Pear Gingerbread Crepes (vegan, gluten free, low fat)

I love crepes, which is weird because I HATED them for years...

But last summer my husband and I took a trip to Montreal and found ourselves in Jean Tallon market -- a year round farmer's market and gourmet food complex. If you have never been and have the chance, go. Its one of my favourite markets in the world, and I have visited many. We had some crepes there that I will never forget.

Montreal is a tricky city to navigate as a gluten free vegan -- but then again, what city isn't? When my husband and I travel we opt for renting Air BNBs with kitchens or kitchenettes to ensure we have the option to cook. Though we both love to eat out from time to time, a week of that gets old fast. Our trip to Montreal this summer was no different -- we stayed in a charming downtown apartment with a nice kitchen and kitchen table setup. We cooked most of our meals and took advantage of seasonal local produce from markets like Marche Jean Tallon. We ate out too, but most things were cooked at home. We've been back recently -- two weeks ago. Every time I go to the market I head straight for the crepe stand. After searching "gluten free vegan Montreal" on Google, many things came up. Restaurants like Aux Vivres at the top of the list. We never ended up eating there because pretty much everything on the menu contained something I am allergic to. I find that I have a harder time eating in vegan restaurants like Fresh and Aux Vivres than I do in "normal" restaurants or even steak houses! Most of the vegan menu items at these places are either not gluten free or contain soy or nuts, leaving me with few to no options that meet both restrictions. The kitchens use such a large amount of the ingredients that I am allergic to that I am nervous to eat there. So, when I found out that Creperie Du Marche in Jean Tallon offered vegan and gluten free crepes I knew I needed to stop by. I'm so glad I did!

The crepes at the market come sweet and savoury and are absolutely perfect. I opted for a sweet apple crepe with maple butter. It is still one of my most memorable meals out.

For my 30th birthday last week, my husband and sister surprised me with a trip to Montreal. We pretty much went straight to the market for a crepe on day one, and probably will again the next time we're back in town.

This weekend my husband and I entertained my parents at our home -- which rarely happens. We fed them dinner and dessert -- including these holiday cookies and a pear and gingerbread galette. The galette was totally delicious but wasn't photo friendly -- a bit on the messy-looking side, so I decided to start my day today with a pretty crepe inspired by the galette.

These crepes are totally seasonal, way healthier than your standard pancake, and totally delicious. They're vegan, wholegrain, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free and low fat. The batter is seasoned with gingerbread flavours (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla) and sweetened gently with low glycemic dark brown coconut sugar and a little maple syrup. I cooked the crepes in a touch of buttery coconut oil (the fat that burns fat), topped them with thin slices of ripe bosc pears and a sprinkle of coconut sugar so the fruit caramelized a little. Served fruit side up with a drizzle of maple syrup, these Pear Gingerbread Crepes scream CHRISTMAS. Give them a try this week for a healthier holiday pancake breakfast.

PEAR GINGERBREAD CREPES

CREPE BATTER

(makes 3-5 small to medium sized crepes)

1/2 cup of brown rice flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
3 tbsp arrowroot starch
SPICES: Pinch of salt AND ground cloves + 1/2-1 tsp each cinnamon + 1/2-1 tsp cacao or cocoa powder + 1/4-1/2 tsp ginger + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1.5-2 tbsp maple syrup
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp oil (I used a light olive oil)
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup of water

PEAR TOPPING:

OPTIONAL: 2 bosc pears (thinly sliced, seeds removed) and a little coconut sugar

Maple syrup (to drizzle on top of the crepes)

Slice the pears thinly if using. MAKE THE BATTER: Blend all ingredients (except pear slices!) together in a blender. Heat a 1/2 tsp coconut oil in a non stick frying pan on high heat. Prepare crepes one at a time. Pour some batter into center of the hot pan, tilting the pan around gently to spread the batter thinly out to all sides of the pan. Once you notice a couple of tiny bubbles forming on the surface of the crepe, add the pear slices evenly over the top of each crepe. After several bubbles form on the top of the crepe and the edges look golden brown, carefully loosen the crepe from the bottom of the pan with a spatula and gently flip it over. Press down into the pan gently with the spatula. After a minute or so, flip the crepe again and sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top of the pear slices. Once the sugar melts, transfer to a plate. Serve immediately with maple syrup drizzled on top. Add a little more coconut oil to the pan before making each crepe.

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1 comments

Yum GirlDecember 22, 2015 at 10:31 AM
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