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Ukrainian Nalysnyky with Chicken
Toronto hit record high of 14 C yesterday and but winter returned today. Nice weather roller-coaster! Here comes the snow again, high winds and the high of -7 C.
The cold mid-winter weather makes me gravitate towards anything that makes me feel cozy. Thick soups, hearty stews, creamy risottos and hot chocolate. I always try to adjust these dishes so I won’t pack on the pounds – we are performing in 2 weeks!
I was flipping through my favourite cookbooks, searching for something different to make when this caught my eye:
My handwriting wasn’t the best as I was scribbling notes over the phone 
My cousin makes the best Nalysnyky! They are thin, lace-y and airy. Nalysnyky (pronounced: Nah-less-knee-key) are the Ukrainian version of crepes. This is a lighter version of one my favourite cold-weather comfort food.
My cousin’s original recipe, yields 19-20 crepes:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 eggs
This is what I used to make Nalysnyky lighter and healthier.
Crepe batter:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all purpose white flour
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp raw organic sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 egg
Crepe batter in a blender
Directions:
- The blender makes it super easy. In a blender, combine all of the ingredients for batter and pulse for 10 seconds. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high. I find my cast iron pan works the best for this recipe.
- Coat with butter or oil.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and swirl/tilt the pan to spread it evenly.
- Cook until edges look dry and flip – about 30 seconds.
- Cook for another 10 seconds and transfer to a plate to cool.
- Continue with rest of batter.
- After crepes have cooled you can stack and store them in seal-able plastic bags in fridge for several days or freezer for up to 2 months if making in advance.
Filling:
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cup shredded cooked chicken (white meat, no skin)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Directions:
- Fry onions in olive oil until golden brown.
- Grind the chicken, fried onions and broth in a food processor.
- You will end up with a pudding-like substance – this is your filling!
To assemble:
- Place 1 crepe on a smooth surface.
- Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken filling near one edge of the crepe.
- Start rolling the crepe over the filling, tuck in each side to prevent the filling from falling out, and continue to roll.
- Continue to fill and roll the remaining crepes.
- Serve hot with melted butter or a dollop of sour cream
Finished product!
She didn't want to do it. I had to beg! And it took awhile before we both got it together...! It wasn't easy!
