The holidays can be a treacherous time for those of us with rebellious intestines. If you’re hosting a holiday brunch or lunch for a crowd, how about including a festive dish that EVERYONE can enjoy? Here’s a delicious solution to your Holiday brunch dilemmas: gluten-free, lactose-Free Blintzes, from Tamara Duker Freuman, MS, RD, CDN

Recipe adapted from Living Without Magazine

Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free Holiday Brunch Blintzes

Ingredients

For the crepes (yields about 8):

Vegetable oil, for greasing pan
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup gluten-free all- purpose flour blend* of choice, more if needed
½ tsp. xanthan gum** (use only if all-purpose flour blend does not contain xanthan or guar gum)
1½ cups lactose-free milk of choice, room temperature; more if needed

Filling

1 cup Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free Sour Cream
1 cup Lactaid cottage cheese
1 Tbs. sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

*Note: Be sure to use GF All Purpose Flour Blends. DO NOT use GF All Purpose Baking Mixes. The “baking mixes “contain chemical leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder and are NOT suitable for this recipe. Also, read the ingredients of your All Purpose Flour blend. If it contains xanthan gum or guar gum, you can omit the xanthan gum called for in the recipe.

Preparation

1.Lightly grease an 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet with vegetable oil, like grapeseed or canola oil, and set aside.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and butter until well combined. Mix the flour blend with the xanthan gum and blend into the egg mixture. Pour in the milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until batter is smooth. Add more milk or flour by the tablespoon, if necessary, to ensure a smooth and thin batter.

3.Heat prepared skillet over medium heat. Using a large ladle or spoon, place a generous ¼ cup batter into the center of the hot pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan in an even layer, taking care not to spread the batter too thin.

4.Cook the pancake until edges begin to brown slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes, and flip with a wide spatula. The pancake will flip easily when ready. Cook the other side for about another 20 to 30 seconds until the pancake is set. Turn the pancake onto a plate lined with a moist tea towel and cover to keep warm.

5.Repeat with remaining batter, layering pancakes one on top of the other. Cover after each addition. You do not need to re-oil the skillet in between pancakes.

6.In a medium-size bowl, mix filling ingredients until well combined. You will likely have some extra, which you can use as a topping. Alternatively, save it for breakfast tomorrow and use it as a spread for toasted gluten-free Cinnamon Raisin bread.

7.Preheat oven to 400°F.

8.To assemble blintzes, place one pancake flat on a plate. Place 2 Tbs. filling on the flat pancake, about one-third of the way from the edge closest to you. Fold the bottom of the pancake over the filling, turn in the sides toward the middle and roll away from yourself to create a cylinder. Repeat with remaining pancakes. Fear not if the filling seems a bit too liquid; just wrap it carefully and place open seam down on the baking pan. It will all firm up during baking, and will turn out better than you could have imagined.

9.Place rolled blintzes in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400°F. (Alternatively, you can sauté blintzes in a bit of butter or oil in a pan over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through the process. I baked them.)

10.Let blintzes sit for a few minutes before plating and serving to allow filling to set. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or garnished with extra filling, lactose-free sour cream, or fruit compote.

Yields about 8 blintzes.

More Festive Filling & Crepe Ideas

Create your own holiday tradition by adding festive flavors to this Holiday Blintz recipe:

• Pump-kin Up The Volume: Add ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg to the crepe batter and make the filling with 1 cup Green Valley Organics Sour Cream, 2/3 cup organic pumpkin puree, 3 Tbs. sugar or maple syrup (or 1 stevia packet), 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for a special family brunch on Thanksgiving Weekend.

• Gingerbread Crepes: Add 3 Tbs. molasses, 3 Tbs. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ginger and ¼ tsp. clove to the crepe batter for a gingerbread version.

• Cranberry Orange Crepes: Add one 6-oz cup of Redwood Hill Farm Cranberry Orange Goat Yogurt to blintz filling; top crepes with leftover cranberry sauce or relish with an orange zest garnish.

PER SERVING (1 blintz with filling): 229 CAL; 9G PROT; 14G TOTAL FAT (8G SAT. FAT); 17G CARB; 112MG CHOL; 158MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 3G SUGARS

*Recipe and image courtesy of Green Valley Organics.*