Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the streets are already decked out with holiday lights and decorations. But before we get into the thick of office cocktail parties and Christmas cookie swaps and all the other indulgent events of December, it might be wise to use the next week or two as a sort of detox. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting any salad-only menus or juice cleanses, but filling your dinner plate with hearty, nutritious meals that will keep you satisfied without sending you into an alcohol/sugar/fat-induced coma may help provide a little balance this season. These savory crepes can be filled with any ingredients you like, but I love the combination of sauteed mushrooms, wilted greens, fried eggs, and a little bit of goat cheese. It’s not diet food by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s filling and nutritious, and you certainly shouldn’t feel guilty after eating one of these for dinner.
Savory Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crepes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, stems removed
- 5 TBS salted butter, divided
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (from about 8-10 sprigs thyme)
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 c. + 2 TBS white wine, divided
- 2 TBS heavy cream
- 5 oz. (1 standard clamshell container) fresh baby spinach or baby arugula
- 3/4 c. flour
- 1 c. milk
- 6 eggs, divided
- 4 oz. fresh goat cheese
Preparation
- Slice the cleaned mushroom caps into pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Melt 3 TBS of the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and the thyme leaves to the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of white wine and the heavy cream to the pan 1 TBS at a time, stirring as you add and letting the mushrooms absorb the liquid before making further additions. Once all the wine and cream has been absorbed, season the mushrooms to taste with salt and pepper, remove them from the pan, and set aside.
- Add the arugula or spinach and the remaining 2 TBS of white wine to the pan (the same one in which you cooked the mushrooms). Cook briefly over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the greens have wilted and turned bright green. Season greens to taste with salt and add to the mushrooms. Cover to keep warm. Turn off the stove while you prepare the crepe batter.
- Make the crepe batter: whisk together 2 of the eggs and the 1 c. of milk until smooth. Sift the flour into the milk and whisk to combine. Melt 1 TBS of the remaining butter in the microwave and whisk into the batter. Batter should be completely smooth.
- Melt the remaining 1 TBS of butter over medium-low heat in your largest non-stick frying pan, swirling to coat all sides of the pan. Add 1/4-1/3 c. of crepe batter to the pan and quickly swirl to coat the entire bottom of the pan with an even layer of batter. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until beginning to brown, then flip, and cook for an additional minute on the other side. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining batter. You should have 4-6 large crepes.
- Once the crepes are cooked, crack the remaining 4 eggs into the pan and fry to your taste. To serve, take four crepes and spread 1 oz. of goat cheese on each. Top with a quarter of the mushroom-greens mixture and 1 fried egg. If necessary, microwave for 15-20 seconds to reheat crepe and fillings. Cover any leftover crepes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
