Recipe: Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Dill Sauce

ASPARAGUS CREPES WITH MUSHROOM DILL SAUCE

"Here's a vegan recipe I made last year that turned out pretty well. It's from a book called Vegetarian Celebrations by Nava Atlas, published by Little, Brown. It looks more complicated then it is."

24 Asparagus stalks
FOR THE CREPES:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup soymilk
1 tsp canola oil
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tsp soy margarine or other butter substitute
1 small onion quartered and thinly sliced
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup small, white mushrooms (I recommend using Oyster mushrooms or small Shitake mushrooms instead)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp unbleached flour
3/4 cup soy milk
2 tbsp fresh minced dill
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Make the crepes the way you normally would. You should get six of them.

For the sauce, heat the margarine in a small sauce pan and. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion starts to turn golden. Add mushrooms, cover, and cook until they are limp and juicy.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it disappears. Slowly pour in the soy milk while stirring. When the mixture simmers, add the dill and tarragon. Remove from heat and cover.

Steam asparagus. Be sure to clip off the thicker ends (the more delicate asparagus stalks you use, the better).

Place six asparagus stalks in the center of each crepe, letting the tips protrude from the center if necessary. Spoon a very small amount of the sauce over the asparagus. Fold one end of the crepe toward the center and then fold the other end over it.

Arrange the crepes, folded side down in an oiled, shallow baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the crepes. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Source: Ben Miller, 1998