Yeast Crepes

  As a child growing up, birthdays were a big deal. For me, they still are. I demand that the world stop and recognize that it is the anniversary of my birth. It's my day and the one time I really enjoy being the center of attention. A tradition in our household was that each of us kids chose our birthday meal and what type of cake we wanted. Every year I asked for black bean burritos for dinner and a vanilla cake with that icing with sprinkles in it. Oh yeah!! My taste buds were obviously fabulous back then, along with my camera face. :)

  You might be wondering if I've once again gotten lost in my mind and begun rambling aimlessly about things that have nothing to do with the subject at hand. For once that hasn't happened. My baby brother always chose to have nutritional yeast crepes for his birthday. They were his favorite. In later years he would always be welcomed home from college to them and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies (spoiled much?!!). So I have always associated these with my not-so-little-anymore, getting ready to have a baby-baby brother and birthday celebrations.

  First things first, this recipe uses nutritional yeast flakes. Nutritional yeast is a fabulous source of B vitamins and is often described as having a taste similar to cheese. I personally use it as a topping on all types of foods including burritos and popcorn. I have lived places where numerous stores carry nutritional yeast and places where I had to have my parents ship me some! Here I am always able to find them in the bulk foods section at Whole Foods. Also, if you're familiar with Bob's Red Mill products (usually found in the baked goods section), I know they carry packaged nutritional yeast flakes. If you have a store with bulk goods, check there because they often carry them. 

  Second things second. :) Focus on the crepe and use your imagination for the filling, the possibilities are endless. I'm sharing a vegetarian recipe which is what my mom always made growing up, and evil little brother's favorite. I've previously added rotisserie chicken when my husband has wanted meat. You can also eat them plain, maybe with a little melted better over the top. Or use to make a dessert crepe, filling it with chocolate sauce and fruits. You get the picture. 

Here is what you'll need for the filling and the crepes for 4 people:

Filling:

2 Tbl Olive oil (may need to add more during cooking)

4 cups frozen peas

4 Tbl fresh or dried dill weed

1/2 of an onion chopped

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Crepes:

2 cups of all purpose flour

3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 cups water

2 Tbl melted unsalted butter

  

  First you want to get your filling going. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and then add the peas, onions, and dill. Stir regularly until cooked through. I personally like the peas cooked until they're really mushy and have turned slightly brown. I think the flavors come out more then. To get them to this point takes about 20 minutes and I like to cover them for the second half of the cooking time.

The crepes!
  Now the important part, your crepes. Mix together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. The batter will be a little thinner than a pancake batter is.

  When you're ready, heat a pan over medium-high heat. Or, if you have a griddle you can use it so you can cook more at once. Also, a non stick pan will make your life much easier. If you don't have one, just be patient.

  Spray your pan well with non stick spray. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of the batter into the pan, tilting the pan a little as you do to allow it to spread out.

  They won't be perfect circles, don't worry! Let it cook until it starts to bubble up and the edges turn a nice brown color, like the photo above. Then flip it over to cook the other side.

  At this point I sprinkle some cheese on the crepe so that it can melt. The second side doesn't take very long to cook, I always lift up an edge and peek to see how it's doing. Once it's cooked, remove to your plate and add some filling down the middle.

  Roll the crepe up and enjoy!!! In our house we eat the crepes as they're ready. My husband usually floats around behind me holding his plate and waiting for more. If you want to serve everyone all at once, then you could put them in a warm oven until they're all ready.

  Also, don't get discouraged if your first couple of crepes seem to stick to the pan and get ruined. For some reason this happens to me often, just keep going and you'll get it! One thing is for sure, they are delicious! You'll love them. If you have any questions, just ask!!