Apple Cream Pie

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This is a recipe I learned about from Amber, one of my daughter’s dear friends, and my surrogate daughter. Amber posted this pie on FB, and said she was never going back to “chunky lumpy apple pie.” So I asked her for the recipe which leads to another brief story.

She got the recipe from this post on Post Secret.

My first introduction to Post Secret was a dozen or so years ago when we were visiting our daughter in Chicago. She had been gifted a Post Secret book which I read cover to cover. Post Secret was the brainchild of Frank Warren who was working on a community art project. He asked people to anonymously mail him a postcard with one secret on it. He took his art project online, and it became widely popular. For a time there was a Post Secret ap, but that has since been taken down. I still occasionally see Post Secrets on Instagram.

Thanks to Post Secret the family secret is out of the bag. Now onto the recipe. With the exception of the type of apple I followed the recipe as it was written by Grandma. I did not have Granny Smith apples so I substituted Pink Ladies, and I used four apples instead of three because mine were not very large.

Ingredients:

3 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and grated

4 T of melted butter

1 1/2 cups of sugar

2 T flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

Start out with a pie crust (homemade or from the grocery refrigerator section). Using a box grater, grate the apples into the pie crust.

Pour the melted butter over the apples. Whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Whisk in the milk and then the eggs. Pour the cream mixture over the apples.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Slice, and enjoy warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a little ice cream. I used butter pecan gelato.

NOTE: Having made this for the first time I would do a couple of things differently. I usually think of recipes as guidelines that can be tweaked based on personal taste. I would cut the nutmeg down to 1/4 tsp vs. 1 tsp. It was too nutmeg forward for me. Granny Smith apples are much tarter than Pink Ladies but, regardless, I would cut the sugar back a bit. My husband however, who is the connoisseur of all things sweet, did not think the sugar level was too high.

I am glad the family secret is out and I will definitely make this again.

Sheet-Pan Quesadillas

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I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I am hooked on Instagram reels. Some people love Pinterest, I love Instagram reels. This is a “reel” recipe that I thought would be a perfect way to make quesadillas for a group of people. I made a couple modification and, second time around, will make a couple more modifications. The construction is really easy with very basic ingredients. On Saturday nights we have a group of friends, twelve folks if everyone is able to join, and we play trivial pursuit or sing karaoke or gather around a bonfire. And we eat very well. Our group first began getting together during the pandemic, and we started out sharing finger foods. Everyone brings something to pass. The finger foods soon evolved into full fledged meals. We call ourselves the Saturday Nighters. The pandemic will be long gone and our group will still be getting together on Saturday nights.

To make these quesadillas you’ll need to have two jelly roll pans measuring approximately 18×13. The first pan to assemble the quesadillas, and the second to weight it down while it bakes. I also used my cast iron fry pan for additional weight while it baked.

Ingredients:

8 – 10 large tortillas (Burrito size)

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 sweet pepper chopped

Meat from a rotisserie chicken shredded (my shredded chicken weighed out at 1.5 pounds)

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

3 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, or a combination of both)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and peppers until tender, about 5 minutes.

Rinse the beans and the corn. In a large bowl stir together the shredded chicken, beans, corn, and sautéed onion and peppers.

Measure out the seasonings and stir into the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat your oven to 425. Line the first jelly roll pan with parchment paper, and spray with Pam. Put 2 tortillas in the center of the sheet pan and put down 6 additional tortillas half in, half out of the pan.

Spread the chicken and vegetable mixture evenly over the tortillas.

Sprinkle the cheese over the meat and vegetable mixture.

Put two tortillas over the filling in the center of the pan and fold the other six tortillas over.

Spray the bottom of the second pan with Pam and place that pan on top of the tortillas. Bake for 15 minutes with the pan on top. Remove the second pan and bake an additional 5 minutes until the top is a light golden brown. Remove from the oven to a cutting surface. Allow the quesadilla to cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Put out dishes of your favorite quesadilla toppings and dig in. I served ours with a red chunky salsa, a spicy salsa verde, jalapeños, and guacamole. Sour cream, black olives, sliced green onions, and additional cheese would also be great add ons.

