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For Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner At my office, the official birthday party stance has evolved into, "When it is your birthday, you can place a request and the boss (me) will make you whatever you want, bring it into the office and serve everyone at 'your' party." Since I am the one who likes to cook, this is generally a good idea. Sometimes, it feels like it is more trouble than it is worth until the actual party happens. However, the bonding and camaraderie prove to be well worth the effort. A couple of years ago, Linda, one of my key staff members, requested crepes. With the aim of pleasing her, I searched my sources to find her a lovely luncheon type crepe recipe-with a French flair, as that was her request. I found some recipes that sounded good. I started making the crepes, something I know how to do and have been doing for years. They were terrible. They tore when I tried to turn then and turned into a mess. I threw them away and went to the old family recipe, the one that I know works. When we were children, one of our family favorites, a most requested item, that we had for all special event breakfasts, was "Skinnies." That's what we called them as they were skinny pancakes. As an adult, I know they were basically a crepe, rolled up on the plate, topped with butter and syrup-Skinnies. So, using the family recipe, I made Chicken Normandy Crepes for the office lunch. This year, Chuck and I were driving back to New Mexico from California, where we had spent Thanksgiving with family. I had a lot of free brain space during the twelve-hour drive. I created a recipe in my head that had been simmering on my back burner for a long time. I often list my favorite food items, stating that there are very few things in life that are not improved by the addition of green chile (a New Mexico staple), bacon, cheese and champagne. I thought, if all of these items enhance a meal, how would all four be together? I did an Internet search and did not find anything that included all four items. So, on this long trip, I created a recipe in my head. As we approached Albuquerque, well past dinnertime, Chuck announced that he was hungry and was sick of fast food. I made a deal: if he'd unload the car, I'd go to the grocery store and get what I needed for this new recipe I had in my head. Only an hour later, I served him Marita's "Favorites" Crepes. I hope you enjoy them all! Skinnies,
Simple as 1, 2, 3 (also, basic crepe recipe)
Combine above ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat a 10-inch frying pan over medium high heat. For each "skinnie," made one at a time, melt enough butter to coat frying plan. Pick up the frying pan and using wrist action, allow the butter to coat pan. Pour approximately ½ cup of batter into the center of the pan and using the same wrist action, spread batter to the edges of the pan so that entire bottom of the pan is covered. Cook over medium high heat for a minute or two, checking at edges to be sure the bottom side is browned. When nicely browned, slip a wide spatula under the edge and flip. Brown second side. Loosely roll the crepe up. Place rolled crepe on a plate and serve, or place in a heated oven until all crepes are made, adding each hot crepe to the plate in the oven, and serve. Top with butter and maple syrup as you would with any pancake. Can also be topped with fruit or yogurt. Chicken
Normandy Crepes Preheat oven to 350 Basic Crepe Recipe, above, exclude vanilla, increase salt to ½ tsp. Add, ½ tsp. Thyme
Make crepes following the basic crepe recipe. Rather than rolling, slide out of pan and onto a plate or wax paper. Set aside. In a Zip-Lock type bag combine well the flour and the thyme. Add the chicken and shake until coated. In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it cook the chicken (leaving any excess flour and seasoning in the bag to be thrown away), until it is browned lightly. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and set aside, leaving any browned bits in the pan. Add the brandy, scraping up any brown bits, and boil the mixture for 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, the pecans, the apples, and the onion, and cook the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the apple juice and the cream and cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened slightly. Add the cooked chicken. To make crepes, place one crepe on a dinner size plate. Using a slotted spoon, place one large spoonful of the chicken mixture on the crepe in a rectangular shape rather than a blob, taking care to allow most of the sauce to dip back into the pan before putting filling on crepe. As you would for an enchilada, roll up the crepe from one side, spreading filling from one end to the other. Carefully lift the crepe into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish (glass preferred), slide to one end. Continue the process until all 12 crepes are rolled and in the baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the crepes and sprinkle with dried parsley. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and beginning to brown. Using a long spatula, place crepes on individual plates (usually 2 per person) and serve. Suggested accompaniments include rolls, salad or steamed vegetables such as asparagus. Marita's
"Favorites" Crepes Preheat oven to 350 Basic Crepe Recipe, above, exclude vanilla, increase salt to ½ tsp. Add, 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Make crepes following the basic crepe recipe. Rather than rolling, slide out of pan and onto a plate or wax paper. Set aside. Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until cooked, but still soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan and set aside. Reserve 2 TBS. Bacon drippings, set aside in a small cup. Add onion to the bacon drippings in the hot pan. And sauté until lightly browned and soft. To make the Champagne sauce, make a basic roux using reserved bacon drippings and flour: in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, combine reserved, bacon drippings and 2 tablespoons flour. Slowly add chicken broth ¼ cup at a time, allowing to just come to a boil before each addition, stirring continually. You should have a thick white sauce. Add Champagne and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper and parsley to taste, approx. ½ teas. each. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove one cup of sauce. Combine the one cup of sauce with bacon, onion, green chiles, asparagus and cheese in a large bowl. Assemble crepes by placing a flat crepe on a dinner size plate, using a large spoon, place bacon mixture down the center of the crepe, approx., 1/3-cup. Roll crepe around filling and carefully set in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Continue the process until all 12 crepes are rolled and in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and bake in preheated oven for 30 min. Using a long spatula, place crepes on individual plates (usually 2 per person) and serve. Suggested accompaniments include rolls and salad. |
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