Chicken Enchiladas- Italian Style

So, a while back I promised the enchilada recipe from our Mexican food night with our Italian friends (AKA: Guitar Hero party!). They are pretty easy to make, but can be a little sloppy during the assembly stage. Be sure to have a towel nearby! But the end result is delicious. Ok, here it is!

Chicken Enchiladas I
From: Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pint sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar (I used asiago)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 (12 oz) jar taco sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (again, I used asiago)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear. Drain the excess fat. Cube the chicken and return it to the skillet. Add the onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano and ground black pepper. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in salt, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, green pepper and garlic. (Note: I simmered the mixture on the heat until the liquids thickened, maybe 10 minutes)

3. Roll even amounts of the mixture in the tortillas. Arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish (NOTE: I also used the liquid from the chicken mixture to line the bottom of the pan to keep the tortillas from sticking. If you like crispy tortillas, I would not recommend lining the pan with sauce, but maybe use a non-stick spray). Cover the enchiladas with taco sauce and 3/4 cup cheese (I also used more of the chicken mixture's sauce on top off the enchiladas in addition to the taco sauce). Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!


PS. This can be made a few hours in advance then refrigerated until you are ready to bake- which is perfect for entertaining!

Lasagne alla Bolognese fatto in casa!

IE: Homemade lasagna! From scratch!

This is probably the best lasagna I've had in a VERY long time, and may be the best. It certainly rivals my moms lasagna which is fantastic! As a Christmas gift Josh and I received the KitchenAid mixer attachment for rolling out pasta and we thought it was time to test it out. Josh decided that he was going to make lasagne, one of the most complicated pastas to make... But it was so worth it! It was something fun for the two of us to do. I would recommend taking an afternoon with your special someone and spending some time in the kitchen on this one. It was a fun day of bonding over pasta.

A question that was raised during our afternoon of cooking: Is it worth it to make homemade noodles? Does it make that much of a difference? Well, we tested that question and decided that YES! Homemade noodles are so much better!

Lasagne alla Bolognese al Forno
Courtesy of Mario Batali

Prep Time: we didn't time... but it took all afternoon (probably 3-4 hours)
Baking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 2, 9x13 pans of lasagne (or 1 10x20 pan)

To assemble you will need:
-2.5 pounds green pasta dough (see Step 3)
-ragu bolognese (see Step 1)
-8 oz freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
-3.5 cups besciamella (see Step 2)


Step 1: Make the Ragu Bolognese
-1/4 cup EVOO
-2 medium onions, finely chopped
-4 ribs celery, finely chopped
-2 carrots, finely chopped
-5 cloves of garlic, sliced
-1 pound ground veal
-1 pound ground pork
-4 oz. pancetta or slab bacon (grind if you have a butchers grinder), we just chopped until it resembled ground pancetta
-1 six oz. can tomato paste
-1 cup whole milk
-1 cup dry white wine (we use pinot grigio)
-1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (dried will work just as well)
-salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. In a 6-8 quart pot, heat olive oil over med heat until hot. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are translucent but not browned (about 5 minutes).

2. Add veal, pork and pancetta. Increase heat to high and brown the meat. Stir frequently.

3. Add tomato paste, milk, wine and thyme and bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and let cool.

NOTE: the ragu can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.


Step 2: Make the Besciamella (3.5 cups). Please see my Cannelloni post for the recipe. Set aside and let cool.


Step 3: Make the Pasta
(makes about 1.25 pounds)
-3.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
-5 large eggs
-one cup packed spinach
- 2 tbsp EVOO

1. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in large pot and add 1 tbsp salt. Set up an ice back next to the stove (a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes). Blanch 1 cup packed spinach leaves in boiling water for 45 seconds, then remove with slotted spoon and immediately immerse into the ice bath for 2 minutes. Drain the spinach and squeeze it dry in a kitchen towel. Remove as much moisture as possible. Chop spinach very fine and combine with eggs in a small bowl. Stir well until as smooth as possible.

