Cinnamon rolls

I got this recipe from my friend Valérie and I will forever be grateful that she shared it with me because these rolls are out-of-this-world... They are a million times better than the super sweet and greasy cinnamon rolls you can buy at the mall.

They are not hard to make (especially if you have a stand mixer doing all the kneading!), but give yourself plenty of time since the dough needs to rise twice. And don't forget a little icing on top!

Makes 14 rolls.

Dough:

• 1 ¼ cup milk = 300 ml de lait
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast = 2 cuillères à café de levure de boulanger déshydratée
• 6 tablespoons sugar = 6 cuillères à soupe de sucre
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened = 85 g de beurre, ramolli
• 1 teaspoon salt = 1 cuillère à café de sel
• 1 large egg beaten = un oeuf, battu
• 3 ½ cup flour = 425 g de farine

Filling:

• 5 tablespoons sugar = 5 cuillères à soupe de sucre
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon = 1 cuillère à soupe de canelle en poudre

Icing:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened = 30 g de beurre, ramolli
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese = 30 g de cream cheese ou équivalent
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• ¾ cup confectioners sugar = 100 g de sucre glace
• 2 tablespoons milk = 2 cuillères à soupe de lait

Warm milk to about 100-110°F, add yeast. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

Cream together sugar, salt and butter. Add egg and mix until blended. Gradually add flour and milk/yeast mixture. Mix with the dough hook until a soft dough forms. Knead for 10 more minutes (or 12-15 minutes by hand). You may have to add a little flour or milk. Lightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough. Let rise, covered, for about 2 hours or until doubled.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 14 inches by 12 inches and 2/3 inch thick. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle all over the dough. Starting with the longest side, roll the dough into a log and cut 14 1-inch slices. Place in a large greased baking pan (or two small ones), cover and let rise again for one and a half hour.

Bake at 350F/180C for 22-25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

To make the icing: cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners sugar and milk and continue mixing until smooth. Spread on cooled rolls. Enjoy!

Chow Yow Gai

This is a tasty Chinese dish that is a cinch to make at home. You just boil a whole chicken, then shred it into pieces, top with green onions and toss together with sesame and peanut oils and soy sauce. I adapted the original recipe and made it a bit healthier by cutting down on salt and oil. I also recommend buying an organic chicken if your budget allows. Serve with brown rice and steamed snow peas. Yummy!

Makes 4 servings

• 1 organic chicken (about 3-3.5 lb) = un poulet (bio) d'environ 1.5 kg
• 1 bunch green onions = une botte d'oignons verts
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce = 2 cuillères à soupe de sauce soja (si possible allégée en sodium)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile de sésame
• 1 teaspoon salt = 1 cuillère à café de sel
• 1/3 cup peanut oil = 80 ml d'huile d'arachide
• 1 clove garlic, smashed = 1 gousse d'ail, écrasée

Fill a large pot with water (about two-thirds full) and bring to a boil. Put the whole chicken into the pot, being careful not to splash hot water on yourself. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low. After about 45 minutes to one hour, the chicken is done. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

Debone the chicken and tear the meat into small strips. Place them on a large platter. Pour the soy sauce, the sesame oil and the salt over the chicken. Clean the green onions, cut them up into 1/2-inch pieces and place over the chicken.

Put the peanut oil and the garlic in a small pan. Heat to smoking point. Remove the garlic and pour the hot peanut oil over the chicken. Toss like salad and serve. Enjoy!

Ratatouille Lentil Stew

Yesterday, after a week-end filled with sugar, I wanted to eat something healthy. But it was cold and rainy so I also felt like something warm and comforting. This stew hit the spot.

The traditional ratatouille veggies and herbs remind me of my summers in the south of France and make me happy. The lentils, which are a great source of protein and fiber, keep me full for hours.

This is truly a perfect vegetarian/vegan main dish. Total comfort food with no guilt attached!

