Buckwheat Crepes With Smoked Salmon Food

BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Make pancakes:
• Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together yolks and milk in a small bowl, then whisk into dry ingredients. Beat egg whites in another large bowl with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks, then fold into flour mixture. Add 3 tablespoons butter and fold until batter is smooth.
• Lightly brush a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet with some of remaining butter, then heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per pancake into skillet and cook until surface of pancakes bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Brush skillet with butter between batches.
• Make topping:
• Stir together all topping ingredients except salmon until combined, then dollop on pancakes and top with salmon.
• *Available at natural foods stores.

BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Place the flour, egg and a splash of milk in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk.
• Mix the ricotta with the garlic, parsley, pepper, and lemon rind.
• Heat a tsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan; when hot pour off any excess and spoon 3 tbsp of the flour-and-milk batter into the pan. Cook on each side until browned.
• Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Make three more crepes in the same way, adding more oil if necessary. Divide the ricotta and artichoke between the crepes, drizzle with lemon juice, grind some black pepper over and serve with the salmon.

BUCKWHEAT CREPES

Steps:

• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet. Combine the melted butter, both flours, the milk, eggs and salt in a blender and process until smooth (set the skillet aside). Let the batter rest at room temperature at least 1 hour or overnight. Stir in the parsley, if desired.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles in it. Lightly butter the skillet, then add a scant 1/3 cup batter and quickly swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until the crepe sets and browns around the edges, about 2 minutes. Carefully lift with a rubber spatula, flip over and cook about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate.
• Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed and stacking the finished crepes. Wrap the crepes in a damp dish towel and place in the oven to reheat, about 10 minutes.
• Serve with assorted fillings.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 sliced onions and 2 thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces spinach and cook until just wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound chopped wild mushrooms and 2 thyme sprigs; saute until the mushrooms are golden, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 2/3 cup heavy cream; toss to warm through. Remove from the heat and add a handful of parsley.
• Saute 1 1/4 pounds shrimp (peeled and halved lengthwise) in 2 tablespoons butter with 1 strip lemon zest, 2 tarragon sprigs and salt and pepper until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and 1/2 cup white wine and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat; add 4 tablespoons chopped cold butter and some parsley.

BUCKWHEAT-CHEDDAR BLINI WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the buckwheat flour, baking powder and dry mustard. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of chives and the cheddar and season the batter with salt and pepper.
• In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks form. Whisk one-fourth of the whites into the batter. Fold in the remaining whites.
• Heat a griddle over moderate heat until very hot and spray with vegetable oil spray. Spoon 1-tablespoon mounds of batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form around the edges of the blini, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the blini for about 30 seconds longer.
• Transfer the blini to a platter and top with the smoked salmon and a dollop of sour cream. Garnish the blini with chives and serve right away.

WHOLESOME BUCKWHEAT CREPES

Steps:

• Combine buckwheat groats with about 1 1/3 cup water in a bowl; allow to soak, draining and rinsing once or twice during soaking, 4 hours to overnight.
• Rinse and drain groats one final time. Transfer drained groats to a blender with egg, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and 1/2 cup water; blend into a smooth batter. Blend more water into the mixture as needed to reach a smooth, spreadable texture.
• Lightly grease a skillet and place over medium heat.
• Pour about 1/3 cup batter into the skillet; lift and tilt the skillet to swirl the batter evenly over the skillet; return to heat.
• Cook for about 2 minutes. Gently flip the crepe and cook the other side until the crepe is firm in the middle, about 2 minutes more; flip again and cook about 12 seconds. Plate and serve immediately.