2. Mound flour in the center of a large wooden board. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the egg/spinach mixture. Using a fork beat the eggs together and then begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). When half of the flour is incorporated, the dough will begin to come together. Start kneading the dough, using primarily the palms of your hands. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, set the dough aside and scrape up and discard any dried bits of dough.

3. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 10 minutes, dusting the board with additional flour as necessary. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

4. Divide the pasta dough into 8 portions. Roll each one out through the thinnest setting on a pasta machine and lay sheets on a lightly floured surface to dry to 10 minutes. Cut the pasta into 5 inch squares and cover with a damp kitchen towel.

5. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tbsp salt.  Set up an ice bath next to the stovetop and add the 2 tbsp EVOO. Drop pasta into boiling water (6 or 7 pieces at a time) and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Transfer to the ice bath to cool, then drain on kitchen towels laying the pasta flat.


Step 4: Assemble the troops!

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Assemble the lasagne in a 10x20 in pan (or two 9x13 pans): spread a layer of ragu over the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with Parmigiano, add a layer of pasta, a layer of besciamella, another layer of ragu, Parmigiano, and pasta. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of pasta topped with besciamella and a sprinkling of Parmigiano.

3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until edges are browned and the sauces are bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving (if you can!).


ENJOY!!


We ended up putting one of the pans of lasagna into the freezer after we baked it. We hope to have some friends over to help us eat it in the near future :)




Reference:

Batali, M. (2005). Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian recipes to cook at home. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.

The best caramel rolls ever!

Every year my mom makes these rolls for Christmas Day morning, and they are delicious! These are something that you can look forward to each year and enjoy with the family. My mom also makes a traditional Scandinavian fruit soup to accompany the rolls, but for now you only get the roll recipe. Some family secrets need to stay secret J

It’s a good thing that we only make these once a year, they are not meant for the health conscious! But eating them once a year is definitely OK. They are so easy, and quick!!

Christmas Caramel Rolls

• makes 18 rolls
• prep time: 15 minutes, cook time: 25-30 minutes

Supplies:
-Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls (you need 18- we ended up buying two packs and making a 1.5 batch)
-cake pan (my mom always uses a bundt pan, but we used a regular 9x13 cake pan)
-1 cup pecans
-1 package dry butterscotch pudding mix (not the instant mix)
-1 stick of butter
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-3/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Put nuts at the bottom of the pan (we sprayed the pan with Pam cooking spray first for easy removal after baking). Line the dinner rolls in the pan- we were able to get 12 in the 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch pudding mix over all of the rolls.

2. In a saucepan melt one stick of butter, add the brown sugar and cinnamon until it is all mixed well (it will have a thick consistency). Spoon the mixture over the rolls. Let the rolls rise overnight at room temperature (uncovered).

3. In the morning, bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F. After removing from the oven, use a knife to cut between the rolls and the pan (this helps them to come out of the pan easier), and also between the rolls to assist with serving. Then flip the pan upside down onto a serving platter. The rolls should slide right out of the pan with the nuts on top. Scoop any extra sauce that is left in the pan onto the rolls.

 

Enjoy!!

 

These rolls re-heat really easily as well! I usually pop them into the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Oh, they are soo good!! I hope you like them as much as we do :)

 

Risotto with Acorn Squash

It's been a while since I've posted some recipes that we've tried, and I thought it was due! Here is a great risotto recipe for fall thanks to Mario Batali. Since we moved to Italy Josh has become the risotto master in our house and this was the lastest one we tried. It was good!! Risotto is a dish that has very mild flavors and it takes a while to build up an appreciation for the delicate flavors. Here is a delicious fall recipe that you should try!! We paired this with steamed fresh green beans (with garlic, salt and pepper added for steaming).

Risotto with Acorn Squash

(Risotto con Zucca)

• serves 4 people
• about 30-40 minutes total time

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice**
1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

8 cups chicken stock, heated until hot

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (and more for serving)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a 10-12 inch pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking. Add onion and squash, cook until the onion becomes translucent but not brown (about 8-10 mintues). Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until toasted and opaque- not brown (about 3-4 mintues).

