Recipe(tried): Tex Mex Chicken Crepes

Tex Mex Chicken Crepes

These crepes are a cross between French crepes and tortillas, but they are much easier to prepare than tortillas. They also taste great spread with jam and cream cheese. Serves 8.

CREPES:

4 eggs
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 cups beer
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

FILLING AND TOPPING:

8 oz. medium Cheddar cheese, cold
8 oz. Farmer's or Brick cheese, cold
Handfull fresh cilantro or fresh parsley
1 cup black pitted olives, well-drained
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chili peppers ( medium hot)
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (or turkey or ham)

SAUCE:

2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 (28-oz) cans tomatoes (not plum tomatoes), partially drained
1/4 tsp. hot, red pepper flakes
1 tsp. chili powder

Fit work bowl with metal blade. Add eggs, cornmeal, flour, salt and sugar and blend until smooth. Scrape down sides of work bowl if necessary.

Add beer and blend well.

Add melted butter and process until blended. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room for 1 hour (or longer in the refrigerator). Prepare filling and sauce while crepe batter is resting. After resting, make sure you stir batter well before using.

Fit clean work bowl with shredding disc. Cut cheese to fit large or small feed tube and grate Cheddar and Farmer's Cheese. Remove from work bowl, mix cheeses together and reserve 2 cups for the topping and the remaining for the filling.

Refit work bowl with metal blade. Add cilantro or parsley and chop with 5 or 6 on/off pulses. Combine with cheese for the filling.

Add olives to work bowl. Chop with 3 or 4 on/off pulses. Add to cheese mixture for the filling.

Add green chilies and shredded chicken to cheese mixture.

TO PREPARE SAUCE, wipe work bowl dry and fit with metal blade. Drop garlic through feed tube and process until chopped. Add onions and process with 5 or 6 on/off pulses until coarsely chopped. Remove and reserve.

Cut peppers in half and remove ribs and seeds. Cut into 2-inch cubes. Add to work bowl and chop with 3 or 4 on/off pulses until coarsely chopped. Reserve.

Heat oil in a saucepan and add onion mixture. Cook, without browning, until tender and fragrant. Add peppers and cook a few minutes longer.

Add tomatoes to work bowl and process just until chopped. Add to saucepan. Add red pepper flakes and chili powder. Cook 30 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir 1/2 cup sauce into FILLING mixture.

TO PREPARE CREPES, heat 1 tbsp. butter in a 8-inch or omelet pan. Add 1/4 cup batter and cook until browned. Turn and cook on second side. This is a test crepe. If crepe sticks, rub sticking spot with oil and salt.

When pan is ready, pour 1/4 cup batter into pan and swirl to cover the bottom. Pour any excess batter back into batter bowl. Cook until crepe is browned on bottom. Flip and cook second side for 30 seconds (second side never browns as well).

Repeat until all batter is used. Stack crepes as they are cooked. You should have at least 16 crepes.

To assemble, divide filling among crepes and fill the less attractive side. Roll up. Place crepes into a large buttered baking dish in 1 layer. Pour tomato sauce over the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with reserved 2 cups cheese.

Before serving preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.

Bonnie Stern's Cuisinart Cookbook