in the kitchen

in the kitchen

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Spinach Crepes with Curried Chicken

Spinach is in season and I love it--the flavor, the color, the texture. Here is a quick cooking dish that can be used for brunch or lunch or dinner. A hint of curry makes this lovely main dish even fresher tasting. The main emphasis is on good-for-you veggies. This dish is fairly low in calories and carbs.
Spinach Crepes with Curried Chicken
1 cup milk
1 cup lightly packed fresh spinach leaves
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped cooked chicken meat
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/2 cup chickpeas, (garbanzo beans), drained
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1teaspoon curry powder
Optional garnish: balsamic glaze and blue cheese
Pour milk in a blender container. Add spinach and blend until totally combined. Add eggs to blender along with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, flours, baking powder and oil. Blend thoroughly, scrapping sides of blender if needed. Allow batter to rest a few minutes. Make crepes in a small skillet over medium heat, pouring about 1/3 cup of batter into pan and swirling it to thin. Use butter to prevent sticking if needed. (Or use a crepe maker.)  Set aside, covered to keep them warm. Steam broccoli and carrots for 2 minutes in a microwave oven with very little water then drain thoroughly. Mix in chicken and chives. Process chickpeas with sour cream, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, mustard, curry and remaining salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth. Mix with chicken and veggies in a small skillet and heat through, stirring often. Fill crepes, roll and serve with garnish if desired.
Hints: Roasted chicken thighs work great. White meat is also good. Make sure the chicken is cut small. The broccoli, too. You could steam the veggies on the stove top if you would rather not use a microwave. The crepes can be made ahead; the filling as well. When ready to serve, heat the crepes wrapped in foil in a low oven, heat the filling on the stove top then fill the crepes and serve. These could be made smaller in size and used as an appetizer. They are moist and don't need a sauce but the balsamic glaze adds an interesting counterpoint to the flavor profile that I quite like. You can make your own glaze by bringing balsamic vinegar to a boil and cooking to reduce it by about half volume. These crepes would be great with another filling, like ham and cheese. Good plain, too.
These crepes pull together in about 20 minutes or less but taste like they took a long time. If you have some cooked chicken, you can have dinner on the table in under half an hour. You can roast boneless skinless chicken thighs while you make the crepes and still be done in 30 to 40 minutes. The bright green crepe color is lively and fun.  Curry, spinach, broccoli and carrots--an veritable feast of health promoting ingredients!

4 comments:

  1. Ok now I'm hungry! I'll be trying these soon.

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  2. Perhaps, I should just browse the blog daily while I am there, that might be easier than a list?

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    Replies
    1. Yes! Let's do that and you can contribute! You are a great cook! We'll take photos!

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