Main Dish Crepes

Crepes have a fine reputation as a delicate dessert or a light breakfast filled with fruit and topped with powdered sugar and whipped cream.

The paper-thin pancakes can be turned into a main dish, too.

The Basic Crepes recipe can be made with a variety of fillings. Try the Crepes Florentine, filled with creamed spinach, Parmesan cheese and chopped eggs. Or go south of the border with Cornmeal Crepes filled with beef and tomato filling.

All you need is a good non-stick pan or a crepe pan and a limber wrist for swirling the batter while it cooks. Crepes are a quick and easy main dish delicacy.

Basic Crepes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt

In a bowl, combine flour, milk, eggs, oil and salt. Beat until blended. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into a hot, lightly oiled 8-inch non-stick skillet. Tilt pan in a circular motion to distribute batter evenly in bottom of pan. Cook over medium-low heat about 1 minute and flip over with a plastic spatula. Cook about 1 minute more and remove. Place crepes on waxed paper. Cool slightly before filling.

Crepes Florentine

• 2 cups creamed spinach
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• 4 crepes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make filling, in a bowl, combine creamed spinach, eggs, ½ cup cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. On a clean work surface, lay a crepe flat, spread ¼ cup filling over crepe and fold into quarters. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining crepes. Sprinkle crepes with ½ cup cheese. Bake until warmed through and cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Cornmeal Crepes with Beef

• ¾ pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 2 small cans chopped green chilies
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 6 cornmeal crepes
• 1½ cups sour cream
• 1½ cups mashed avocado
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off grease and set aside. Sauté onion in hot oil in a large skillet until tender. Add tomato sauce, chilies, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour, stirring often. Remove half of sauce mixture and set aside. Stir ground beef into remaining half of the sauce mixture in skillet. Spoon meat mixture evenly down centers of the crepes. Top with sour cream and avocado. Roll up, jellyroll fashion. Place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread reserved sauce mixture over crepes. Bake, covered at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes. Serves 6

Cornmeal Crepes

• ½ cup cornmeal
• ½ cup boiling water
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine cornmeal and water in a medium bowl. Cool. Stir in flour and remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour 3 tablespoons batter into a heated, lightly greased 6-inch nonstick skillet. Tilt pan in all directions so batter covers pan in a thin film. Cook about 1 minute or until crepe can be shaken loose from pan. Flip over and cook an additional 30 seconds. Place crepe flat on a towel to cool. Repeat procedure until all batter is used. Carefully stack cooled crepes between layers of wax paper to prevent sticking. Makes 12 crepes.

Tip:

• To store leftover crepes, stack them between layers of waxed paper. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Crepes

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