Epiphany is coming and with it the end of the holiday season. Along with a stocking full of tempting sweets and games for the little ones, you can celebrate this anniversary with something really good and tasty: gluten-free Cabbage and spinach bread balls.
This dish is just what we need when we have some leftover bread, it is a typical peasant food that gives us simple yet extraordinary flavours. And peasant foods mean not only no-waste cuisine, but also easy-to-find and inexpensive ingredients, so you can’t wish for more!
For gluten free Cabbage and spinach bread balls you will just have to be a little patient when making the bread balls because the dough will be rather soft and sticky, but remember that when you eat them you will not regret the effort for a second!
Cabbage and spinach bread balls
carbohydrates 20.55g per 100g of cooked bread balls without seasoning
Ingredients for 9 bread balls
- 150g stale bread** (I used this Mixed leavening bread)
- 130g milk
- 100g cooked spinach
- 100g cabbage
- 2 eggs
- 40g multi-purpose flour mix, brand Maximum Zero**
- 30g shredded cheese (I used pecorino romano cheese I had in the fridge)
- 30g leek
- 1 clove garlic
- extra virgin olive oil, pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, butter, sage, salt and nutmeg to taste
**Ingredients specific for celiacs
*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, or, in Italy, present on Prontuario AIC)
Preparation
- Cut the stale bread into cubes and soak it in milk, turning it occasionally.
- In the meantime, sauté 1 clove of garlic and the chopped leek with a little oil in a non-stick pan, then add the thinly sliced cabbage and the cooked (or frozen) chopped spinach. Season with salt and pepper and cook. Remember to remove the garlic.
- Put the vegetables in a food processor, chop them well, then add the soaked bread and continue chopping for a few seconds to reduce the bread to small pieces. Add the eggs while stirring, the cheese cut into very small pieces and the flour to a fairly firm texture.
- Let the mixture rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Now form the bread balls.
- There are two ways to proceed: lightly grease your hands and form balls of about 5cm in diameter to be placed on a tray, or cut out squares of cling film, place a spoonful of the mixture on them and form the ball by closing the film. The second option is to freeze the dumplings, so it will be very easy to remove the foil when you decide to cook them by throwing them directly into boiling water.
- In a small saucepan, melt a piece of butter with a few leaves of sage.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, cook the dumplings in it for about 15 minutes, drain them with a slotted spoon.
- Season the bread balls with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of sage flavoured butter, then serve.
Cabbage and spinach bread balls
Version with gluten of Cabbage and spinach bread balls
Replace gluten free bread with standard bread.