NOTE. The next time I make these I will increase the quantity of onions and peppers, sauté a little fresh jalapeño in with the other peppers, and add cilantro to the mix. You could also substitute pinto beans or refried beans for the black beans.

For a vegetarian variation beans, cheese, and vegetables would be very satisfying.

The recipe recommended a 20 minute bake with the top pan on and 5 minutes without. I would reduce the initial bake time to 15 minutes. You can see from the picture that my tortillas were a little extra crispy. You could also sprinkle on a little additional shredded cheese for the last 5 minute bake.

German Sweet and Sour Cabbage

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I’ve been making this cabbage dish for years. It’s a perfect fall/winter dish, and I think it pairs especially well with pork. A friend gave me a large head of red cabbage, picked fresh from the garden, and I immediately decided what was for dinner. It’s an easy chop, chop, all in one pot dish, that makes your kitchen smell wonderful.

People usually think of the more common green cabbage, and dishes like boiled dinner, cabbage rolls, sauerkraut, and, of course, coleslaw. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are all vegetable cousins. Cabbage was considered a table luxury in the Roman Empire, and European sailors ate cabbage on long voyages to prevent scurvy. Apparently they knew it was high in Vitamin C and K, and red cabbage contains 10X more vitamins and cancer fighting flavonoids than it’s green cousin. Love when something that tastes this good is also good for us.

The ingredients are very basic, things you probably have on hand. If you see a nice head of red cabbage in the grocery or farm market I encourage you to try this. Aunt Nellie sells jars of sweet and sour cabbage in the vegetable aisle of the grocery, but homemade is so much better! And more economical. I’m on a mission to find a recipe for canning this.

Ingredients:

1 medium head of red cabbage, cored and sliced

1 medium sweet red onion sliced

2 large apples peeled, cored, and sliced

1 T butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

2 bay leaves

3-4 whole allspice

3-4 whole cloves

7-10 pepper corns

2 T of cornstarch for finishing

Get out a large Dutch oven or heavy kettle. Remove outside leaves, cut, core, and slice the cabbage.

Slice the red onion and peel, core, and slice the apples. I used Granny Smith but any good, firm apple will do.

Put your cabbage, onion, and apple in the Dutch oven. Add the sugar, butter, cider vinegar, water, and spices. Everything but the cornstarch goes into the pot.

Your kettle will be very full and it may be difficult to stir. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep the cover on your pot. Simmer for one hour and forty minutes. Occasionally remove the lid and stir the cabbage. The cabbage cooks down making it easier to stir.

Once the cabbage has finished cooking combine 2 T corn cornstarch with a little cold water. Whisk together and add to the cabbage. Simmer until the juices have thickened.

I served up the cabbage as a side with sliced pork loin and corn on the cob.

Delicious!

NOTE: This sweet and sour cabbage is good hot, at room temperature, or even cold.

Red cabbage is great combined with green cabbage for coleslaw or just sautéed in butter until tender and seasoned with a little vinegar. Cabbage is plentiful this time of year. I’ll be back to share if I come across instructions for canning this dish!

Corn Chowder

/ featherheadlady / 4 Comments

It’s prime sweet corn season in Michigan and, this year, the corn seems to taste especially sweet and good. Yesterday I picked up a couple dozen ears from a local farmer and decided to make a big pot of corn chowder. I also blanched and froze the kernels from a dozen ears. Corn has been around forever, apparently first domesticated 10,000 years ago by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico. I didn’t know, until I looked it up, that corn kernels are technically a fruit. When corn is dried it is considered a grain. Whole corn that you eat off the cob is considered a vegetable. And corn made into alcohol is bourbon whiskey, as long as it’s made from at least 51% corn. (One of my favorite corn products). And lets not forget corn oil, polenta, tortillas, and popcorn. What an amazingly versatile plant!

Soups are one of my favorites. They tend to taste good the first day and excellent the second. This week temperatures in Michigan have been a little cooler than usual for August so a nice pot of soup was just perfect.

