Crepes Florentine with Mushroom Gravy

Savory crepes are by far one of my favorite things to cook and eat. It's a little hard to type instruction on these bad boys so it has taken me a while to get the post up, my apologies for holing out on y'all! This recipe in particular was inspired by a dish I learned in my cooking classes in Italy. 

Original Dish I Made in Italy at Giglio Cooking School

Put on your apron, pick up a skillet and get ready to make some crepes, you'll be surprised at how easy they really are. Don't get discouraged when you get started, the first crepe is usually a bust so set it aside and try again... practice makes perfect! 

Crepes

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

2 tbs butter (set aside for later)

Whisk together eggs, milk and flour in a small bowl and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Filling 

1 cup sauteed spinach, chopped

1 cup ricotta

1/8 tsp nutmeg

sprinkle salt

Mix together the above ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Gravy 

2 tbs flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tbs parsley, chopped

1/3 cup pecorino romano, shredded

Whisk  the flour into the milk until smooth. Place the mixture along with the broth and parsley into a skillet, bring to a light boil then reduce to a simmer, careful not to burn the milk. Once the sauce starts to thicken add in the cheese and turn heat to low to let the sauce thicken. While the sauce is cooking, make your crepes. If the gravy gets too thick add a little more broth and stir well. If the gravy is too thin just whisk in another tbs of flour in 2 tbs of broth and add. 

Next Steps 

Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Place 1/2 tbs of butter into the skillet and swirl it around until the pan is coated. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the batter into the hot pan. As soon as the batter hits the pan starts to swirl the pan so the batter is spreading very thinly into a circle. Check out this great video for making crepes. 

Cook the crepe for 2 minutes then carefully use a spatula to pick up the edges then flip and cook for another minutes. Place the crepes on a plate and continue until the batter is gone. 

Heat the oven to 200. Place a dollop of the filling on 1/4 of the crepe and fold half, then half again to make a triangle. Repeat until the crepes are finished and top with gravy and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes to warm.

Carrot & Apple Curry Soup

When I think of fall food I think of squash, apples and pumpkins; specifically soups, stews and curries. This soup was inspired by fall goodies that I picked up down in Apple Hill. Apple Hill is an amazing area in El Dorado Hills, CA where there are over dozens of small farms and ranches with produce stands and specialty shops for tourists and locals alike. I scored all kinds of goodies on this trip like apple butter, local honey, a Lady Godiva pumpkin, spaghetti squash and some basic veggies like celery, potatoes and carrots. 

I am calling in a favor on this recipe... I want to know what you think I should change. I love the way this soup turned out on my first try but I think it is missing a little something. I am open to comments and flavor suggestions from those who decide to re-create this dish. My only suggestion is to keep it savory, not sweet. I look forward to seeing your comments below.

I decided to break out the crockpot for this recipe but you can easily do this on the stove-top if you choose. If you are using a crockpot, place all of the ingredients into the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours,otherwise follow the stove-top instructions below.

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings

1 tbs olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 apples, peeled and chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp all spice
1-2 tbs curry powder
S&P
4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup coconut milk
1-2 tbs red curry paste- set aside

Place 1 tbs of olive oil in a large pot and bring to a medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant then add in the rest of the ingredients except the curry paste and coconut milk. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. In a small bowl whisk the curry paste into the coconut milk until smooth  then add it into the pot with the rest of the fixins, cover and cook for 5-10 more minutes on low until vegetables are very soft. Use an immersion blender or a stand blender to puree the soup. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt and green onions. 

Enjoy!