Kale and Gruyere Crepes

I have a confession to make - this is my first attempt at making crepes. Now, I'm kicking myself that I waited so long to make them! Surprisingly easy, crepes are whipped up (literally) in a blender. They cook as fast as flapjacks too. Needless to say, there will be more crepe-making in my future. This delightful recipe comes from the April 2014 edition of Cooking Light magazine. The original recipe calls for Swiss chard, but I could not find these greens in my grocery store, so I substituted them with kale. The crepe-filling turned out wonderful with the changes! The crepes are topped with a sprinkling of gruyere cheese for a beautiful finish.

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

You can use any type of greens for this recipe...such as Swiss chard, kale, spinach etc.

You do not have to caramelize the onion. You can simply cook the onions until they are tender.

The crepes can be made ahead! Make the crepes, and then stack them between paper towels. Store in the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for a few weeks.

Click here for a print version of this recipe.

The total time is 45 minutes.

Ingredients for crepes:

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons butter, melted

For filling:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons mined garlic
8 to 10 cups kale, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
Cooking spray
1 ounce Gruyere cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

To prepare the crepes, lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the milk, rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and eggs in a blender; process until smooth. Add flour; process until smooth, scraping sides. With the blender on, add 1 tablespoon oil and the butter. Pour the batter into a medium bowl. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Brush a thin layer of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan; quickly tilt the pan in all directions so the batter covers the pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute. Carefully lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula to test for doneness. Turn the crepe over when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned; cook 30 seconds. Place the crepe on a clean towel; keep warm. Repeat procedure 7 times with the remaining batter and oil. Stack the crepes between single layers of paper towels to prevent sticking.

To prepare the filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add the onion; cook 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; cook 15 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons water, the garlic, and kale; cook 5 minutes or until kale wilts. Add the pine nuts, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cream cheese, stirring until cream cheese melts. Remove from heat. Preheat broiler to high. Place oven rack 6 inches below the broiler.

Spoon 1/4 cup kale mixture in the center of each crepe; roll up. Arrange filled crepes, seam sides down, in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with Gruyere cheese. Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately. Makes 7 to 8 crepes. Serving size is 2 crepes.