2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons butter
Optional: a pinch of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, ½ cup grated hard white cheese
To prepare the spinach filling, gently wash the baby spinach, then place in a small pot (no added water!), and stir over high heat until wilted and tender (a minute or less). Stir in the butter and sprinkle with salt and nutmeg, if desired. Spoon the spinach mixture in a line down the middle of each crêpe, roll it up, and tuck the ends underneath like a wrap. Repeat with the rest of the crêpes. Pop the crêpes into a baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese (optional), broil for 2 to 4 minutes, and serve hot.
Note: To save time, you can use the spinach puree listed on page 239 as a filling.
Suggested dessert fillings
Now that you have enjoyed your dinner crêpes, it’s time for dessert! The classic filling for dessert crêpes is beurre-sucre: a teaspoon of butter and a sprinkling of sugar. Here are some classic French fillings:
Lemon-honey: A spoonful of honey, a squeeze of lemon juice.
Chocolate: Melt a square of dark chocolate over the crêpe surface.
Berries: Fresh blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Jam: Any kind will do, but we love blackberry jam the best.
Note: If you want to serve everyone at the same time, place crêpes on a plate in the oven to keep warm while you prepare the rest. Repeat until you have the desired number of crêpes (usually one per child or two per adult as a main dish, plus one per person for dessert).
Tip: For some reason known only to the gods of French cooking, the first crêpe is almost always a disaster. Set it aside, add a little butter if you need grease on your cooking surface, and just keep going!
Quick No-Pastry Quiche
Preparation: 5 to 7 minutes
Cooking: 30 to 40 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 small adult servings
Note: This recipe, designed for busy parents, deliberately leaves out the pastry; the result is just as tasty.
Easy and quick to make, quiche is a classic French recipe that pleases adults and children alike. Quiche is also one of the most versatile recipes in the French household, as it can be eaten hot or cold, for lunch or for dinner, and works well with any combination of vegetables that you can think of. French families often make it in advance, as it lasts well for a couple of days in the fridge (or even for a few hours in the cupboard—my mother-in-law tries to avoid refrigerating her quiche, arguing that it changes the texture). In a pinch, I find that quiche freezes fairly well, although most French people don’t do this.
The recipe presented here is the children’s version, which uses a higher proportion of milk and a smaller number of eggs than a quiche intended for adults. The resulting dish is fluffier, less dense, and less eggy, and so more likely to please young palates. For older children or adults, reduce the milk by half a cup, and add one more egg (or play with the ratio of eggs and milk until you find the texture that your family prefers).
Most French cooks have their personal twist on this dish. For a while, my favorite recipe was a ratatouille-style quiche, with eggplant and tomatoes. A quick survey of our extended family turned up as many recipes as there were cooks: zucchini, broccoli, carrots—almost any vegetable you can think of. Chopped or grated finely, most vegetables don’t even need to be cooked in advance.
8 large eggs
1½ cups milk (or ¾ cup milk and ¾ cup cream)
Salt and pepper, if desired
1 cup flour
Filling suggestions (These are some of our favorites, but feel free to make up your own.):
Quiche lorraine: 1 cup cubed or sliced ham and 1 cup grated cheese (Gruyère works best, but Cheddar will also do)
Quiche aux légumes: one small onion, finely diced, ½ cup thinly sliced greens (I use spinach or chard, but not kale, which is too chewy), ½ cup finely chopped red pepper
Quiche provençale: 1 cup ratatouille (this is a great way to use leftovers)
Optional: dried herbs such as parsley or oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs; add the milk (or milk and cream) and mix well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, if desired. Stirring constantly with a fork or whisk (to avoid lumps), add the flour a little at a time. Mix in the cheese, followed by the fillings you are using.
2. Pour the mixture into a greased 9- or 12-inch pie plate and bake for 30 minutes, or until the quiche puffs and starts to brown on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving (the quiche will settle, and you’ll be able to cut it more neatly).
Tip: Changing your quiche ingredients is also a great way to introduce new vegetables: the reassuringly familiar look of the dish may entice even the wariest of eaters.
Note: Take care not to overfill your pie plate, as the quiche will puff up as it bakes. I place mine on a baking sheet in the oven, in case of spills. The quiche will deflate after you remove it from the oven: this is normal! Kids like watching this soufflé effect.
Tomates farcies
(Stuffed Tomatoes)
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 small adult (or older child) servings
This is one of our family’s favorite recipes. Tomates farcies (stuffed tomatoes) are both filling and fun. The tomatoes are hollowed out and stuffed (in this case, with a savory ground beef mixture), and then baked to perfection. The farce peeks out of the tomatoes in a coquettish sort of way, and children love lifting up the tomato “hats” to see what lies underneath. Served with something that can absorb the delicious juices (rice and couscous are our favorites), this is a complete and easy tasty
