Crepes are part of many cuisines, from French crepes suzette to Chinese mu shu pork to cheese blintzes. In all these dishes, luscious fillings are encased in a thin egg-batter pancake.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
|
|
Have a thought?
Go to the Forums or Chat.
|
|
|
|
In the mid-1970s, when I was a child, chains of crepe restaurants were the rage, and my family enjoyed preparing crepes at home with a special electric crepe maker. The novelty eventually wore off, and the gadget was buried in my parents' kitchen cabinet for years.
Recently, crepes have become available in the produce section of some local supermarkets, and this week's recipe uses them to create a dish that's perfect for all your spring entertaining - from a garden club luncheon to a graduation day celebratory meal.
These chicken divan crepes are so simple to prepare that you'll be able to serve them during your busiest spring. The filling begins with small broccoli florets, which you can cut from one head of broccoli or substitute a package of frozen chopped broccoli or fresh broccoli florets.
The broccoli is steamed in the microwave while you dice some cooked chicken breast meat. Store-roasted rotisserie chicken is perfect in the recipe. The chicken and broccoli are set aside, while the ubiquitous chicken casserole duo - Healthy Request cream of chicken soup and reduced-fat sour cream - are combined with a tablespoon of lemon juice and some chopped green onion.
The lemon juice and onion add a nice punch to the dish, along with a grinding of black pepper. Half of this creamy mixture is set aside, then the broccoli and chicken are folded into the remaining mixture.
The crepes I found locally come in packages of 10, and are easiest to work with if they are warmed slightly in the microwave before filling. After the crepes are filled, rolled and packed into a baking dish, the remaining sour cream mixture is spread over the top and the dish is baked until hot.
If you can't find crepes at your favorite supermarket, talk to the produce manager, who might be able to stock them. Otherwise, the creamy chicken and broccoli mixture makes a nice casserole topped with crushed buttery cracker crumbs.
The crepes are very delicate, so this is a dish best baked and served immediately after preparation. However, the filling can be prepared ahead and frozen.
Vary the filling ingredients for other versions. Chopped smoked ham and asparagus would be a great choice, and chicken Florentine crepes can be made by substituting spinach for the broccoli and adding a teaspoon of curry powder to the filling.
CHICKEN DIVAN CREPES
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
or 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, defrosted and drained
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 10.75-ounce can Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup chopped green onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 4.5-ounce package prepared crepes (10 crepes)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the broccoli in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes until tender. Drain well. Combine broccoli and chicken in a large bowl and set aside. Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, lemon juice, green onion and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add half of the soup mixture to the broccoli and chicken. Divide the chicken filling among the 10 crepes, roll up and place in a glass baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread with the remaining soup mixture and bake until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 10 crepes.
Nutrition information per serving: 156 calories, 7 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 50 milligrams cholesterol, 15 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 159 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber
Nutrition analysis provided by Michelle Baglio, a licensed and registered dietitian of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. Send questions via e-mail to augustadietitian@yahoo.com.
COMING APRIL 21: Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus – uses spring’s in-season asparagus as an elegant side dish. (The first of two recipes that are wrapped in prosciutto.)
See Karin prepare the recipe at noon Tuesday on WJBF-TV (Channel 6).
Write to Karin Calloway in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.calloway@comcast.net.