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken broth plus 1 cup water

5-6 cups of fresh corn (I used 7 ears)

1 large onion diced

2-3 medium carrots diced

3-4 stalks of celery diced

1 sweet red pepper diced

2 cups new potatoes diced

10 oz bacon

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Soup always involves a lot of chopping. Remove the kernels from the cobs and set aside. I use a sharp knife and my angel food cake pan which works just great and, in my opinion, is the best use for an angel food cake pan.

Put the cobs in a stock pot along with 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes while you’re preparing the other components. The cobs enhance the corn flavor you’re looking for in the chowder.

While the cobs are simmering cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until it is crisp. Remove the crisped bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Reserve 2 T of the bacon dripping and add the diced carrot, onion, celery, and pepper to the dutch oven. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the potatoes and the corn.

I leave the skins on the new potatoes but, if you prefer, you can peel them. Russets or Yukons both work great as well.

Remove the cobs from the broth, and pour the broth over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, cooking until the potatoes are tender.

Once the potatoes are tender stir in the milk and heavy cream. Add the thyme and cayenne.

Bring the soup back to a simmer. If you prefer the soup to be creamer remove a few cups to a heat proof bowl and, using an immersion blender, purée. Add the purée back to the pot. A friend told me she uses her mother’s recipe which calls for the addition of 1 can of creamed corn. Potato flakes can also be used to thicken the soup.

Have your soup toppers ready. I used shrimp, green onions, cilantro, the crispy bacon bits, and cheese.

Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

NOTE: As with most recipes this one is very versatile. It’s all a matter of personal taste. You could add smoked sausage or andouille sausage, seafood, or cheddar, jack, or pepper jack cheese while the soup is simmering. A dollop of pesto or sour cream or some of the delicious smoked trout I brought back from northern michigan would also be good toppers.

If corn is not in season, frozen corn is an excellent substitute. I blanched a dozen ears of corn, removed the kernels, and froze it in 8 oz portions. The corn is so good I think I will freeze some more to use this winter.

Iced Lemon Loaf

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Is it a cake or is it a bread? Last weekend I made this lovely lemon loaf and a blueberry walnut loaf in celebration of a friend’s birthday. This is another of Tieghan Gerard’s recipes from Half Baked Harvest. I’ve made several of her recipes, both sweet and savory, and have enjoyed all of them. This was no exception. It’s very moist and not overly sweet. Since it is made with almond flour it is perfect for anyone looking for a gluten free, low carb dessert. Almond flour can be substituted for AP flour in most recipes and, because it is made from finely ground blanched almonds, it has a higher fat content resulting in slightly moister baked goods.

Ingredients:

8 T salted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup honey

2 T lemon zest

3 T lemon juice

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4-6 oz cream cheese melted

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

3-4 T lemon juice

2 tsp honey

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. I lined mine with parchment paper leaving an overhang to make the loaf easier to remove.

In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, honey, and 1 T lemon zest until combined. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, until combined.

Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and yogurt or sour cream. The combination of dairy and lemon juice makes the batter look curdled, so don’t worry that something went wrong.
Add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat just until combined. In a smaller bowl mix together the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
Spoon half of your batter into your prepared pan. Dollop teaspoon amounts of the cream cheese mixture over the batter using about 1/3 of the cream cheese. Gently swirl the cream cheese using an offset spatula.

Repeat with the remaining batter and cream cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is just set. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and allow to cool.

While the loaf is cooling make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and the honey. Pour over the loaf and let set for an hour or so.

Slice and enjoy!

NOTE: You can substitute AP flour for almond flour 1 to 1, but I have not tried it with this recipe.

I used 6 oz of cream cheese because how can you possibly have too much cream cheese??

