Monday, April 29, 2013

Fiesta Lime Chicken Tacos with Lime Crema


I wanted to post this slow cooker recipe, in time for Cinco de Mayo. I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and when I saw Lime chicken, and I was in.  You can cook frozen  chicken breasts for the tacos in the slow cooker earlier in the day, shred the chicken, assemble your toppings, and serve, easy peasy. There was a recipe to make your own taco seasoning, but I used a salt free Adobo seasoning from the The Spice House.  The salt-free Adobo seasoning, which I love, had almost the same ingredients as the recipe here. I served the tacos with avocado slices, cherry tomatoes, and shredded Mexican cheese along with Lime Crema   I made the Lime Crema with Greek yogurt, which make it  more figure friendly, and lots of fresh lime zest and juice with a little cumin, mixed in for good measure. You can switch up the toppings and tortillas to any of your favorites; guacamole, cilantro, hot peppers, corn tortillas,  etc.  These tacos were amazing with the spicy chicken, and cool Lime Crema on top.  We are making these again for Cinco de Mayo, Sunday May 5th, Ole., and I hope that you make the wonderful tacos, too.  See more Cinco De Mayo recipes on my Pinterest -Cinco de Mayo page.


I made this wonderful taco recipe recently with a hectic week of Dr. appointments for Scott. Here is a quick update on our medical journey.  Even though  Scott's Pituitary tumor is large and will require surgery, it is slow growing, and probably benign. We feel better now that we have a plan, and are waiting for a call back from a Neurosurgeon in Chicago. We are nervous, but trying to focus on the positives, and follow the plan.


Fiesta Lime Chicken Tacos Adapted from The Salty Kitchen

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds of chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on – I used frozen boneless skinless breasts and halved the recipe for two of us.
  • 3 limes, juiced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 4 T. taco seasoning (see below) – I used salt-free Adobo seasoning
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth  I added about 1 cup of chicken stock
  • avocados, Greek Yogurt, salsa, shredded cheese – whatever you like for tacos
 Taco Seasoning from  The Salty Kitchen and  Mel's Kitchen
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 1/4 t. garlic powder
  • 1/4 t. onion powder
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 t. dried oregano
  • 1/2 t. paprika
  • 1 1/2 t. ground cumin
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper

Combine all of ingredients in airtight container.

Directions:
Place the sliced onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Squeeze the juice of one lime over the onion.  Then place the chicken on top.
Sprinkle 2 T. of taco seasoning over the top of the chicken; turn chicken over and sprinkle remaining tablespoon of seasoning.

Squeeze the juice of the remaining two limes over chicken and onion.  Add the broth. Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Shred the chicken. Put it back into the juices in the slow cooker.  Serve with tortillas and toppings of your choice of your choice   


 Lime Crema

1 cup of plain Greek Yogurt
1 lime, juiced and zested
1/2-1 tsp cumin

Combine above ingredients in a small bowl, and refrigerate until serving time.  May also add a few red pepper flakes, for a little heat



I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #65
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie! 


    

Friday, April 19, 2013

Banana Bread for Comfort


To Scott and I, Banana Bread is pure comfort food.  It's homey, delicious, and brings back warm, feel good memories when you are eating it.  After the horrific the events in Boston this week,  our hearts and prayers go out to the victims families, and everyone that has been affected by the explosions at the Boston Marathon.  We need comfort food to soothe the jangled nerves and psyche, so I made my go Banana bread recipe.


On a personal note, we found out that Scott, my husband, has a Pituitary Tumor, which is pushing on his Optic nerve, and affecting his vision. There are many unknowns at this time. so I'll be away from my blog for a while.  My Husband's health is my first priority.  I would ask you to keep Scott, and our family in your thoughts and prayers, as we go through this medical journey.  I will need lots of baking therapy and started making  this Banana Bread, which is so moist and full of banana cinnamon flavor.


We were lucky to have the tart, sweet  Blood Orange Jam   from my dear blogging friend, Gina@SPCookie Queen. She had sent some Blood Orange Jam and Strawberry LimeCardamom-Low Sugar Jam   for my Birthday in March.  She is such a sweetie! The jam on the banana bread instantly lifted our spirits.  Thank you Gina for a wonderful surprise!




Banana Bread Adapted from Cooking Light
Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt  I didn't add
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/3 cup  Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray
Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir well. Set aside.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add banana, yogurt, vanilla, Beat until well blended. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed, just till moist.

Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.






Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Mushroom, Zucchini, and Red Pepper Frittata


I love to make Fritattas. A Frittata is a flat Italian-style omelet that's usually prepared in a cast-iron skillet, and finished in an oven. .The Frittata is good for brunch because you can serve a lot of people.  Besides the eggs and cheese, you can customize them using whatever yo have in your fridge or pantry.  I had bought extra eggs around Easter, and needed to use them, before their date expired. I also had some mushrooms, a zucchini, and red bell pepper, just begging to be used before they went bad. Voila, there is an easy dinner, breakfast, or lunch.



Besides being easy to make,  this is a healthy Frittata recipe that has 4 eggs, four egg whites, only 1/4 cup of cheese, and the veggies are sauteed in Smart Balance. I used shredded Parmesan cheese 20 calories per 2 tsp.,  and is low in fat.  You can't get much healthier than this for dinner. Add a salad and maybe some fruit, and this is a healthy, easy dinner.  Enjoy!




Mushroom, Zucchini, and Red Bell Pepper Frittata
Adapted from Liv Life

Vegetable oil cooking spray
I Tbsp of Smart Balance or butter
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 clove, garlic sliced thin
8 oz sliced mushrooms I used white button mushrooms
1 medium Zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced in small strips
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil. or 1 tsp dried basil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425°F. Coat 1 10” ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set aside. Heat Smart Balance in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add sliced Mushrooms and sautee, until liquid is released. Stir in sliced zucchini and sliced red pepper. Continue cooking, until just soft. 2-3 minutes.   Remove from heat.  Lightly whisk eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, basil, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into skillet, stir, and bake until puffed and firm in the center, 12 to 14 minutes.


Monday, April 15, 2013

Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins


I love strawberries in and on  anything; my morning oatmeal, salads, drinks, and baked goods of course. Once the California Berries are ripe, I go crazy with the strawberries. Of course local strawberries are the best, but we'll be waiting a couple of months for those, because it was briefly snowing again on Saturday, Grrr!  I added strawberries to my yummy Applesauce Oatmeal Streusel Muffin recipe with great results.




I made these gorgeous muffins to take to a friend's house for coffee. I made the Applesauce Oatmeal  Streusel Muffin recipe, minus the topping, and added about 1 cup of fresh strawberries. They were delish, bursting with loads of strawberry flavor. Last week I also tried to make Banana Strawberry bread, which was an epic fail.  I believe that I added to much Greek yogurt, and too many bananas. As I made these muffins, I held my breath, until they were out of the oven, and they were perfect. These muffins have more rolled oats than flour, and I stirred in the rolled oats, as is, because I like the texture they give to the muffins. in addition to the rolled oats, the muffins are healthy with applesauce and  coconut oil,  that makes them so moist,  which means there is no butter. Then I folded in about 3/4 cup of chopped strawberries, and topped with 1/4 c sliced berries, ripe red, strawberries that look like strawberries, smell like strawberries, and taste like strawberries.  Looks can be deceiving with strawberries sometimes. Do you smell the strawberries before you buy them,? I do.  enjoy!




 Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins:

  • 1-1/2  cups rolled oats
  • 1-1/4  cups all-purpose flour
  • 1  teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2  cup fat-free milk  I used almond milk
  • 1/2  cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3  tablespoons vegetable oil  I used coconut oil
  • 1  egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, divided 3/4c chopped berries; reserve 1/4 c. sliced berries

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F. Line twelve medium muffin cups with paper baking cups or spray with cooking spray.



Combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in large bowl; mix well. In medium bowl, combine applesauce, milk, sugar, oil and egg white; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not overmix.)

Fold in 3/4 c chopped strawberries. Top muffins with reserved sliced berries.



Fill muffin cups almost full.



Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm.

I linked up my recipe to Brandie's The Weekend Potluck #115 

 
   
   



Thursday, April 11, 2013

Swiss Cheese, Goat Cheese, Apple, and Spinach Grilled Cheese for Grilled Cheese Month


I made this Grilled Cheese sandwich, Swiss Cheese, Goat Cheese, Apple, and Spinach Grilled Cheese for National Grilled Cheese Month, which is this month. I wanted to change things up a bit, and make a classier grilled cheese sandwich.  This is not your Momma's Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  I have eaten many a grilled cheese with the ooey, gooey, melted American Cheese in my time but I wanted something different.   I knew that I wanted apple and spinach, and then I had some goat cheese with fine herbes and I also found  Swiss cheese that I found in our other refrigerator. I had  bought extra Swiss Cheese, when I had Fondue, a couple of months ago. I had written "Do Not Eat", on the package, so my Hubby wouldn't eat it. Guess What?  He didn't eat it. Now back to the sandwich.