2. Add the wine, then add a 4-6 ounce ladleful of stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding the stock a ladleful at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed each time before adding more, until the rice is tender and creamy yet still al dente, about 18 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and parmigiano and stir vigorously until well mixed, about 25 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Divide into four warmed plates and serve immediately with extra parmigiano.

ENJOY!!

** I would recommend cutting back to half an onion and a little more squash if possible. The onion was a little overpowering for the delicate flavor of the squash.

Reference:

Batali, M. (2005). Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian recipes to cook at home. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.

Cannelloni

Here is another great recipe courtesy of Mario Batali. Josh and I made this one last night and it was delicious!! This cannelloni is a little sweeter than the ones I’ve had in the past, and had that little “something” that always seems to be missing when I make cannelloni. Mmmm… this one is definitely a keeper!! It is also not for the time conscious! This one takes a while to make, so be sure to save this for a weekend when you have time. But it is so worth it J

Time: 1 hour 20 prep, 30 minutes cook time

Serves: four

Cannelloni al Forno

Step 1: Make the Besciamella (20 minutes)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1.      In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly until it is light golden brown (6 to 7 minutes).

2.      At the same time, bring another medium saucepan with the milk almost to a boil. Add the milk to the golden brown mixture, constantly stirring in one cup at a time. Whisk the mixture until smooth and bring to a boil (constantly whisking- or else the mixture will burn). Cook, whisking, until thickened (about 10 minutes), then remove from heat. Season with the salt and nutmeg. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, then cover and refrigerate.

NOTE: the cannelloni only calls for one cup of this mixture, while the recipe makes a little more than 3 cups. We cut everything into one third and only made one cup of the besciamella.

Step 2: Make the basic tomato sauce (40 minutes)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Spanish onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme

½ medium carrot, finely shredded

Two 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes

Salt

1.      In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown (8-10 minutes). Add the carrot and thyme and cook until the carrot is soft (about 5 minutes).

2.      Add the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower heat and simmer until the sauce is as thick as hot cereal (about 30 minutes). Season with salt. This sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week, or frozen for six months.

NOTE: to save time, we used canned, plain tomato sauce, and added that to the vegetables, instead of canned whole tomatoes with the juice. This will save the 30 minutes needed to simmer the sauce. Only a few minutes on the stove and the sauce is ready.

Step 3: Now, we are ready to make the cannelloni!!

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

8 oz. ground pork

8 oz. ground veal

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1 large egg, beaten

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cannelloni noodles (we bought pre-made, but Mario gives the recipe in his book for homemade- I didn’t include that because of how long this recipe is)

1 cup basic tomato sauce

1 cup besciamella

1.      In a 10-12 inch sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter over high heat until it foams and subsides. Add the ground pork and the ground veal, cook stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps of meat, until brown. Drain excess fat, then add ½ cups of the Parmigiano, the flour, and milk and bring to just under a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool. Stir in the egg and season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside

2.      Cook your noodles as instructed on the label. Use an ice bath to drop the noodles into after cooking- this will help to keep them from ripping when you stuff them with the meat mixture.

3.      Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4.      Spoon half the tomato sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish (9x13) in an even layer. (we used a little more than that)

5.      Fill the cannelloni noodles with the meat mixture, and line the bottom of the pan with the stuffed noodles. Top with the remaining tomato sauce and then the besciamella. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano.

6.      Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sauces and cheese are bubbling and the edges of the pasta are crisp and browned. Serve immediately from baking dish.

Enjoy!!

This recipe seems complicated… but trust me, it’s worth it!! It was delicious J

Reference:

Batali, M. (2005). Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian recipes to cook at home. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.

Porcini Salad with Arugula

Insalata di Porcini. This salad has been a repeat in the Thielen household and is very easy to make. It’s simple, but with great flavor (as many Italian recipes are). Sometimes porcini mushrooms are difficult to find (even here at grocery stores in Italy), so I’ve used white agaricus bisporus mushrooms. This salad takes only a few minutes of prep time to clean the mushrooms, and only about 10 minutes cook time. This recipe comes from Mario Batali’s Molto Italiano cookbook.

