SANDRA'S TRI-SEAFOOD CREPES with HERB MORNAY SAUCE (Shrimp/Prawns, Scallops, Crab)

Crepes to most seem intimidating to prepare
if you have not done so -- but believe me
they are not.  I'll walk you through the process,
with a notation that you will find
that it is best to set up a
preparation 'assembly line' by
reading through the recipe
before actually preparing crepes...

Yields: (8 crepes, i.e., 2 each for 4 total servings)
Prep: 10 mins. |
Crepe Batter standing time: 30 mins. |
Cook: 20 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Herbed Crepes:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Pinch of kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

***Mornay Sauce - and Seafood Filling:
3 tablespoons butter
2 crimini mushrooms, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon grated shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk, mixed with
--2 tablespoons heavy cream
Zest of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon old bay seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch ground pepper
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
4 tablespoons grated gruyere cheese, divided
1 lb. cooked seafood: 1/3 lb. each of shrimp/prawns, scallops, and lump crabmeat (cut into small pieces)

--Freshly steamed pencil asparagus (see “Tip” below)

METHOD

***Making the Crepes: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add eggs and milk and whisk until smooth. Stir in butter and herbs. Batter should be consistency of very thin pancake batter. Let stand 30 minutes, and then stir before using (may thicken upon standing, so add more milk to thin, if needed). Make crepes in a small nonstick skillet lightly brushed with butter over medium heat by ladling in 3 tbs. of batter, and lifting skillet while swirling batter evenly around to form crepe. Cook for about 1 minute per side, until lightly browned. Stack crepes between parchment paper squares to prevent them from sticking together, and let stand covered with a damp paper towel.

***Making the Sauce and Seafood Filling: In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the finely-sliced crimini mushrooms, grated garlic and shallots, and saute for 2 minutes, whisk in flour and cook while whisking for 2 more minutes. Slowly add milk and continue whisking until smooth and sauce will start to thicken. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the cream and lemon zest. Ladle a little of the hot sauce into the egg yolk and whisk to temper, then stir tempered mixture into the sauce. Season with old bay seasoning, fresh basil, chives, and kosher salt and ground pepper, then stir in 2 tablespoons each of Parmesan and Gruyere, (remove ¼ cup of sauce to small bowl, and set aside). Stir in cooked seafood into remaining sauce in saucepan and continue cooking, just until seafood is heated through], and set aside.

Preheat oven broiler.

***To Plate for Serving: Roll up two crepes with seafood mixture, and repeat three more times, then place two filled-crepes on heatproof serving dishes (as in photo). Just before serving, spoon 1 TB of reserved sauce down the middle of crepes in each dish, and sprinkle them evenly with remaining cheeses. Place all baking dishes on a baking sheet under broiler, just until crepes are golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Serve hot. - Enjoy!


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*Tip: I usually begin making steamed pencil asparagus to serve as a garnish, and side dish when crepes shells are completed, but prior to making the sauce.

SANDRA'S APPLE WALNUT CHEESE-FILLED CREPES over CUSTARD

A superbly decadent dessert that you and
anyone you serve it to will adore...

Servings: (8 total = 2 ea.)
Prep: 30 mins. |
Stand: 30 mins. |
Cook: 30 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Custard
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

***Cheese Filling
1 (16 oz. container) ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

***Apple Walnut Filling
--[Or, click here for optional: Blueberry-Cinnamon Filling]
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups of fresh granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cubed small
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch

***Sweet Crepes
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup club soda
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons for cooking crepes

***Garnish:
---4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted

METHOD

In a small mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients, including 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and whisk together to combine. The mixture should be a loose batter. If the mixture is too thick, whisk in a bit of milk. Set batter aside for 30 minutes to set at room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the custard in a small saucepan, by whisking sugar, cornstarch and salt together until well blended. Whisk in the milk and cook over low heat until almost boiling, then remove from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and vanilla until well blended. Add a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk from the saucepan and whisk to temper the egg, and then add the tempered egg mixture to the rest of the warm milk in the pan; whisking to combine. Cook over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken (do not boil). Let the sauce cool slightly while making the filling, sauce, and assembling the crepes.

