SPINACH BLINTZES WITH  MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

Blintzes, specifically cheese blintzes, are nearly synonymous with Shavuos. I wanted to be more original, so I created a savory spinach version. Adding part of the cream sauce to the spinach mixture results in a delightful, flavorful appetizer. It’s very lightly laced with wine which elevates the dish and makes it Yom Tov-worthy.

Yields about 15

CREPES

• 4 eggs
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 cup milk, or ½ cup milk and
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup flour (I used whole-wheat pastry flour)
• generous pinch or two salt

SPINACH FILLING

• 15 oz (425 g) frozen spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, or frozen equivalent
• pinch thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• generous handful grated feta cheese (I used 5% Tzfatit)

MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 8-oz (225-g) container fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 full Tbsp flour
• 1 cup 9% cooking cream or half-and-half
• 1 Tbsp dry white wine
• generous handful grated cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste (be generous)
• chopped chives, for garnish(optional)

To make the crepes: Combine all ingredients in a blender. To make for a tender crepe, place batter in fridge for at least one hour. (You can prepare the batter the night before.) Use a crepe maker or a frying pan to make the crepes, spraying with cooking spray between every few leaves. To make the filling: Defrost spinach in the microwave or thaw at room temperature. Pour into a strainer and squeeze out all liquid. You will be left with just over a cup of spinach. Place all filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. Set aside. To make the sauce: Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan. Sauté onion, carrot, and mushrooms for approximately 12 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Add the flour and mix to coat the vegetables. Add the cooking cream or half-and-half, wine, cheese, and seasoning. Stir for a minute or two until cheese is melted and all ingredients are well combined. Add a few spoonfuls of this mixture to the spinach filling and mix well. Place a spoon of spinach filling mixture on each crepe and roll up. Put blintzes in a baking dish, preferably Pyrex, lined with parchment paper. They can be very close together. Spoon remaining sauce over blintzes. Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover baking dish (sprayed side down, so it won’t stick). Bake for 20 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired.

NOTE: If you would like a thinner, more pourable mushroom sauce, you can add ½ cup of milk to the mixture after removing some of the sauce for the spinach filling. I prefer it thick as it is, though.

(Originally featured in FamilyTable, Issue 645)