These cold, rainy winter afternoons are the right time to experiment with, and of course share, new dishes that warm and pamper the palate. And we are doing just that: tests and pairings to find tasty, balanced recipes such as Quinoa crêpes with broccoli.

Yesterday was one of those days in the kitchen, when the rain doesn’t stop, not even for a short walk. So, stove and ingredients are a fun solution not to get bored. Our Sunday led to the creation of a new vegetarian first course, naturally gluten free, which is also a complete and surprising dish for a dinner with friends. Here’s how to prepare it!

Quinoa crêpes with broccoli

8.03g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for crêpes for 6 servings

• 200g water
• 50g quinoa flour*
• 50g buckwheat flour*
• 2 eggs
• 20g extra virgin olive oil
• 5g salt
• extra virgin oil to grease the pan

Ingredients for the filling

• 380g ricotta cheese
• 200g boiled broccoli
• 165g béchamel sauce (see below)
• 100g Fontina cheese
• 100g Emmentaler cheese
• salt, pepper and nutmeg

Ingredients for the béchamel sauce

• 500g milk
• 50g wholemeal rice flour*
• 40g extra virgin olive oil
• 40g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
• salt

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

Preparation

1. Prepare the crêpes. Put the quinoa and buckwheat flour in a bowl, then add the water, stirring with a whisk. Add the eggs and mix well, then complete with oil and salt. With a piece of kitchen paper lightly greased with oil, wipe the surface of the non-stick pan (about 20 cm in diameter) that you will use for the crêpes. Pour the necessary amount of batter to cover the pan in a thin layer. Brown the crêpes on both sides, then put them aside. Continue until all the ingredients are used up (I obtained 6 crêpes).
2. Prepare the béchamel sauce by putting the oil in a saucepan and adding the rice flour; in the meantime, bring the milk to the boil, then add it to the flour and oil mixture while continuing to stir with a whisk. Put everything back on the heat and as soon as it starts to thicken, add grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt, mix well then set the béchamel sauce aside.
3. Shred Fontina and Emmentaler. In a bowl, mix the shredded cheese with the ricotta, the boiled broccoli cut into pieces, 165g béchamel, a pinch of salt and nutmeg.
4. Roll out the crêpes and divide the filling into equal parts; spread the filling well and roll the crêpes into cylinders; place on a tray, cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. When the crêpes are firm, cut them into 5 pieces each and place them vertically in a baking tin. Cover everything with the remaining béchamel sauce and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes at 190°C.

Gluten-free quinoa and broccoli crêpes

Version with gluten of Quinoa crêpes with broccoli

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients or ingredients bearing the gluten free wording, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

If you enjoyed making quinoa crêpes, also try these Three-colour crêpe rolls.