Lunch box ideas: Chicken salad with apples and string beans

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Here come more ideas for out-of-home meals to be carried in our lunch box for eating at work or at school.  This is a recipe for a Chicken salad with a very low carb content to be thus completed with a source of healthy carbs.

This tasty lunch box contains very few carbs therefore remember to add a slice of wholemeal bread to and a fruits in season for a balanced nutritional intake.  And remember that this Chicken salad with apples and green beans can be a good solution in every season.

This is where we found our LUNCH BOX.

Are you running short of ideas for out-of-home meals! And if you are looking for a lunch with a higher amount of carbs, try my Pasta with chickpea cream and broccoli.

Chicken salad with apples and string beans

8.4g carbohydrates for the whole lunch box

Ingredients for 1 lunch box

  • 180g chicken (this will weigh about 130g once cooked)
  • 60g iceberg lettuce
  • 50g string beans
  • 50g tuna in oil
  • 50g apples
  • 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • Tabasco
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • parsley
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (in Italy they may be listed on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Grill the chicken, then cut it into strips and flavour with some drops of Tabasco, salt, pepper, a dribble of extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley.
  2. Boil the string beans and throw them in cold water as soon as they are cooked.
  3. Put the lettuce cut into strips in a bowl, add the apples, sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent the apple from becoming dark, add some tuna fillets in pieces and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  4. Complete the lunch box dressing the chicken with string beans in pieces, a dribble of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper as needed.

Insalata di pollo

Version with gluten of Chicken salad with apples and string beans 

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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Lunch box ideas: Roast beef with aubergine cream

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Here come more ideas for your out-of-home lunch! In our lunch box today, protein, vitamin and fibre are the stars.  What am I talking about? Of a delicious Roast beef with aubergine cream to be served with a slice of bread for a complete, balanced and tasty lunch to take with you for every occasion.

In my ideas for out-of-home meals you find the carb count of the whole lunch box: it will be super easy for our kids to calculate how much insulin to inject and lunch will be a joyful moment to share with friends.

If you need a container to take with you, find here the LUNCH BOXwe use.

Have a look at the recipe to prepare my Venere rice salad with cherry tomatoes and pistachio nuts.

Roast beef with aubergine cream

15.9g carbohydrates for the whole lunch box

Ingredients for 1 lunch box

  • 300g aubergine
  • 140g roast beef, sliced
  • 15g raisins or dried apricots
  • 10g desalted capers
  • 10g pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 3 mint leaves
  • aromatic herbs to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (in Italy they may be listed on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cut the aubergine into dices of a couple of centimetres, sprinkle with salt and put in a strainer to draw out excess moisture.
  2. Pat the aubergine dry with a piece of kitchen paper and sautée it in a non-stick pan with a dribble of oil until cooked.
  3. Blend 2/3 of the eggplant with a tablespoon of lemon juice, a tablespoon of oil and 3 mint leaves; adjust salt and pepper, flavour with chopped aromatic herbs to taste.
  4. Dress the remaining aubergine with a tablespoon of vinegar, pine nuts, raisins and capers.
  5. Assemple the lunch box with slices of roast beef topped with aubergine cream and complete with the aubergine salad.

roastbeef con crema di melanzane

Version with gluten of Roast beef with aubergine cream 

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

 

 

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Layered pie of Piadina with oil

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My “oven free” recipes continue, giving us pleasure for the eyes and palate and Piadina bread is certainly an excellent solution. This time we are going to prepare them in a light version using oil and especially with a fresh and colourful topping: here is the recipe of my Layered pie of Piadina with oil.

Few steps to prepare Piadina, then let your creativity free to top and overlap them to form a true Layered pie of Piadina with oil that you can slice and serve easily.  Ideal also as a solution to “clean out your fridge” upon condition that you have plenty of vegetables in season.

Do not forget to add some aromatic herbs to your recipes: they will be a pleasure for taste and will allow you to reduce the amount of salt! And if you are looking for another idea to save energy not using the oven, try these No-cook stuffed tomatoes.

