Tag Archive for: carb count

Spinach meatballs

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By now you know, our ‘Meatballs and patties’ section is designed to collect many original recipes to prepare the food par excellence that both young and old ones enjoy. Today the proposal is Spinach meatballs.

So, today we propose a perfect version to get children to eat spinach, a vegetable rich in minerals that is often not very popular.

Here are the ingredients for our recipe. And if you want more ideas for meatballs and patties, have fun here!

Spinach meatballs

6.58g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 600g lean minced beef
  • 150g cooked spinach
  • 50g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 30g breadcrumbs**
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • 20g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove garlic
  • salt, extra virgin olive oil, sage, milk

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation of the Spinach meatballs

  1. Mix the minced meat with the egg, breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan; add salt to taste. Finely chop the spinach and incorporate it into the minced meat mixture.
  2. Form patties of about 5cm in diameter, flour them lightly and place them in a non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic and two sage leaves.
  3. Brown them on both sides, then lower the heat, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, adding a little milk and a few tablespoons of water if necessary.
  4. Serve piping hot.

polpette-di-spinaci-blog-uno-chef-per-gaia-ph-chiara-marando

Version with gluten of Spinach patties

Replace gluten-free breadcrumbs with standard breadcrumbs and rice flour with wheat flour.

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Amazing vegetables: Ratatouille

The world-famous Disney cartoon Ratatouille has not only made famous the little mouse protagonist of the story, but also the traditional French dish around which Rémy’s adventures revolve: Ratatouille.

To us Italians, such a high-sounding name makes one think of a super-fine dish, perhaps rich in preparations and sauces, typical of transalpine cuisine. Instead, Ratatouille is a very simple recipe whose goodness lies in the balance of vegetables between them and the very few other ingredients present. In short, Remy was right to be surprised by such an unusual order for the famous restaurant whose kitchen he headed!

Such a simple and tasty preparation is perfect for our table, perhaps to be served with Turkey meatballs with Porcini mushrooms.

 

Ratatouille

6.15g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 600g aubergine
  • 450g courgettes
  • 400g cherry tomatoes
  • 350g yellow and red pepper
  • 120g onions
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 clove garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil, salt

Preparation

  1. Cut the aubergines into cubes and place them in a colander, sprinkling them with salt so that their bitter liquid drains out. Meanwhile, cut the courgettes into rounds, the peppers into pieces, the onion into slices and the cherry tomatoes into halves.

Ricetta-Ratatouille-Blog-Uno-Chef-Per-Gaia

  1. In a wok, or a large non-stick frying pan, cook first the courgettes and peppers separately in a few tablespoons of oil, then finish off with the onion and cherry tomatoes; then add all the vegetables and sauté with a bay leaf and a clove of garlic.
  2. Adjust salt and pepper.

Ricetta-Ratatouille-Blog-Uno-Chef-Per-Gaia

Version with gluten of Ratatouille

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

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Venere rice pasta salad with vegetables

What could be better in summer than a nice, fresh Venere rice pasta salad with vegetables?

In our opinion, it is the ideal dish for the summer months, perfect for satiating hunger after returning from the beach, but also for an evening out with friends. It can be prepared in advance, in large quantities, and stored to have a great, healthy meal ready immediately.

Let’s prepare this vegetarian recipe then!

Would you like another idea for a summer salad? Try this Swordfish salad or Tomatoes with anchovy flavoured croutons.

Here’s how to prepare it!

Venere rice pasta salad with vegetables

24.65g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 400g Venere rice pasta Amaranto**
  • 300g white mushrooms
  • 250g courgettes
  • 100g yellow pepper
  • 100g red pepper
  • 100g carrots
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

** Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation of Venere rice pasta salad

  1. Clean and slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a non-stick pan with oil and a clove of garlic.
    Next, julienne cut the courgettes and carrots and dice the pepper.
  2. Put a little oil in the wok and cook the vegetables with a clove of garlic, seasoning with salt. When the vegetables are soft, let them cool down.

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  1. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water; leave it slightly al dente, drain and cool under running water.
    In a large bowl, mix the pasta with the vegetables and mushrooms; if necessary, season with salt and, if desired, add a few basil leaves.

Insalata-di-past-di-riso-venere-alle-verdure-blog-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Venere rice pasta salad with vegetables

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

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Octopus and chickpea salad with balsamic vinegar

Were we looking forward to summer? Well, with it also the dreaded heat has arrived! And to combat it, we recommend a simple, fresh and very tasty dish, a great classic to which we have added our personal touch: Octopus and chickpea salad with balsamic vinegar, a perfect mix of fish, vegetables, pulses and lightness.

