Mushroom and Spinach Savory Crepes

I first fell in love with crepes as a child. I had a friend who's Mother was a fantastic cook. She always served gourmet dishes and introduced me to so many things I would have never otherwise known. One morning, she asked me if I wanted crepes. I had no idea what she was talking about but ever the adventurer, I said yes. I can still taste that first bite of what has come to be one of my favorite foods; crepes with lemon and sugar.

Even back when I couldn't boil water, I could make crepes. It was my one and pretty much only ta da dish which served me well because they are delicious both sweet and savory. We had lemon crepes earlier in the week and I'm sorry but I love them too much to wait for them to be photographed. They are basically just a basic crepe sprinkled with sugar and lots of fresh lemon juice. So simple but outrageously good. These savory crepes however, are fantastic as well. Perfect for brunch, lunch or a light dinner, you can't go wrong with mushrooms and bacon, cheese and cream, spinach and nutmeg all nestled in a delicate crepe.

RECIPE:

Basic Crepe courtesy of Allrecipes:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

In a blender combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and oil. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into pan, tilting to completely coat the surface of the pan. Cook 2 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Makes 8 crepes

Mushroom and Spinach Filling:
2 strips thick cut bacon, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, finely diced
2 TBSP butter
3 cups brown or button mushrooms
3 cups spinach
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 TBSP parmesan cheese
2 TBSP parsley, finely chopped
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste


Brown the bacon in a medium sized saucepan. Once cooked, remove the bacon and drain on paper towel. Pour off any excess bacon grease, reserving about 1/2 a teaspoon in the pan. Add the butter to the pan and heat to med-low. Add the shallots. Saute shallots for about 8 minutes, just until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add the spinach and bacon and saute another 3-5 minutes or so, just until the spinach is slightly wilted. Add the wine and turn the heat up to med-high. Allow the wine to reduce completely and be absorbed by the mixture, about 5 minutes. After the wine has reduced, add the cream, parmesan cheese and a couple grates of nutmeg. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer the mixture for about 7-8 minutes, just until the sauce has thickened slightly, stirring very often. After the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and add the parsley. To serve, place 1/4 cup of the mixture on a crepe and fold the crepe into a triangle. Garnish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.