Strawberries and Cream Crepes - A Food Photography Challenge

Every once in a while one needs to "call in sick" just because.  Because... well, how can you enjoy a sick day if you are really sick?  And, with schedules crazy as they are, sometimes a day off is just what the doctor ordered.

Liv will be starting high school next year and we all know how the attendance record tightens up with the more intense pre-college workload.  As such, I'm savoring these last few months of middle school with my girl where taking an occasional day off hasn't been an issue in her straight A grade record.

After waking to the sun instead of the alarm, Liv and I sauntered down to the kitchen which at this later wakeup time glowed with morning sunlight.  Asking her where her breakfast desires led her she immediately exclaimed, "Crepes!"

Since discovering crepes a few years ago Liv has learned to swirl crepe batter into ever so thin, perfectly cooked crepes which she occasionally whips up on her own as an after school treat.  And with this month's Inspired Plate Food Photography and Styling Challenge prompt of "Breakfast" looming on the horizon, crepes became my subject of choice.

Choosing between our old faithful vanilla crepe batter and a new Giada chocolate version became too much for our sleepy minds making the decision of both the perfect choice.  Alton Brown taught us years ago to pulse the crepe batter in a blender and then allow it to rest for about an hour for easier to handle crepes, and we've been following his advice ever since.  Tried and true, you can't go wrong with his recipe and process.

Giada's recipe didn't recommend resting the batter, but we gave it a good half hour anyway as we've been so please with Alton's advice.  Adding 1/4 cup of cocoa powder gave the crepes that extraordinary chocolate look, and these beauties cooked up just as nicely as the others.

Filling them, though, is where Liv's and my opinions differed slightly.  With strawberry season is in full swing here in San Diego, the sweet, perfectly ripe, organic berries in the fridge seemed the perfect choice, and what better than a luscious, lemon-laced creamy base for those sweet berries?  Served on either the chocolate or the vanilla crepes, the combination proved almost heavenly, and indeed, the perfect cure for our "sick" day.

While Liv enjoyed the Strawberries and Cream, she had ideas of her own, which usually tend to directly oppose mine.  Thinking the berries added just a touch of healthiness to the low in fat and protein enhanced crepes (they contain eggs) I didn't feel guilty for the breakfast splurge.  Liv, however, felt no need for health with her Powdered Sugar Sprinkle version that she lovingly created as my back was turned.  Making me proud that she thought to shoot her version with the already set up set, I returned from a quick dog walk to find a powdery plate with the remnants of rainbow sprinkles sitting in the middle of my set.

Whichever version you choose, Breakfast Crepes are sure to chase away any lingering blues.  For more incredible "Breakfast" Photography, please make your way through our Inspired Plate blog circle.  First up,  Jayme Franklin, a Bay Area Food Photographer with her beautiful breakfast photos.

Savory Mushroom Chicken Crepes

Simplicity. The more I discover about food photography and what catches my eye, the more I appreciate simplicity.  While I adore gorgeous images of beautifully set tables and of course, of attractively styled food, I truly love the shots that catch the pure beauty of the ingredient itself.

Seemingly fairly easy to take a pictures of a vegetable or a piece of fruit, my last Food Photography Challenge truly caused me to stretch myself with an assignment to shoot a vegetable raw and then prepared.  For my final submission I chose scallions fresh from my Dad's garden - dirt still clinging to the tender, fragrant roots and then our favorite Scallion Biscuits.  Taking less than 10 shots to capture my favorite image, it was the simplicity of the scene that, in my opinion, brought balance to the photo.

Unstyled (the scallions were simply place on a cutting board), natural, and raw, taking such a shot is not always as easy as I thought.  (From our Photo Challenge Group, also see Stacey Siegal's stunning shot of Romanesco, magazine worthy indeed).

The weeks prior to the challenge had me shooting sweet potatoes, grilled onions and fungus... the every popular mushroom.  Taking over 200 mushroom shots, I only found a few achieving the simplicity I was looking for.  The savory crepes created from the mushrooms, though, were a delicious treat that I eagerly polished off after finishing their photos.

