I have something to admit. I have been slacking on my cooking recently.
It isn't that I haven't been cooking. I always end up making up new recipes and then conveniently forgetting my camera. I tell myself "don't worry! I'm sure I'll make this dish again very soon and THEN I'll photograph and blog about it."
Don't procrastinate people, it never gets you anywhere...
On that note my PRE New Years resolution is to bring my camera with me everywhere and to always photograph meals the first time… I'll wear it as a necklace. I will never be caught unprepared again. Look out food.
Today I bring you a healthy dish before I start bombarding you with cookie and treat recipes for the holidays.
Crepe Lasagna served on a bed of spinach..I've been toying with the idea of making lasagna but switching out the noodles for crepes.
Let me tell you, unless you LIKE rubbery, thick wads of pasta, you'll never want to go back. The crepes are so light, yet they hold the filling in them so much better than those slippery lasagna noodles ever could. You HAVE to give this a try!
The filling can be changed up depending on how you are feeling. I included: grilled chicken, parmesan, feta cheese, grilled zucchini, roasted red pepper and onion, but i would definitely add spinach or kale next time, mushrooms and some chorizo sausage.
Recipe: Crepe Lasagna
Serves ~3 (4 if you like small portion sizes like me)
Ingredients:
4 crepes (see recipe below or buy pre-made)
2 grilled chicken breasts
1/2 a small purple onion (thinly sliced)
1 red pepper (roasted)
1 zuchinni
~1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
~1 cup grated parmesan
~1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Method:
Slice zucchini in thin (~1/4 inch) strips lengthwise and toss with olive oil. Grill on the barbecue (approximately 4 minutes per side) until tender.
Prepare crepes via recipe below or use pre-made crepes (you will need approximately 4). The crepes I made were approximately 8-inch so I used a 10-inch oven proof plate or pyrex (just match the plate you use to the crepe size).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Start with ~1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place the first crepe over-top. I then placed another 1/4 cup of sauce on top of the first crepe, layered chicken on top followed by another crepe. Add another ~1/4 cup of sauce, then add onions, feta and parmesan. The third layer started again with a crepe, followed by another 1/4 cup of sauce (are you seeing the pattern here?) and then the grilled zucchini and roasted red pepper with some more feta and parmesan. Add the last crepe and top with remaining sauce, and the remaining parmesan. You can add more cheese if you want or use less… It is up to you! have fun with it!
Place dish in oven and bake for ~15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the filling is heated through. Serve immediately (ideally on a bed of spinach because you need more vegetables) and enjoy!
Recipe: Crepes
Makes ~12 8-inch crepes
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup cold water
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
Method:
Measure flour into bowl. Whisk in milk and water SLOWLY to make a smooth blend with no lumps.
Whisk in eggs, salt and 1/4 cup oil. This would be the point that the zest would be added if you were using it. Let the batter rest for ~1 hour (unless you have instant blending flour, then only rest for 10 min)
Heat crepe pan and brush lightly with oil (I find that using a paper towel to apply the oil to the pan works the best). Pour batter on and tilt to spread trying to get the batter to create a circle. If there are lots of holes, you can quickly try and fix them by applying more batter and carefully spreading it with your spatula. Cook each side for ~30 seconds or until golden brown.
