Tag Archive for: senza glutine

The pleasure of discovery: Fonio patties

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Fonio patties, an ancient gluten free grain

What is this product that not even the Word spellcheck recognises as a term of the English language? It is an ancient gluten free grain that has been cultivated in Africa for over 5,000 years, yet only in 2018 the EFSA published its favourable opinion for the import and sale of this product, which is considered novel food as it has never before entered Europe.

It comes with such small grains that when I received the package to test and taste it, I thought I had been sent a flour!

Fonio is in some ways similar to millet, with an even milder flavour, but less sweet. From a nutritional point of view, it is a small marvel as it is rich in micronutrients, particularly iron and zinc, as well as essential amino acids not found in other cereals or pseudocereals. Its carbohydrate content is 74.4g per 100g of product, so very similar to other cereals, but it has a lower glycaemic index due to the presence of fibre and the absence of simple sugars, making it a valuable ally of ours.

The other element of great interest is the fact that this food grows on arid land with very little need for water, making it ideal for a world in which desertification and water scarcity are becoming increasingly urgent. I have to admit that I also like the idea of adding a new and environmentally sustainable member to the gluten free cereal family.

Fonio in the kitchen

On a purely gastronomic level, my surprise and satisfaction was mildness. These patties are an irresistible finger food and the almost ‘neutral’ taste of fonio, which can be somewhat compared to the ‘neutral’ taste of wheat, makes it suitable for so many preparations: in addition to crackers in which fonio has passed the test with flying colours, my next experiments will be bread and cakes, so I will keep you updated!

While waiting for it to be distributed in the various channels, those of you who want to learn more, taste and experience it, it will soon be on sale directly from the website of Obà Food.

While waiting to try fonio, you can replace it with millet when preparing these patties. Or try my Couscous patties.

Happy experimentation and bon appetit!

Fonio patties

18.82g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 300g previously prepared vegetable stock
  • 100g fonio grains*
  • 100g Delica pumpkin, peeled and with seeds removed
  • 60g ricotta cheese
  • 50g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 50g extra virgin olive oil
  • 50 g breadcrumbs**
  • 40g leek
  • 30g sesame seeds
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients for serving Fonio patties

sauces* as desired

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. In a saucepan, sauté the finely chopped leek in a little extra virgin olive oil; as soon as it has browned, add the diced pumpkin, then a ladle of stock and cook over a low flame. When the pumpkin is cooked, mash it with a wooden spoon, then add the remaining stock and throw in the Fonio grains. Let it cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool down.
  2. Once cold, add the egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and sesame and mix well; season with salt and pepper, then place in the fridge to cool and firm up for 2 hours (in case you don’t have time, skip the fridge step, but it will be a little more difficult to form the patties because the mixture will be softer; if it is too soft, add a bit of breadcrumbs). Form patties of the desired size: I made patties about 4 cm in diameter. Roll them on a dish containing some extra virgin olive oil, then in a second dish with breadcrumbs so that this adheres well to the surface of the patties.
  3. Place the patties on a baking tin covered with greaseproof paper, drizzle with a little oil and bake in a convection oven preheated to 200°C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. Serve the meatballs with sauces to taste, I served them with a mustard flavoured sauce.

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

Version with gluten of Fonio patties

Replace the gluten free breadcrumbs with conventional breadcrumbs.

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Gluten-free lavender biscuits: scented treats

Why make lavender biscuits? Simply because we met Francesca D’Ambrosio , who on the hills of Parma, precisely in Bazzano, runs the farm Orto di Coccinellewhere she grows organic lavender and saffron, tending them by hand and in complete harmony with nature. It is a corner of paradise where butterflies, ladybirds and birds reign supreme. With these biscuits, we close our eyes and relive the experience of so much peace, beauty, fragrance and taste.

If you love biscuits, try also these Rice and buckwheat biscuits.

Lavender biscuits

50.33g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 170g flour mix for bread, brand BiAglut**
  • 130g butter
  • 110g almonds, peeled
  • 100g sugar
  • 45g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 35g blue corn flour**
  • 1 egg
  • 2 g organic lavender flowers
  • a pinch of salt

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. In a food processor, grind the almonds to a flour. Add the other flours, sugar, butter, egg and salt and mix to incorporate all ingredients well. Finally, add the lavender flowers.
  2. Take pieces of shortcrust pastry weighing 20g each, form them into balls, then flatten and place them on a baking tin covered with parchment paper, spacing them at least 2cm apart. Bake them in a static oven preheated to 180° for about 15 minutes.
  3. They are irresistible biscuits both for breakfast and for an afternoon tea or to accompany coffee at the end of a meal.
I biscotti alla lavanda pronti per essere gustati con un tè

Lavender biscuits ready to be enjoyed with tea

Version with gluten of Lavender biscuits

Replace the BiAglut flour with an equal amount of conventional cake flour.