For the apple walnut filling, combine butter, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts in a small saucepan, and cook while stirring for 3 minutes. Add apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch. Heat while stirring until filling thickens and apples are tender, but not mushy. Let filling cool completely.

For the cheese filling, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and set aside.

Melt the 3 remaining tablespoons of butter in a small glass bowl in the microwave. Place a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, and with a paper towel, dip into butter and wipe to lightly coat skillet. Keep the buttered paper towel close by, as you will need it before making further crepes.

Begin making crepes. Fill a ladle, almost about 3 tablespoons full, with batter and pour it into the preheated pan, while tipping and rolling the pan to evenly coat the bottom. When the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and the bottom begins to brown a little, about 1 minute, use a spatula to loosen the crepe, and turn over to cook it for about 1 minute longer on the other side. Remove the crepe from the pan between parchment- platter and let cool. Stack the crepes as they are cooked between wax paper square squares on platter to prevent sticking together. Repeat this process, until all the batter is used, wiping the pan with your paper towel and melted butter, as needed.

To make individual crepe desserts (allowing 2 per serving), spoon 2 tablespoons of the custard sauce on each dessert plate, spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in a line down the center of each crepe and along with apple and walnut filling and roll up, and sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar. Repeat until all 4 plates are finished, and then serve. – Enjoy!

SANDRA'S BLUEBERRY CHEESE-FILLED CREPES over CUSTARD

A very decadently delicious dessert
that once mastered I'm sure you'll be often making
using many variations of 
fillings, toppings, and sauces to your heart's desire...

Servings: (8 total = 2 ea.)
Prep: 30 mins. |
Stand: 30 mins. |
Cook: 30 mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Custard
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

***Filling
1 lb. container ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

***Blueberry-Cinnamon Sauce 
--[click here for optional: Apple Walnut Filling]
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

***Sweet Crepes
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup club soda
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons for cooking the crepes

METHOD

In a small mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients, including 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and whisk together to combine. The mixture should be a loose batter. If the mixture is too thick, whisk in a bit of milk. Set batter aside for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the custard in a small saucepan, by whisking the sugar, cornstarch and salt together until well blended. Whisk in the milk and cook over low heat until almost boiling, then remove from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and vanilla until well blended. Add a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk from the saucepan and whisk to temper the egg, and then add the tempered egg mixture to the rest of the warm milk in the pan, whisking to combine. Cook over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken (do not boil). Let the sauce cool slightly while making the filling, sauce, and assembling the crepes.

For the blueberry sauce, whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir with spoon constantly until mixture boils, and then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Set aside to let cool.

For the cheese filling, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and set aside.

Melt the 3 remaining tablespoons of butter in a small glass bowl in the microwave. Place a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, and with a paper towel dip into butter and swipe lightly to butter skillet. Keep the buttered paper towel close by, as you will need it for making further crepes.

Begin making crepes. Fill a ladle, almost about 3 tablespoons full, with batter and pour it into the preheated pan, while tipping and rolling the pan to evenly coat the bottom. When the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and the bottom begins to brown a little, about 1 minute, use a spatula to loosen the crepe, and turn over to cook for about 1 minute more on the other side. Remove the crepe from the pan between parchment-lined squares stacked on platter to let cool. Repeat this process, until all the batter is used, wiping the pan with your buttered paper towel, as needed.

To make individual crepe desserts (allowing 2 per serving), spoon 2 tablespoons of the custard sauce on each dessert plate, spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in a line down the center of each crepe with the same amount of blueberry filling and roll up, and place 2 crepes on top of custard. Drizzle remaining blueberry sauce over the crepes. Repeat until all 8 plates are finished, and serve. – Enjoy!

SANDRA'S BLUEBERRY-CINNAMON SAUCE

A scrumptious blueberry sauce that is so very
versatile to use in a variety of dishes...

Yields: (2/3 cup)

Posted: by Sandra
Total Time: 10 mins.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD

Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir with spoon constantly until mixture boils, and then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.


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Tip: This is great and simple recipe to serve over pancakes, waffles, crepes, ice cream, puddings, angel food cake, pound cake, and so on.