We made this grilled cheese on our George Foreman Grill.  It had been on the top shelf of our pantry collecting dust. After a good scrub, George was ready to make my new creation. We do have a grill pan that goes on the stove, but totally forgot about it.  This sandwich was a little healthier using cooking spray on the George, and a little Smart Balance spread on the whole wheat bread. First we layered crumbly pieces of the Goat cheese on the bottom.  Then we added thinly sliced Swiss cheese, and next came the thinly sliced Gala Apple.  We topped the whole thing off with Fresh Baby Spinach, uncooked.  My Hubby doesn't like"slimy" cooked spinach.


This grilled cheese was amazing, and I'm not a cheese lover, like my Hubby is. The Swiss cheese and Goat cheese melted together with layers of herby  flavor in your mouth.  The Gala Apple was tender, not mushy, and the spinach was just heated through, not "slimy". All in all, I would give this sandwich Five Stars.  We paired out amazing sandwich with a cup of the leftover Asparagus Soup, instead of the traditional Tomato soup.  The Asparagus soup was  wonderful  with our Swiss Cheese, Goat Cheese, Apple, and Spinach Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  We'll be making the sandwich again.




Swiss Cheese, Goat Cheese, Apple, and Spinach Grilled Cheese

Ingredients: 1 sandwich

2 slices of your favorite bread  I used whole wheat

1 oz crumbled goat Cheese

1 oz thinly sliced Swiss cheese

1/2 Gala apple, thinly sliced

 Baby spinach leaves



Directions:

First, put crumbled goat cheese on one piece of bread. Then layer the Swiss cheese on top of goat cheese, Layer sliced apple on top of the Swiss cheese, Top with Baby Spinach. Top with 2nd slice of bread. Place sandwich on pre-heated George Foreman Grill sprayed with cooking spray cooked until cheese is melted, and bread is golden


I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #62
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie! 


    

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Better Than Robert Redford Cake Or?


I have seen several of versions of this quintessential cake over the blogoshere, which jogged my memory. Back in the early 80's, when I was making this dessert, it was named for Robert Redford, the hunky guy at the time. There have been several names attached to this dessert, Better than Sex Cake,  Lush, etc.  Depending on your genre, you could call this cake Better than  Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling,  or you fill in the blank with your favorite hottie. Believe, back then hottie wasn't even a word. Which celebrity makes you drool?


This dessert is Oh My Goodness! good.  It has four layers of heavenly flavors and textures.  The first layer is a nutty, buttery crust,  The second layer is cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped topping, mixed together. The third layer is instant chocolate pudding made with less milk, so it is firmer. The final layer is more whipped topping and and garnished with mini chocolate chips, chocolate curls, or chopped nuts, to name a few. One bite of this luscious dessert will have you in another universe.



You can make this dessert ahead of time, and put it in the freezer.  I recommend putting the dessert in the freezer before cutting. As you will see my piece if the cake isn't perfect, because I didin't leave it in the freezer long enough before cutting.  I was in a hurry to take pictures, before the light was gone, and I was going to Bunco, too.  At night I dream of making perfect  stunning, desserts, but it never seems to happens,  I need to be more organized, and plan better, but that never seems to happen, either. Perfect or not, this dessert is out of this world.  You can change up the pudding flavors.  I used to make this with Pistachio pudding at Christmas, or Lemon pudding in the Spring.  This dessert with the lemon pudding was my Mom's favorite.  Whichever pudding you choose, you have to make this dessert, and savor every bite. Enjoy!

I had a PDF copy of the recipe from my old cookbook, but I couldn't convert it to aWord
document. 

Better Than Robert Redford Cake From Allstate Community Cookbook, Circa 1983

 Ingredients:  
 ***1st  Layer, the crust ** 1 cup flour 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped 1/2 cup butter, softened i stick 
 ***2nd layer the cream cheese layer*** 1 package (8 ounce size) cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup Cool Whip 
 ***3 rd layer, the pudding layer***
2 small pkg Instant chocolate pudding., or flavor of your choice

3 cups milk I used Almond Milk 
 ***4th layer. the topping *** 1 cup Cool Whip Mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or chocolate curls

 Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix ingredients for 1st layer, the crust, spread on bottom of an ungreased 9 x13  baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool thoroughly.
Mix the ingredients for the 2nd layer the cream cheese layer,, and spoon on top of cooled crust. Mix the ingredients for the 3rd layer, the pudding layer, and spoon on Top of 2nd layer.  Chill for 30 minutes


 4th layer, top with a thin layer of Cool Whip, and garnish with grated mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or, chocolate curls.  Freeze or refrigerate overnight for easier cutting.   I would definitely recommend leaving in the freezer overnight for easier cutting.  I didn’t leave mine in the freezer long enough.

