Beyond its fanciful presentation, one reason to love this impressive-looking recipe is that it’s surprisingly easy to make. Prepare the crepes, sauce, and filling a day or two in advance, and then simply assemble them just before serving for a special start to your day. For a quick snack, smear on some nut or seed butter and roll. For easier rolling, premade crepes should be rewarmed in a hot skillet or microwave.
Chocolate Cheesecake Crepes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) milk or unflavoured nondairy milk of choice
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (180 mL + 30 mL) oat flour
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) cacao powder
- 2 large organic eggs
- 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 2 cups (500 mL) frozen pitted cherries
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) almond extract
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (7 mL) cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey
- 2 tsp (10 mL) orange zest
- 6 Tbsp (90 mL) sliced almonds
- 6 Tbsp (90 mL) sliced fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories298
- protein17g
- fat11g
- saturated fat5g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates36g
- sugars12g
- fibre5g
- mg216
Directions
01
For crepes, in blender, place milk, 1/4 cup (60 mL) water, oat flour, cacao powder, eggs, cinnamon, and salt and blend until smooth. Alternatively, in large bowl, whisk together ingredients until no lumps are present. Batter should be thin.
Heat 8 to 10 in (20 to 25 cm) skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Be sure to grease pan with oil or butter if not completely nonstick. Pour 1/4 cup (60 mL) batter into pan and quickly lift skillet off the burner, then tilt and swirl pan so batter forms a large thin circle. Place pan back on heat and cook for 1 minute, or until edges begin to darken and curl. Loosen with thin spatula, flip, and cook the other side for 30 seconds.
Remove crepe from skillet and repeat with remaining batter. You should have at least 6 crepes. Cool crepes on metal racks.
In small saucepan, place cherries, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water, almond extract, and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and heat until cherries begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Whisk together cornstarch and 3 Tbsp (45 mL) water. Stir cornstarch slurry into cherries and heat for 1 minute, or until thickened.
Stir together ricotta cheese, honey, and orange zest.
To serve, dollop some ricotta cheese on bottom third of a crepe and roll. Spoon on cherry sauce and sprinkle on almonds and mint, if using.
Dairy-free ricotta copycat
If you’re going dairy free, you can whip up a nut-based ricotta copycat by blending together 3/4 cup (180 mL) water, 2 cups (500 mL) blanched almonds, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) nutritional yeast, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt until nearly smooth. Add a bit more water, a little at a time, if mixture is not blending smoothly.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Poached Sablefish and Bok Choy with Lemongrass, Ginger, and Chili
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
Salmon Tacos with Red Cabbage and Orange Slaw with Lime Yogurt
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
Mussels with Tomato, Saffron, and Fennel
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
Open-Faced Shrimp Sandwich with Celery, Radish, and Sunflower Shoots
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.