Layered pie of Piadina with oil

50.6g carbohydrates per 100g Piadina

17g carbohydrates per 100g Layered pie of Piadina with oil

Ingredients for 4 pieces of Piadina

  • 150g flour mix for bread Nutrifree**
  • 120g water
  • 30g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 25 g extra virgin olive oil
  • 20g fine corn flour*
  • ½ tsp salt
  • a bit of baking soda

Ingredients for stuffing

  • 300g small tomatoes of various colours
  • 300g Stracchino cheese or another cream cheese
  • 100g mixed leafy greens
  • 100g smoked salmon
  • basil
  • oregano
  • salt

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (in Italy they may be listed on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Pour the flour mix and rice flour in a bowl with salt and baking soda, then pour the water and mix; finish adding the oil in a trickle.
  2. Knead on a board until smooth, then cover the dough with a T-towel or cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Divide the dough into 4 parts, shape balls, then roll them out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1-2mm forming a disk.
  4. Warm up a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook the disks of Piadina for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  5. Start assembling the layered pie putting a Piadina on the bottom, top it with a part of cream cheese, a layer of leafy greens and some slices of tomato; cover with a second Piadina and top it with a second part of cream cheese, leafy greens, some slices of tomato and half the salmon; add the third Piadina and top it the same way as the previous layer and finally top with the last Piadina, the remaining cream cheese and sliced coloured tomatoes overlapping the slices a bit.
  6. Complete with a pinch of salt, a dusting of oregano and parsley leaves.

torta di piadine

Version with gluten of Layered pie of Piadina with oil

Prepare the Piadina with oil using 200g wheat flour, 100g water, 25g extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and a bit of baking soda.  Stuff the pie to taste: the ingredients given in the recipe are all naturally gluten free.

 

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Summer recipe: Venere rice salad in a glass

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Sometimes it is just an idea that gives a standard dish an extra touch, so a rice salad can turn into a colourful lunch to deal with the summer heat: here is a perfect summer recipe, my Venere rice salad in a glass.

The rule I am following these days with no air conditioning in my kitchen is just one: no oven, unless I have to bake bread. So, here is a one-course meal ready in 30 minutes, unless the cooking time for your rice takes longer.

Furthermore, if you like this summer recipe idea, use your creativity to invent many other rice salads layering them in a glass to make your table unique and fun for your table companions.  Have a look at these Venere rice towers  to find inspiration!

Summer recipe: Venere rice salad in a glass

9.5g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the courgettes cream

  • 300g courgettes
  • 170g water or vegetable stock*
  • 100g leek
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • a bunch of basil
  • some mint leaves
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients for the mozzarella mousse

  • 400g cow’s milk mozzarella
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • water

Ingredients for assembling 4 glasses

  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 100g Venere rice
  • basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cook the Venere rice in lightly salted water and drain it when it has the perfect texture to be eaten, then lay it out to cool quite quickly.
  2. In the meantime, chop the leek and sweat it in a pan with the extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped courgettes, allow them to gain flavour for a minute, then add the water, basil and mint and cook for 12-13 minutes.
  3. Pour everything in a blender, blend to a smooth cream and season with salt and pepper. Put aside.
  4. Place the chopped mozzarella in a large, tall glass, add 4-5 tablespoons of water and start blending with an immersion blender (ideal for the texture is to use a Bamix) while also pouring in the extra virgin olive oil in a trickle. If the mozzarella cream is too hard, add a few more tablespoons of water while continuing to blend until it is soft and creamy like a mousse. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cut the cherry tomatoes into 4 wedges, season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  6. Now assemble the glasses: pour the courgette cream on the bottom, form a layer of Venere rice, a layer of mozzarella mousse, the chopped cherry tomatoes and finally decorate with a few basil leaves.

insalata di riso venere in bicchiere

Version with gluten of the summer recipe: Venere rice salad in a glass

This recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptations are necessary.

 

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Protein pea pancakes

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When kids ask you for a savoury snack that has to combine several needs, the choice becomes difficult, and if you add a colour game, in my case green, the request turns into a real challenge: the answer is my Pea protein pancakes.

The first request, this time from my son Nicolò, is for protein pancakes because his protein requirement is imposed by daily basketball practice. I turned to a source of vegetable protein and looked for a soy flour with the label gluten-free.

The second request, again from Nicolò, was to include legumes in the preparation, again to better cope with sporting activity having glucose levels as stable as possible.

