An Inspired Cook

As I was making the Blueberry Lavender Jam, I couldn’t think of anything better than to pair them with crepes. It’s been awhile since I’ve made crepes and thought to myself “what better time than now”. These crepes are so versatile and can be filled with sweet jam, cream cheese, or sprinkled with sugar. But as good as sweet crepes are, they are equally delicious with savory fillings. Crepes are so easy to make, the batter is quickly made in a blender and then swirled in a non-stick skillet with melted butter. Crepes are light but hold their shape and appear as if they are lace doilies on a plate. The crisp edges are my favorite part especially when they are freshly made. I’m including a recipe for Chicken Enchilada Crepes for a savory filling that you might enjoy. The filling includes chicken, cheese and a green chile bechamel sauce. It’s topped with the remaining cheese and bechamel sauce and then heated until it’s bubbling hot. It was a delicious savory meal that Joe and I enjoyed immensely. Crepes are so versatile for sweet or savory fillings, or even to enjoy with a sprinkle of sugar.

This recipe includes buttermilk, eggs, unsalted melted butter, flour, sugar and salt.

Add your buttermilk and eggs to the blender.

Next, add the melted butter.

Blend all the wet ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients to the mix and blend on low until completely blended and batter is smooth.

Heat a non-stick 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and swirl around the pan to coat.

Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet and swirl the pan until there is a thin coating covering the bottom of the pan.

Allow to cook until the edges start to brown. If you are unsure, lift the edge with a thin spatula to see the bottom of the crepe.

When the crepe has become crisp around the edges and is lightly browned, flip it over and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. The first crepe takes a little longer but as you go along and the skillet holds it’s heat they will cook quicker and you will turn them out one by one in no time.

Lay the crepes stacked on a plate. I’ve never had a problem with them sticking together but you could always add a sheet of wax paper between them. This recipe made 12 crepes.

Spread a layer of jam over half of the crepe. Fold the other half over and then fold again to make a triangle. Sprinkle some sugar, infused lavender sugar, or confectioners sugar over top.

Simple Crepes for Sweet or Savory Fillings

1 1/2 cups Buttermilk

4 large Eggs

4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

1 cup Flour

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 pinch Salt

Add the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter to a blender. Blend on low until well combined. Add the flour sugar and salt and blend on low until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated and the batter is smooth.

Heat a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a pat of butter to melt swirling the pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 1/3 cup of batter to the pan and swirl the pan so that the batter evenly coats the bottom. Let cook until the edges begin to brown and crisp. Use a thin spatula to check the bottom of the crepe and flip over to cook the other side an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place cooked crepe on a warming plate and continue with the remaining batter. Add a pat of butter before adding batter for each crepe.

Crepes can be filled with any number of jams or cream cheese fillings. They can also be sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon sugar. Makes 12 crepes.

Savory Chicken Enchilada Crepes

4 Crepes

1 Chicken Breast or 2 Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless

Green Chile Salt, to season chicken (1 part Green Chile Powder to 1 part Sea Salt)

2 tablespoon butter, divided

2 tablespoons Onion, diced

1 1/2 tablespoons Flour

1 – 1 1/2 cups Milk, whole milk is preferred

1/4 cup Green Chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Salt to taste

4 – 6 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

Season chicken with green chile salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Grill or bake chicken until cooked throughout. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes and chop into small bite size pieces.

To make Bechemel Sauce: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a medium saucepan or skillet. Melt butter and add onion. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Add remaining butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle flour over the butter mixture and stir together until it resembles a paste. Whisk in 1 cup of milk and continue stirring as the sauce thickens. Add green chile with any juice and stir to combine. Add garlic powder and salt to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add additional milk until you reach the desired consistency.

To assemble crepes: Lay crepe flat. Add a layer of chopped cooked chicken, cheese and a spoonful of bechamel sauce. Roll the crepe and place on a baking sheet or oven proof platter. Continue to fill the remaining 3 crepes. Pour remaining bechamel sauce over the crepes. Add a layer of cheese over top. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly.

Makes 2 servings.

**Note: After I grilled the chicken I kept the grill on at 400 degrees. When the crepes were filled and topped with bechamel sauce and cheese, I placed the oven proof platter onto the grill with the top closed. It heated the sauce and melted the cheese just as the oven would. I tried this because the temperature in our area has been over 100 degrees and I felt it too hot to turn on the oven in the house.