Posts

Quinoa crêpes with broccoli

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.
Crespelle di quinoa e broccoli senza glutine

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.

/0 Comments/by

Mexican dinner: Vegetarian Chili

How about organising a fun Mexican dinner? We have done so and would like to recommend a recipe that is going to be a true success, with intense, spicy flavours suitable for all palates: Vegetarian Chili.

Would you like to accompany the recipe with an aperitif? Try the Guacamole Salsa.

Let’s begin!

Vegetarian Chili

7.41g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 400g tomato sauce
  • 300g yellow pepper
  • 300g red pepper
  • 250g carrots
  • 250g cooked Mexican black beans (about 120g dry soaked in water for at least 12 hours)
  • 200g cooked yellow soy (approx. 100g dry soaked in water for at least 12 hours)
  • 100g water
  • 40g onions
  • 1 piece of chilli pepper
  • paprika, parsley or coriander, extra virgin olive oil, salt

Preparation

  1. Put the beans in water and cook them for the time necessary for them to remain firm. Once cooked, drain them and set them aside. Repeat the same operation with the yellow soy.
  2. Chop the onion fairly finely and sauté it in a slightly high-sided pan with a little oil, adding the garlic clove and a pinch of chilli pepper according to personal preferences for spiciness.
  3. In the meantime, slice the carrots into rounds and dice the pepper, chop the parsley (in Mexico, coriander is used, but its specific flavour is not liked by all), then add all the vegetables and tomato sauce to the stir-fry, then season with salt and paprika.
  4. Let the vegetables cook for about 15 minutes. Finally, incorporate the soy and beans and let everything gain flavour for another 5 minutes before serving.

Chili-vegetariano-senza-glutine-uni-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Vegetarian Chili

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

/0 Comments/by

Perfect for children: Cauliflower patties

,

How to get children to eat vegetables? Simple, try using them as the main ingredient to prepare tasty Cauliflower patties. Because we know that patties are always very popular with children, so they won’t be able to say no to this vegetarian version.

The only challenge is to handle these patties gently because they are softer than their meat-based sisters, which you can still use to hide other vegetables, as is the case with my Spinach meatballs.

Cauliflower patties

7.79g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 400g cauliflower
  • 60g Pecorino cheese, grated
  • 40g breadcrumbs**
  • 30g capers
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • 20g parsley
  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • salt, pepper and olive oil

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Boil the cauliflower in salted water until soft. Drain and sauté it in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Let it cool, then remove the garlic and blend the cauliflower in a food processor with capers and parsley. Add egg, Pecorino and Parmesan cheese to obtain a rather firm mixture.

polpette-di-cavolfiore-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

  1. Put a few tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan, form patties, roll them in breadcrumbs and brown them on both sides.

polpette-di-cavolfiore-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

They are excellent served both hot and cold.

polpette-di-cavolfiore-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Cauliflower patties

Replace the gluten-free breadcrumbs with standard breadcrumbs.

/0 Comments/by

Creative first courses: Three-colour crêpe rolls

One eats first of all with the eyes, which is why dishes must not only be good but also harmonious and colourful: the cheerfulness they convey starts with the sight and then leaves room for the taste and that is what happens with the Three-colour crêpe rolls.

It is a sensory journey through aromas, scents and nuances.

That’s why the first course we propose here marries this theory to perfection, a perfect mix of flavour, authenticity and energy. Needless to say… strictly gluten-free.

Bring your imagination to the table then with our recipe for Three-colour crêpe rolls. If you like crêpes, also try Quinoa crêpes with broccoli.

Three-colour crêpe rolls

9.7g carbohydrates per 100 g

Ingredients for crêpes

  • 500g milk
  • 230g gluten-free multi-purpose flour**
  • 50g cooked and mashed red beet
  • 50g cooked and blended spinach (creamed spinach)
  • 6 eggs
  • 8g salt
  • extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the filling

  • 500g cabbage
  • 300g milk
  • 200g Bitto or Casera cheese (semi-hard cheese)
  • 30g wholemeal rice flour°
  • 10g butter
  • salt

To serve as desired: cream and parmesan fondue, creamed spinach

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. In a bowl or a food processor, blend all the ingredients for the crêpes except the beet and spinach cream. Once the batter is ready, divide it into three equal parts: one part should remain its natural colour, the other two should be completed with the creamed spinach and red beet respectively.
    In case they still contain pieces of vegetables, blend each mixture using an immersion blender.
  2. Lightly grease a frying pan about 15cm in diameter and pour in enough mixture to cover the bottom. Cook the crêpes on both sides until lightly browned.
  3. And now the filling! Cut cabbage or Savoy cabbage into strips and cook in a wok or non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and, if necessary, a bit of water. Finally, season with salt.
    In another pan, prepare the béchamel sauce with 10g butter, 30g rice flour, 300g milk and salt to taste.
Rotolini di crepes colorati

The coloured crêpe rolls

  1. Roll the crêpes, distribute the vegetables evenly on top and cover them with two tablespoons of béchamel sauce; finally, finish by adding the diced Bitto or Casera cheese; roll the crêpes and place them on a baking tin covered with parchment paper. Heat in the oven at 160°C until the cheese has melted.

Just one more step.

I rotolini di crepes colorati pronti per essere mangiati

The colourful crêpe rolls ready to be eaten

  1. Cut the crêpe rolls obliquely to obtain 3 small cylinders; spread a layer of fondue on the bottom of each plate and lay 1 cylinder per colour on top.

Serve piping hot.

Version with gluten of Three-colour crêpe rolls

Replace the 230g gluten free flour with 250g wheat flour to make the crepes; no other adaptation is needed.

/0 Comments/by