Crepes Recipe

The first time I tried crepes was also the first time I tried Nutella.  It was true love at first bite for both.  I was 20 years old and had spent the night at my friends brother-in-laws house.  We had gone out of town for a big Halloween party and didn't want to drive home really late.  Not only was the hostess very kind to let several strangers camp at her house but she also treated us to an amazing breakfast the next morning!  I was obsessed with crepes for a little while after this adventure and would make them often.  But as the years went by I kind of forgot about them and Nutella.  One day while cruising the web I came across this recipe and made crepes the very next morning.  They were so quick and easy and a prefect reminder of how much I enjoy crepes.

You will need Flour, Eggs, Milk, Salt, and Canola Oil to make the crepes.  I like to top them with Nutella, Powdered Sugar, and Banana.

In a bowl add the Flour, Salt,  Oil, and Eggs.

Then add in the milk.

Mix well with a spatula.

In a small non-stick pan add about a tsp of Butter and let it melt.  Make sure to swoosh it around.

Add about 2 TBSP of Crepes batter to your hot pan.

Swoosh it around.

Try to cover the bottom of the pan with a light layer of batter.

After a couple of minutes the sides will start to dry up and crack a bit.  Now is the time to flip.  Cook both sides for a couple minutes until the dough is firm but still soft.

Remove from pan and let sit on a paper towel.

Spread on a layer of Nutella.

Place a few Banana slices on top.

Add a sprinkling of Powdered Sugar to make everything really exceptional.

I like to sprinkle a little more powdered sugar on top.  Enjoy!

Crepes Recipe (Note I usually make a half batch because this makes a pretty big batch for my small family)
Source:  Redhead Recipes

1 C Flour
1 1/2 C Milk
2 Eggs
1 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp Salt

Combine all the ingredients and mix well.  Heat a lightly greased non-stick pan.  Add about 2 TBSP of batter to the pan.  Lift pan and swoosh around to get the batter to lightly cover the pan.  Return to burner and cook about 2 minutes and flip then cook another 2 minutes.  Place the cooked crepes on a paper towel.

Enjoy!

Approximately 20 Crepes (plain)

37 Calories
5 Carbs
1 Fat
2 Protein

Corn Cakes and Avocado Salsa Recipe

I love the idea of eating fresh & lovely produce in the summer.  Corn on the cob is something that I truly enjoy and that really takes me back to my childhood.  My Grandparents lived out in the country and they always had a nice garden.  We would get fresh peas and potatoes fresh from Grandpa's garden every summer.  My Grandparents garden was fairly small compared to their neighbor, Earl Reber.  Earl had an expansive garden and he grew lots of corn.  We would get to pick corn every summer and my mother would freeze a little so we could have fresh delicious corn all winter long.  I found this Corn Cakes Recipe and got pretty excited to give it a try.  Sadly I wasn't able to use Earl's corn but this dish turned out beautifully.  My 3 year old thought it was fantastic!

You will need 3 Ears of Corn, Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Basil, Baking Powder, Flour, Red Onion, Corn Meal, 2 Eggs, Jalapeno, Lime, Avacado, Tomato, Garlic Clove,  Baking Soda, Canola Oil, Buttermilk, Butter, and Salt & Pepper.

Take your corn and stand it up.

Change plates and then cut the corn off the cob.

Switch dishes again.  This time to a bowl and once all the corn has been cut off the cobs use the back of your knife and run it along the cob to try and remove any left over juices.

Excellent!

Now grab the scary and intimidating Food Processor and put in about 2/3 of the corn.

Pulse a few times.

You want the mixture to be chopped up pretty good but with a little texture.

Switch dishes again and put the corn that you didn't pulse in the Food Processor in it.

Now put the pulsed up corn on top of that corn.

Now is a good time to start heating up some Canola Oil in a non-stick pan over Medium heat.

Cut up the Basil into thin strips.  If you roll them up and then slice them it is called a Chiffonade.  I had to Google how to spell Chiffonade.

In the same bowl as your corn add 1/4 of the diced up Red Onion, The Basil, Flour, Cornmeal, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt & Pepper

Mix it all together to start forming a lovely dough.

Now add 2 Eggs slightly beaten, Buttermilk, and Melted Butter. 

Mix together until just combined.

Grab a Paper Towel to place allow cooked cakes to drain.

Drop the dough into the hot pan by the rounded Tablespoon full.  I didn't think that would be enough dough, but it was.  Cook 2-3 minutes or so on each side until golden brown and amazing. 

Meanwhile, add 1/2 the Jalapeno (ribs and seeds in if you like it hot or ribs and seeds removed if you are feeding a 3 year old), the seeded and chopped Tomato, Cilantro, Lime Juice, 1/4 Red Onion, Minced Garlic Clove, and Salt & Pepper.

Cut your Avocado in half and using a sharp knife cut the fruit into cute little cubes.

Then using a spoon scoop the Avocado out of the peel and put in the bowl and mix everything together well.