A Cooking Light recipe from one of my "go-to" books, Cooking Light Chicken, I used my new favorite crepe recipe from Alton Brown to wrap the creamy goodies, creating a wonderful light lunch.  The tender mushrooms sauteed in chicken broth and white wine, if desired, are mixed with onion and chicken and then lightly "creamed" with a touch of cremé fraîche.  Simple, tasty, and a nice change from the sweet crepe we are used to, these savory wraps have made it to our dinner rotation.

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Crepes

adapted from Cooking Light, from Cooking Light Chicken

1 batch savory crepes (We like Alton Brown's Savory Version)

1 teaspoon butter 

1 cup vertically sliced onion 

1 garlic clove, minced

3 cups thinly sliced baby portobello mushroom caps (about 6 ounces) 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup dry white wine 

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)

2 cups left over chopped chicken

Thyme sprigs (optional)

 

Directions from Cooking Light:  

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Add wine, and cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Add broth and fresh thyme; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add crème fraîche, stirring until well blended. Add chicken, tossing to coat.

 

Place 1 crepe on each of 6 plates. Spoon about 1/3 cup mushroom mixture into center of each crepe; roll up. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

 

 

Apple Cinnamon Crepes

Happy National Crepe Day!

February 2nd

How many 12 year olds to you know who come home from school starving and ready for an afternoon snack?  Lots, I'm sure.  But how many 12 year olds do you know who come from school and whip up a batch of crepes??  I credit our Liv Life blog for inspiring my 12 year old to think outside of the pbj sandwich box and for teaching her to make crepes on her own when she wants them.

Our crepe journey began shortly after we launched Liv Life and has grown and considerably improved along the way.  Our first attempts, a lovely strawberry version, produced good, but somewhat gummy (though we didn't realize it at the time) crepes.  When filled with market fresh organic strawberries and topped powdered sugar, though, they were absolutely divine.

Over the years we've continued to use our original recipe, simply tweaking it here and there, learning about the importance of the rest period (allow the batter to rest for about 1 hour after mixing), and adding chocolate on occasion.  However last weekend Liv suggest trying something new... just for fun.

Turning to my buddy (he doesn't know he's my buddy... but he is), Alton Brown, who had just done a piece on crepes on his tv show, I headed to the Food Network for his recipe.  Following his directions to a "T", I forwent my whisk in place of a blender and gave the batter a 10 second whirl as directed.  The batter then received a good hour plus rest in the fridge, and we were ready.

Setting our small nonstick skillet on the stove (Alton says there is no need for a real crepe pan), we heated the pan and swirled in a small amount of butter.  I then ladled a small amount of batter and set once again to swirling.  Hardly believing my eyes, I found I had just produced the thinnest crepe in all of my "extensive" crepe making experience! Not only was it thin, but the first crepe of the batch actually turned out beautifully and didn't have to be sacrificed as many of my first crepes do.

In my excitement, I may have become slightly too exuberant.  Turning to show Liv our beautiful crepe, my elbow hit the ladle sticking out of the blender and that is when the slow motion began.  Ever so slowly the blender began to tip, the batter began to fly and the ladle began to drop.  I must say I don't think I've ever before spread a spill in the kitchen a clean 8 feet, so this was indeed a day of firsts.  And tears.  Well, not really tears, but a very disappointed (and slightly miffed) 12 year old girl who only had one crepe and now had another hour to wait for more.

BSS | Breakfast Interrupted from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

This video from Bruton Stroube give an example of our kitchen during The Spill! 

I can confidently say that waiting that hour before making your crepes is a good idea.  We now have first hand experience with a beautiful, well rested batter versus a 30 minute - we can't wait any longer - slightly rested batter.  While the new batch was good, the first and more rested batch was better.  Since our spill day, we have made crepes time and again, and yes, the crepes are worth the wait.