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Passatelli with pappa al pomodoro and crispy prosciutto

If one were to ask me what my favourite dishes are, I would answer first courses in all their infinite forms and interpretations, so here is my proposal for the national festival of first courses: Passatelli with pappa al pomodoro and crispy prosciutto.

The national festival of first courses

In the heart of Italy, from 27 to 30 September, the entire historic centre of Foligno will be colonised by fans of this symbol of Italian cuisine, the national festival of first course: I Primi d’Italia

primi-d-italia-logo

The verb ‘colonise’ is certainly the most appropriate to define what is happening in the Umbrian village, which is divided into no less than 14 villages of first courses, including, which fills me with joy, also one dedicated to gluten free.

Armed with a healthy appetite and, above all, an insatiable curiosity, it is worth getting lost in the streets and discovering not only the more than 100 recipes for first courses served non-stop, but also the cooking classes, tastings, cooking shows, markets, conferences as well as entertainment and music.

A first course featuring the Emilia Romagna region

To celebrate 20 years of this exquisite event, I welcomed with pleasure and honour the opportunity to represent my own region, Emilia Romagna, through a traditional dish, but with a touch of innovation and freshness through some ingredients that at home, in Parma, are really the masters, namely Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and tomato. This is what I have decided to propose to you: Passatelli with pappa al pomodoro and crispy prosciutto.

Why Passatelli? Because I have never found anyone who didn’t like them, because they require only very few ingredients, because they are perfect for reusing leftover bread and hardened Parmesan cheese, because they are suitable for all seasons, and because they are so easy and quick to prepare.

Most likely born in the countryside of Romagna, where people lived in poverty but always managed to prepare a dish like this, they soon became a symbol of the entire regional cuisine.

The tool for preparing Passatelli

The traditional tool with which they were prepared is the ancestor of the pasta die, a kind of perforated disc, slightly concave, with two handles that allow you to place it on the dough by making a forward movement while exerting a certain pressure that will cause these small cylinders of varying lengths to come out. The ingenuity of the peasants meant that the quantity of Passatelli formed in the hollow with a swipe of the iron disc on the dough corresponds to the serving for one diner, making life easy for the women of the house when calculating the quantity to prepare.

Today, the ‘Passatelli iron disc’ has become almost a collector’s item and has been replaced by the less artistic but effective potato masher with large holes, aided by the blade of a knife. When the residual dough is too little to be shaped by the disc, the leftover is generally forged between the hands to obtain an extra-large Passatello, the object of battles for children who always want to get it.

Historically, Passatelli are served in a good meat stock, perhaps capon stock, but for the hot season and, why not admit it, to avoid the time-consuming preparation of stock, I wanted to experiment with a different, tomato-based soup, which is also excellent warm or cold and not just hot (if you want a hot soup, try my Onion soup au gratin).

The proportions between ingredients is somewhat the same in all families, i.e. 1 egg for every 100g of Parmesan cheese and dry bread, with the growing wealth making housewives lean towards increasing the amount of Parmesan a little at the expense of bread. In some parts of the region, a portion of flour is also added, an operation from which I couldn’t exempt myself when preparing my gluten free Passatelli and wanting to sauté them in a pan.

Passatelli with pappa al pomodoro and crispy prosciutto

36.9 g carbohydrates per 100g of plain Passatelli

 

Ingredients for Passatelli for 4 servings

  • 110g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 100g breadcrumbs or grated stale bread**
  • 60g flour mix for fresh pasta, brand Molino Dallagiovanna**
  • 2 eggs
  • meat or vegetable stock to blanch the bread
  • nutmeg, salt

Ingredients for Pappa al pomodoro

  • 500g tomato sauce
  • 200g low fat milk
  • 50g carrots
  • 50g onions
  • 20g celery
  • 20 g butter
  • 20g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • chopped coriander seeds, chilli pepper, salt and pepper

Ingredients to complete

  • 50g Parma ham
  • some basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation of Pappa al pomodoro

Start preparing Pappa al pomodoro in this version without bread. Chop the onion, carrot and celery and brown them in a low, wide pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic. When they are well caramelised, add the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt; cover and cook for 20 minutes.

