Rollin' With a Cause

I was home this past weekend, visiting the family and taking care of the usual business. It was great to just get away, relax, and not to have to cook for once. The most difficult question of the day is always "What do you want to have for dinner?". Sometimes we start talking about it at 9am, right after breakfast and during coffee. It's like this huge-normus event, like the Superbowl of food that day. Funny thing is though... I usually say the typical "I don't care". I know a lot of people say that... but usually I mean it. I don't like super heavy, sit in your gut, grizzly bear hibernation comafest dinners. My mother is the same way, so when it's just the two of us, dinner is light and quick.

Simple dinner is what we both wanted, so we went with a quick favorite in my house. I thought this would be a great entry for the Tried Tested and True...Take Two Event over at Equal Opportunity Kitchen. The theme for this event is "sure-fire hits" in your home, but changed to make them more healthy. Every family needs delicious nutrition right? This is a quick recipe that I have had several hundred times growing up, and I've changed it to be more healthy. These are light, tender, crepes... which we call Nalesniki.

First thing you do is grab a scorching hot skillet, place a small ladle full of thin pancake type batter in the pan, and swirl is around so it coats the bottom. Cook for a quick minute, flip to the other side for a few seconds, and presto... you're D-U-N done. They are not sweetened in any way, so usually a thin layer of jam is spread onto the crepe, and then they are rolled up, and sprinkled with some powdered sugar. If you're in an adventurous mood, try filling them with whatever you like. Sweet or savory. Applesauce, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, chocolate, whatever. I like to get my protein in, so I usually go with cottage cheese and a touch of cinnamon.

To make these healthier for this event. I've taken the canola oil down to a teaspoon or two, used a combonation of whole wheat and AP flour, and... well that's about it. There's not much to these crepes, so they can't really be changed. Oh, how about non-fat milk. There ya go.



Simple Crepes
Recipe by the Bizan Family
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-1/4 cup AP flour
-1 1/2 cups non fat or skim milk
-2 eggs
-1 tsp canola oil
-pinch of salt
In a large bowl, beat all ingredients in well with a wire whisk. There should be no lumps, and the batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter. Add more milk if the batter is too thick.

Prepare a large, non stick, skillet lightly with oil or sprayed with cooking spray. Turn your stove top on to medium high, and get the skillet scortching hot. Using small ladle fulls, approximately <1/4>

Cook on one side for about one minute, or until the edges of the crepe slightly curl up. This is your key to knowing that one side is finished. Using a small spatula, grab the end of the crepe, and flip over, using your hands to help guide if you need to. Cook the crepe on the new side for another 30 seconds, or just until the batter sets.

Empty the crepe onto a warm plate, lightly oil the skillet again, and repeat as neccessary. I have no idea how many crepes this makes, probably about 20 or so, depending on the size of your pan. Fill the crepes lightly with whatever filling you like, (slightly less than a tablespoon) and then either roll them up, or fold them in half twice, so they make a triangle. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar, and you're done.
I love breakfast for dinner, and these crepes make a basically no fat, very light, and still filling, little fuss dinner. They have fiber, a good carb source, healthy fats from the eggs, and a little protein. They can be adaptable to whatever mood you're in at the present moment. Any other "breakfast anytime lovers" out there? Make sure you check out the other entries over at Equal Oppertunity Kitchen. They have a great site over there, and raising awareness in a noble cause like organ donation is a wonderful thing to do.

Oh and I want to thank Mom for helping me with the photos. She has quite the decorative side, and anything I've learned is all from her :) Oh, and I know I was tagged last week. If anyone wants to learn some cool things about Adam, get your eyes and laughs ready for Wednesday :)