Makes 4 servings (based on a recipe from Slim & Scrumptious by Joy Bauer)

• 1 small eggplant, cubed = 1 aubergine, coupée en petits dés
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces = 1 poivron rouge, coupé en morceaux
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces = 1 poivron jaune, coupé en morceaux
• 2 zucchinis, cubed = 2 courgettes, coupées en petits dés
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano = 2 cuillères à café d'origan
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme = 2 cuillères à café de thym
• 1 medium onion, diced = 1 oignon, émincé
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced = 2 carottes, épluchées et coupées en rondelles
• 2 celery ribs, diced = 2 branches de céleri, coupées en morceaux
• 3 cloves garlic, minced = 3 gousses d'ail
• 1/4 cup tomato paste = 4 cuillères à soupe de concentré de tomates
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed = 200 g de lentilles, rincées
• 4 cups vegetable broth = 1 l de bouillon de légumes
• 1 cup water = 235 ml d'eau
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt = ½ cuillère à café de sel
• Juice of ½ lemon = jus d'un demi citron
• Olive oil = huile d'olive

Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

Spread the eggplant, bell peppers and zucchini on one or two large baking sheets. Spray the vegetables with olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano and thyme evenly. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, coat a large pot with olive oil, and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the lentils, vegetable broth, water and salt. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Add the roasted vegetables to the pot and stir thoroughly to combine. Simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Enjoy!

Birthday cake & cupcakes... and frosting too!

My “baby” just turned four. We celebrated with a dinosaur cake and chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.

Now let's see which cake (ingredients) you would rather eat (put in your body).

Starting with boxed cake and canned frosting.

Betty Crocker's SuperMoist Vanilla Cake: Sugar, Enriched Flour Bleached (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil*, Modified Corn Starch, Propylene Glycol, Monoesters of Fatty Acids, Corn Starch, Baking Soda, Salt, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Dextrose, Monocalcium Phosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Dicalcium Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Datem, Monoglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Aluminum Sulfate, Nonfat Milk.

Betty Crocker's Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting: Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean & Cottonseed Oil*, Water, High Maltose Corn Syrup, Wheat Starch, Contains 1 Percent Or Less Of: Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides, Artificial Color Yellows 5&6, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Acid, Pyrophosphate, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid, Nonfat Milk, Potassium Sorbate.

*If you don't know, partially hydrogenated oil = trans fat, one of the very worst “foods” you can ingest!

A cake from a bakery should be better, right?

Wegman's Ultimate White Cake: Sugar, Butter, Water, Enriched Bleached Flour (Bleached Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Egg Whites, Soybean Oil. Contains 2% or less of the following: Whole Milk, Palm Oil, Cornstarch, Emulsifiers (Propylene Glycol Mono and Diesters of Fatty Acids, Sorbitan Monostearate, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Dextrose, Modified Tapioca Starch, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Calcium Acetate, Soy Flour, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Soy Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavor.

Still a lot of additives that sound like they should only belong in a chemistry lab!

Now, homemade from scratch.

Vanilla cake: unbleached flour, sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract and eggs.

Vanilla frosting: confectioners' sugar, butter, salt, vanilla extract and milk.

I rest my case.

I can see why you would go with the box option though: it's convenient and it's easy. Well, guess what? Making a cake from scratch is equally convenient (you already have most, if not all, the required ingredients in your pantry and fridge) and easy ( my 4-year old can measure and mix – with a little help!). So please give it a try! Especially if you're baking  for and with your kids! You will all be so proud you did it!

Here are my family's favorite cake and frosting recipes.

Mix and match! Decorate! Most importantly, have fun with it!

Chocolate Cake / Cupcakes

• 2 ½ cups unbleached cake flour = 280 g de farine à gâteau (ou 250 g de farine normale)
• 1 2/3 cups sugar = 320 g de sucre
• 3/4 cup butter, softened = 170 g de beurre
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa = 75 g de cacao (style Van Houten)
• 1 cup water = 235 ml d'eau
• ¼ cup milk = 60 ml de lait
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda = 1 ¼ cuillère à café de bicarbonate de soude (en pharmacie)
• 1 teaspoon salt = 1 cuillère à café de sel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder = une pincée de levure chimique
• 3 large eggs = 3 oeufs

Heat oven to 350°F / 180°C .

Beat sugar and softened butter together. Add eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix flour, baking cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Add flour mixture, water and milk to sugar/butter mixture and beat well, until smooth.

For 24 cupcakes: place cupcake liners in the cupcake pan. Fill each with cake batter (about 2/3 full). Bake about 20 to 22 minutes.

