Naleśniki z soczewicą (Crepes with lentils)

I think the Polish might like crepes even more than the french.  There are crepe shops all over the city and it is one of my favorite things about being here.  Crepes come in sweet and savory, plain batter and flavoured, elegant and practically street food.  There's a creperie called Nasz Naleśnik that started in my neighborhood and, over the last year or so, has been broadening out and franchising.  I'm psyched about this because they have delicious crepes with all sorts of interesting fillings (check out their website for examples :))

One thing that they don't offer is crepes with lentils.  I first had this amazing concoction when I was, a hem, not working and meeting my husband for lunch a couple of days a week.  I ate them in a typical lunch time canteen where they serve typical foods, usually sitting out and ready... you point (at the time I pointed, I suppose I could order it in polish now..) out what you want, they microwave it (seriously) and you sit down for a quick lunch during your work day.  I cannot tell you what this place was called but I can tell you that it was on ul. Rzymowskiego close by Galeria Mokotów.  I have attempted to recreate it a few times and I thinkt that last night, I finally got it right.

First things first:  Prepare your lentils.  It is much easier to fill the crepes when the lentil filling isn't hot.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1 can of lentils, half drained (of course, you can use dry lentils, just be sure to cook them accordingly)
soy sauce
salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp of olive oil (keep close by in case you need more).  Add onions, cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and carrots and continue to cook, stirring occassionally until the onions and carrots start to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan.  Then, cook a little longer :)

When the onion/carrot mixture is ready, add the can of lentils and mix well.  Cook for about 2 minutes until the lentils are cooked through, add soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Stire and cook about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

 Crepes :)
 I use my mother in law's recipe that never seems to fail me but has no measurements, so bear with me.
Flour (I usually start with about 1 1/2 cups - to get me about 8 - 10 crepes)
salt (pinch)
Add milk until you get a thick batter
Add 1 or 2 eggs (seriously, this is how she told me the recipe)
Add more milk until the batter is thin enough....

Thin enough is relevant.  It should be, in my opinion, much runnier than pancake batter and with very few flour chunks, if any at all. 

Then, on a frying pan warmed to medium heat add butter and a little bit of oil (prevents the butter from burning), pour batter (maybe 1/8 cup? maybe 1/4..??) in the middle of the pan and circle the pan around spreading out the batter until the batter doesn't want to move anymore.  Wait until the crepe cooks through.  You'll know this has happened when the top of the crepe has no more wet batter.  Flip, cook for an additional 30 seconds (or whatever) and slide onto a plate.  Continue with remaining batter. I usually stack my crepes using paper towels in between each crepe in order to avoid having them stick together.

Once you have your stack of crepes, take one, lay it out flat, place 1 tablespoon (or however much you want) of filling in 1/4 of the crepe, fold the crepe in half and then in half again (you should end up with little crepe triangles filled with stuffing).  Repeat with remaining crepes and stuffing.  Once stuffed, return the frying pan to the stove and heat to medium high.  Add butter and oil to the pan.  Fry the crepes on both sides until slightly crispy. 

Enjoy :)
C

Eating / Planning / Recipes / Writing

I read something today that sits well with me.  I have started a few times, different blogs related to one basic topic (as I think blogs should be) and then, I don't write.  I don't write because I hate being stuck into one category.  I have at least 5 or 6 restaurant reviews, complete with pictures from the last few months, but I don't want to write them up.  Why?  Because I feel like someone (the nonexistant reader out there) expects them from me.  So, I will stamp my feet like a 2 year old and refuse to do it.  Why am I such a PITA?

The thing I have been thinking about the most lately is the amount of time I've spent reading recipes in the past few years.  This happened because of a few reasons:

1.  I'm in Poland.  A lot of things that can be readily bought at home are either a) unavailable  b) expensive  c) difficult to find or d) labeled as what you are looking for when in fact it is not quite the same thing.  So, I look for recipes to make things from scratch that I can't find.
2.  I got married.  I don't want to sound like a 50's housewife, but I like to have meals cooked for myself and my husband and I don't like cooking the same thing often... so... recipes it is.
3.  I didn't have a lot of friends when I got here... and I needed something to do.  Cooking takes a lot of time, I like to do it and the results are usually enjoyable.

I've read at least one of Nigella's cookbooks cover to cover.  I like her for basic recipes that seem to work every time.  I've become addicted to www.skinnytaste.com, where Gina the magician turns food you love into food you love with less calories and fat, without using too many fake ingredients.  I squirreled away a copy of "Think Like a Chef" by Tom Colicchio from my friend Sarah in New York over the holidays.  And, I call my mother in law more often than I'd like to admit because while she can be a bit trying, she is the BEST cook I know. 

And with all that being said, I want to leave you with the most basic of basic Polish recipes today.  It couldn't be easier or more perfect for the warm weather we are about to be having (I hope).  A simple combination of cucumbers and sour cream called in polish "Mizeria"  which sounds a lot like the english word misery but tastes like pure joy. 

Mizeria
1 medium cucumber
2 tablespoons of sour cream ( I have actually never measured this... just add as much as you see fit)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:  Wash and peel the cucumber.  Then, using a food processor or the wide grate on your grater, slice into very thin slices.  You could also use a knife if you're a proficient chopper :)  Place cucumber slices in a bowl, add sour cream salt and pepper.  That's it.  You might want to let it set for a minute but it's delicious right away too.

Variations:  Some people add garlic.  Others add fresh dill.  Others yet add chives.  Some squeeze some lemon juice over the cucs before adding the sour cream.  I usually add a teaspoon of sugar (our fav. restaurant does this).  You can pretty much do what you want with this, it's pretty basic and if you screw it up, it's not an expensive mistake. 

That is what I feel like writing about today :)
C