And finally the game: thanks to theItalian Food Bloggers Association I became aware of a fun initiative entitled Chefs in Colouran online event by Federchimica Ceramicolor dedicated to colour in the kitchen, and since painting is one of my hobbies, I couldn’t help but jump into the fray! My task? Making a green dish, so my pea protein pancakes were just perfect.

And the taste? Delicious and with the sweet and irresistible touch of peas, teased by the saltiness of Greek feta… in short, challenges are like spices for cooking: they add flavour to everything. If you love pancakes, also try these made with chickpea flour.

Protein pea pancakes

8.6g carbohydrates per 100g 

Ingredients for 6 servings

  • 250g peas
  • 100g vegetable stock
  • 100g milk
  • 60g white soy yoghurt*
  • 45g soy flour*
  • 1 egg
  • 20g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 20g leek
  • 4g cake yeast*
  • Greek feta cheese to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Mix soy and rice flour with milk, soy yoghurt and egg in a bowl using a whisk or blend in a food processor; add baking powder, a pinch of salt and pepper and 50g peas.
  2. Take a steel ring of the desired diameter (I used a 10cm one) and place it on a non-stick pan; pour a little oil inside the ring, then pour in enough batter with the peas to form a pancake. As soon as it has solidified slightly on one side, remove the ring, turn the pancake over and cook it on the other side as well. Continue until all ingredients are used up.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the pea cream. Slice the leek thinly, fry it in a small pan with a little oil, then add the remaining peas and the vegetable stock; bring to the boil. Transfer everything into a blender or use an immersion blender to obtain a cream; season with salt and pepper.
  4. At this point, serve the pancakes accompanied by the cream of peas and crumble Greek feta cheese on top to give a savoury touch.

pancake proteici ai piselli

Version with gluten of Protein pea pancakes

This recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptations are necessary.

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Easter lunch: White meat loaf

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Have you already thought about what to prepare for Easter lunch? Do you have any family recipes that you prepare on this occasion? For Easter lunch at our house, the first course is the ever-present Anolini in meat stock, but we are always on the lookout for a new meat main course that everyone will agree on. So here’s an extra idea that you can cook with me as we watch the video recipe: White meat loaf.

This white meat loaf is very simple and can also be prepared the night before, then cooked at the last minute. The presence of hard-boiled eggs (symbol of new life) makes it nutritionally rich and beautiful to serve on the table with its lively colours.

If you are still looking for ideas for the Easter lunch menu, this meat main course could be a nice solution: naturally gluten-free and without carbohydrates. Happy Easter!

White meat loaf

negligible carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 600g ground turkey and chicken meat
  • 250g fresh or frozen spinach
  • 90g Speck slices*
  • 50g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 4 eggs
  • Pecorino cheese, grated
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cook the fresh or frozen spinach in a non-stick pan with a little oil; season with salt and leave to cool.
  2. Hard-boil 3 eggs by placing them in boiling water. Let boil for 8 minutes. Once cooked and cooled, shell them.
  3. Place the ground meat in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, grated Parmesan cheese and 1 egg. Mix to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
  4. Roll out a sheet of baking paper, grease it with a little oil and lay the minced meat on it; with the help of a sheet of cling film and a rolling pin, form a rectangle of about 35x25cm.
  5. Form a layer of bacon on top, cover with spinach, season with grated Pecorino cheese, then place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in the centre of the rectangle. Roll it up into a cylinder and seal it tightly at the ends. Wrap the cylinder in the baking paper.
  6. Heat the convection oven to 200°C and bake the meatloaf for 25 minutes, then remove it and brown it quickly in a non-stick frying pan with a little oil. Cut into slices and serve.

Polpettone di carni bianche

White Meatloaf ready to taste

Version with gluten of White meat loaf

This recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptations are necessary.

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Romaine lettuce rolls

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Rolls are a bit like meatballs: one leads to another! Here is an idea for preparing delicious Romaine lettuce rolls with a tasty and colourful filling that you can also prepare with me by by watching the video recipe.

I wanted to propose a vegetarian filling because we know that healthy eating guidelines recommend consuming meat no more than 3 times a week (1 time red meat, 2 times white meat), so I am always looking for tasty alternatives to meat so that the rest of the family will not notice its absence. Another idea? Also try the Vegetable au gratin.

Even the choice of lettuce is designed to change the flavours as much as possible, in short, variety is the key!

