There is a magical place close to us called The Crepe Bar (unsponsored). We happened upon it by accident but don’t find ourselves back there a couple times a month by accident. It’s always bursting at the seams with hippies but somehow they let our un-cool, un-mustached selves enter. Their sweet and savory crepes are thoughtful and interesting – things we appreciate in a restaurant. All their savory crepes are served with a simple but beautifully dressed salad, so when we saw this in our latest Food Network Magazine, we had to try it. Plus, we love anything that says “Monte Cristo” on it, as we love sweet and savory dishes. If you haven’t had the pleasure of having a Monte Cristo something or other, it usually has something to do with a Swiss cheese, turkey and or ham, and a berry jam (along with powdered sugar and mustard, if you’re lucky). This crepe is everything one hopes for in a savory crepe, but you get your sweet fix in as well, thanks to the raspberry jam. The greens lend some freshness and nutrients for balance. P.S., this is an impressive (although not speedy) thing to serve holiday guests for brunch.
Tip (unsponsored): You can use store-bought crepes, but they are a bit more dry and don’t hold up as well as the ones you will make at home. To make it less of an ordeal, make your crepes a day or 2 before, separate and stack between sheets of parchment paper, and store in the fridge in a large ziplock bag. This recipe made 12-13 smaller, homemade crepes.
We find that frisee (a delicate lettuce that resembles lace) is difficult to come across, so just use all spring green mix if you can’t find frisee.
Have your kids help you mix the raspberry mustard and hand you slices of meat and cheese to fill the crepes. Kids love feeling like an important part of an assembly line. As you prepare and eat this dish together with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits they are providing their bodies:
- Mixed greens provide your body with vitamin K, which is great to help keep your bones strong.
- Frisee contains vitamin A, which helps keep your skin from looking too dry.
- It is said that mustard can help when your muscles hurt.
The Monte Cristo sandwich is said to have originated in California, but was inspired by the French Croque-monsieur, so let’s learn a few things about France and it’s people:
- Rumor has it that the Croque-monsieur sandwich came about when workers in France left their sandwiches too close to a hot radiator and returned to find them melty and delicious.
- How the Monte Cristo sandwich got it’s name is sketchy, but “The Count of Monte Cristo” is a classic and fantastic adventure novel written by a French author.
- French parents used to have to choose the name of their new baby from an approved list. Today, the government can still reject a name if they want.
From: Monte Cristo Crepes
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 12 -inch crepes, or 12 smaller ones
- 8 thin slices Black Forest ham (about 5 ounces)
- 8 thin slices deli turkey (about 8 ounces)
- 8 thin slices muenster cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 1 5 -ounce package mixed greens (about 8 cups)
- 1 small head frisee, torn into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Microwave the jam in a microwave-safe bowl until loosened, 20 to 30 seconds. Stir in the mustard; set aside.
- Heat ½ tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 crepe; stack 2 slices each ham, turkey and cheese on one half of the crepe. Cook until the crepe just starts browning on the bottom and the cheese starts melting, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold the crepe in half over the filling using a spatula, then fold in half again to form a wedge. Flip the wedge and cook until the bottom is browned, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat to make 3 more crepes. (Remove the skillet from the heat between batches if it gets too hot.)
- Toss the greens and frisee with the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Serve the crepes with the raspberry mustard and salad.