La pentola Agnelli dedicata ai Primi d'Italia

The Agnelli pot dedicated to Primi d’Italia

  1. In the meantime, prepare a béchamel sauce by melting 20g of butter in a pan, add the rice flour, stirring with a whisk to obtain a cream, then dilute with milk and put on the heat, stirring continuously until it thickens into a béchamel sauce; add salt to taste.
  2. When the tomato sauce is ready, remove the garlic cloves and incorporate the béchamel sauce, stirring well. Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth and even. Add chopped coriander seeds, chilli, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation of Passatelli

  1. Heat the stock. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and scald them with the boiling stock, taking care not to pour too much: the bread should be slightly moist and sticky. Once cold, add the other ingredients, namely flour, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and eggs. Mix well until you obtain a firm compound. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Prepare the crispy ham. Lay the ham slices on a plate and place the plate in the microwave oven on low power for about twenty seconds: if the ham has not become crispy, repeat the operation until the desired texture is reached.
  3. Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to the boil, then add salt.
  4. For Passatelli we have two options: we can form them and lay them on a tray to keep for later, or we can throw them directly into boiling water or stock. Put about half the Passatelli mixture into the potato masher, press the potato masher directly over the boiling water and when the Passatelli are the desired length, about 4-5 cm, cut them with a knife dropping them directly into the water. Stir them with a skimmer and let them boil for a few minutes.
  5. Put 2 tablespoons of Pappa al pomodoro in the sauce pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and half a ladle of cooking water; with a skimmer, remove the Passatelli from the water and throw them into the pan with the sauce, sautéing them over high heat for a few minutes.
  6. Serve a ladleful of Pappa al pomodoro in each serving dish, place the sautéed Passatelli on top, the crispy chopped prosciutto, two basil leaves, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve.

passatelli-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Passatelli with pappa al pomodoro and crispy prosciutto.

Do not use flour or very little for preparing Passatelli.

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Buffalo ricotta gnocchi with saffron and Egyptian walking onion

What are Egyptian walking onions?

I must admit that my curiosity could not resist such a bizarre name for an onion cultivated mainly in western Liguria, so I expressed my interest to receive a book entirely dedicated to this subject, as well as to receive Egyptian walking onions to experiment with in the kitchen.

First of all, the name. In reality, the adjective ‘Egyptian‘ has nothing to do with the Egyptian civilisation, so much so that it is also known to the world by many other names, a fact which, in addition to its ease of cultivation, has made it somewhat mysterious, favouring its spread from the 1600s onwards. Already at that time, the onion was present in Russia and particularly in Siberia where it withstands even the cold winter temperatures. This capacity has meant that it has become a valuable source of nutrition for local populations, mainly due to its high vitamin C content, which is not easily available in areas with such hostile climatic conditions.

Yet, the Egyptian onion is also perfectly adapted to the Ligurian climate where, planted in the soil, it is able to produce several onions overhead and for long periods of time. The small bulbs develop in place of the traditional flower and are buried to give rise to other plants that grow easily and without requiring much attention.

If the bulbs are not harvested, the long stems on which they grow bend under their own weight and end up touching the soil where they root, giving rise to new plants. Hence the name of ‘walking onion‘. Economically, this onion has three types of harvest: the green leaves, the underground bulbs (which are left for the following harvest) and the topsets.

Size: a surprise

Reading about all these rather unusual characteristics, my imagination started working on what I could prepare with these perfect strangers, but since onion soup is one of my favourite dishes, my first thought was to use them in this way. But what did I discover when the envelope containing 7 little treasures arrived? First of all, they are really tiny so the thought of soup was instantly erased.

A second aspect that had struck me was reading that in many preparations the long leaves are used, so this time I had thought of a recipe in which the lush, green part was emphasised. My choice? I had thought of empanadas filled with vegetables, including Egyptian onion leaves, and served with a few fried leaves and a grating of hard sheep’s milk ricotta.

You can therefore imagine that, having received the bulbs without the green part, my second idea also tragically stalled. So, having to prepare dinner for two hungry teenagers and a husband well past his teens, but with the same appetite, I decided to use the bulbs as if they were precious little truffles, grating them raw, fragrant and succulent, over freshly made buffalo ricotta small gnocchi. A curiosity: one of the reasons why the Egyptian onion is so popular in cooking is that, even raw, it does not leave its scent in the mouth once consumed!