Romaine lettuce rolls

14.91g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 250g Romaine lettuce
  • 200g grated cheese (choice of Caciocavallo, Parmesan, Pecorino, etc., also mixed together)
  • 100g breadcrumbs Nutrifree**, and a little more to dust the surfce with
  • 2 eggs
  • 50g dried tomatoes
  • 15g dried Porcini mushrooms
  • vegetable stock
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Wash the leaves of Romaine lettuce and blanch them for less than a minute in slightly salted boiling water. Drain the leaves using a slotted spoon and plunge them in very cold water. Take the leaves out of the water and lay them on a tray or cloth so that they drain a bit.
  2. Prepare the filling. Heat the stock and use it to scald the breadcrumbs, which should be moist but not creamy. Let it cool down.
  3. Blend the dried Porcini to a powder; chop the dried cherry tomatoes.
  4. Add 170g grated cheese to the breadcrumbs, also incorporate cherry tomatoes, Porcini mushrooms and the whole eggs. Stir and add pepper (salt should not be needed).
  5. Take the lettuce leaves, remove the centre rib, place a roll of stuffing in the centre and wrap it, forming a roll for each leaf. Place the rolls in an oven dish, sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese, breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil and bake au gratin in a static oven preheated to 200°C for about 15 minutes.

involtini di lattuga

Version with gluten of Romaine lettuce rolls

Replace the Nutrifree breadcrumbs with an equal amount of conventional breadcrumbs, while all other ingredients remain unchanged.

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Calamari in fish soup with ‘nduja

It is my friend Anna Gallo who takes me on a journey to her native land, Calabria, giving me a beautiful bread bag from the art textile workshop Mario Celestino of Cosenza. And that is how I came up with the idea of preparing a dish that combines land and sea, a dish where squid meets ‘nduja, the undisputed queen of the tip of our boot: Calamari in fish soup with ‘nduja.

Calabria is definitely the region where red is the colour that paints the table, and it does so with chilli, the star ingredient of the ‘nduja, the sausage prepared by mixing pork meat and other spices, but also of the Sardella, a spicy cream made from whitebait, as well as many other specialities, and textiles and local handicrafts.

So let’s paint our tables red and add a little spice to life!

Calamari in fish soup with ‘nduja

negligible carbohydrates per 100g without bread

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 1kg squid, cleaned
  • 100g white wine
  • 30g slivered almonds*
  • 20g ‘nduja*
  • 1 sprig of parsley
  • 2 small sprigs of marjoram
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 lemon with edible peel
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • homemade bread**

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cut the cleaned squid with beaks and eyes removed into strips and sauté them in a frying pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and the chopped clove of garlic. Sprinkle them with white wine and let it evaporate.
  2. Add the ‘nduja and cook for 5 more minutes: taste the squid and turn off the heat when they are soft because prolonged cooking makes them rubbery.
  3. In the meantime, toast the slivered almonds and use them to top the squid, also season with chopped parsley, marjoram leaves and a grating of lemon peel.
  4. Serve the fish soup with slices of toasted homemade bread.

calamari in brodetto alla nduja

Version with gluten of Calamari in fish soup with ‘nduja 

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

 

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Stracotto for Christmas Cappelletti

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Preparing the Stracotto stew for Christmas Cappelletti is a big responsibility because expectations for the most anticipated meal of the year are always very high. This is how I prepared it to bring my whole family to the table… definitely feeling everyone’s eyes on me!

First of all, the stew should be prepared with three types of meat: beef, veal and pork. It’s a bit like doing no wrong to any of these meats, which at different times of the year brighten up our tables with extraordinary dishes.

As the name stracotto implies, the meat is cooked for such a long time that it falls apart simply by piercing it with a fork.

Once ready, the stew is blended or finely minced and the boiling cooking juices are used to wet the breadcrumbs that will be used to prepare the legendary Christmas Cappelletti, the meat-filled version of Anolini in broth.

And believe me, the type of filling is by no means an irrelevant matter! The tradition of eating one type of stuffing instead of the other is so ingrained that restaurants are obliged to put one or the other version on the menu according to boundaries dictated by custom, or else the menu would flop completely!

Here then is how to prepare Stracotto for fans and supporters of the meat version of this stuffed pasta, namely Cappelletti.

