Mommy's Crepes

When my mom was in high school, she had a chance to go to France with the Girl Scouts (pretty cool, huh?). She took a train from California to the East Coast, and then they took a boat across the Atlantic. On the boat, they even learned how to drink wine, so that they would be ready to live with their French host families!

big stack of crepes

Years later, when I was a little girl and life called for a special breakfast, she would make us crepes. A lot of folks grew up eating pancakes, but I didn't really know anything about pancakes until I was a grown-up. We were a crepes - french toast - and waffles family. But crepes were extra special. 

I don't even remember learning how to make crepes, it was something I started doing when I was so little.  But I do remember my mom's simple recipe: 1 c flour, 1 c milk, 1 egg. Whisk it together and go. So easy, but not vegan. It is a true testimony to my love for animals that I was willing to go vegan thinking that I would never eat crepes again.  

When Isa's first book "Vegan With a Vengeance" came out, and I saw a savory crepe recipe in there - I went right to work breakfastizing it! (*I'll put my recipe below) When my crepes were successful, I was literally (and I mean that literally) running around the house holding crepes up in the air with joy and victory. I was so excited to be reunited with my childhood favorite!

The way we usually ate crepes was with some lemon juice and sprinkled on powdered sugar. And sometimes also with homemade apricot jam. We had a lemon tree, and an apricot tree, so those things were even more homey. My mom would send my brother or me out into the back yard to pick a lemon.

We had a cool metal thing that you tapped and the powdered sugar came out. A few years back, my mom gave it to me and I love it so much.

 After dressing up our crepe with our chosen yum-enhancers, we would roll it up and dig in.

I think we were encouraged to use our forks, but I always remember Jeremy and I being too impatient for that, picking them up like a burrito and eating them in rolls!

this morning's breakfast glory

So, this morning as part of our 1st wedding anniversary weekend (it was officially yesterday), I made a nice big breakfast of watermelon, tofurkey sausages, and Mommy's Crepes. A breakfast full of love!

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Easy Vegan Crepes

(adapted from Vegan With a Vengeance)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups chickpea flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp canola oil
2 -2 1/4 cups almond milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you're into)
*spray oil for cooking

Prepare a griddle over medium-high heat and turn your oven to the lowest possible temperature.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, chickpea flour, and salt. Add the oil and almond milk and whisk until blended.

By now, your griddle should be hot. Spray it with some oil, and use either a 1/3 or a 1/4 cup scooper to pour on some batter. Quickly, grab the handle and tilt the pan every which way to spread your crepe batter into a good sized crepe. If you batter doesn't spread easily, you need to add more water or almond milk to your batter.

The crepe is ready to flip when the entire top surface has become firm, the edges have started to lift, and a quick peek underneath reveals some golden spots.

Once your crepe is ready, pop it in the oven, and turn the oven off. (This is just to keep them all warm. Also, if you want to be fancy, you can put your plates in the oven too). Pile up all your crepes, and when you're done - go forth and nom!

p.s. If you are scared of crepes, please be brave and conquer your fears! If baby me could do it, I'm sure you can too. Many years ago, I even made a little "how to make crepes video" - check it out!