I don’t know how the other recipes I had thought would turn out, but this use of onion met with our approval. And you know what? I used 4 and planted the remaining 3 in the vegetable garden, so I am hoping for a small harvest in a few months to continue the experimentation!

Would you like some more gnocchi recipes? Try these Gnocchi with hare.

Buffalo ricotta gnocchi with saffron and Egyptian walking onion

carbohydrates 14.8g uncooked plain gnocchi

 

Ingredients for 4-5 servings

  • 600g buffalo ricotta
  • 200g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 160g pasta flour mix, brand Petra 03** or bread flour, brand Nutrifree**
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 50g milk
  • 4 Egyptian onions
  • 0.25g saffron
  • basil, 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 ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour and egg, adjust salt and, when even, place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Form cylindrical strips and cut out small gnocchi.
  3. In the meantime, put a few tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the cherry tomatoes cut into quarters and with the seeds removed. Season with salt and set aside.
  4. In a pan, large enough to hold the gnocchi once cooked, pour in the milk and dissolve the saffron together with a few tablespoons of the gnocchi cooking water and a pinch of salt.
  5. Cook the gnocchi in slightly salted boiling water for a few minutes and as soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in the pan with the saffron; allow the sauce to thicken and the gnocchi to gain flavour over medium heat.
  6. Assemble the plates by placing the saffron gnocchi, sautéed cherry tomatoes, a few basil leaves, a grated or very thinly sliced Egyptian onion (I used a Microplane grater to make this sort of carpaccio) and finally freshly ground pepper.
  7. It is a tasty and aromatic dish and above all fresh and perfect for summer.

 

gnocchi-cipolla-egiziana-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia-

Version with gluten of Buffalo ricotta gnocchi with saffron and Egyptian walking onion

Replace the gluten free flour with 180g conventional flour.

 

“This recipe was submitted to the MA CHE CIPOLLA D’EGITTO! 2018″ contest

logo cipolla logo edizioni zem

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Gluten-free baking: Desert roses

You know those old-fashioned sweets, the ones that smell of good food and tradition? We love them and thought we would prepare a simple but very tasty recipe, biscuits that are a temptation to enjoy on their own or to accompany tea: gluten-free Desert Roses.

Their shape is unmistakable, their texture crispy and their taste delicately enveloping, in short, they are perfect for breakfast or a snack during the day, perhaps even accompanied by tea or coffee. Have a look also at my Coffee biscuits if you want to enrich your choice!

If you are short on time and do not like to cut biscuits, this is definitely the right recipe for you.

Desert Roses

48.5g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 80g almonds, peeled
  • 70 g organic cornflakes Sarchio**
  • 60g raisins
  • 50g flour mix for bread, brand BiAglut**
  • 50g corn starch*
  • 50g sugar
  • 45 g butter
  • 1 egg
  • a bit of vanilla from the pod
  • 4g baking powder*
  • a pinch of salt

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Soak the raisins in lukewarm water.
  2. In a food processor, grind the almonds to a floury mixture, then add the flour, corn starch, butter, egg, vanilla, salt, sugar and baking powder; mix to incorporate all ingredients well. Finally, add the squeezed raisins.
  3. Pour the cornflakes onto a sheet of baking paper. With a teaspoon, take an amount of dough the size of a large walnut and roll it over the cornflakes so that they adhere to the surface.
  4. Place the desert roses on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and bake them in a static oven preheated to 180° for about 20 minutes.
Rose del deserto senza glutine

Gluten free desert roses

Version with gluten of Desert roses

Replace the BiAglut flour with 50g wheat flour and use standard cornflakes.

 

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Couscous with prawn and courgette curry

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The summer heat is here and our solution to fully enjoy the days outdoors is a fresh and complete recipe: Couscous with prawn and courgette curry.

In this way, you have a unique, tasty dish that is perfect for satisfying a craving for good food without weighing you down and for travelling eastwards with flavours. For your summer, you can also try this Swordfish salad.

The tip: prepare some extra, it will be great even the day after!

