Recipes

Thin and elegant, crepes made with whole-wheat pastry flour are the perfect foil for healthy fillings. Despite their fussy reputation, they are easy to make once you learn the proper technique. Try this tasty, healthful recipe adapted by VIVmag from a recipe by chef Jesus Gonzalez, Rancho La Puerta. Check out VIVmag’s July/August 2007 issue for other delicious recipes, weight-loss secrets and healthy cooking tips from top spas.

Crepes Filled With Grilled Shrimp, Spinach and Avocado
Serves 4

For the crepes:

• 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup 1 percent lowfat milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For the filling:

• 8 ounces lowfat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup scallions
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 16 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• 1 avocado, cut into 8 slices
• 4 cups loosely packed raw baby spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions: Preheat grill. Place crepe ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (The batter should be the consistency of half-and-half.) Cover and chill for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk cream cheese with ricotta until smooth. Stir in capers, scallions, cayenne pepper and lime juice, and set aside.

Coat a 6-inch crepe or sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat pan on medium high. Pour just enough batter into the pan to thinly coat the bottom of it. Cook crepe until golden brown on both sides, approximately 30 seconds on the first side, 15 seconds on the flip side. When done, place crepe on a plate, top with a piece of wax paper, then cover with a clean, dry towel to keep warm. Repeat process until all batter has been used.
Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes. (Or you can sauté them in a nonstick pan lightly coated with cooking spray.)

To assemble, spread about 2 tablespoon of cheese mixture onto each crepe. Slice cooked shrimp in half and arrange 4 halves per crepe. Follow with 1 slice of avocado and 1/2 cup of spinach leaves. Roll up crepe. Repeat 7 more times.

Take-home tip: Whole-wheat crepes also make an excellent dessert. Simply omit dill, nutmeg and salt from batter recipe and fill crepes with fresh berries. Top with a dollop of Greek-style plain, lowfat yogurt.

Technique: Making crepes
1. Pour crepe into a saute pan in a thin layer, turning pan so bottom becomes coated with batter.

2. Cook until crepe edges curl and become golden brown.

3. With your hand, lift crepe by the edge and flip it.

4. Layer crepes with wax paper until ready to use.