Goat Cheese, Tomato and Arugula Crepes

As winter is coming to an end, so is the indoor winter farmers’ market in town. I picked up some lovely fresh greens at the last market for this season on Saturday. Crisp arugula leaves - perfect for a salad! But there was enough to use in another recipe as well. So I decided to add some arugula to my brunch crepes along with goat cheese and tomatoes. It’s mild bitterness worked perfectly with the sweetness of tomatoes and the tartness of the balsamic drizzle. Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you - this is a really simple crepe recipe which can be easily customized per the ingredients you have at hand. This version is especially quick since the filling doesn’t have to be cooked, but if you’re in the mood for more elaborate crepes, try our crepes with caramelized onion and mushroom filling and Bechamel sauce.

Ingredients:

Crepes (~4-5 crepes)

½ cup flour (whole wheat or all purpose)

1 egg - beaten

½-¾ cup milk (adjust to get a thin consistency)

1 tsp melted butter (optional)

1 Tbsp chopped spring onions (optional)

½ tsp minced garlic or garlic powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil or butter to grease the pan

 

Filling

~2-3 Tbsp soft goat cheese

2 tomatoes -sliced

Freshly cracked pepper

Fresh arugula leaves (~6-7 per crepe)

 

Balsamic reduction

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

Mix all the crepe ingredients and adjust the amount of milk to get a thin batter consistency such that it can spread and coat the pan as you twirl it.

 

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil/butter to grease the pan. Add ¼-⅓ cup batter in the middle of the pan. Twirl the pan gently for batter to spread. Cover and cook until bottom is slightly browned. Flip the crepe over and cook uncovered until golden brown on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.

 

While the crepes are cooking, make the balsamic reduction by heating the vinegar and honey on medium-high. Let it come to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for another minute before taking off the heat. It will get thicker as it cools. If it is still too thin heat a bit more; if it’s too thick, add some water and reheat to combine.

 

Spread goat cheese on half of a crepe. Top it with tomato slices, cracked pepper and arugula leaves. Drizzle some balsamic reduction. Fold over the other half of the crepe. Drizzle more balsamic reduction (optional) and serve warm.

~Gayatri

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Quinoa Crepes with Creamy Mushroom Filling

Quinoa is a wonder food, rich in protein, providing all essential amino acids and is a good source of potassium. I try to include it in my diet as much as I can in the form of salads, stir fry and even soups. It’s easy to cook and so versatile that you can change up the flavors as you wish. Last week I cooked a large batch of red quinoa to make a salad for a potluck, and made sure to leave some aside to use in another dish. Instead of the usual stir fry or soup, thought I’d get a bit creative - here’s a recipe for crepes made with cooked quinoa and chickpeas for an additional protein boost.

Ingredients:

For the crepes (makes ~6 crepes)

1 cup cooked quinoa (I used red quinoa)

½-¾ cup cooked chickpeas (or canned)

2 Tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream

1 Tbsp parsley/cilantro (optional)

Salt

Paprika (optional)

Water

For the filling

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

¼-½ cup shredded carrots

1 clove of garlic, minced (or garlic powder)

⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp flour (I used wheat flour)

Salt

Pepper

1-2 tsp oil

~½ cup milk

Combine all the ingredients for the crepes except water in a food processor. Add about ¼ cup of water and blend to a puree. Add more water as required until you get a crepe batter consistency.

In a nonstick pan over medium heat, add a few drops of oil/butter. Pour a ¼ cup of batter and move the pan around to quickly spread the batter. Cover and cook for a couple minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Gently lift the crepe and flip it over. Add a couple more drops of oil/butter from the sides if required. Cook uncovered for another minute or so until it is completely cooked, and crispy to your liking.

For the filling, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Once onions begin to brown a little, add the flour and mix well to combine. Let the flour roast for a minute, and then slowly add milk - a couple tablespoons at a time, until it forms a creamy base for the filling. Season with additional salt, pepper if required.

Transfer a cooked crepe to a plate by flipping it over so that the side that was cooked last is facing up. Spoon some of the filling along the center of the crepe and fold the sides up and over, similar to an enchilada. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.

Alternate assembly: While making the crepes, sprinkle some shredded cheese (I used a pizza cheese blend) after flipping the crepe. Place the crepe cheese side up on a plate, spread some filling and sprinkle chopped parsley. Repeat with another 3-4 crepes. Slice and serve!

~Gayatri

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Protein rich crepes made from cooked quinoa and chickpeashttp://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/12/quinoa-crepes-with-creamy-mushroom.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, December 3, 2015

Gluten Free Pumpkin & Oat Crepes

Crepes are one of my favorite foods - quick and easy to make, and super versatile. You can change up the filling and easily go from savory to sweet. Or you can change what goes in the batter altogether! This healthy crepe recipe uses pumpkin and oats instead of the typical ingredients like flour and eggs. It’s low carb, gluten free and extremely delicious!

Ingredients (Makes ~6-8 small crepes)

¼ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup quick oats (old fashioned rolled oats would work too - will need some extra water)

½ Tbsp melted butter

¼-½ cup water or milk (I used water)

Salt, Black pepper, Garlic (powdered or minced) - to taste

Chopped parsley (optional)

Mix all ingredients except water. Add water a couple tablespoons at a time until the batter reaches typical crepe batter consistency - pourable, but not too watery.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add a little oil/butter. Pour ~2-3 Tbsp of batter using a ladle and spread it evenly by tilting the pan. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes. Since there is no flour in the batter, this is a very delicate crepe. As it cooks, you’ll notice the liquid evaporating, leaving behind a beautiful lacy surface.

Carefully loosen the crepe from the sides using a thin spatula, flip it and cook for another minute. Serve hot!

Serving suggestions:

The crepes are nice and crispy when they’re hot, but they get softer as they cool down (remember, no flour!). When they were hot and crispy, I enjoyed just rolling them up and eating them as a snack.

To make a meal out of it, you can top it with your favorite crepe filling. I served it with an omelette and sauteed mushrooms and broccoli, drizzled with a tangy mustard and yogurt sauce.

~Gayatri

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Crispy savory pumpkin crepes - low carb and gluten free!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/10/gluten-free-pumpkin-oat-crepes.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Friday, October 9, 2015