“I don’t want flat pancakes…” said the boy.
I made the boy crepes.
“Mom, I don’t want flat pancakes,” said the boy. “Make me regular ones.”
“They’re not flat pancakes,” I said. “They’re crepes.” He wouldn’t budge. More for me.
Crepes, blintzes, or blini, are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They’re a low-cost, easy option that you can make ahead as well.
Crepes fall under the category of “mystery food that’s really easy.” You’d pay a lot for these in a bistro, not realizing they are quick to make and take ten cents worth of ingredients you already have on hand.
My Russian friend Nadia made these for us in college when the cupboards were empty. She could make food out of dust. That’s why I love Russian food so much–it’s innovative, fresh, elegant, and inexpensive, all the things we’re about here.
These measurements are approximate–I cook by feel and ratio. You won’t mess this one up.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 eggs
- ~1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup any non-flavored oil or melted butter.
Directions:
- Mix this stuff up in a blender or with a fast mixer.
- Let it sit for a half-hour or so.
- Cook in your favorite cast iron griddle if you don’t have a fancy French crepe pan. I use two or three on every burner and get a system going.
- Pro Tip: Butter the pan between crepes. I keep a stick of cold butter and color the pan like I’m using crayon. Then, pour a bit of batter in and swirl it out as thin as you can. It’ll look too thin–these are supposed to be delicate and paperlike.
To stuff:
Lay a crepe flat, then put a thin layer of filling on top.
- Technique 1: Roll the thing up (shown).
- Technique 2: Fold in quarters.
Suggestions:
- jam
- jam and sour cream
- jam and homemade yogurt
- yogurt and fruit
- sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions
- spinach and feta
The sky’s the limit for these. If you want to freeze them and eat for mid-week breakfasts or dinners, then fill them first, fold them, and lay them out on a cookie sheet so they don’t stick together. Bag them up when frozen and label them “sweet” and “savory” so you don’t get a big hunk of spinach next to your raspberry jam.
Photo via Pixabay.