For one 13”x9” (33x23 cm) rectangular pan: grease pan and pour batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

For two 9” (23 cm) or 8” (20 cm) round pans: grease pans and pour batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

For all: remove from pan and let cool completely (about 1 hour) before frosting.

Vanilla Cake / Cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour = 225 g de farine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar = 285 g de sucre
• 1/2 cup butter, softened = 115 g de beurre, ramolli
• 1 1/4 cups milk = 300 ml de lait
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder = 3 1/2 cuillères à café  (13 g) de levure (chimique)
• 1 teaspoon salt = 1 cuillère à café de sel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract = 2 cuillères à café d'extrait de vanille
• 3 large eggs = 3 oeufs

Pre-heat oven to 350°F / 180°C .

Beat sugar and softened butter together. Add eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Add flour mixture and milk to sugar/butter mixture and beat well, until smooth.

For 24 cupcakes: place cupcake liners in the cupcake pan. Fill each with cake batter (about 2/3 full). Bake for about 20 minutes.

For one 13”x9” (33x23 cm) rectangular pan: grease pan and pour batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

For two 9” (23 cm) or 8” (20 cm) round pans: grease pans and pour batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

For all: remove from pan and let cool completely (about 1 hour) before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting (makes about 4 cups)

• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened natural cocoa = 200 g de cacao en poudre (type Van Houten)
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided = 450 g de sucre glace
• 1 cup heavy cream = 235 ml de crème fleurette
• 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft = 230 g de beurre
• 1/8 teaspoon salt = une pincée de sel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract = 2 cuillères à café d'extrait de vanille

Mix cocoa and 1 ½ cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl.

Bring cream to a simmer on the stove and whisk into cocoa/sugar mixture. Whisk for a minute. The lumps will disappear as the sugar dissolves and the cocoa hydrates. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place butter, salt, and remaining 2 cups confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add cocoa mixture until it's all incorporated. Scrape the bowl, then beat at medium speed for one more minute. Spread or pipe on cake or cupcakes.

Note: this frosting is insanely scrumptious but quite rich! If you want something light and fluffy, try this chocolate buttercream frosting instead.

Vanilla Frosting (makes about 2 ¾ cups)

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter = 140 g de beurre
• 1/8 teaspoon salt = une pincée de sel
• 4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar = 525 g à 650 g de sucre glace
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract = 2 cuillères à café d'extrait de vanille
• 1/4 cup milk = 60 ml de lait

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and salt until fluffy.

Add about half the confectioners' sugar, and beat slowly until well blended.

Add the vanilla and half the milk, and beat until fluffy. Continue mixing in sugar and milk alternately until they've been completely incorporated. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Spread or pipe on cake or cupcakes.

Note: adjust the amount of confectioners sugar depending on how sweet and thick you want the frosting to be.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes about 2 ¾ cups)

• ½ lb. cream cheese, softened = 225 g de cream cheese (Philadelphia ou équivalent)
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened = 115 g de beurre
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract = ½ cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• 4 cups confectioners sugar = 525 g de sucre glace
• 1 or 2 tablespoons milk (optional) = 1 ou 2 cuillères à soupe de lait (facultatif)

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until fluffy.

Gradually add sugar and mix slowly until completely incorporated.

If you need a thinner, spreadable consistency, add one or two tablespoons of milk.

Note: We like the tang of this frosting on sweet chocolate cupcakes but it also works very well with spiced pumpkin cake or cinnamon rolls. Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.

Happy Birthday!

Tomato Soup

Of course, you could just open a can of Campbell's tomato soup. I just find it too sweet. For the taste of real tomatoes, this soup is it! It is loaded with lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.

I have to warn you, though, this soup is quite acidic: if you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to add a pinch of baking soda to the soup as it has almost finished cooking. Also, feel free to use fresh tomatoes as they are less acidic than canned. In the winter months, when tomatoes are not in season, I keep the canned variety in my pantry so that's what I usually use.

Serve this soup with a grilled cheese panini and you have a perfect winter lunch!

