This Sunday I am in the mood for something light and delicious, and crepes are calling my name. With a few healthy ingredients, these crepes are a surprisingly simple way to eat something light that still feels decadent.
What You’ll Need
2 cups of water
1 cup non-fat milk
4 egg whites
1 cup of all purpose flour or buckwheat flour (or a combination of the 2)
Pinch of sea salt (optional for savory fillings)
Pinch of pure vanilla (optional for sweet fillings)
Let’s Do It
Just add your water, milk and egg whites in a bowl, mix together and then stir in the flour (and salt or vanilla if desired). Whisk, whisk, whisk away to make a smooth batter. Get out your skillet and coat with a cooking spray.
The most important thing about making crepes is the temperature of the pan you cook them in. You don’t want it to be too hot- test it out by dropping water in the pan. If it evaporates, turn down the heat.
When the pan is at the right temperature, drop in 3 tablespoons of the batter, coating the bottom evenly. If you add more batter than that, it will look and taste more like a pancake. Keep it light by using just enough batter.
Cook for about 90 seconds per side- you’ll know it’s ready when the bottom starts bubbling. Then using a thin spatula, just flip it and cook for 30 seconds.Voila’ crepes are served.
Filling Options
There’s so many things you can do with crepes- it just depends on your mood. I like to have fun and play with different combination’s of things I have left in my refrigerator. Sometimes it’s just simple veggies sliced thin or heated fruit, other times I get a little fancier with chicken, sauteed mushrooms and goat cheese or blackberries and creme fraiche.
Today, since my mother-in-law went apple picking and I have tons of beautiful apples, I’ll slice some up, bake them with cinnamon and glazed with a touch of honey, and fill the inside:
But, depending on your mood and what you have in your cupboard, there are so many options. Let your imagination run wild with all the ways you can fill a crepe. I found some of these fillings to help get your mind going…
Savory? This one is from Nibbledish, and it is filled with chicken, shrimp, chillies, and prawn paste:
Sweet? This one is from Purplesque Vox, and it has nutella, berries, and thinned jam:
Simple? This one from Winos and Foodies is just the crepe, simply rolled and dusted with powdered sugar:
Bonus Benefits
The crepe recipe I made (above the photos) is so light, it only comes to about 90 calories per crepe, with less than 1 gram of fat, yet they taste so good! My filling of apples and cinnamon is filled with nutrients that give us great energy, fiber, and the pectin naturally lowers LDL (aka “bad”) cholesterol. Cinnamon is perfect for help stabilizing our blood sugar, and has a regulatory effect for people with type 2 diabetes. It also boosts mood and memory for improved brain function.
