Blissful Breakfast-Creamy Cheese & Berry Crepes

The definition of blissful according to the Websters Dictionary is: full of, marked by, or causing bliss. Now, to me homemade crepes are always blissful! However, my morning making them may only meet MY definition of blissful. I mean most wouldn't consider it blissful to wake up to two little munchkins jumping into bed with you at 6am! But that is typically how Saturdays start for us at the Craines. I really don’t mind it; I mean I love snuggling with my kids even at 6am on a Saturday. It is funny how things change. When Rick and I were first married we lived in the mountains just outside the El Dorado National forest in a tiny, super tiny, cabin. On a typical Saturday morning we would roll out of bed at 8am, let our two pooches out the door and then roll right back into bed until brunch hour, about 10am. I would then get up, make espresso and create a delicious, time consuming, breakfast for the two of us. We loved sitting out on our deck that overlooked the hundreds of huge pines and listening to nature. It was quite, serene and beautiful and I believe most people would have found it truly blissful.

I have always loved Saturdays. Maybe because when I was a child my brother and I would look forward to Saturdays most of all! For years I thought that we must be the best kids ever, because my parents would allow us to watch our favorite TV shows every Saturday morning. I now know that this was just a way for my parents to get just a little more sleep... Genius! We thought we were amazingly lucky and they got to sleep, good for everybody! So now when our children hop into bed with us at 6am, we snuggle with them for a few minutes and then inevitably one of them will ask “can we watch a show”? And our answer is always… “I don’t know, well maybe just one”, off they rush to the living room to curl up on the big leather sofa and indulge in 30 minutes of Handy Manny or My Little Pony. This system creates blissfulness all around!

So, this morning after the kids rushed out Rick fell effortlessly back to sleep, while I just laid and enjoyed the silence. I started to think about breakfast and what indulgent dish I could make but without sinful calories. Crepes immediately popped into my mind! Now being both a French trained chef and a self-proclaimed lover of all things French I LOVE traditional buttery crepes just simply folded and topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but that is not something I typically eat for breakfast. So my mind began to pull together a quick crepe recipe that would both satisfy my craving for indulgence and fit my love of healthy eating. These turned out delicious, we all loved them! While we weren't eating our breakfast at noon staring off into the beautiful forest, watching my kiddos dive into the delicious, healthy breakfast concoction I created was truly blissful! So whether you are half of an adventurous fun loving couple, a single foodie or a member of a wonderful family full of kids I hope this crepe breakfast is blissful for you!

I used whole wheat flour instead of the traditional AP flour and I used ground flax instead of butter. Ground flax can be used in most baked or bread type recipes to replace butter or oil. Flax is high in omega 3s and fiber and adds somewhat of a nutty flavor. I put flax in my oatmeal, my kid’s pancakes and my homemade pre/post workout protein bars. Enjoy!

The Crepes: This made 14-8” paper thin crepes, 41 calories per crepe

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp ground flax

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1) Put it all in the blender or food processer and blend on high until smooth.

2) Place crepe batter in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3) I use an 8” non stick skillet to make my crepes. Get it hot on med-high heat.

4) You will need to use something to keep the crepes from sticking. I melt 1 tbsp of butter in a small bowl and used a basting brush to lightly coat the pan about every 4-5 crepes. A little goes a long way. You could use a misto with a neutral oil (grape seed or coconut oil). You could also use nonstick spray, but the rule for my kitchen is I never cook with or eat anything that comes from a spray can…

5) Add a 1/4 cup of batter to a hot skillet and swirl around the pan to cover as much of the bottom of the skillet as possible. As the edges cook, use a spatula to lift the edges of the crepe. After about 1 minute, flip the crepe over and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a warm plate and start over until the batter is done. I keep mine on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven until I am ready to assemble them.

The Cheese Filling:

This made enough to fill each of the 14 crepes with about 2 tablespoons of filling, 29 calories per table spoon

½ cup low fat cream cheese (softened)

½ cup low fat cottage cheese

½ teaspoon cinnamon + more to taste

½ tbsp honey + more to taste

Zest of 1 small lemon

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1) Place softened cream cheese in mixer or use hand mixer, mix on med for about 1 min until creamy.

2) Add cinnamon, honey, and lemon zest. Mix until fully incorporated and creamy.

3) Fold in cottage cheese until fully incorporated.

4) Add squeeze of lemon juice and adjust honey and cinnamon to desired taste.

The Berry Sauce: Approximately 9 calories per tablespoon

1 cup frozen berries (I like mixes berries strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)

Fresh lemon juice to taste

Honey to taste (you can adjust to your desired sweetness)

1) Place frozen berries in a saucepan heat them in low- med heat until defrosted and warmed through. You may need to add a few table spoons of water if they seem to dry as they heat up.

2) Add honey and lemon juice to taste

The Assembly:

1) Take one crepe add 2 tablespoons of the filling to the center; fold the crepe in half, then in half again.

2) Dust with powdered sugar and top with 1 tablespoon of berry sauce. Add some fresh berries to the top if you have them on hand! Enjoy!