Makes 4 servings (based on a recipe from The Best Soups in the World by Clifford Wright)

• 2 tablespoons butter = 30 g de beurre
• 1 small onion, chopped = 1 oignon, émincé
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour = 1 cuillère à soupe de farine
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (undrained) = 2 boites (de 400 g) de tomates coupées en dés (non-égouttés)
• 2 cups vegetable broth = 475 ml de bouillon de légumes
• 1 or 2 teaspoons sugar = 1 ou 2 cuillères à café de sucre
• 1 teaspoon salt = 1 cuillère à café de sel
• ¼ teaspoon pepper = une pincée de poivre
• 3 or 4 tablespoons heavy cream = 3 ou 4 cuillères à soupe de crème fleurette

In pot, melt butter and add onion. Cook 7-8 minutes. Stir in flour, add tomatoes, broth, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for 25 minutes. Using immersion blender, mix until smooth. Stir in cream. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Note: if you like smooth and creamed soups, an immersion blender is your best friend. Of course, a regular blender will do the work too, but you'll need to transfer and mix the hot soup in two batches. And the immersion blender is great for smoothies too. And it takes way less space than a regular one. And it's much easier to clean. Have I convinced you yet?

Stuffed Peppers

How about a simple, all-in-one meal? These peppers are stuffed with jasmine rice and ground turkey, but you could really use any rice (brown, basmati...) or meat (ground beef or lamb) you have. If you'd like a little kick, add a few drops of Tabasco sauce in the rice-meat mixture. And for a fun, colorful presentation, use a combination of green, red, orange and yellow bell peppers. Serve with mixed greens and a loaf of fresh bread. Yummy!

Makes 4 servings (based on a Cooking Light recipe)

• 4 or 5 large bell peppers = 4 ou 5 poivrons
• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 1/2 cup chopped onion = 1 oignon, émincé
• 2 garlic cloves, minced = 2 gousses d'ail, émincées
• 1/2 cup uncooked jasmine rice = 100 g de riz au jasmin (non-cuit)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth = 235 ml de bouillon de poule ou de légumes
• 1 ½ to 2 cups tomato sauce, divided = 350 à 450 ml de coulis de tomate
• 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided = 50 g de parmesan frais râpé
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper = sel et poivre
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten = 1 oeuf, battu
• 1 pound ground turkey breast = 450 g de dinde hachée

Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, discard seeds and membranes. Place on a foil-lined baking pan or sheet, cut sides up.

Heat a large skillet, coated with olive oil, over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan, sauté until onion is lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add rice, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine rice mixture + 1 cup (= 235 ml) tomato sauce + 1/4 cup (= 25 g) cheese + salt & pepper + egg + turkey in a large bowl, stir until blended. Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture into each pepper half and top with 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 400° for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup (25 g) cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Serve two halves per person. Enjoy!

Mocha Brownies

Coffee. Chocolate. Brownies. Need I say more?

There are a million brownies recipes, this is my favorite! Even if you don't like coffee (like my dear husband), you will love these (as he does). The coffee flavor is subtle but really brings out the intensity and richness of the chocolate.

Don't worry, the batter will be quite thick.

Spread it in the baking pan as evenly as you can.

Depending on your oven and how you like brownies (fudgy and gooey or a little on the dry side, more like cake), you will need to bake these anywhere from 22 to 28 minutes. Mine come out after 24 minutes and they are just perfect!

Makes 16 squares in an 8-inch square pan

• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup butter = 60 g de beurre
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips = 50 g de pépites de chocolat
• 1/4 cup freshly brewed strong coffee = 60 ml de café fort
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café de vanilla
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten = 2 oeufs, légèrement battus
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour = 175 g de farine
• 1 1/4 cups sugar = 250 g de sucre
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa = 55 g de cacao (type Van Houten)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 cuillère à café de levure (chimique)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1/2 cuillère à café de sel

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. 

Coat bottom of a 8-inch square pan (= moule carré de 20 cm) with cooking spray.
 

Combine butter and chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high for 1 minute or until butter melts. Stir until chocolate is smooth.

Mix sugar and butter/chocolate mixture until combined.

Combine coffee, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl. Stir into previous mixture.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in another bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Add to main mixture and mix until all combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 350º for 24 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

 

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I eat some kind of green salad almost every day. It can be any lettuce, arugula or baby spinach. It's an easy way to eat greens and there's no cooking involved so it's a perfect, quick side dish. I always make my own salad dressing, usually a simple French vinaigrette.

