Baking with Natural Yeast - Sweet and Savory Crepes

 

Ode To The Leftovers:

When holidays come and go,

the refrigerator over-flows.

Left-overs become a take-over;

what is needed is a hostage negotiator!

Ham, eggs, yogurt, and berries that were on sale,

ALL the things TOGETHER seem like a fail...

But oh, "hallelujah!" I have to say -

Crepes come in to save the day!

With a savory and a sweet; 

(This for dinner???)  YUP! It can't be beat.

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Baking with Natural Yeast 

- Sweet and Savory Crepes -

Layer in a blender:

2 cups Natural Yeast Starter

1/4 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

6 eggs

BLEND, then add:

1 cup milk

BLEND, then add:

1/2 cup flour (gluten free OR unbleached wheat)

Divide ALL blended ingredients evenly into 2 medium mixing bowls.

(YOUR  SAVORY  CREPES) -

In one medium bowl stir in 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper.

(YOUR  SWEET  CREPES) -

In the other medium bowl stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. (Mexican vanilla preferred).

Optional  Substitutes:

vegetable oil     - SUB in for: butter

almond milk     - SUB in for: milk

Crepes require undivided attention!

Using a cooking spray and several frying pans (sizes medium to large) cook 1/4 - 1/3 cup of batter at a time. 

 

Cook both sides until barely a golden brown; and spray your pan in between crepes so that they do not stick.  

Stack cooked crepes on a plate with pieces of parchment paper in between each one to keep from sticking.  

Keep making crepes until all the batter is gone.

Keep your Savory Crepes and Sweet Crepes on separate plates!  (Coarse pepper is not delightful with yogurt and fruit compote in my opinion...)

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SOME  NOTES:   

I have converted from frypans to a flat cast-iron specifically for crepes to make these... I won't lie. I have ONE and need at least one or two more to make this process blissful.  :0)  That said, a regular frypan will do!  

I like to use a swirl of olive oil for the first crepe on my frypans to set them up to not stick for the remaining ones. I know the crepes stick because I send my All-Clad through the dishwasher instead of hand-washing. The olive oil fixes all of that.

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Savory Crepe Ideas:

leftover rib meat

leftover brisket

leftover prime rib (if there ever is any...)

ham

cooked sausage

breakfast sausage

WITH Ideas:

scrambled eggs

hashbrowns

leftover baked potato chunks 

grated cheese (pepper jack is a favorite)

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Sweet Crepe Ideas:

sliced bananas

Nutella spread

fresh fruit

fruit compote

jam

Greek vanilla or Honey Yogurt

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Berry Compote:

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups berries (fresh or frozen)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon butter (optional)

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, berries, lemon juice and butter (if using butter...).  

Bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl combine water and cornstarch.

Slowly add to the saucepan and stir well to combine. 

Continue stirring while mixture simmers.

Cook until thick.

Remove from heat and serve with sweet crepes and vanilla Greek yogurt or honey Greek yogurt.

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Grandma Teague's White Bean Soup // AKA: SOUP

Dear Reader,

You should know a little history about this soup...
All the names this soup has been called over the last few years and WHY:

* SOUP
* THE Soup
* Auntie Irene's Soup
* Grandma Teague's Soup
* Grandma Teague's White Bean Soup

I'm still not sure how I'll ever be able to make this soup for my family and not use two or more of these names as the answer to the "What's for dinner?" question!

And why so many names... ?

Well reader, that's where it gets complex. 

When Auntie Irene shared this recipe with me with it was with the understanding that it was not the original recipe of the soup she grew up with from Grandma Teague - BUT  IT  WAS  PRETTY  DANG  CLOSE  TO  IT! 

So who gets ownership?  Apparently both of the ladies since I have to literally explain the soup origin every time I make it because I have several other "white bean" soups in my soup repertoire.

I've been asked to share this recipe for a handful of years now.  It's well past due and I am indeed happy to share!  You, dear reader, get to decide which name you prefer to call it when made in your own kitchen.  Payton's vote is for:  SOUP.

SOUP

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2  pounds white navy beans 

   - - -  OR  Great Northern beans

1  quart chicken stock/broth

8  cups water

ham bone or ham hock (optional)

2-3 pounds cooked, diced ham (no nitrates preferred)

   - - -  a smoked spiral ham is my favorite!!!  And this SOUP is     the first thing I use the left-overs for.  

olive oil

3 medium onions, diced

1 bundle of garlic, minced

10-12 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

10-12 stalks of celery, diced or sliced

   - - -  basically an entire bundle of celery

3  TABLESPOONS  Italian seasoning

1/4  cup Better-Than-Bullion chicken paste

1  TABLESPOON Kosher salt

1  1/2  teaspoons coarse black pepper 

Sort -  rinse - pressure cook - drain - rinse 2 pounds of the bean you chose.

Set aside.  

(If you don't have a pressure cooker cook your bean of choice the morning of or the night before making this SOUP.)

In a very large pot cook carrots, celery and onions with 2-3 TABLESPOONS of olive oil for 5-10 minutes.

Stir often.

Add diced ham and garlic, cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

Stir often and cook until fragrant and slightly caramelized.

ADD:  chicken broth, water, chicken paste, prepared beans, ham bone, Italian seasoning, Kosher salt and coarse black pepper.

Bring all to a simmer.

Simmer for 1-2 hours.  

Stirring often (...and getting your stir spoon all the way to the bottom so you don't have any beans scorching!!!).

Additional water may be needed as SOUP cooks.

Additional Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve with cornbread.

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Click Link FOR:     Gluten-Free Cornbread

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Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS