HC Reviews

Whole Wheat Crepes

A healthier alternative to the standard crepes, whole wheat crepes blend will with many fillings from berries and yogurt to a warm seafood mixture with a light cream sauce.

I pulled this off the internet the other day in an excited 'must cook something' state. I'm glad i did because they're really quite good.

I skipped the sugar and added sprite (7-up works as well) instead of club soda. It just depends on how sweet you'd like your crepes to turn out. We were also short one egg, but we had bought super mega huge eggs last time so I wasn't concerned. I also missed the chill for at least 30 minutes thing, but they came out okay anyhow.

This is the first time I've actually made crepes so they weren't quite as nice and thin as I remember crepes being. You need to be able to work fast so you can pour the batter and swirl it thinly around the pan. I gave this recipe 4 out of 5 halos because of that. I also think I had the pan a bit too hot so be careful of that. It helps to turn the pan on so it heats up for when you cook these bad boys. So, off to the recipe....

From the Eating Well Test Kitchen

Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 40 minutes (including resting time)
To make ahead: Crepes will keep, between sheets of wax paper, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Ease of preparation: moderate

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar (for dessert crepes; optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup 1% milk
2 teaspoons butter, melted, or canola oil
1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda

Makes 16 crepes.
Per crepe: 49 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 41 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 53 mg sodium.

Step 1
Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar (if using), salt, eggs, milk and butter (or oil) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth, scraping the sides once or twice. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Step 2
Slowly whisk seltzer water (or club soda) into the crepe batter. Using a crumpled paper towel, lightly oil an 8-inch nonstick skillet; heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Using a small ladle or measuring cup, ladle about 2 tablespoons batter into the skillet; immediately tilt and rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly over the bottom.

Step 3
Cook the crepe until the underside is lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Using a small metal spatula or a fork, lift the edge of the crepe, quickly grasp it with your fingers and flip. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 20 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a plate.

Step 4
If serving immediately, fill and roll or fold the crepe. Continue to cook crepes with the remaining batter, oiling the pan as needed and staking crepes and you go.

Variations
Buckwheat Crepes: Substitute buckwheat flour for the whole-wheat flour. Fill with sautéed apples or smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Cornmeal Crepes: Substitute cornmeal for the whole-wheat flour. Try with a spicy chili or with blueberries and cream cheese.

Quick Crepe Fillings
You can use any of these suggestions to fill hot crepes (roll up and serve immediately) or cold crepes (warm the filled crepes in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes).

Savory
• Diced ham and grated cheese
• Strips of smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese
• Cooked vegetables, such as broccoli or asparagus, and grated cheese
• Sautéed corn, onion and red pepper with grated Monterey Jack cheese

Scarborough Bread

with a hint of sage rosemary and thyme......

This would be Hawkie's newest bread creation which I promised to review.

The Vegan Queen has struck again! She is always on the prowl for new recipes to appease her desires and she has, yet again, suceeded. (Not that she ever does not suceed.)

Her newest bread is the closest home made bread to Wonder Bread that I've ever tasted. In regards to lightness and fluffiness I mean. This in no way tastes like Wonder Bread. It's much better than Wonderbread could ever hope to be. It has a fantastic texture to toast which leaves it (again) light and crunchy. There's just enough herbs to give it a hint of flavour without over powering it. Slap some butter on it and sit back and take the time to slowly chew your way through it and gather up all the tastes as you go.

The best part of this bread is the potentials the recipe holds. She's already made (I've heard) a fabulous garlic bread out of this. She made a garlic cheese and herb bread with some cheddar that I got to try (along with the original). Did I say fabulous yet? Fabulous! You can adjust the amount of herbs so you can have a stronger flavour if you'd like. Ahhh, the limits only of the imagination!

Do I have the rcipe?

No.

She won't give it up.

However, I spied on her and I know that it includes flour, water, herbs and yeast. Okay, that wasn't very helpful, but I tried. ;)~

I think the Michigander's should demand that she make them 4 loaves and take it up to them this weekend.

I give this 16 million halos because if I don't Hawkie will kill me. Besides, this bread totally deserves it. Also, I do not have access to the code for the pic. Sorry.

Food Review - Whotsits

My sweetheart, knowing the pain and agony I was going through with my craving for Cheetos was a sweetheart (hence the name) and bought me some Whotsits, which are apparently the UK equivalent.

Having tried a small bag last night, while watching 'Cheers' on TV, I decided that this would a good review.

Whotsits Vs. Cheetos:

Whotsits	Cheetos
Texture: puffy only	puffy and crunch
Taste: cheesy, with a slight tang	Ultra Cheesey, Comes in super hot flavour also
Fingerlicking: Little to no dust on fingers	Dust everywhere, nails orange. Does not work well when wearing black trousers
Result: Satisfying but leads to want of crunchy version	Always the cheesiest. Dusty fingers is a problem, but for kids, that's half the fun of eating cheetos
Winner: push

And there you have it. The Whotsits v. Cheetos competition you've all been waiting for.

And now I'm off to find something interesting and non-freakish to review.