please put this in your tummy

i really hope you try and make these. in fact, i'm going to spent this entire post attempting to convince you to look past the extra steps needed and make a point to get them in your tummy. there are a bunch of components, yes, but all can be done a day ahead. rest assured, if any of you come and visit, you will eat this. they're so good. i tried taking pictures of the first ones as they came off the pan but we couldn't stand to see them sit long enough to have them pose for a picture.


the spinach crepes themselves are almost sweet and don't taste heavy, bitter, or dull like, say, omelettes with spinach in them. the crepe itself is thicker than a conventional crepe and will never, ever let you down, regardless of how poorly you treat it. after the first throw-away crepe, the rest of them will not rip, they will only go crunchy in the most delicious way, and they will remain crisp and refuse to become soggy even for breakfast the next day. and they are practically impossible to screw up. no kidding, i tried making these things thicker, thinner, and they turned out consistently fantastic. also, there is so little fat without tasting like it, and the spinach is barely cooked, preserving not only the color but every bit of nutrients, making it worth it. it tastes a lot like a spanakopita, but, you know, better. and how gorgeous do they look???

a few words about the filling before i list the recipe: this is a loose idea and is meant to be open to suggestion. i thought the strained yogurt was tangy and a great offset to the shrimpiness and the dark spinach, and takes little effort, though you do need to do it a day or so ahead. if you don't want to do this or don't have it in the fridge, no sweat. try the technique with the sour cream (though it won't thicken as well at all) and add in a tablespoon or so of mayo to the filling mixture to fake a bit of that brightness that the yogurt would have imparted. but really, you should try this.

i took about a cup or so of plain yogurt (fat free or super-light yogurt won't be worth it, as the added water in the fat free versions will just drain out. and besides, wouldn't you like to use the rest of the full fat yogurt to make frozen yogurt popsicles?) and spooned it over
a cheesecloth that itself was draped over a bowl. now take all of that and put it in a bigger bowl that keeps everything nestled inside nicely, especially the cheesecloth. the cheesecloth absorbed a lot of the drained liquid and held on to it, leaving a little yogurt water puddle in my fridge. leave it in there for a few hours, or overnight.


filling:
drained yogurt
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika or 1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
dollop of sour cream
chives or green onions if you've got them
shrimp, cooked and chopped in half. i don't know how many. 12? let's say 12.
also, corn would be great in this. i just now realized that.
if this is turning out too thick for you, add a little cream. it should be kind of the consistency of mayo


crepes:
a big handful of frozen spinach, defrosted but undrained, with its defrosting water
about 4 spoonfuls of yogurt, or sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper (a little more than a regular pinch, the salt really helps bring everything out)
1/2 tsp nutmeg

also: you'll also need a bunch of shredded cheese. i used mozzarella, but you don't have to.



throw all of this in a blender or food processor and pulse for about 15 seconds. then set it aside* while you get everything set up, with a little assembly line next to the stove with a cooling plate with a paper towel or two on it, an extra plate for snacking purposes, and your filling with a spoon or spatula at the ready. once you've got all of this organized, turn your nonstick pan on medium, get some olive oil or butter down to start heating, and check on your crepe batter. if it's the consistency of pancake batter, you need to add more milk. it's kind of a guessing game, which is why you shouldn't take the batter out of your food processor container until after the first crepe has been tested, tasted, and thrown out, as you might need to adjust the milk or flour. if it is too thin or too thick, only add a tablespoon or two and try again.

once the pan is warm, add about 1/3 cup of the mix. do this with the pan up out of the heat, and start swirling. when it's all settled in, put it back down on the burner. it's going to be thicker than regular crepes, so don't expect paper-thin. my suggestion is to keep the batter a few feet away, which forces you to walk over, add, swirl, and then put back on the burner.

it'll take a few minutes to cook, and you'll know it's done by a crackling sound and slightly browned edges. then flip, add a little layer of cheese, and let it sit for 30 seconds or so, then transfer, add filling and fliip into quarters or roll like a burrito and repeat.

PLEASE TRY THIS.




*ps: you could absolutely whiz up the batter a day in advance, and most recipes almost always call for a chill out time of about an hour or longer for the flour in the batter to relax. if you do this in advance you almost definitely need to add a little bit of milk to thin it back out.