I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #62
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie! 

 



Sunday, April 7, 2013

Fresh Asparagus Soup for #asparaguslove


 You know that Spring is fianally here, when you see Asparagus in the grocery store that is grown in the USA.  It's still too early here in Northern Illinois for local  grown asparagus, but spring is in the air with the birds chirping and crocus popping up. Spring is so invigorating for me. Hopefully our dreary, cold weather is behind us.  Today it was 64 degrees. Once Spring comes, we tend to adjust our diets to  lighter, healthier, dishes, so we'll look good in our summer clothes.

 I saw this healthy version of Asparagus Soup, so I knew it would be perfect for #asparaguslove, the theme for April Blog Hop. I have been MIA from the Love Blog Hop for a couple of months, but now I am back.  Please  join in on the #asparaguslove  fun linking up any asparagus recipe  from the month of April 2013.  Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #asparaguslove  event.  The twitter hashtag is #asparasguslove.


This light, healthy soup has great flavors from lots of garlic, onion,  carrot, and celery sauteed with asparagus chopped into 1/2" pieces, and simmered in chicken or vegetable stock. Once the simmered vegetables are tender, the soup is pureed in a blender in batches, or using an immersion, stick", blender, until smooth.  Before serving you can stir in 1/2 c almond milk or half and half, if desired, and garnish with reserved asparagus tips. This soup has a a wonderful flavor, and it is not too thick. If you would like a thinner soup, you can add more chicken or vegetable stock. This soup is good for a light lunch with a sandwich or dinner with some chicken or fish. 

Fresh Asparagus Soup Adapted from DashRecipes.com

To remove the woody end from an asparagus spear, hold the spear at the middle and bend the bottom with your other hand until it snaps. The stalk will naturally break at the perfect spot.  

 Ingredients:
2 lb asparagus
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 chopped stalks celery
1 chopped carrot
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt, I didn’t add
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup almond milk or half and half
1 tsp lemon juice
Sprinkle of Parmesan (optional) 


Directions:

1. Trim woody ends from asparagus; reserve tips of 8 spears. Cut remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. In a large saucepan, warm olive oil over low heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; cook 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add asparagus, salt, and black pepper; cook 5 minutes. Add chicken broth. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

 3. Blanch tips in boiling water 3 minutes. Drain. 

 4. Puree soup in batches in a blender, or use immersion blender.. Return to saucepan over medium heat add almond milk or half and half and lemon juice. Warm through (don't let simmer). Top with tips. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan (optional).


  I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #62
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!


Friday, April 5, 2013

Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Milk with Tomatoes and Cilantro


There are some recipes that you see that just jump out of the screen, and say  "Make Me." Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Milk with Tomatoes and Cilantro is one of those recipes.  Maybe because  of the bright colors, or maybe because of all the wonderful flavors in this dish, or a little bit of both.This recipe has shrimp cooked in a coconut milk tomato broth with lots of garlic, red bell peppers, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice. with a little heat, which is optional. Besides being low in fat and sodium, this dish tastes amazing. Shh! Don't tell anyone, they won't believe you. I saw this on Pinterest and it's from Gina's skinnytaste.com This meal comes together quickly, under 30 minutes, which works well for weeknights, but is also perfect for your  dinner party. Serve over cooked rice.  I used brown rice, so start cooking your rice, before you even start the recipe, so it is done, when the shrimp are cooked.


First you saute, red bells peppers for about 4 minutes, then add , green onions, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a pot or large skillet, and cook for one minute.  Then you add in the Light Coconut Milk and diced tomatoes, simmering about 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened.  Add Shrimp and lime juice, and simmer for about 5 minutes until the Shrimp are pink .  Serve over rice, and garnish with remaining green onions and cilantro.
We loved this dish, and will definitely be making this again.

 You could also use leftover chicken, or start with raw chicken breasts, in case your family doesn't like shrimp.  I would saute the chicken first, then add the red peppers, garlic, green onions, and garlic, and then proceed with the rest of the recipe. We'll be trying this chicken version of this recipe, too.




Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Milk, and Tomatoes with Cilantro From Skinnytaste.com
Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
  • 4 scallions, ( green onions) thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 14 oz can light coconut milk (50% less fat)
  • 1/2 lime, squeezed

Directions:
In a medium pot, heat oil on low. Add red peppers and sauté until soft (about 4 minutes). Add scallion whites, 1/4 cup cilantro, red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, coconut milk and salt, optional, to taste. Cover  and simmer on low about 10 minutes  to thicken the sauce, and let the flavors come together.
 
Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink. Add lime juice. Serve over rice and garnish with  green onions and cilantro.

I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #61
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie! 


    

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Tuna Egg Salad


If you have leftover hard boiled eggs from the Easter Bunny, you can make Tuna egg Salad.  This is tuna and egg salad mixed together, half and half, a little bit of tuna, and a little bit of egg salad.  We make this all year long, typically for a Saturday lunch.  Hard boiled eggs in the shell will keep one week in the refrigerator, so you still have time to make this.  Since we desperately want Spring, I took my flower cookie cutter, and cut out bread flowers to go with the Tuna Egg Salad.  


There is a secret ingredient in our Tuna Egg Salad, that isn't found in either Tuna Salad or Egg Salad, and that is Dill Weed.  Dill gives the Tuna Egg Salad a little zing to the sometimes bland salad.  We also used parsley flakes, since we didn't have any fresh Parsley at the time that we made this. The Tuna Egg Salad turns out so well every time. Tuna Egg Salad is wonderful  stuffed in fresh summer tomatoes, too.  We'll be waiting a long time for those here in Illinois. If you have a family member that doesn't like Egg Salad,  just make Tuna Egg Salad, and they won't know that they are eating Egg Salad, too.  Moms are sneaky like that, aren't they. Enjoy!


Tuna Egg Salad

2 5-6 oz cans of your favorite tuna albacore or flaked, drained
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 onion chopped fine
1 rib of celery, chopped fine
1/2 c. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip- We used Miracle Whip
1/4 Tsp Dill Weed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add above ingredients to a large bowl, and stir to combine.  Chill until serving time. Serve on bread or buns of your choice.. I like my bread toasted, but sometimes I just eat the Tuna Egg Salad over Baby Spinach

I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #61
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie! 


    


Monday, April 1, 2013

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Crepes


Crepes are a great way to create a simple side or main dish, using savory ingredients.  They are a also a good way to use use leftovers in a creative way.  Do you have any leftover ham or or chicken from your your Easter Dinner? You could add leftover cooked meat to the  Creamy Spinach and Mushroom crepes for a light appetizer, lunch or dinner. There are so many possibilities. After a week of eating all the Easter goodies, a lighter fare is a welcome addition to many menus.



I saw these delicious crepes on my friend Kim's blog,  Liv Life, awhile ago. They had my name on them.  Crepes were all the rage, back in the day, and then they went away. It seems like they are coming back now.  Crepes are pretty easy to make, once you get the hang of it. Crepes are very thin pancakes.  Just like making pancakes, the first couple that you make are rejects. You don't need a special pan.  I just used a an "8 frying pan and Alton Brown's Crepe recipe here.  You can make the batter in a blender or use an immersion , "stick", blender. One important thing that you have to do with crepe batter is to let it "rest" anywhere form at least one hour to overnight.  Letting the batter rest keeps the crepes from tearing in the cooking process. I didn't have any torn crepes. You can make the crepes ahead of time, and after they cool, freeze them between layers of wax paper in a freezer container or bag.




The Creamy Spinach and Mushroom crepes are chopped spinach, sauteed white mushrooms and onions, in a sauce made with white wine, low sodium low fat chicken stock, herbs, and sour cream, but I used Greek yogurt all wrapped up in a savory crepe. I did add a little cheese on top of the crepes for color, and added flavor. These crepes were a light lunch, and tasted so good, with so much flavor the herbs, and sauteed mushrooms and onions.  You should really give these a try.  Enjoy! 

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Crepes

Adapted from Liv Life and Cooking Light,

1 batch savory crepes Alton Brown's Savory Version)

1 teaspoon butter 
1 cup vertically sliced onion 
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups thinly sliced baby portobello mushroom caps (about 6 ounces) (I used White mushrooms about 8 oz)
1 10 oz pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry.
3/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine 
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (I used 1 tsp Herbes de Provence)
1/4 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream) I used Greek Yogurt
1/4 c. shredded cheese, cheddar or Parmesan

Directions:
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown.

 Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Add wine, and cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in thawed, chopped spinach, until combined and heated through.

 Add broth and fresh thyme or Herbes de Provence; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add sour cream or Greek yogurt, stirring until well blended. 

 Spoon about 1/3 cup mushroom mixture into center of each crepe and roll up.  Place crepes, seam side down in a 13 x 9 pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese.  Broil 2 minutes until lightly browned.

I linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #61
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie! 


    






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