Featured Recipe
Buckwheat Crepes with Asparagus
By Kate
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Gluten-free buckwheat crepes. Slightly adjusted ingredient quantities with oat milk replacing water and goat cheese swapped in for cheddar. Asparagus steamed briefly then sautéed with mushrooms in olive oil instead of butter. Egg cooking time varied. Layers of folded crepes filled with vegetables, cheese, and runny eggs. Savory, textured, rustic meal. No nuts, lactose-free, vegetarian.
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Prep:
12 min
Cook:
27 min
Total:
39 min
Serves:
4 servings
gluten-free
vegetarian
French cuisine
healthy
asparagus
Introduction
Vegetarian, gluten-free fare. Buckwheat flour forms the base, lending earthiness. Water swapped for creamy oat milk. Maple syrup sneaks sweetness. Goat cheese instead of cheddar. Tangy. Mushrooms and asparagus, cooked separately. Asparagus steamed just right. Mushrooms caramelized, browned. Eggs cooked sunny-side up; yolks runny. Olive oil replaces butter. Crepes made thin, quick swirl. Rested batter ensures texture. Fold crepes like pockets; do or don’t. Fold edges or leave flat. Cheese melts atop vegetables; soft, crumbled. Timing tweaked slightly; eggs cook longer. Warm plates ready to receive. Rustic. Simple. Satisfying. Bright green asparagus. Earth tones from mushrooms. Eggs glossy, shiny. A meal without fuss or nuts or lactose. Just vegetables, eggs, crepes.
Ingredients
Buckwheat Crepes
- 80 g (2/3 cup) buckwheat flour
- 5 ml (1 tsp) maple syrup
- 1.5 ml (1/3 tsp) salt
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) oat milk
- 1 egg
- Olive oil for cooking
- 35 ml (2 1/3 tbsp) water
- 200 g (7 oz) green asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally
- 200 g (7 oz) white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 30 g (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 60 g (2/3 cup) crumbled goat cheese
- 4 eggs
Filling
About the ingredients
Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free but grainy, so batter needs time to settle. Oat milk adds subtle creaminess without dairy. Maple syrup replaces sugar, adds light flavour complexity. Salt balances sweetness. Olive oil used instead of butter offers smokier aroma and avoids lactose. Asparagus cut diagonally cooks faster, looks nicer. Mushrooms should be fresh, cleaned, sliced thin for quick cook and even browning. Crumbled goat cheese soft, tangy, melts differently than cheddar. Eggs cooked low and slow to keep yolks runny, whites fully set. Water for steaming ensures gentle cook of asparagus. Small quantity keeps veggies crisp and fresh.
Method
Filling Vegetables
- 1. Bring water to boil in large non-stick pan. Add salt. Toss in asparagus. Steam 2 minutes or until just tender but still crisp. Remove asparagus. Set aside.
- 2. Using same pan on high heat, heat 20 ml olive oil. Add mushrooms. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix mushrooms and asparagus. Keep warm.
- 3. In bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, maple syrup, salt. Slowly pour in oat milk and egg. Whisk until smooth, no lumps. Rest batter 25 minutes at room temp.
- 4. Heat 26 cm (10 1/2 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with olive oil. Pour 125 ml (1/2 cup) batter in center, swirling pan to spread thin. Bubbles appear. Edge lifts easily. Flip crepe. Cook other side 25 seconds more. Remove. Keep warm in oven at 90°C (195°F). Repeat with remaining batter.
- 5. In clean skillet over medium-low heat, heat remaining 10 ml olive oil. Crack eggs gently. Cook sunny-side for 3—4 minutes, whites set but yolks runny. Salt and pepper eggs.
- 6. Place crepe on plate. Spoon vegetable mixture over center. Sprinkle goat cheese. Top with one egg. Fold crepe edges inward if desired. Garnish with extra cheese.
- 7. Serve immediately, while warm. Repeat for each serving.
Buckwheat Crepes
Eggs and Assembly
Technique Tips
Asparagus steamed briefly, removes bitterness, retains crunch, short precise timing. Mushroom pan-frying requires high heat to brown—don’t crowd pan or they steam. Batter whisked and rested to hydrate flour, avoid graininess, get tender crepes. Heat pan well; olive oil prevents sticking without heavy butter flavor. Cook crepes quickly, flip when edges lift and bubbles appear. Oven warming keeps crepes supple. Eggs cracked gently to avoid breaking yolks, cooked on low for runny center. Assembly involves layering veggies, cheese, and egg neatly on crepe. Folding edges optional but neat. Serve immediately for best texture and temperature.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Rest the batter 25 minutes. Hydrates flour. Avoids graininess. Thin crepes easier to flip. Heat pan right. Olive oil prevents sticking. Medium-high heat crucial.
- 💡 Steam asparagus briefly, two minutes max. Retains crunch. Too long brings bitterness. Use high heat for mushrooms. Brown them well. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- 💡 Whisk crepe batter until smooth. Lumps ruin texture. Pour half cup into pan center. Swirl to spread thin. Watch for bubbles. Flip when edges lift.
- 💡 Eggs cooked sunny-side. Lower heat keeps yolks runny. Gently crack. Whites must set. Use a clean skillet, easy on the oil. Add salt, pepper.
- 💡 Layer veggies on crepes. Sprinkle goat cheese over. Fold edges inward if preferred. Eggs go on top. Garnish with extra cheese. Serve while warm.
Kitchen Wisdom
How to ensure crepes don’t fall apart?
Rest batter long enough. Use enough oil in the pan. Flip at right time. Bubbles rise, edges lift.
Alternatives for goat cheese?
Feta works well. Ricotta too. Soft cheeses melt nicely. Or skip cheese for dairy-free. Add more veggies instead.
How to keep crepes warm?
Oven set at very low temp. Stack crepes on a plate. Cover with foil. Prevent drying out. Simple solution.
Can I store leftovers?
Store crepes in parchment. Keep in fridge. Reheat gently on skillet. Add fillings fresh. Keep flavors intact. No sogginess.
