Blintzes (Crepes) and "Noodles"

These marvelous crepes are great all year round. Once you get the hang of it, they really are easy to make.

Yield: 12 crepes or 2 cups noodles

• 7 eggs plus 7 egg whites
• 1 1/2 tablespoons potato starch (or use same amount of flour)
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or walnut oil for sweet blintzes)
• non-stick cooking spray
• salt and pepper to taste

Beat eggs and egg whites together with salt and set aside. Mix potato starch with part of the water to form a smooth paste. Add the rest of the water and beaten eggs and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well again. (A blender or food processor is handy for mixing the batter, but be careful to mix just until blended. Overmixing will create a foam that must be removed, or it will affect the texture of the finished crepes.) Transfer batter to a pitcher that is wide enough to allow mixing.

Heat olive oil and non-stick spray in an 8-inch, non-stick frying pan. Pour off extra oil into a dish. Keep a paper towel in this dish to use for wiping the pan after every few crepes (this helps keep the amount of oil needed down to a minimum), or spray with non-stick cooking spray. When the pan is hot, lower the heat to medium and pour in 1/4 -1/2 cup of batter. Tilt pan to cover the bottom and pour any extra batter back into the pitcher. This will ensure very thin blintzes.

As soon as the batter is firm, loosen the edges and turn over onto a dish towel or slightly greased piece of aluminum foil. Then return it to the pan to cook on the other side. (You can flip it with a spatula, but most people find it easier to turn it out and then return it to the frying pan.) Cook on the second side for no more than a few seconds and remove to a towel.

Before making the next crepe, mix batter with a fork in order to blend in any potato starch that settles. Unless you're a real pro, the first 1 or 2 blintzes will probably not come out easily and will tear.

For Noodles: When blintzes are cool, roll up a few at a time and slice into ultra-thin strips. For smaller noodles, slice down the length as well. Allow noodles to dry a bit and then store in an airtight container or plastic bags. These freeze well.

For crepes (blintzes): Use the filling of your choice and either fold the crepe around it blintz-style (like an envelope) or roll up.The unfilled crepes freeze well, either stacked or in layers divided by wax paper.

Fillings

You can certainly use the standard mashed-potato filling, but if you want a lower carb count and something more interesting, here are a few suggestions:

Low-carb potato: Mix equal amounts of cooked potato with cooked cauliflower and some fried onions. Add salt to taste.

Apple: Grate apples; add sugar substitute, cinnamon and ground nuts.

Nut: Beat 1 egg white just until shiny and starting to stiffen. Add ground nuts to form a paste. Add sugar substitute, cinnamon (optional) and juice from half a lemon.

Cheese: Mix farmer cheese with 1 beaten egg white, sugar substitute, cinnamon and vanilla flavoring.

Pareve (non-dairy) "cheese": In a small pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Drop in small amounts of egg white, breaking up with a fork. They will look like curds of cheese. Drain well; add a pinch of salt, sugar substitute and cinnamon (optional).

Tip: If you're cooking for a crowd and want to save time, use a large frying pan and make extra-large crepes. Pile up cooled crepes, slicing off the sides to use for noodles. You will be left with nice-sized rectangles that can be used for folded blintzes.

Nutrition Facts: Serving size 1 crepe (Tbsp noodles) 2–3 (oz) 1 (g) 30 Calories 37 Protein (g) 3.1 Carbs (g) 0.7 Fat (g) 2.3 Sat. Fat (g) 0.6 Cholesterol (mg) 85 Sodium (mg) 37 Calcium (mg)11 Fiber (g) 0 Exchanges: Lean protein 1/2