Now, I have to admit that I have really been into pomegranate lately. What's not to love? It's a super food, loaded with vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and antioxidants known as polyphenols. You will have to work a little to get the seeds and/or juice of the fruit. Or you can buy fresh pomegranate seeds (also known as arils) in the refrigerated section of the produce department at your local grocery store. Those ruby red seeds are so beautiful and tasty. I love them as a topping on Greek yogurt or in a cup of green tea and don't get me started on Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Seeds -- I am totally addicted!

As for pomegranate juice, I don't recommend drinking it by itself as it can be a little tart but it's fantastic in a smoothie.

I stumbled upon this vinaigrette recipe in the amazing Clean Food cookbook. The combination of ingredients seemed intriguing so I had to try it. I tweaked it a little and I must say it is my new favorite dressing. Keep it simple by serving it with plain mixed greens or make it special by adding dried cranberries, candied walnuts and crumbled blue cheese. Either way, it is yummy!

Makes 1 cup (based on a recipe from Clean Food by Terry Walters)

• 1 garlic clove, minced = 1 gousse d'ail, émincée
• 1 shallot, minced = 1 échalotte, émincée
• 1/3 cup Pomegranate juice (fresh or bottled) = 80 ml de jus de grenade (frais ou en bouteille, mais vérifier qu'il ne contient aucun sucre ajouté ou additif)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil = 100 ml d'huile d'olive
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar = 2 cuillères à soupe de vinaigre balsamique
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard = 2 cuillères à café de moutarde de Dijon
• 1 teaspoon honey = 1 cuillère à café de miel
• Sea salt = sel

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Season to taste. Pour. Enjoy!

Note: You can keep this vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two. The oil and vinegar will separate, it is normal as this vinaigrette contains no emulsifier or stabilizer (such as lecithin or xanthan gum, which you will find in most bottled salad dressings sold in grocery stores). Remove from the fridge and let it come back to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Shake well before using.

Crêpes

February 2 is Candlemas. If you're French, it's Chandeleur, best known as “Crêpe Day”!

I have wonderful childhood memories of my mom making crêpes, not only to celebrate Chandeleur, but throughout the year. Now, I enjoy making them for my son. His must be filled with Nutella, while I like mine with sugar and lemon juice. Fruit jam or apple sauce are good too. But please, keep it sweet! Savory fillings should only go into a buckwheat crêpe known as “galette”.

You do not need a special pan to make crêpes. A large frying pan (8 to 10") will do. However, it will be easier to flip the crêpes if the pan has short, sloped slides. If you are feeling brave, you can toss the crêpe in the air and (try and) catch it back in the pan. To me, it would be such a waste to end up with a crêpe on the floor, I take no risk and stick to the “flipping with a spatula” option. Because the batter doesn't contain much butter or oil, I recommend brushing the pan with melted butter between each crêpe so it doesn't stick.

Most recipes yield a crazy amount of crêpes. Not that too many crêpes is a bad thing but I personally think that a crêpe should be eaten right away and I don't like standing at the stove flipping crêpes for hours while everybody else is eating them!

Makes about 8 crêpes

• 2 eggs = 2 oeufs
• 1 cup milk = 235 ml de lait
• 1 cup all-purpose flour = 120 g de farine
• 1 tablespoon melted butter or canola oil = 15 g de beurre fondu ou 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile légère type Colza
• 1 tablespoon sugar = 1 cuillère à soupe de sucre
• 1/4 teaspoon salt = une pincée de sel

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Beat in the milk. Then, gradually add the flour and mix until very smooth. Add the melted butter, sugar, and salt and blend very well. It should be the consistency of very heavy cream. Add slightly more milk if necessary. Alternatively, to guarantee no lumps, you can do the mixing in a blender or food processor.

The batter can be used immediately but it is better if covered and chilled in the fridge for one hour or overnight.

Heat a pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Pour in about ¼ cup of batter. Quickly swirl the pan around so the batter spreads out thin. Cook over medium-high heat until the crêpe is set and the edges are lightly browned and lift up easily, about 2 minutes. Flip it, spread it with your favorite filling and cook for about another minute. Fold it in half, and then in half again, creating a triangle, or simply roll it up. Enjoy!