Stracotto for Christmas Cappelletti

negligible carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 350g beef
  • 350g pork
  • 300g veal
  • 300g red wine
  • 50g onions
  • 50g carrots
  • 30g celery
  • 30g tomato paste
  • 30 g butter
  • 1/3 clove of garlic
  • 3 cloves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • water
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Put the butter in a pan or earthenware casserole and melt it; add chopped onion, carrot and celery and brown it.
  2. Add the tomato paste and a third of a clove of chopped garlic, let the paste caramelise slightly, then place the three types of meat in the vegetable base, sealing the meat on all sides. Stick a clove into each piece of meat.
  3. Add the wine and pour in enough water to cover the meat, season with a pinch of salt, put the lid on and leave to cook on a low heat for at least 4 hours.
  4. After the time has elapsed, remove the cloves and add salt to taste. Remove the meat and put it in a food processor. Strain the cooking juices through a colander, add the remaining vegetable pieces in the colander to the meat in the processor and chop finely.
  5. Heat the liquid from the stew well and use it to scald the breadcrumbs of the Cappelleti filling.

stracotto

Version with gluten of Stracotto for Christmas Cappelletti

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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Homemade sofficini: irresistible gluten-free

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It is indeed true that there are some recipes that are simply irresistible, and homemade Sofficini are a perfect example.

Simple, versatile, mouth-watering, in short, the tasty dish whose only problem is that you can never get enough and would never stop eating it. In addition, homemade Sofficini are perfect to let our imagination run free in stuffing them to suit any season and, why not, whatever ingredients are available in the fridge at home.

Remember that using béchamel sauce as a ‘wild card’ ingredient to keep the filling soft without it leaking out during cooking (as is easily the case when using a melting cheese) is a good solution. Watch the video about how to prepare homemade Sofficini step by step so it will be even easier to cook them.

And if you want to accompany them with a delicious salad, try this Dominican Salad.

sofficini fatti in casa

Homemade Sofficini   

32.40g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 15 pieces

Ingredients for the dough

  • 250g gluten free bread flour mix, brand Nutrifree**
  • 210g water
  • 40g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • 7g brewer’s yeast
  • 5g salt
  • rice flour* for dusting

Ingredients for the filling

  • 200g milk
  • 120g cooked ham*
  • 80g breadcrumbs*
  • 40g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cherry tomatoes
  • 20g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 15g extra virgin olive oil
  • a pinch of salt
  • extra virgin oil to cook the Sofficini

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Put the flours in a planetary mixer and add the water with the dissolved brewer’s yeast. While mixing the ingredients, add salt and extra virgin olive oil. Continue mixing until the mixture is even and fairly compact, pulling it away from the sides of the planetary mixer from time to time.
  2. Place the dough in a bowl and cover it with cling film; leave it to rise in a warm place for about 2-2.5 hours or until it has doubled in volume.
  3. Prepare a firm béchamel sauce. Pour the extra virgin oil into a saucepan, mix it with the rice flour, then dilute with milk gradually so that no lumps form. Put the saucepan on the heat and let the sauce thicken. Remove from the heat and season with a pinch of salt and grated Parmesan cheese.
  4. When the Sofficini dough has risen perfectly, take pieces of dough and roll them out to a thickness of about 2mm. Cut discs 10cm in diameter and stuff them with cooked ham, 2 pieces of seedless dates and 1 teaspoon of béchamel sauce.
  5. Put a bit of water in a small bowl, dip a finger in it and wet half the circumference of each filled disc with it. Fold each disc in half so that the edges coincide and form a half-moon, pressing well to seal the Sofficini perfectly.
  6. Beat 1 egg in a bowl, dip the Sofficini in it, then cover them with breadcrumbs.
  7. Put a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and when it is hot, brown Sofficini on both sides. Wipe the non-stick pan well with paper towels between cooking different batches of Sofficini so as to remove breadcrumbs remaining in the pan that may burn.
  8. Lay the Sofficini on kitchen paper and serve hot.

sofficini fatti in casa

Version with gluten of homemade Sofficini

To prepare homemade Sofficini with gluten, replace the gluten free flour with an equal amount of wheat flour and reduce the amount of water in the dough so that it is firm and not sticky, about 160g of water should be sufficient.

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