Top the Corn Cake with the Avocado Salsa and Enjoy!

I decided to try two of the cakes not fried in oil but fried with just a tiny bit of oil in the pan to avoid sticking.  And they tasted just as good.  Next time I will not fry mine in oil and save a million calories.

Corn Cakes and Avocado Salsa Recipe
Source:  Ezra Pound Cake

3 Ears corn, shucked
1 C Flour
1/2 C Cornmeal
1/4 Red Onion, diced
1/4 C thinly sliced Fresh Basil
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
2 TBSP well-shaken Buttermilk
2 TBSP Butter, Melted
Canola Oil, for frying
1 large Tomato, Cored, seeded, and chopped
1/4 Red Onion, diced
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, Seeded and de-ribbed if you don't like it spicy
1 TBSP Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Garlic Clove, minced
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Avocado, Peeled, pitted, and diced

Cut the Corn from the cobs into a large bowl then scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife to get any juice left behind.  Place 2/3 of the corn into the Food Processor and pulse several times until the corn is pureed a bit but still has plenty of texture.  Place back into the bowl with the unprocessed Corn.

Add Flour, Cornmeal, Onion, Basil, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt & Pepper to the Corn and stir everything together.  Add the Eggs, Buttermilk, and Butter and stir until just combined.  Do not overmix.

Place a large non-stick skilled over medium heat.  Add just enough Canola Oil to cover the bottom of the pan and let it get good and warm.  Add dough by the heaping Tablespoon.  Cook in batches of 4 and fry the cakes 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown and delicious.  Set out a plate with 2 Paper Towels on it and allow the cakes to drain of excess oil.

Meanwhile, place the Tomato, Red Onion, Jalapeno, Cilantro, Garlic, Lime Juice and Salt & Pepper in a bowl.  Mix together well and then add the Diced Avocado and mix in gently.  Top the Corn Cake with the Avocado salsa.

Enjoy!

Approximately 8 servings (this in the value if you fry it in Canola Oil)

464 Calories
32 Carbs
36 Fat
6 Protein

Shirataki Noodle and Philadelphia Cooking Creme Recipe

I've been hearing more and more about Tofu Shirataki noodles.  They are pretty close to being calorie free and are supposed to taste and feel just like regular noodles.  I was at the grocery store and I saw them on the shelf in the vegetarian/healthy section of the refrigerated section.  I grabbed two packages and was excited to give them a try.  When I went to check out the noodles didn't register so the bagger went to check the price and it wasn't listed.  So they ended up giving me each bag for about $1.60.  I'm pretty sure I got a killer deal on those noodles.  I whipped up a tasty recipe using both the Shirataki noodle and the Philadelphia cooking creme for the first time.  The noodles were surprisingly noodley.  Had I not known they were made of tofu I would have thought it was regular spaghetti.  In fact I tricked my husband and tried to make him guess the weird ingredient and he couldn't figure it out. 

You will need Sliced Ham, Onion, Asparagus, Shirataki Noodles, Garlic, and Philadelphia Cooking Creme Italian Creme and Herb flavor.

Here is a close up of the Shirataki Noodles.  The whole package has about 40 calories. 

The noodles have a bit of a fishy smell when you open the package.  I was expecting it to smell like a giant fish was just chilling in the bag.  But it wasn't that bad.  Just give the noodles a good rinse and you won't even notice.

Then dry the noodles a bit.

Wash up a bunch of asparagus and trim the end off.

Cut into bite size chunks and toss into boiling water to soften the asparagus up.

Chop up the Ham and half of the Onion.

Mince up the Garlic.

Add a little Olive Oil to a warm saute pan and add in the onion and Garlic and saute about 2 minutes.

Then add in the softened asparagus.

Toss in the Ham.

and scoop in about 2 Tablespoons of the Cooking Creme.

The noodles only take a few minutes so cook them up according to package instructions towards the end of the sauce cooking time.

Drain the noodles and add into the sauce.  If it feels too thick save a little of the pasta water and add it in to thin out.  I added in about a Tablespoon of the pasta water.

Enjoy!

Shirataki Noodle and Philadelphia Cooking Creme Recipe

1 Package Shirataki Tofu Noodles
1 Cup Chopped Asparagus
6 Slices sliced deli Ham, chopped
1/2 Onion Diced
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 TBSP Philadelphia Cooking Creme Italian Creme and Herb flavor
1 TBSP Olive Oil

In a pot place about 2 cups of water and let it get to a boil.  Then add the Asparagus bits and cook until just tender.  Drain and set aside.  With a large non-stick skillet warm up the Olive Oil.  Then Add in the Onion and Garlic and saute for 2 minutes.  Then add in the reserved Asparagus, Ham, and Philadelphia Cooking Creme.  Cook until warmed through.  Cook the Shirataki noodles according to package instructions.  Drain, reserving a bit of cooking liquid, and add to the sauce pan.  If the sauce is too thick add in reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy!

Approximately 3 servings

215 Calories
13 Carbs
12 Fat
17 Protein