Spring Rolls

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Spring Rolls were this weeks foodie project. I like to try new things to keep work in the kitchen interesting, and I’d never attempted spring rolls until now. There are a large variety of appetizers referred to as spring rolls. Wrappers differ as do fillings and cooking techniques. The spring rolls I made were filled with raw vegetables, a little mango, rice noodles, and herbs. They were wrapped in rice paper, and were not cooked. They were served at room temperature with dipping sauce. Ingredients and preparation vary from one Asian culture to another. After a little research, the preparation I used seems to me to most closely resemble Vietnamese salad rolls known as goi cuon. They can also be made to include cooked pork or shrimp. While these are not difficult at all to make the preparation is a bit fussy and tedious. All of the veggies need to be match sticked and that takes patience and a good sharp knife. Apparently you can buy the vegetables already prepared, but where is the fun in that?? You can easily personalize these and fill with ingredients of your choosing. This is what I used.

Vegetables:

Baby butter lettuce

Red cabbage

English cucumber

Carrot

Sweet red pepper

And a mango

Rice Noodles

I used 2 to 3 oz of Bifun. Most of the recipes I found called for rice vermicelli, but this is what I had. Prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package. Once they are cooked shock them in ice water to stop the cooking, drain, and return to the pan. Toss with one or two tsp of toasted sesame oil and set aside.

Herbs

1/4 cup finely sliced green onion

1/4 cup cilantro

1/4 cup thai basil

1/4 cup mint

Tear or chop all of the herbs, combine, and set aside.

Once all of your preparation is done, set up what I referred to as my rolling station. You want all of your ingredients in one place and within reach.

Fill a pie pan with about an inch of room temperature water. Put a wooden cutting board next to the pie pan. Put one piece of rice paper in the water for 10-20 seconds and remove to your cutting board.

On the bottom third of the moisten wrapper, leaving about a one inch boarder, start piling on your veggies. I started with the baby butter lettuce, then the cucumber, carrots, peppers, cabbage, and mango. Next I added the rice noodles and finished it off with the herbs. Then you want to fold the bottom up over the filling, fold the sides in, and continue rolling like you would a burrito. Try to roll them tight. I set them on a parchment lined sheet pan. Once you get the hang of it this part goes quickly.

Now you can prepare your dipping sauce.

Peanut Sauce:

1/3 cup natural peanut butter (no sugar added)

2 T rice vinegar

2 T tamari (or soy sauce)

2 T honey

1 T toasted sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic grated

2-3 T water

Soy Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 T honey

2 T rice vinegar

2 T water

1 T toasted sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic grated

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool. (I made a double batch of this sauce.)

Plate and enjoy.

NOTE: Zucchini or yellow squash, dykon radish, or other peppers would be delicious additions. You might also want to include cooked shrimp or thinly sliced pork if you prefer to add a protein.

Information I read regarding rice paper suggests not refrigerating the rolls because the paper may become chewy. Prep can be done ahead of time but the rolls should be made the same day as you plan to serve them. Keep them covered with a barely moist towel.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

/ featherheadlady / 2 Comments
I recently subscribed to Food and Wine magazine. I subscribed mostly because my favorite cooking show ever is Top Chef, and each season the winner is featured in Food and Wine. Of course the magazine also has some excellent recipes, including the amazing Veggie Burger recipe I blogged a few months ago. This recipe is actually from the November 2002 issue. I stumbled on it looking for date recipes. I had shared some dates with my daughter at Christmas for an appetizer recipe, and she used the rest of hers to make a babka filling. I read reviews from people who had made this pudding cake and one lady referred to the recipe as ”life changing.” It has become her go to holiday dessert. I still had plenty of dates so how could I resist a life changing recipe!

While doing my date homework I learned that they are mentioned in the Bible more than 50 times, and 20 times in the Qur’an. Dates are a fruit that comes from a date palm which is native to the Middle East. They are naturally very sweet, high in fiber, high in antioxidants, and a good source of potassium and vitamin B6. We all know it helps to rationalize how healthy our sweet treats are! Just think of this dessert as a life changing health food that tastes amazing.

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) of chopped, pitted dates

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 T unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Sauce Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tsp brandy (I used bourbon)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10 inch round pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. In a saucepan cover the dates with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the baking soda. It will foam up. Allow the dates to cool slightly.