Couscous with prawn and courgette curry

Couscous 35g carbohydrates per 100g

Prawn and courgette sauce 4.12g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 500g courgettes
  • 500g milk
  • 400g peeled and deveined prawns
  • 300g water
  • 250 g couscous Bia gluten free**
  • 30g shallot
  • 2 heaped tablespoons of grated coconut
  • 1 tbsp curry
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation

  1. First prepare the couscous. Put 300g of water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and heat it, without bringing it to the boil. Pour the couscous into a bowl and cover it with hot water; let it rest for the time necessary to allow all the water to be absorbed and the curry to set.
  2. Put a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan and brown the finely chopped shallot. Add curry and turmeric, and toast for one minute before adding the courgettes cut into sticks half a centimetre in diameter and 4cm long. Let it season for a few minutes, then cover with milk, add salt and pepper and let it cook for about ten minutes. At this point, sprinkle with grated coconut, add the peeled and deveined prawns, stir the mixture well and let it cook for a few minutes.
  3. In the meantime, shell the couscous, add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste.
  4. Serve by placing 3 heaped tablespoons of couscous in the centre of a deep dish and the hot prawn and courgette curry sauce all around.
  5. Watch the videorecipe of a very similar preparation.

cous-cous-senza-glutine-uno-che-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Couscous with prawn and courgette curry

Simply replace the gluten-free couscous with a standard couscous, all other ingredients are naturally gluten free.

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Gluten-free apple strudel

There are desserts that go well in any season, delighting not only in their flavour but also in their aromas. Gluten-free apple strudel is one such desserts: healthy, spicy and irresistibly flavoured. If you love apples, don’t miss this Soft apple and cinnamon cake.

Gluten-free apple strudel is easy to prepare, great to taste and… quick to bake. So, no fear of the heat in the house, it will only take a little effort to bake an extremely tempting dessert that can possibly be accompanied by a few spoonfuls of cinnamon-flavoured Greek yoghurt.

Gluten-free apple strudel

34.53g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the dough

  • 300g flour mix for bread, brand BiAglut**
  • 100g water
  • 75g butter
  • 40g seed oil
  • 30g sugar

Ingredients for the filling

  • 900g Granny Smith apples (weight of apples to be peeled)
  • 70g raisins
  • 50g pine nuts
  • 50g breadcrumbs**
  • 30g brown sugar
  • 25g rum
  • 20g sugar
  • 1/2 lemon
  • cinnamon powder

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation of Gluten free apple strudel

  1. For the puff pastry, knead all the ingredients until you obtain a soft, even dough. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for the time needed to prepare the filling.
  2. Soak the raisins in rum. Peel the apples, remove the core and cut them into very thin slices. Sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon, add sugar, pine nuts, cinnamon and finally the raisins with rum.
  3. Stir well and leave for about ten minutes.
  4. Roll out the dough very thinly to form a rectangle of at least 45×35. Sprinkle with some of the breadcrumbs, leaving about 4 cm free around the perimeter of the rectangle. Place the apple filling in the middle of the rectangle without pouring the liquid. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs, then close the rectangle over the apples to form a cylinder: don’t be alarmed if it seems like a lot, just try to close the strudel and you’ll see that, once cooked, the quantity of apples will be perfect!
  5. Brush the cylinder well with the apple maceration liquid made of rum and lemon, then bake in a static oven preheated to 180°C for about 45 minutes. In case the strudel does not brown, raise the temperature to 200° for the last 15 minutes.
Strudel di mele sugar light

Apple strudel ready to be eaten

Version with gluten of Apple strudel

Replace the gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs with conventional products and in the dough reduce the amount of water to 80g and the amount of seed oil to 35g.

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Risoni pasta with garden vegetables

This morning the garden had prepared a wonderful surprise: bright green spinach and plump peapods. Thinking of the best way to enjoy these gifts of spring, and wanting to cook our beloved pasta, here is the idea: Risoni pasta with garden vegetables, prepared with Massimo Zero pasta sautéed a few minutes in the vegetable sauce and perfectly al dente. A treat!

One of the convictions that has always guided me in the kitchen is that it is up to us as parents to get kids used to eating vegetables, but we certainly have to work hard to find a variety of ways to make them irresistible. Well this simple pasta is one of the many ways my children can’t say no to!

Risoni pasta with garden vegetables

35g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 400g Risoni Massimo Zero**
  • 100g fresh spinach
  • 70g fresh peas
  • 70g brie
  • 30g shallot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil and salt as needed

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation of Risoni pasta with garden vegetables

  1. Put the sliced shallot in a frying pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and the garlic clove, fry for a few minutes. Add fresh peas and spinach that has been thoroughly washed and chopped, add salt to taste and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes so that the spinach loses its water. Add the Brie without its white rind only when the vegetables are cooked; then let it melt.
  2. In the meantime, bring a pot with water and salt to the boil, cook the Risoni in it, leaving them slightly al dente. Drain, keeping a few ladles of the cooking water, and pour the Risoni into the pan with the vegetable and Brie sauce; season for a few minutes, adding the necessary cooking water to keep them creamy.
  3. Now serve and enjoy!
Risoni con verdure dell'orto

Risoni pasta with garden vegetables

Version with gluten of Risoni pasta with garden vegetables

Only substitute gluten free Risoni pasta with a standard one, no other adaptation is needed.

