Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

Most of us don’t think nutrition when we think of crepes. The crepes I made years ago used all-purpose flour, milk and butter with more butter added to the pan.

But a friend of mine who grew up in France and is also concerned about nutrition made crepes for me using whole-wheat flour. I’m not a fan of whole-wheat in general compared with other whole-grain flours, and thought I’d try to improve upon a good idea. After returning home, I spent the next few days experimenting with ways of making crepes you can eat or serve without guilt.

I found that whole-grain barley flour (available from natural food stores) seems to produce the lightest crepe–compared with other whole-grain flours, such as spelt and whole wheat. If you are lactose intolerant, you can easily substitute plain soy, rice or coconut milk for the regular cow’s milk I use.

Recipe:

1 cup whole-grain barley flour

dash of sea salt

1 tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup milk (or milk substitute)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and 1/3 of the milk mixing until the batter is completely smooth. Whisk in the remaining milk and blend well. Let the batter rest for 15-30 minutes.

Heat a medium-sized skillet* over medium heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with a small bit of butter (or coconut oil). Pour in a little crepe batter and swirl around to cover the bottom. Cook until lightly golden then flip to the other side. Cook until golden. Serve with savory or sweet fillings.

Suggested savory fillings:

– lox and finely chopped chives with a little goat cheese

– sauteed mushrooms

– ham or prosciutto and cheese

– sauteed spinach and goat cheese

Suggested sweet fillings:

– fruit spread (no sugar added)

– sliced fruit, such as strawberries and bananas

– chocolate spread (Nutella or the organic version, Nocciolata)

– sliced apples cooked until soft in a small saucepan with lemon juice and cinnamon

*I have an All-Clad LTD pan that works great. I’ve tried making the crepes in my cast-iron skillet, but I found I had to make them much thicker.

Bon appetit!