Spinach Asiago Crepes Food

CREPES WITH SPINACH, BACON AND MUSHROOM FILLING

Steps:

• Prepare Basic Crepes recipe according to recipe directions. Separate with wax paper and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve about 1 tablespoon drippings, add 1 tablespoon butter, and saute mushrooms.
• In a separate saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour, stirring constantly, until a smooth paste is formed. Gradually stir in 1 cup milk, stirring constantly until a smooth thick gravy is formed. Add bacon, mushrooms, spinach, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Let cook until somewhat thick, about 10 minutes.
• In saucepan bring broth to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice. Temper eggs and broth together whisking constantly so as to cook, but not to scramble the eggs. (Cooking eggs to 170 degrees F). Again, salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill each crepe with spinach and meat filling, roll up, and top with warm egg sauce.

SPINACH CREPES

Steps:

• For Filling: In a saucepan, cook the onion in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened. Add the flour, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a stream, whisking, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, whisking, until it is thick. Stir in the nutmeg, the dill, the spinach, and salt and pepper to taste and let the filling cool. For Crepes: In a blender or food processor blend the flour, the water, the milk, the eggs, the butter, and the salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, add the dill, and with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container. Blend the batter for 20 seconds more, transfer it to a bowl, and let it stand, covered and chilled, for 1 hour. Heat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with the butter, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, then remove it from the heat. Stir the batter, half fill a 1/4-cup measure with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a layer of batter and return any excess batter to bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crepe with a spatula, and cook the crepe for 1 minute, or until the top appears almost dry. Turn the crepe, cook the other side lightly, and transfer the crepe to a plate. Make crepes with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with butter as necessary. Spread 2 tablespoons of the filling on each crepe and roll the crepe up jelly-roll fashion. Arrange the crepe, seam sides down, in a buttered shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer. Brush the crepes lightly with the melted butter. Bake them in the middle of a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes. For Sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. In a bowl whisk together the eggs and the lemon juice. Add half the broth to the egg mixture in a stream, whisking, and whisk the mixture into the remaining broth. Heat the sauce, stirring, until it reaches 170 degrees F on a candy thermometer and is thickened slightly, but do not let it boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide the crepes among plate and drizzle the sauce over them.

CREPES WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Prepare the spinach first. In a large pan heat up 1 tablespoon of oil, add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and fry over a high heat for about a minute, stirring all the time, until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat before it starts releasing water. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile make the crepes. In a large bowl combine the flour with the salt and stir using a whisk. Add the egg and oil and start gradually pouring in the milk whisking all the time until all the ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture is silky smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Heat up a pancake pan (large or small), grease with a little oil (I used a piece of paper towel to do this) and ladle the crepes batter onto the pan in a circular motion swirling the pan to ensure the batter covers the entire surface. Cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes on one side and a minute on the other, until the crepe is lightly browned. Stack ready crepes on a large plate.
• To make the filling puree the spinach mixture (once cooled) along with the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese and onion granules until smooth (or puree the spinach then stir in the cheeses for more texture). Season to taste and make the crepes.

SPINACH CREPES WITH HAM AND MUSHROOM

Steps:

• Wash the spinach and place in a blender or food processor. Add the egg, butter, flour and milk, and blend well for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
• Wash the mushrooms and put in blender or food processor along with the ham, sour cream and paprika. Puree and set aside.
• Heat a crepe pan, or small non-stick skillet over medium heat until a drop of water jumps in the pan. Put 1 tablespoon of crepe batter into the pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly. Turn down the heat. Crepe should be very thin so it will cook in less than a minute. The crepes do not need to be turned. Remove the crepe and continue with the rest of the batter, one at a time. You should thin the batter with 1-2 tablespoons of water as you make the crepes, because the batter will thicken as it sits. You want to keep the crepes very thin!
• Place each crepe in an oven dish as you make them. Spread each crepe with the ham and mushroom filling, and fold.
• Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top, and heat in pre-heated 375F oven for 2-5 minutes.

FUSILLI WITH SPINACH AND ASIAGO CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.
• Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and serve.

CREME OF SPINACH CREPES

Steps:

• For the batter: Put half of the milk into a mixing bowl, along with the flour, salt and egg yolks, and mix at medium speed until smooth. Slowly pour the remaining milk into the mixture and keep mixing at a low speed. Slowly add the melted butter and mix at medium speed.
• Warm your frying pan. Take a paper towel, dip it in soft butter and wipe the bottom of the frying pan so it is lightly coated. Depending on your pan size, pour a paper-thin layer to cover the pan and move it around. Fry until the crepe slides around the pan and flip. Cook until golden brown spots appear. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• For the filling: Put a little water at the bottom of a medium pot. Add the spinach, garlic, onion, butter and salt to taste and cook about 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
• In a separate container, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Pour slowly into the spinach and stir it in. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Put some creme of spinach into a crepe and any steamed veggies you would like, such as broccoli, zucchini or bell pepper. Fold the crepe over on itself a couple times and top it with Parmesan and roasted red peppers.

HOT ASIAGO AND SPINACH DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add the Asiago cheese and parsley; mix well. Press as much moisture out of the spinach as you can; stir into the mixture. Spread into the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 10 baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the middle is bubbling and the edges are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.