Several years ago, my friends David and Tony turned me onto making crepes… Yes, I know they’re easy, but they require FLIPPING, which I’m not very good at. After many years of practice, I’m not scared of trying to flip them anymore… whew!
In the past, I’ve only had crepes as a dessert (with berries or something), but lately I’ve loved exploring how they can become more savory- a hearty meal by adding chicken and a delicious cream sauce. Here’s the recipe I”ve been following ( try it for yourself and let me know how it goes):
Crepes (makes about 24 crepes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup water
1 T. butter, melted
4 large eggs
cooking spray
10 inch non-stick skillet
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Place milk, water, butter, and eggs in a blender; process until combined. Add flour mixture to blender, process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat a 10 inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Coat pan lightly with cooking spray. Remove from heat. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers the pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute.
Carefully lift edge of crepe with a spatula to test for doneness. The crepe is ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned. Flip crepe over; cook 30 seconds on the other side.
Place on a paper towel to cool completely; repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining batter.
Creamy Chicken Sauce
3 bacon slice, diced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (sometimes I use a Rotesserie chicken)
1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2)
2 t. chopped fresh thyme
3 c. fat-free or skim milk
3 T. all-purpose flour
1 c. shredded Gruyere cheese
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 t. drippings in the pan; set bacon aside. Add shallots and thyme to the pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender.
In a small bowl, combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually stir milk mixture into the pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thick (2-5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and chicken. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each crepe; roll up. Smear a spoonful of sauce over the crepe and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top.
{Btw, this recipe can be modified to have almost anything inside- chicken and mushrooms, chicken and broccoli, etc. Any way you make it, it’s bound to be good- and good for you! These crepes aren’t too high-calorie -thankfully!}