If you love salads, try this Legumotti salad with caramelised Tropea onion.

Here’s what you need to prepare it!

Octopus and chickpea salad with balsamic vinegar

6.71g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 1kg fresh octopus, gutted (500g cooked)
  • 230g cooked chickpeas (I used canned chickpeas*)
  • 200g ripe tomatoes
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 2 small carrots
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil, salt, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, parsley

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

Preparation

  1. Place the octopus in a slightly high-sided pan, add water so that it is more than half covered, then top with a celery stalk, carrots, parsley, onion and garlic; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Insalata-di-polpo-e-ceci-al-balsamico-blog-uno-chef-per-gaia

  1. Once it is ready, drain it and let it cool. Remove most of the skin, cut it into pieces and then add the chickpeas and chopped tomatoes.
  2. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. We added the parsley only as a garnishing, but you can also put a sprinkling of it in the salad dressing.

Insalata-di-polpo-e-ceci-al-balsamico-blog-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Octopus and chickpea salad with balsamic vinegar

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

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Risate&Risotti Contest: my Tuscan risotto

This past weekend was another very intense one, full of excitement and satisfaction. We were in Lucignano, in the province of Arezzo, for the final of the Risate&Risotti Contest. In the kitchen, I had to invent a recipe with the ingredients found in the mystery box. The result? My Tuscan Risotto.

mistery-box-contest-risate-e-risotti

The result was a fantastic risotto made with simple ingredients that feature the flavours of Tuscany… hence the name Tuscan risotto.

We won’t tell you anything in advance about the tale of these two days of cooking, good food and lots of laughs, you will find the story in the next post. Today we want to reveal the recipe that has given us so much satisfaction!

Tuscan risotto

25g carbohydrates per 100g risotto without bread croutons

Ingredients

  • 1.3 litres of previously prepared meat stock
  • 320g Maremma rice
  • 120g Pecorino Toscano cheese
  • 120g green part of courgette (approx. 2 large courgettes)
  • 50g bread** Tuscan type
  • 40g slices of Tuscan bacon*
  • 40g cherry tomatoes
  • 30g spring onions
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 30g butter
  • extra virgin olive oil, meat stock, salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Wilt the finely chopped spring onion in a saucepan with a little oil and the garlic clove. Add the green part of the courgettes, cut with a coarse grater, and a ladle of stock to cook the vegetables.
  2. In the meantime, remove the crust from the bread and cut it into cubes. Put a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the chopped cherry tomatoes, sauté them, then add the bread, a pinch of salt and pepper and fry until crispy.
  3. In another non-stick pan, put the bacon in pieces so that it becomes crispy.
    Toast the rice in the saucepan with the courgettes after removing the clove of garlic (I took 3 minutes to have transparent rice grains with a white part in the centre), then start cooking the rice with hot stock. When it is still al dente, add the grated Pecorino cheese and stir in the cold butter.
    Plate and serve with a sprinkling of toasted bread and crispy bacon.

Ricetta-Risotto Toscana-contest-risate-e-risotti

I repeated this risotto at home and did not have sliced bacon on hand, so I used 60g of diced bacon sautéed in the non-stick pan without adding anything to make it slightly crispy.

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Tartlets with strawberries

Today we are in the mood for strawberries, their bright colour and inviting taste that goes well with desserts. And here we are with a reinterpretation of the classic shortcrust pastry tartlets, lighter but still delicious: Tartlets with strawberries

The trick?

Simple, the dough is prepared with ‘Zero Butter’, a fantastic all-vegetable substitute of butter.

We can begin!

Tartlets with strawberries

40.5g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the shortbread

  • 100g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 60g sugar
  • 50g gluten-free cake flour mix, brand Mix C Dolci Schär**
  • 50g almonds, peeled
  • 50g Zero butter* or butter
  • 1 egg
  • 8g baking powder*

Ingredients for the pastry cream

  • 160g low fat milk
  • 50g sugar
  • 15g corn starch*
  • 3 egg yolks
  • a bit of vanilla from the pod

Ingredients for garnishing

  • 200g fresh strawberries

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Grind the almonds in a food processor into a flour and add all the other ingredients for the shortcrust pastry; mix them together to obtain a soft, smooth dough. Cover with cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the pastry cream: in a food processor or bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is frothy; add the corn starch and vanilla. Meanwhile, put the milk on the stove and bring it to the boil; pour it over the egg and corn starch mixture and stir quickly with a whisk so that no lumps form. Put everything back on the heat and let it thicken while continuing to stir. Let cool by covering with cling film.
  3. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line tartlet moulds; prick the bottom with a fork and bake in a static oven preheated to 160°C for about 20 minutes. Let them cool down.
  4. Top the tartlets with custard and strawberries.
    Since no gelatine is used to coat the fruit, eat the tartlets on the same day or the next day at the latest.