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: four

Porcini Salad with Arugula

4 large fresh porcini mushrooms
2 bunches of arugula, washed and spun dry (about 3 loose cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarse sea salt (I leave this out)

1.      Preheat grill or broiler

2.      Carefully cut each mushroom in half and place them on the grill or on a baking sheet under the broiler. Cook, turning often until charred and softened (8-10 minutes).

3.      In a large bowl place the arugula, ¼ cup of the olive oil, the lemon zest and juice. Divide into four separate plates.

4.      Remove hot mushrooms from the grill (or broiler) and place on arugula. Shave the parmigiano on each salad and spoon the remaining olive oil over the salad. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.

*Some changes that I make: I mix the dressing on the side with the olive oil, zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Then I toss the dressing with the arugula before adding the mushrooms. I also leave out the sea salt.

A great salad that will definitely be a repeat for us! Thanks to Mario Batali for sharing this one!

Reference:

Batali, M. (2005). Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian recipes to cook at home. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.

Pork Milanese

We made this dish earlier this week and it was delicious! This is another great meal for entertaining that can be prepped up to four hours ahead of time. Giada hasn’t lead me astray yet- here is another one of her awesome recipes from her Everyday Italian cookbook.

Pork Milanese

Time: 10 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook time

Serves: 4

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cups plain dried bread crumbs (we couldn’t find bread crumbs, so we used crushed croutons)

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 8-oz center cut pork loin chops (1 inch thick)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 lemon cut into wedges

1. Place flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Place the eggs in another wide, shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and thyme in a third wide and shallow bowl. (This is all for breading the meat. Set up a station with the flour starting at one end, the eggs next, then the breading mixture.)
2. Use a meat mallet to pound the pork chops until they are ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
3. One chop at a time, dredge them in the flour to coat lightly, dip the chop into the beaten eggs and allow the excess egg to drip off. Finally, coat the chop in the breading mixture. Press gently to allow the mixture to stick. (If preparing ahead of time, place the chops on a lined cookie sheet and cover them. Then place in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.)
4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 150 degrees F.
5. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Place two chops in the pan and cook until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes on each side). Once done, place the cooked chops on a lined cookie sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining two chops.  Salt and pepper can be added to taste. Once all four are done, serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.

NOTE: the lemon is key with this dish! I wasn’t going to serve it with the lemon and changed my mind after tasting it without the lemon. The lemon should be squeezed onto the meat before eating (similar to how you would use lemon with seafood). This extra acidity really brings out the flavors of the breading on the pork chops.

We served the chops with steamed carrots and zucchini. Grilled asparagus could be another great side for this meal. Serve it with a medium bodied red wine- in our case we opened a bottle of Chianti Classico Riserva. Enjoy!

 

Reference:

De Laurentiis, G. (2005). Everyday Italian: 125 simple and delicious recipes. New York, NY: Clarkson Potter/Publishers.

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Here is another great recipe courtesy of Giada! This easy to make appetizer is great for entertaining. This one is really easy and great because it can be made ahead of time and sit for a while before your guests arrive. It is meant to be served at room temperature. We made this for our Italian friends, Ilaria and Francesco, at our first dinner party in our new apartment. It was a big hit!

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Time: 20 minutes (plus cooling time)

12 asparagus stalks (about 1 pound), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 paper thin slices of prosciutto halved lengthwise

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Peel the bottom of each asparagus (or snap off the ends- this is what I do). On a heavy baking sheet toss the asparagus with the oil, salt and pepper. Put in the oven and roast until the asparagus is tender (about 15 minutes). Let them cool completely.

3. Once cooled, wrap each asparagus with one piece of prosciutto, leaving the tips of the asparagus exposed. Arrange on a serving platter and serve at room temperature.

This is a great appetizer where you get the flavor of the prosciutto, while eating your vegetables too J. It is also a beautiful presentation that will impress your guests. This will definitely be repeated many times in the Thielen household!

Reference:

De Laurentiis, G. (2005). Everyday Italian: 125 simple and delicious recipes. New York, NY: Clarkson Potter/Publishers.

Spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce

So... long time no see!! How have you all been? I hope you are well! Many things have happened in the past month since I’ve been MIA… more to come on that later. But to give you an idea, I finished my MBA, traveled to Lake Como and Florence, we had a visitor stop by from the US, and I have also been teaching English courses for about three weeks now. I’ll give more details on all of that later.

For now, here is a great recipe that I found thanks to Giada De Laurentiis! Her Everyday Italian (2005) cookbook is a great place for easy, but tasty meals. This one scared me because it contains seafood (I’ve only ever cooked with shrimp). For some reason, seafood scares me because I don’t know how to cook it. I’m scared that it won’t be cooked properly and it will either be rubbery, or I’ll be sick because it wasn’t cooked enough. Well… time to throw caution to the wind with this one! This is a great starter when learning how to cook with seafood, and a great confidence builder. It’s easy, and delicious! Not to mention, this will impress your friends and/or family!

Spaghetti with Clams

Serves: 4 main-course servings,

Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking

1 pound dried spaghetti

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots finely chopped (I used one small white onion)

5 garlic cloves

2 ½ pounds manila clams, scrubbed clean

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lemon for zesting

1. Clean the clams and prepare them for cooking. I made the mistake of not doing this before cooking… It makes things a little more complicated if you don’t do this ahead of time (I’m speaking from experience). Ha-ha.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until cooked “al dente” (still a little firm). Stir to be sure noodles don’t stick together.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add the shallots and sauté until soft (about 3 min). Add the garlic and sauté until the garlic is golden brown and shallots are translucent (about 3 more min- be careful not to burn the garlic). Add clams, wine, 2 tablespoons of parsley, ½ teaspoon of sea salt and ½ tablespoon of pepper. Cover and simmer until most of the clams have opened, about 6 minutes. Toss any clams that don’t open. Whisk in the butter to thicken the sauce slightly.

4. Drain the spaghetti noodles, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. DO NOT RINSE THE NOODLES WITH WATER. Retaining the natural starches helps the sauce adhere to the spaghetti. Toss noodles with clam mixture in the pan to coat. Add enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten if needed. (When I made this dish it didn’t need the liquid- but this may be different for you)

5. Transfer pasta and clams to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with lemon zest over the pasta. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

NOTE: Go easy on the sea salt; don’t use more than the recipe calls for! Sea salt is potent and a little goes a long way.

Reference:

De Laurentiis, G. (2005). Everyday Italian: 125 simple and delicious recipes. New York, NY: Clarkson Potter/Publishers.

Crepes with Nutella and Strawberries

Thank you Betty Crocker! One of my new favorite breakfasts is made easy with one of Betty Crocker's recipes!! Since we've moved to Italy I've been trying to branch out and improve on my cooking skills. After all, my mom is an excellent cook and I have some HUGE shoes to fill! Some of the receipes are just good ole' Betty Crocker recipes, but most of the new one's I've tried are from a regional Italian cookbook that Josh bought back in the states. So far, everything has been amazing! I'll post more on those later...

But for now, here is the receipe for some easy, amazingly tasty crepes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baker powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
butter or shortening
strawberries and nutella (syrup optional)

1. mix dry ingredients in medium bowl, add eggs, vanilla, milk and mix together with a wisk or hand mixer. When everything is mixed together, mix in melted butter until the batter is smooth.

2. in a small skillet (6-8 in) melt a very small amount of butter over medium heat (just enough to keep the batter from sticking)

3. pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet and immediately rotate to cover the entire skillet with a thin layer of batter. Cook until light brown, run a spatulla around the edges to loosen the crepe, then flip and cook the other side until light brown. Repeat with more batter, use butter sparingly as needed on the skillet.

4. stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each and keep covered. (This is Betty's recommendation)

Once cooked, spread nutella and strawberries all over the crepe, roll and enjoy!! The recipe yields about 14 crepes. You can also use jams, or other fruit as filling. Just strawberries with maple syrup is also delicious!

*one personal note- if making breakfast for two or more people, use two skillets if possible. I've found that the first crepe takes a while to cook, and the second, third and so on are a bit quicker. But they do take about 5 minutes each, so if you can have two skillets going, then you and your family can all eat together :)




Mmmm.... So good when it touches your lips!!