Back to School with Roasted Veggie Crepes

Finally back at school for one final semester! I apologize for the long absence...the end of last semester was crazy and then I was home for a month-long break. But now I'm back to cooking up a storm in my college kitchen.

So everyone is familiar with crepes: crispy, buttery, thin French pancakes filled with sugar or Nutella or something else sweet and delicious. But crepes aren't just for dessert--I discovered this while studying abroad in southern France. Savory crepes are a popular meal, featuring whole-wheat crepes filled with veggies and cheese. My take on a savory crepe was inspired by a creperie in downtown Cincinnati called It's Just Crepes (http://itsjustcrepes.com/). One of my favorite lunches during my summer internship was a crepe full of sauteed veggies, goat cheese, and a balsamic dressing. My version of this follows below:

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 red bell pepper
2 zucchini
Goat cheese
Balsamic vinegar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp melted butter
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk (eyeball it)

Directions:
Roasted Veggie Mix
1. Chop the eggplant, bell pepper, and zucchini (or any mix of vegetables you prefer) so that the pieces are similarly sized.
2. Toss with a generous glug of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until veggies are fork-tender and the skins of the peppers are puckered.

(I've started using that Reynold's pan-lining paper, the one that's foil on one side and parchment paper on the other. If you're like me, you love to cook but hate doing the dishes!)

Crepes
1. Whisk the eggs, milk, butter, and flour together in a bowl until smooth with minimal lumps. If it's too thick, add a touch more milk.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Butter the skillet very well and pour in a small amount of the batter. Take the skillet by the handle and swirl it around until the batter is spread evenly throughout the skillet. You want it to be a thin layer--that's what makes it a crepe and not a pancake.
3. The crepe is ready to flip when the edges start to curl up and a peek on the underside reveals a sort of golden web pattern (that's because of the butter). The easiest way to flip this guy is to take a spatula in one hand and the skillet handle in the other, and meet in the middle.

4. Once you've flipped it, place your roasted veggies on one half of the crepe, along with a few dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

5. Fold the crepe in half in the pan and gently transfer it to a plate. Voila! A little taste of France.

I love crepes like this because it's a fairly nutritious meal that's very straightforward to make, with very simple ingredients. I hope it becomes one of your favorites!