Crostatine-di-fragole-gluten-free.blog-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Tartlets with strawberries

Replace the gluten-free flour with an equal amount of standard flour.

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From Sardinia, Cardinali muffins

Well, here we are with gluten-free Cardinali muffins… beautiful to look at, but especially delicious to eat.

Preparing them was a great fun because I needed someone from Sardinia who could teach me how to make the “real stuff”, so I invited my friend Maria Elena for a full immersion in Sardinian cuisine. So, together with Cardinali, we also prepared Culurgiones ravioli: amazing!

But let’s focus on the dessert now and find out what we need to prepare it!

Gluten free Cardinali muffins

63.18g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 200g gluten-free cake flour mix, brand Molino Dallagiovanna**
  • 200g sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 90g milk
  • 75g seed oil
  • 8g baking powder*
  • 1 lemon peel, grated
  • icing sugar*

Ingredients for the pastry cream and to complete

  • 250g milk
  • 50g sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 35g potato starch*
  • 1 whole lemon peel
  • alkermes liqueur* or raspberry juice with a few drops of red colouring*

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and whip the latter until stiff.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the grated lemon zest, oil and flour, alternating with milk until all ingredients are well incorporated. Finally, add the sifted baking powder and lastly the egg whites.

Uno-Chef-per-gaia-cardinali-senza-glutine.Foto Chiara Marando

  1. Place 3-4 cm diameter ramekins inside silicone moulds, or aluminium ramekins, so that they do not get deformed during baking filling ¾ of the ramekins.
    Bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown; let cool.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the cream. Heat the milk with the lemon peel. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, add the flour and mix well. Pour the lukewarm milk into the freshly prepared mixture and mix until smooth. Place everything on the heat and let it simmer, stirring with a whisk until the cream has thickened. Remove it from the heat and let it cool covered with cling film.
  3. And now assemble the cake.

Uno-chef-per-gaia-ricetta-senza.glutine-Foto Chiara Marando

  1. Holding a small knife at an angle, cut a cone and remove it whole from the sweets. Using a teaspoon, moisten the freshly hollowed-out inside with alkermes or red juice and do the same with the cones, dipping them in the coloured liquid until they are completely red.

uno-chef-per-gaia_Foto Chiara Marando

  1. Pour the cream into the holes you have drilled in the cakes and sprinkle with icing sugar. Finally, cover all the sweets with the cap, i.e. with the cones turned upside down with the tip facing upwards. Place them in the refrigerator and let them rest for a few hours to allow the cream to harden well.

uno-chef-per-gaia-ricetta-cardinali-senza-glutine

Version with gluten of Cardinali muffins

Replace Molino Dallagiovanna gluten-free flour with standard flour and reduce the amount of milk for the dough to 75g instead of 90g.

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Strawberry cheesecakes

Spring doesn’t just mean milder air and the awakening of nature, it also means the arrival of juicier fruit that precedes summer delights… in short, it means strawberries and Strawberry cheesecakes.

In fact, remember that strawberries are a very diabetes-friendly fruit, having only 5.3g of carbohydrates per 100g of strawberries. And since they are in season and friendly to our needs, also try Ricotta and strawberry cake.

Let’s get to work now!

Strawberry cheesecakes

22.01g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the cake

  • 200g gluten-free biscuits**
  • 110g butter
  • 50g Nutella

Ingredients for the mousse

  • 200g strawberries
  • 250g whipping cream
  • 150g cream cheese at room temperature
  • 60g icing sugar*
  • 10g gelatine sheets*
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • 1 vanilla pod

Ingredients for the strawberry sauce

  • 250g strawberries

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Place the biscuits with the softened butter in the blender and chop until a rather fine mixture is obtained; complete by adding the Nutella and mixing well with the chopped biscuits.
    Pour the mixture on the bottom of 9 round pastry rings with a diameter of 8cm placed on a tray, levelling well and compacting it with the back of a spoon. Finally, let your bases rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the mousse.
  3. Soak the gelatine in plenty of cold water for at least 10 minutes.
    In a bowl, mix the cheese with the icing sugar with a fork; wash and clean the strawberries, then blend them to a juice and add them to the cheese cream, mixing well.
    In another bowl, whip the cream and add the seeds of the vanilla pod.
    Heat 2 tablespoons of milk in a saucepan without reaching the boil, remove from the heat, add the squeezed gelatine and stir to dissolve it.
  4. When the gelatine mixture has cooled, add it to the cheese cream. Finally, also incorporate the whipped cream and stir gently with a spatula, from the bottom upwards so as not to cause the mixture to go runny. Pour the resulting cream over the biscuit base inside the rings.
    Now put the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
La preparazione delle cheesecake