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. In a medium size bowl (or stand mixer) cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In 2 alternating batches, beat in the dry ingredients and the date mixture until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking make the sauce. In a heavy, medium size sauce pan bring the brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream to a boil over moderate heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Simmer and continue whisking for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, brandy (or bourbon), and salt. Keep warm.

When the cake is done allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a rack and peel off the parchment paper. Carefully return the cake, top side down, to the pan and poke about 15-20 holes in the cake with a skewer.

Pour half of the warm sauce over the cake and let stand until the sauce has absorbed into the cake.
Invert onto a platter and poke another 15-20 holes in the top. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche or whipping cream.

Enjoy every bite of this healthy, life changing dessert.

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

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I haven’t blogged much lately. I’ve become obsessed with Tieghan Gerard’s recipes that she publishes under Half Baked Harvest. My daughter introduced me to her site. I’ve ordered a couple of her cookbooks and I am regularly printing off recipes that she publishes on her site. My friend Jane and I have made her appetizers, salads, soups, entrees and desserts. We have loved them all. Her recipes are not overly complicated and the ingredients, for the most part, are readily available even where I live. This soup is based on one of her recipes. It is now a favorite that I’ve made several times. Using my electric pressure cooker (or your instant pot) you can have this prepped and ready to eat in about 45 minutes and it has so much wonderful flavor. This soup would be great as originally published, but my husband especially likes soup with lots of stuff in it so I have added the black beans, corn, and red bell pepper.

Ingredients:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic minced

2 poblano peppers seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped

2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo finely chopped

1 T smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

Kosher salt and pepper

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

2 cans (14 oz) fire roasted tomatoes (I used my home canned)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped plus more for serving

1 cup frozen corn

1 can black beans drained

Set your pressure cooker/instant pot to sauté. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, peppers, chipotle peppers in adobo, paprika, cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 5-10 minutes until very fragrant.

Turn the pressure cooker/instant pot off. Add the whole chicken breast. Stir in the tomatoes and the broth. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.

Once it’s done cooking use the quick release and release the steam. Open the pot carefully and remove the chicken. Using two forks shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Stir in the black beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice.

Stir and keep the pot set to warm.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish as desired with cheese, additional cilantro, sour cream, and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.
Enjoy.

If you’re interested in more wonderful Half Baked Harvest recipes put it in your search engine and check her out!

NOTE: This recipe can also be made in a crock pot. Add all of the ingredients except the cilantro and lime, and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Shred the chicken and stir in the lime juice, cilantro.

I almost always use Better than Bouillon rather than boxed or canned chicken broth. I like the depth of flavor much better.

I purchase larger cans of chipotle in adobo and process them in my mini ninja. I freeze the puree in an ice cube tray and keep the cubes in my freezer to use in recipes.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

/ featherheadlady / 2 Comments
Asparagus is one of our favorite vegetables. It’s great wrapped in prosciutto and grilled, in a quiche or frittata, pickled and added to your bloody mary, roasted, or just steamed with a little butter and lemon. It’s definitely not asparagus season in Michigan, but when I was shopping and saw this nice big bag of asparagus I immediately thought about making soup. I like brothy soups and creamed soups and my husband typically prefers soups that you could almost eat with a fork, but we both like the creamy asparagus a lot. It comes together quickly and, with the exception of the asparagus, the other ingredients are pantry staples.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of asparagus

1 medium onion diced

3-4 cloves of garlic minced

4 T butter

1/4 cup AP flour

6 cups of chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiana cheese

Heat your dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 T of butter. Add the diced onion and cook until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and and cook for another minute.
While your onion is cooking wash the asparagus spears and remove the woody ends. Cut the spears into approximately 1 inch pieces. If you’d like, set a few tips aside to blanch and use as garnish when serving.
Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the pot and stir in the asparagus pieces. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of flour and stir until combined with the vegetables.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the asparagus is tender. Use an immersion blender until you have a smooth consistency. Stir in the heavy cream and cheese and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blanch the tips that you set aside, and garnish the soup with a little shredded cheese and the asparagus tips.
Enjoy!

