Whew!

Well, the week that was midterms but did not want to admit that it was midterms (just a coincidental confluence of 4 difficult exams) is over. Hooray! Now I will be able to post all the delicious recipes we had this week. Minus the two nights we had frozen ravioli with canned sauce because I was too busy to cook. *Ahem*

So what was good this week?

Dinner Crepes. Everyone I told about this recipe was horrified. "CREPES? During an exam week? How on earth did you find the time to make something so fancy?" Well let me tell you - the only thing fancy about crepes is the French name. Our grandmothers lamented over these impossible thin concoctions that would be ruined if the amount of grease on the pan was slightly off, but we're living in the modern non-stick age. And with non-stick, crepes go from restaurant-only fare to weeknight treat!

Dinner Crepes

3 eggs ($.33)
1.5 c water
1.5 c flour ($.15)
.5 tsp salt
1 tsp butter ($.02)

To Make: Beat eggs in a mixing bowl, then add the salt and water. Lastly, mix in the flour until you have a soupy batter (should be much thinner than pancake batter). If you substitute part whole wheat flour, keep it in a 1:2 ratio with white flour and be prepared to add additional water to make the batter thin enough. Heat a nonstick frying pan over 3/10 heat (the upper end of low) for 3 minutes if you have a gas stove and at least 5 if you have an electric. To check if the pan is ready, touch the butter on the end of a nonstick spatula to the pan surface. It should just sizzle. If it jumps or threatens to burn, your heat is too high. Spread the butter evenly around the pan, and pour about 1/4 c of batter into the hot frying pan.

Here's the tricky part - as soon as you pour the batter in, lift the pan off the burner and tilt it in a circular fashion. Your goal is to get the crepe batter to cover the bottom of the pan in one thin layer before it starts to cook. This will take a few tries to get right, but don't despair - the mistakes still taste delicious, even if they look funny! Once the crepe is mostly cooked (the top should just look a little wet), use the nonstick spatula to lift up one edge and flip it over. Then cook about 15-30 seconds on the other side. Repeat until the batter is gone. You may find you need to keep buttering your pan, but mine is usually fine once the first one is done. Stack the finished crepes on a dish, separated by pieces of wax paper or, in a pinch, paper towels.

Servings: 4
Total Cost: $.50
Cost Per Serving: $.13

Crepe Filling
1. Breakfast for Dinner
1/3 box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed to remove extra water ($.26)
1 fresh roma tomato, diced ($.20)
4 eggs ($.44)
2 oz feta, bleu, or other strong-flavored cheese (go with what's on sale) ($1?)

To Make: Scramble the eggs, spinach, and tomatoes, cooking until the tomatoes are done to your preference (if you prefer your tomatoes fresh, just add them in at the end to warm them up). When the eggs are done, scoop about 1/3 c of the mixture into a crepe and sprinkle a tablespoon or two of cheese on top. Then roll up the crepe and enjoy! (a mild salsa or roasted red pepper sauce would go wonderfully with these crepes).

Servings: 4 (hearty servings)
Total Cost: $1.90
Cost Per Serving: $.48
Cost Per Serving with Crepes: $.61

Servings: 4

2. Chicken and Broccoli Crepe
1lb chicken (cut of your choice, boneless thighs work well) ($1.49)
1 package steamable broccoli ($.99)
1 c milk or plain soy milk ($.30)
1 c shredded cheese (we used part-skim mozzerella) ($.66)
2 T flour
1 T butter/margarine ($.06)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp basil

To Make: Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and saute until white all the way through. Microwave the steamable broccoli - using that time to make the alfredo sauce. Melt the butter in a bit of the milk in a small sauce pan, adding the flour once the mixture is smooth. Add the salt, basil, and remaining milk (slowly), stirring with a whisk. Bring the whole mixture to a near-boil (so that there are bubbles rising around the edges) and stir in the shredded cheese, turning off the burner. Finally, retrieve your broccoli from the microwave and drain the excess water from the package, mixing in the broccoli with the chicken. To serve, place about 1/3 c of the chicken and broccoli mixture in each crepe, pour on about 2 T of sauce, roll it up and enjoy! To make it look pretty, drizzle the sauce over the top of the crepe and sprinkle a few basil bits around the plate. :-)

Note: If you're truly pressed for time, you can use alfredo sauce from a jar, however, this is much more expensive and probably worse for you because it is typically high in sodium and fat. To save time AND money, try these strategies instead.
1. Buy chicken in bulk-value packs and cook it ALL, right away. Then cut it up and freeze it in 1/2lb amounts in freezer-safe ziplocs. That way, recipes like this one and SO many others will be half way done already!
2. Make extra crepes and freeze them between layers of wax paper in freezer safe bags. They will keep for up to 2 months if they are room temperature when you freeze them. (if they are hot, the condensation will contribute to freezer burn).

Servings: 5 (hearty servings)
Total Cost: $3.44
Cost Per Serving: $.69
Cost Per Serving with Crepes: $.82



Leftover Crepes? How about some other cheap and fun ideas!

• Ice Cream Crepes! The best thing EVER. Take about 1/3 c of ice cream (the best part is that it doesn't even have to be great ice cream because the crepes are so great!) and place it in the crepe. Top with chopped nuts, chocolate sauce, or berries (my favorite). Fold it up and serve immediately. To make it look fancier, drizzle chocolate or caramel sauce over the rolled up crepe and place a few berries/chopped nuts on top.
  
• Breakfast Crepes - the easy way. Try sliced banana and a little peanut butter wrapped up and drizzled with honey or maple syrup. Low fat cream cheese or yogurt mixed with frozen berries and topped with powdered sugar is another great option.
  

See, crepes aren't just for gourmands anymore!
-Marielle-