I first posted this on May 20, 2012 on my LJ blog.

I have a couple of dear friends who are in France this past week on a well-deserved vacation and I celebrated by making crepes — those lovely little French pancakes that are so thin and light. And they can be low carb since the main ingredient in them is egg. If you’re under the impression that they are difficult to make, that’s not true. They may take a little practice to get just right, but they are worth it. I haven’t made them in quite a few years so it was almost like starting over for me.

I have a gas range, so it takes a little experimenting with the controls to get the right flame under the pan. You want a medium hot flame, not too hot to burn, but hot enough to cook them fairly quickly and evenly. I use an omelette pan, non-stick and I spray it with cooking oil between each crepe although some instructions say you don’t have to do that.
So to the basics.

Note on flours used: I used a combination of CarQuick baking mix from Tova Foods and Atkins baking mix. You can make it completely from either mix. A combination of mixes sometimes brings a better result, but I don’t know if that is the case with crepes. This is the first time I’ve made them using the baking mixes. It is essential that you use a low-carb baking mix or flour to make these as low carb as possible. If you use regular flour, reduce it to one tablespoon and expect an eggier-tasting crepe. If you’re not worried about the carbs, then use regular flour.

2 eggs
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2/3 cup CarbQuick baking mix
1 pinch Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Water
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute  (optional for sweet crepes. Omit for savory ones.)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Spray a non-stick omelette pan (approximately 6″ in diameter) with cooking spray and heat on a medium high heat. Put a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in the pan and swirl around until it coats the entire bottom of the pan. The batter is thin and will spread thinly on the pan. As the crepe cooks small bubbles will form in the cake. Watch the edges for the slightest browning and for the surface to appear almost dry. Carefully slide a flat, long spatula under the cake and flip it to brown the reverse side. This should only take a few minutes. Remove the crepe to a plate with either wax paper, parchment paper or plastic wrap on it and place a layer over the top of the completed crepe. This will prevent the crepes from sticking to each other.

Repeat the process for the next crepe. There should be enough batter to make 8 to 10 crepes.

Makes 8 crepes Each crepe is about 1.2 net carbs and 95 calories.

Crepes can be filled in hundreds of ways. The recipes below are a couple of my own favorites. You can make them with ham and asparagus covered with cheese. Or make a vegetable filled crepe with sauteed squash, onions and tomatoes.

Filling for Mushroom and Chicken Crepes:

A really tasty crepe filling that goes together easily. Use the basic crepe recipe to make your crepes.

Makes 6 crepes. I usually use 2 per serving.

Ingredients:
Cooked chicken 6 ounces, cubed or shredded
1 tablespoon Carbquick or other low carb thickener
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup Mushroom pieces or slices
2 oz. Cream Cheese, cut into cubes
1/3 cup Italian Cheese tri-mix, shredded

In a sauce pan or skillet, melt the butter, add onion and sauté until the onion turns translucent. Add the CarbQuick or thickener and stir to make a roux. Add the whipping cream and stir well. Remove about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Then add the creamed cheese and Italian seasoning and stir until it is mixed well. Then add the chicken and mushrooms and cook until heated thoroughly. Add 1/2 of the Italian cheeses and stir well.

On a plate, place a crepe and put about 2 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the middle. Fold over and secure with a toothpick. Place in a shallow pan or broiler proof dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Pour the reserved sauce over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the Italian cheese. Place in the broiler for about 5 minutes. When the top is lightly toasted, remove from the broiler and serve with a salad or fresh vegetables.

Each crepe is about 2.2 net carbs and 250 calories.

Sweet Strawberry Filled Crepe

I love cream cheese and this is an easy way to make a strawberry cream cheese crepe that is still low carb and delicious. You can substitute any low carb fruit for the strawberry, such as blueberries or raspberries.

Makes two servings, one crepe in each serving.

2 sweet or regular crepes
1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons whipped topping or whipped cream
2 drops of liquid sweetener
Sugar free, carb free chocolate sauce
Low carb vanilla ice cream (optional)

Mix the cream cheese and whipped cream together with a spoon in a small bowl and add liquid sweetener. You can also add a teaspoon of flavoring such as strawberry, orange or raspberry sugar-free syrup at this point and mix it in. Spread almost half of the mixture on each crepe, saving just about two teaspoons.

Place the strawberry slices on top of the cream cheese mixture and fold the crepe over them. Use a little of the reserved mixture on one side of the crepe to act as a “glue” to hold it together. Spread the remainder of the mixture on the top of the crepes and place a couple of strawberry slices on top.

Crepes with cream cheese mixture and berries before rolling.

Spoon a little whipped cream on top or top with a scoop of low carb ice cream. Drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the top and voila’, you have an elegant dessert!

Net carbs: About 6 per serving

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/9/2012 11:54 PM