Chocolate Nutella Banana Crepes

Leisurely summer mornings with no real schedules and definitely no alarm clocks have not taken us long to get used to.  With our mornings free of demands, Liv and I have taken to enjoying more elaborate breakfasts in place of the school morning quick and easy bowl of cereal.  While oatmeal is a favorite of mine, Liv prefers her morning meal with a little more pizazz (though I personally maintain that my Vanilla Spiced Oatmeal is pretty darn snazzy).  Requests of Buttermilk Pancakes, Vanilla Waffles and Strawberry/Mango Smoothies have met my ears nearly as soon as she wakes, but today's Chocolate Nutella Banana Crepes have become an all time favorite.

As easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!  Clockwise:  1.  Slather with Nutella  2.  Layer with bananas  3.  Fold  4.  Garnish with powdered sugar

Last summer's welcomed discovery that crepes really are not all that difficult to make has opened up a new world for us.  From plain old Strawberry Crepes to Peach Crepes to Orange Crepes, we have been stepping out and experimenting with flavors.  Most of the recipes are oft repeated, however these Chocolate Crepes have become the most frequently visitors to our kitchen.  Liv has her own splattered copy of our recipe tucked away on my cookbook shelf and now pulls it out without even asking.  She gets right to mixing and only seeks me out when it's time to flip the crepes in the pan.

Her first version from last summer had the chocolate crepe layered with a homemade chocolate sauce (I'll admit to adding a splash of Grand Marnier to mine) and Bananas, however our next summer of 2010 discovery, Nutella, has since replaced the sauce and made the concoction even easier to put together.  A simple slather of Nutella down the center of the crepe serves as a base for the sliced bananas.  Rolled and then topped with powdered sugar the crepes are rolled in a flash and ready to start you day.  (note:  prepping the actual crepe takes about 30 min).

It's not often that I gush about a flavor combination, however chocolaty Nutella topped with sweet banana and all wrapped up in that thin pancake-like crepe has me groaning with pleasure at the mere thought of the creamy decadence.

Orange Crepes

Last summer, Liv and I discovered crepes with seasonal fresh, plump, red strawberries and we've been expanding our repertoire ever since.  Experimenting with banana, chocolate and peach, we've found these light, pancake-like wrappers far easier to make than we had ever imagined and they are a cinch to fill with all sorts of fillings.

Looking for any excuse to use part of our extraordinary orange crop this season, I was thrilled to find this recipe for Orange Crepes in Beatrice Ojakangas' book, Petite Sweets, the newest addition to my ever growing cookbook collection.  Ms. Ojakangeas' book features bite sized desserts along with stunning photos and mouthwatering recipes.  It's one of those books that you want to sit down with and leisurely audit, and had me turning down page after page as I perused the volume.

Liv pulled out the book one day after school and suggested that crepes would be the ideal after school snack.  (I truly think she's getting spoiled!)  With our new Sur La Table juicer on the counter just waiting to be used, we got to cutting open the oranges and quickly had a cup of fresh OJ.  She whisked up the batter and as it was "resting" we made the sweet Orange Syrup.

With the lovely orange aroma wafting through our kitchen I couldn't help but think that this sweet treat would benefit from a nice dousing of Grand Marnier.  Wanting to keep Liv's crepes kid-friendly, I set a few tablespoons aside for when she had had her fill.

And have her fill she did!  I believe she at nearly half the batch, literally licking her plate in the process.  I found the Orange Syrup to be a tad sweet for my taste (not unusual... I'm more of a tart person!), but the Grand Marnier made up for it.  Orange Crepes make a lovely afternoon treat and would be most perfect for a lovely morning brunch.

Chocolate Banana Crepes

Liv is addicted to crepes!  Good thing we discovered that crepes are super easy to make and that the little pancakes are extraordinarily versatile.  Sweet Strawberry Crepes were our first attempt so many months ago quickly followed by Peach.  Today we went a whole new direction and made the whole thing chocolate!  