Cheesecake preparation

  1. Before serving, set aside some strawberries to use as a garnishing and blend the remaining ones to make a sauce.
    Take the cheesecakes out of the refrigerator, remove the rings and top with the strawberry sauce and a sliced or whole strawberry.
  2. This recipe can also be prepared by replacing sugar in the cream with a sweetener of your choice, e.g. 30-40g agave syrup, thus reducing the amount of carbohydrates.
La cheesecake pronta da gustare

The ready-to-eat cheesecakes

Version with gluten of Strawberry cheesecakes

Replace gluten-free biscuits with standard ones; no other adaptation is needed.

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Mini apple strudels

Fancy something sweet and fragrant? Mini apple strudels are just the perfect choice.

Good, because my recipe today is not only tasty and tempting, but also easy to prepare and light.

The main ingredient is apple, a precious fruit with many properties, which becomes an important ally in the kitchen because it can enrich many preparations with flavour without the need for too much fat.

In short, a wholesome fruit that I like to interpret (try my Soft apple and cinnamon cake).

That said, let’s roll up our sleeves and start making some delicious Mini apple strudels, perfect for breakfast, as a snack or dessert at the end of a meal.

Mini apple strudels

25.85g carbohydrates per 100g of strudels with no sugar in the apples

Ingredients for 6 mini strudels

  • 350g green apples
  • 150g gluten-free bread flour mix, brand BiAglut**
  • 75g cold butter
  • 40g water
  • 1 egg
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • sweetener*, brown sugar

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Prepare the shortcrust pastry by mixing the flour, chopped butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor or by hand. The dough will be grainy: compact it, cover it with plastic film and put it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  2. Peel and chop the apples, place them in a non-stick pan with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of sweetener and cook until soft. Then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

mini_strudel_di_mele_senza_glutine_uno_chef_per_gaia

  1. Roll out the shortbread pastry to a thin thickness, cut out disks 12cm in diameter, put about 50g of apples on each disk, close them forming a half-moon and cut three slits in the surface.

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  1. Finally, brush the surface with beaten egg and sprinkle with a pinch (3g) of brown sugar.

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  1. Bake the mini strudels in a static oven preheated to 190°C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

ricetta_senza_glutine_mini_strudel_di_mele_uno_chef_per_gaia

Version with gluten of Mini apple strudel

Replace the gluten-free BiAglut flour with an equal amount of wheat flour and possibly reduce the amount of water to be added to the crust.

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Tricolour meatloaf

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Today’s dish is a main course that pleases all palates, young and old alike, but it also a great way to get children to eat the much-hated vegetables.

We are talking about a tasty and flavoursome Tricolour meatloaf, which has all the characteristics to become part of your weekly menu at home.

Also try preparing Vegetable and tuna flan to win over your children!

Tricolour meatloaf

5.11g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 600g lean minced beef
  • 170g Scamorza cheese
  • 150g cooked spinach or chard (500g fresh)
  • 90g Speck in slices*
  • 50g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 50g breadcrumbs**
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • salt to taste

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Clean the Swiss chard and sauté it in a non-stick pan with a little oil until softened. Then squeeze it slightly, if necessary, to remove excess water before setting it aside.

Polpettone Tricolore_unochefpergaia

  1. Mix the minced meat with the egg and grated Parmesan cheese; add salt to taste. With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the meat on a sheet of baking paper, forming a rectangle. Lay the slices of Speck so that they cover the meat and then proceed with the cheese and Swiss chard.

IMG_5Ricetta Polpettone Tricolore_Unochefpergaia

Polpettoe Tricolore senza glutine

  1. Roll up the rectangle with the help of parchment paper, close the ends, brush the surface with a little oil and dust it with breadcrumbs so that a thin, tasty crust forms once it is cooked.

IMG_5157_Foto Lorenzo Moreni
4. Finally, close the parchment paper like a candy and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-40 minutes.

IMG_5174_Foto Lorenzo Moreni

IMG_5317_Foto Lorenzo Moreni

Version with gluten of Tricolour meatloaf

Replace the gluten-free breadcrumbs with standard breadcrumbs; no other adaptation is needed.

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