Delicious, unexpected, chic, personalized and ‘fuss free’ when the guests arrive.
I had a good idea for a family lunch last weekend, so I am sharing it with you, just in case you are growing tired of the ten basic dishes you have been cooking this year. The culinary preferences of the people in our ‘pod’ ranged from toddler to gourmet and several are avoiding meat. What to do? I made crepes.
I made a stack of crepes before lunch and gently reheated them just before we ate. I made ‘fillings’ ahead and laid them out, so that each person could customize lunch. I liked the smoked salmon best, but everyone found something to enjoy. Here are some ideas.
One of many Basic Crepe Recipes
Ingredients
2 large eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup water
1 cup flour
3 TBS melted butter + butter for coating the pan (or cooking spray in pan)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse to ten seconds, or whisk vigorously
Chill batter in the fridge for an hour (this is optional – it allows bubbles to dissipate and make crepes smoother).
Batter will keep up to 48 hours.
Use a small, non-stick pan. Add butter to coat and wipe lightly. Pour about a quarter cup of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread into an even circle.
After about 30 seconds, lift the edge of crepe 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. Turn crepe over; cook 30 seconds on other side.
Lay each crepe flat to cool – on a dishtowel or a rack.
Stack cool crepes and store in the fridge in airtight container or Ziplock bag.
Store in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for up to two months (take out of the freezer and let thaw in the fridge).
Hints:
You can put wax paper or parchment between cooled crepes for even better storage.
To add flavor and color to the basic crepe – experiment with adding chopped spinach, herbs or sun dried tomatoes to the batter.
To make sweet crepes – add 2 ½ TBS of sugar or honey and tsp. of vanilla to the batter.
Fillings are limited only by your imagination.
Smoked Salmon, sliced thin
Fresh Dill
Crème Fraiche and or Sauce Verte
Savory Crepes with Ham and Mushrooms
Chicken, Garlic Cream Cheese and Thyme filling
Steak, Spinach and Mushroom Crepes with Balsamic Glaze
34 Savory and Sweet Crepe Recipes
How to Freeze and reheat crepes.
Smoked salmon make a stunning multilayered cake-like torte
Nancy suggested this savory, smoked salmon crepe cake – yum. The elements of this torte can be made a day ahead and assembled before serving.
And after the savory… leave room for sweet crepes Nutella – Strawberries – Dulce de leche!?
Julia Child’s Crepes Fines Sucrees
Jamie Oliver’s tips on how to make a perfect crepe.
End the meal with flambe drama. Nigella Lawson’s Crepes Suzette.
You all know that I like a good shortcut – and sure enough – you can buy frozen Crepes. These frozen versions make crepes an almost instant meal. In this case, making the crepes is so easy, when I have time, I am happy to make them from scratch.
Michel de France, 6 packages of 10 frozen crepes each, $21.00.
Trader Joe’s has frozen chocolate filled crepes which even Epicurious recommends.
Header image credit: Drinks Feed
Versatile meals are great for entertaining different tastes, ages and food preferences. Vive la Eggs Benedict;