After a searching for the perfect recipe we settled on an adaption to one we found on MegKat's blog.  Her photos alone gave us cravings!  A simple crepe batter mixed with powdered sugar and cocoa delivered rich, chocolaty crepes in a flash.  Her addition of a homemade chocolate sauce (we did a kid and adult version!) sent these little wraps over the top.  

Liv's first bite brought an odd look to her face giving me a momentarily thought of concern, however, within seconds her bright smile spread even broader than usual followed by, "Wow!  I have never, and I mean never, had anything this good!"  Admittedly bananas and chocolate are two of her favorite ingredients,  add in a dusting of powdered sugar and you have Liv Heaven!

The chocolate sauce made us both swoon, but I think it may have been the addition of a splash of Grand Marnier that did it for me!  I can easily see this sauce used over a chilly bowl of Vanilla Ice Cream, or better yet Coffee Ice Cream.  Overall, the crepes provided a wonderful chocolaty treat with a healthy banana addition (I think Liv actually ate 2 1/2 bananas!).  Chocolate, banana and a big smile, we have Liv's stamp of approval.

Peach Crepes

Weekend mornings are so much more appreciated now that school is back in session.  Somehow waking up after the sun has broken the horizon feels much more agreeable than waking in complete darkness.  With less of an agenda on these leisurely weekend mornings, extra attention is given to our first meal of the day, and making breakfast together becomes a special time.  

Since discovering how easy it is to make strawberry crepes, these little fruit wraps have been oft requested by Liv.  Today's request though, found us without strawberries!  What to do?  A perusal of the fruit basket showed watermelon or 4 perfectly ripe peaches and one beautiful white nectarine.  Not much of a choice!  Out came the cutting board and we soon had a bowl of perfectly sliced, fragrant, juicy peaches.  

Hoping for a peach pie-like flavor and texture, we warmed a little butter in a pan, added brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg.  Once the sugar had begun to melt we added the peaches and simmered until they were somewhat soft, but not mushy - about 6 minutes.  Off of the heat we drizzled in a bit of our favorite Tahitian vanilla and were set to fill our lightly browned crepes.

Fragrant cinnamon and peaches filled the house with a tantalizing aroma... beautiful enough to drag a sleepy 14 year old boy from the depths of sleep wondering what was for breakfast, a definite sign that we had done well!

 

This recipe takes a good amount of ripe peaches and would be a perfect complement to a nice vanilla ice cream if you have leftovers... which I'm thinking you won't!

Strawberry Crepes

Since she was a little girl, Liv had had a penchant for all things sweet, but it wasn't until I caught her in the pantry with her fingers in my sugar jar that I understood just how much.  How many people do you know who when asked the question "What is your favorite food?" answer, "Sugar!"

We have a constant battle to put healthy foods into her growing, dancers body and usually make some sort of healthy compromises.  Things like whole grain pancakes for breakfast with extra syrup, a banana for a snack followed by a small sweet treat, finish your vegetables for dinner dinner before that much anticipated dessert, etc.  Strawberry Crepes for breakfast was no different.

While perusing other cooking blogs (which my husband is saying I'm doing way too much of lately!) I discovered this sweet, strawberry recipe.  The crepes were a special birthday breakfast for the author of For the Love of Cooking's son and seemed to be met with equal enthusiasm.   Knowing my Olivia's love for strawberries and sweetness, these looked to be something she would love, and we were definitely not disappointed!

This was my first attempt at making crepes, and amazingly, they were far easier than I had imagined!  The batter whips up quickly and easily, and once I realized that less is better when cooking the delicate wrappers, we were in business.  They cook up in just a minute or two and with a quick flip to completely cook the other side you will quickly be ready for the slightly sweetened strawberry filling.  

Our compromise on this dish was the filling... the recipe called for sweetened strawberries, but knowing that Liv would enjoy dusting (showering?) her crepes with powdered sugar we opted for plain strawberries, no sweetener.  The whole family enjoyed the breakfast treat but my husband said he was left wanting some sort of sauce on top.  For an adult version, our Grand Marnier Vanilla Strawberry Sauce would most definitely add a scrumptious topping to these delightful treats.