This recipe review is based solely on my own perspective. My family will never eat mushrooms unless it’s the last food on earth; and even then, I’m skeptical that they’d actually eat them. I, on the other hand, LOVE mushrooms, that means more for me, right? Evolving Vegan’s mushroom and spinach crepe recipe was actually at the top of my list, but I’ve never made crepes before so it was a little daunting. The fact that I’d be the only one consuming them also made me put off making these AWESOME crepes!
Difficulty
Personally, I found this recipe a little difficult and a bit more time consuming. There are three parts to making these scrumptious mushroom and spinach crepes and you won’t want to skip a single step. Part one is making the buckwheat crepes. If you have a copy of Evolving Vegan, you’ll find the recipe on page 173. For me, making the crepes was a trial-and-error situation since I’ve never made them before. The first couple tries resulted in broken and undercooked globs of buckwheat batter. After a while I got the hang on it and they turned out way better than I expected. Don’t make the same mistakes I made though! Make sure the heat is set to the correct temperature and cover them after they’re cooked.
The second part is making the cashew crema. This is a common condiment used in other recipes. Thankfully is very easy and quick to make! Just make sure you have a decent blender. The third part to this recipe is prepping and cooking the crepe filling. This part is both easy and enjoyable! My whole house filled with the smells of garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Can you swoon over the aroma of food? Because I definitely did. If food was a love language, mine would be these crepes.
Flavor
If you fancy pesto and mushrooms and herbs, like I do, this recipe is for you! The different flavors all together in a soft, warm crepe is absolute paradise on the palate! I almost left out the cashew crema topping (not shown in the photo) and I’m so glad I added it last minute. The nutty lemon flavor greatly complimented the crema pesto mix and through it you could sample the herbs, garlic, and mushrooms. The texture and flavor certainly receive a ten out of ten from me. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Part one: buckwheat crepes
One and a quarter cup of nondairy milk (your choice.) I used plain unsweetened oat milk
A quarter cup of cornstarch
A quarter cup of buckwheat flour. If you can’t find this in your local grocery store, you can buy it online. I like using Anthony’s Goods. I’ve been using their products for years now and they’re always good quality.
Half a cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour. I ran out of gluten-free, so I used my regular all-purpose flour.
A pinch of salt
Two tablespoons of vegan butter
Combine the milk, cornstarch, both flours, salt, and butter in a blender. If you have a fine mesh sieve, I suggest pouring the dry ingredients through it first. It helps cut down on lumps. Also, I mixed mine in a bowl with a fork. If you don’t have a blender or you just don’t want to dirty up your blender, a fork and bowl worked fine for me. Blend until smooth and let it rest for five minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. The amount of batter you use for each crepe will depend on the size of your skillet. Mine is a 12-inch skillet and I used half a cup of batter per crepe. Cook until the edges of the crepe look dry and bubbles form on top, about one to two minutes. Flip and cook for another one to two minutes or until golden brown. Make sure to cover your crepes with aluminum foil so they stay soft.
Part two: cashew crema
One cup of raw cashews
One cup of boiling water
A tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. I used bottled lemon juice.
Sea salt to season
Soak the raw cashews in the boiling water for 20 minutes before draining and placing in a blender. Add lemon juice and half a cup of cold water. Blend until it becomes thick and creamy. Add additional water as needed to reach desired consistency. Season with salt.
Part three: mushroom and spinach filling
Two tablespoons of olive oil
One garlic clove, finely chopped
One pound of baby bella mushrooms. I used eight ounces of mushrooms and it was enough for the number of crepes that were salvageable.
Half a teaspoon of sea salt
A quarter teaspoon of black pepper
Leaves from one sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
Leaves from two sprigs of thyme, chopped
Half a teaspoon of chopped fresh sage
Quarter cup of vegan pesto. I bought vegan pesto off Amazon because I had trouble finding it at the store. I’m sure you can find it at Walmart or a bigger name store. We live in a little Podunk town so it’s not surprising that vegan foods are hard to find in our local grocery store.
One and a half cups of baby spinach
One tablespoon of lemon juice
Quarter cup of walnut halves (optional)
By now you should have your crepes and crema done and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Stir in mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about seven minutes. While your mushrooms and garlic are partying it up, mix the quarter cup of vegan pesto with two tablespoons of cashew crema and set aside. By now, the mushroom’s seven minutes in heaven are up. Add the rosemary, thyme, and sage to the mushrooms and garlic and let it cook for an additional five minutes, stirring occasionally.
On a crepe, layer the mushrooms with fresh baby spinach and top with the pesto crema mixture before folding the crepe however you see fit. I followed the directions and folded mine in quarters, so they looked like little delicious triangles. Top the crepes with the remaining crema, creamy pesto (if there’s any left) and lemon juice. If you opted for walnuts, you can sprinkle those bad boys on top and enjoy!
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