta believe me, crêpes aren’t just the fancy-do thin pancakes you find in restaurants. Crêpes are an easy-to-make way of cleaning the cooler* and getting dinner on the table fast. Kids love them… even when they’re filled with leftovers.
And if you don’t have a lot of leftovers to work with, you can fill them with scrambled eggs, chopped bacon and broccoli (or whatever veg you have in the fridge) with a little cheese melted or crumbled on top.
Be sure to make enough crêpes for dessert… that’s what everyone is looking forward to anyway. Fill the crêpes with ice cream or whipped cream and any fresh or frozen fruit you have on hand.
(Forget the flaming crêpes… after all, it’s a weeknight and hey, they’re too romantic to waste on the kids!)
By the way, while I was writing this, I loved making that little ê over the e. It’s fancy.
*When I was in culinary school, our chef instructor had us clean out the walk-in cooler at the end of the week and create an amazing dish to serve our paying customers. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes.
Basic Crepes
you’ll need…
2 cups milk
1 cup flour
3 eggs
¼ cup melted butter
let’s get to it…
Pour milk, flour, eggs and melted butter into a blender and mix until smooth.
Heat a medium skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.Pour ¼ cup crêpe batter into the skillet (I always use a measuring cup); carefully swirl the skillet until an ultra-thin layer of batter covers the bottom.
Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the edges start to brown and curl up slightly and the surface is no longer shiny.
Lift the crêpe carefully with a spatula (or your fingers if you are brave) and turn; cook 1-minute longer or until brown. Stack the crêpes on a plate.
Place the filling down the center of the crepe; fold each of the sides over. You can also fill them and fold them over into a triangle shape.
cooking know how…
- If possible, before cooking, let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes while you get the ingredients for the filling together. Letting the batter rest helps relax the gluten so you get tender… not chewy… crêpes.
- Make the crepes super flavorful by adding garlic, chili powder, Italian seasoning or your favorite herbs and spices to the mixture before blending.
- If you want sweet crepes, add 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg before blending.
