Being a working mom with two boys in activities I am always on the go and find myself continually playing catch up.  Downtime is not something that I get to enjoy too often so when my boys asked me what I wanted for breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day I chose crepes.  This easy to make recipe can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Crepes can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner and can be sweet or savory.  Julia Childs has the best “no fail” crepe recipe that I have passed along many times to friends and family. 

Yield: Makes 12 to 15 crepes, about 6-inch in diameter

Ingredients

125 ml/grams cold milk (1/2 cup)

125 ml/grams water, preferably cold but can be at room temperature (1/2 cup)

2 eggs, preferably cold but can be at room temperature

90 grams all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

Making the Crêpe Batter

1. Blender: Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (or blender jug). Blend with an immersion blender until everything is combined, scrapping down the sides of the bowl a few times. If there are lumps, continue blending until the lumps are gone. If there are still lumps remaining, strain the batter and discard the lumps.
2. Whisk: In a mixing bowl, whisk milk, water, egg and butter together. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar and salt together. Pour in the wet ingredients slowly, whisking constantly until everything is incorporated. Strain the batter and use a spoon to press down on the lumps against the sieve to incorporate them back into the batter. Strain the batter and discard any remaining lumps.

Chilling

1. Cover the mixing bowl with a plastic wrap, place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill the batter for at least 2 hours before using to allow flour particles to expand in the liquid to yield a tender and light crêpe. The batter can be made the day before and kept chilled until ready to use.

Cooking the Crêpes

1. Heat an 8 to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle droplets of water onto the frying pan and if the water sizzles immediately, it means the frying pan is hot enough for use.
2. Brush a thin layer of softened or melted butter on the frying pan. Give the crêpe batter a stir and scoop ¼-cup of batter.
3. Hold the frying pan in your dominant hand and pour the crêpe batter into the middle of the pan with another hand, tilting the pan in all directions as you pour (the batter should set almost immediately as you pour in the batter) so that the batter coats the bottom of the frying pan in a thin layer.
4. Cook for about 30 seconds until the edges begin to brown, then loosen the crêpe with a spatula and turn to the other side to cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked crêpe onto a plate. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

After cooking the first crêpe, determine if ¼-cup of batter is too much or too little and adjust the batter amount for the subsequent crêpes. The crêpe batter consistency should be that of a light cream, just thick enough to coat a spoon. If you find the batter too thick or heavy you may whisk in water, tablespoon by tablespoon.

If the crêpe is burning or setting too fast for your comfort, lower the heat slightly or place the frying pan on a wet tea towel for 5 to 10 seconds to cool down the frying pan slightly.

Bananas Foster’s Breakfast Crepes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

2 bananas, sliced

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch salt

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

Lower heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat, add in sliced bananas and stir about 1 minute, until caramel is smooth and liquefied and bananas are warm.  Stuff crepes with bananas foster filling and serve immediately.

With the warmer weather coming I find myself craving salads.  One of my favorite salads is one I had in Tuscany, Panzanella salad, which comes from two words “panne”(bread) and “zanella” (bread bowl).  This classic Italian salad traditionally is made with dry or stale bread.  Although there are many variations, the traditional recipe calls for cucumbers, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, red onion, fresh basil and olive oil.  I have had it a variety of ways with the additions of fresh mozzarella, anchovies, tuna and black olives.  To me the history of Tuscan cuisine is made up of simple and elegant ingredients, so I like to stick to the traditional recipe. 

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

For the vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons Bellisari’s Balsamic, Shallot & Black Garlic Spread

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed. For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion and basil. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Wednesday:  Grilled Flatbread pizzas-are you ready to try them?

There is something about grilled flatbread pizzas….for some reason they just taste better. They're easy to prepare ahead of time, fun for the whole family or group, and made to be eaten with hands. You can create them for appetizers when on a budget for a party or toss a little lobster on them for a black-tie event. Either way, here are a few tips to remember when trying your first grilled flatbread recipe. They're made with a different kind of dough. It is important that the dough is soft on the inside with a nice firm bite on the outside.  A second important tip is they're grilled—on a grill pan, or an actual grill.  Last but certainly most important is toppings, both raw and cooked, go on after the dough is cooked.

Since toppings go on after the dough is cooked, keep in mind that toppings needing more than a few minutes to cook, either vegetable or meat, should be prepared in advance. If your toppings are going to taste good barely cooked, and perhaps charred from a broiler, then you can add assemble them raw atop your flatbread (think tomatoes canned or fresh, leafy greens, bell peppers, cheese).

Here is an amazing rustic dough recipe from     https://food52.com/recipes/40209-rustic-grilled-pizza-dough-recipe

Here is one of my favorite flatbread recipes with our Saigon Street Sauce.

Thai Chicken Flatbread

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Whole Wheat Flatbread( Lately I have been using Naan bread also)

1/3 Jar of Bellisari's Saigon Street Sauce

1 Cup Cooked Chicken, chopped

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Carrot, julienned

2 Green Onions, chopped

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup Peanuts, chopped

1 Handful Basil, chopped

1 Handful Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the Bellisari's Saigon Street Sauce on the flatbread. Then layer the chicken, red bell pepper, carrot, green onions and cheese.  Cook for 10 minutes, add the peanuts, basil and cilantro and cook for 4 more minutes.  Spread remaining ingredients on top.

 With the weather finally warming up it is time for fish tacos and beer on the patio.  Did you know that any of Bellisari’s Spreads and Sauces can be used as the perfect taco sauce?  Here are some easy ways to step up that fresh, grilled or fried fish for your patio tacos. 

Saigon Street Sauce = fried fish with Saigon slaw and cotija cheese.

Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread = diced lobster tail tossed in Fig spread with pico de gallo, avocado cilantro micro greens for garnish and lime wedges for serving.

Balsamic Shallot & Black Garlic Spread = sea bass, feta and roasted red peppers.

Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread = fried fish with Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread and sriracha sauce.

Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread = a grilled white fish tossed in Calabrian with green olives.

Fortunately for me, the avocado toast trend is still going strong.  I haven’t tired of it yet and love it even more when I pair it with a poached egg as we did in yesterday’s recipe.  Happily, most breakfast/brunch restaurants still have it on their menu to feed my addiction.  As we all know, food trends come and go but this savory delight has been in and out of the US, Australian and Europe since the 1930’s

According to Laura Martin of the Newstatesman, “The “on toast” variation of avocado appears to be a 20th century invention, with a 1937 New Yorker article documenting an “avocado sandwich on whole wheat and a lime rickey” in Los Angeles. In the 1990s in Australia, chef Bill Granger is believed to have given avocado toast its modern makeover with a twist of lime and chili, which made its way back to New York by the millennium, then on to breakfast plates in London a few years later.”

Since Instagram’s launch in 2010, the avocado has become one of the top food shots to snap - there are currently more than seven million tags for the fruit on the app and each day more.  Here are a couple of my easy favorites of the “butter fruit” using Bellisari’s products.

Avocado, cucumber, kale, sprouts, and pumpkin seeds Avotoast with a Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread smear.