NOTE: I like to make my broth from Better Than Bouillon but canned or boxed broth are also fine. I used heavy cream but half and half or whole milk could be substituted.

Roasted Veggie Crepes

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One of my latest pandemic shop-a-thon purchases was a cordless electric crepe maker, the direct result of watching too many Instagram reels and having an Amazon Prime account. Last night I decided to see if it worked just like it did in the video I watched. I thought about making blintzes but didn’t have the right cheeses so I opted for roasted vegetable crepes. I made my crepe batter, and while that was resting in the fridge, I prepped all of my veggies and got them ready for roasting. I used broccoli, asparagus, onion, peppers, mushrooms, butternut squash, and brussel sprouts. I added fresh herbs and salt and olive oil and let them roast until tender. They smelled so good roasting. While the vegetables were in the oven I fired up this crepe maker. I poured my batter into the shallow (plastic) dish that came with the CucinaPro.

This post exists only because of this crepe maker. The first time I dipped the crepe maker into the batter one area came up bare. There is some wrist action required to get nice even coverage. After a couple tries I had pretty much perfected the dip, even though this one appears to have a frowny face.

The crepes slide right off the surface and no oil or butter is required. The crepes are paper thin as advertised on the box. My recipe made 20 crepes. I tore sheets of wax paper and layered them as they came off the iron. The crepes themselves were very easy to work with once I started filling and rolling. All in all, I am very satisfied with my purchase and this will not be a ”one use wonder.” I do have a very nice blue carbon steel crepe pan that I will still use on occasion, particularly for making things like blintzes. Since I brush that pan with a little melted butter between crepes the crepe has a little different consistency, and obviously a more buttery flavor. I think the crepe maker will be my go-to for savory crepe dishes. Whether you have a CucinaPro Cordless Crepe Maker or a favorite non-stick skillet, the basic crepe recipe I use will work fine.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups AP flour

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 T melted butter

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all the crepe ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes. Heat your skillet over medium heat, brush with butter, and add about 1/3 cup of batter. Swirl the pan to spread the batter out and, when the edges turn golden, flip the crepe. Stack them between layers of wax paper until you’re ready to use them.
Crepes can be filled with just about anything. This was dinner so I filled mine with some grated Gruyere and all of the veggies that I roasted.
You can use any combination of vegetables and herbs. I added fresh rosemary, oregano, and salt to my medley and tossed them with a generous amount of olive oil. I roasted them at 425 on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment for easy clean up.
I gave them a stir after about 30 minutes and let them roast for another 30 minutes until they were tender.
Once the veggies are done let them cool a bit before you start stuffing and rolling your crepes.
One of my favorite bits are the crispy brussel sprout leaves. I munched a few of those while I was waiting for them to cool a bit. I roasted a whole garlic in the foil and squeezed that delicious garlic out to stir into the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. When you’re ready to fill your crepes grate some cheese because, lets face it, everything is better with cheese. I used Gruyere but any cheese will work.
Lay down some of the cheese and then top with your vegetables. Roll the crepes and put them on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Bake them in an oven preheated to 350 for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

I made a Bechamel sauce to serve over the crepes. When I learned to make this sauce in my high school home economics class it wasn’t called Bechamel, it was simply called white sauce. You make a roux from butter and flour and add milk. Today I whisked in a little nutmeg and fresh grated parmesan cheese. Served up with a chiffonade of fresh basil.

I had a lot of extra crepes so I cooked up some apples with apple pie spices and a little sugar, and made a dessert crepe topped off with a little caramel sauce.

Fun to make and delicious to eat.

NOTE: Crepes have no end of potential. You could use a combination of meat and cheese like ham and swiss or chicken with roasted peppers and jack cheese. If you have extra crepes, as I did, you can refrigerate them in a ziplock bag leaving the wax paper sheets in between the crepes. Make them up for breakfast filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and bacon. You can top them with salsa, marinara, or a cheese sauce. You’re only limited by your imagination.