Buckwheat crepes

I woke up this saturday thinking about buckwheat pancakes (I usually wake up thinking about food!), and ended up inspired to make these as something a little special.  I was so happy with how they turned out!  I want to make more and keep them around for quick breakfasts and snacks, they’re so versatile.  Buckwheat flour is traditionally used in France for savory crepes and it has a delicious nutty flavor.  I found they’re just as good with fruit fillings.

Whole buckwheat is a whole grain that is good for your heart, is high in the phytonutrient rutin -which acts as an antioxidant, high in magnesium (which has been proven to help many migraine suffers!), and is gluten-free.  Buckwheat has no relation to wheat – it’s actually not a cereal grain, but a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb. 

Buckwheat Crepes

From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

 1 cup buckwheat flour

¼ cup regular flour (or substitute gluten-free baking mix)

½ cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 cup water

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon sugar (or honey, agave, etc, optional)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for cooking

 Directions

1)      Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.  You can do this in a blender. 

2)      If possible, let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours.  If time doesn’t allow, go ahead.

3)      Put an 8-10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot.  Use a heat resistant (i.e. silicon) cooking brush to brush a little melted butter around the surface of the pan.  Ladle or pour a few tablespoons of the batter into the pan and immediately swirl the pan so that the batter coats the bottom in a thin layer.

4)      When the top of the crepe is dry, after about a minute, turn and cook the other side for about 30 seconds.  The crepe should be only slightly brown on both sides

5)      After each crepe, re-butter the bottom of the pan with a brush.  You can stack the crepes on a plate, or keep them warm in a low oven.  Or, you can fill the crepes while they’re still warm in the pan. 

6)      You can make the crepes one day ahead and store, tightly wrapped in the fridge. 

Tasty crepe fillings:

–          Eggs and cheese

–          Homemade fruit filling (take any frozen berry or fruit, put into a med sauce pan with a squeeze of lemon and a little honey or agave nectar, and heat until simmering.  Reduce until slightly think – mixture will thicken more as it cools)

–          Sautéed mushrooms

–          Sautéed green vegetables such as asparagus or spinach


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