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Travelling to South America: Pao de queijo

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Pao de queijo or cheese bread is typical throughout South America, with some interesting regional variations that define its distinctiveness. The key element, however, is that it is prepared with naturally gluten free flours.

In many cases it is fried rather than baked, but it is always extremely rich and tasty, so much so that it can be eaten not only with other foods, but also on its own as a snack.

It is also extremely easy to prepare, so it can be a solution when we do not have the time to prepare a leavened bread. Another bread idea if you do not have time for leavening is this Yoghurt flat bread.

Pao de queijo

37.95g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 300g milk
  • 265g quinoa flour*
  • 150g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 130g rice oil
  • 80g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 60g rice starch*
  • 2 eggs
  • 5g salt

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

Preparation

  1. Put the milk, oil and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat and add all the starch and flours to the liquids, stirring with a wooden spoon: the mixture will be firm leaving the saucepan sides clean.
  2. Let the mixture cool, then add one egg at a time and finally the grated Parmesan cheese. Finish mixing the ingredients well by placing the dough on a cutting board and, when it is perfectly homogeneous, form into small loaves about 4 cm in diameter. Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a static oven preheated to 180°C for about 30 minutes.
  3. Cheese bread can be eaten warm or cold.
ricetta-senza-glutine-pao-de-queijo-uno-chef-per-gaia

Cheese bread ready for a snack

Version with gluten of Pao de queijo

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

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Risotto or salt cod? Salt cod risotto

Risotto or salt cod? 

The anser for me is Salt cod Risotto! A few weeks ago I went to Vairano Scalo in the province of Caserta. Before the trip, I had imagined that I would taste wonderful buffalo mozzarella, fantastic artichokes, a long-awaited saffron, but never did I think I would eat salt cod in all its possible preparations!

Yet it is in this very village in Campania that you will find the Osteria del Baccalà where Antonio Ruggiero enchants everyone with the magic he can create with this extraordinary ingredient. And you know what? The experience with his salt cod is so good for the health and good mood that Antonio calls the dinner in his osteria a ‘therapeutic salt cod dinner‘! And I

Well, on those very same days, I read on the page of the Italian Food Bloggers Association that some colleagues from Veneto had organised a contest dedicated to Veneto and risotto entitled: “How do you cream it?” The connection was straight! The recent experience of salt cod and my beloved Veneto could only make me prepare a risotto that combines two of my favourite dishes: so here is my Salt cod risotto.

E-tu-come-lo-mantechi

Any other pleasant coincidences? The fact that I had gone to Vairano to prepare a risotto for the students of the ISISS Marconi hospitality school and that this is the season of asparagus, of which Veneto is a famous producer. I thought it was a bit daring, but since everyone at home liked this risotto, here is the recipe for you to try it too!

Salt cod risotto

23g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • approx. 1.5 litres of previously prepared vegetable stock
  • 360g Carnaroli rice
  • 200g desalted cod
  • 200g milk
  • 16green asparagus
  • 60g Prosecco from a winery of your choice
  • 40g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 60g extra virgin olive oil
  • 30g spring onion
  • 30g fresh cream
  • 4 g parsley
  • 1 clove garlic
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Cook the cod covered in water and milk with the garlic clove for about 20 minutes.
  2. Remove the skin, garlic and any bones, then place the cod in a blender with the washed parsley leaves. Start blending by adding 50g of oil in a trickle, as if you were whipping mayonnaise. Also add the cream while continuing to whip and finally add salt to taste.
  3. Prepare the asparagus. Wash them, remove the woody ends, then separate the tips from the rest. Place the tips in a non-stick pan with a little oil and let them soften, then season with salt and set aside. In a saucepan, pour 10g of oil and the chopped spring onion, allow it to soften, then add the asparagus spears, allow them to take on flavour for a few minutes, then cover with water and cook. Once cooked, blend the asparagus to a perfectly smooth, stringless cream. Set it aside.
  4. Now let’s prepare the rice. Dry-toast the rice in a large pan (it took me 3 minutes to get the grains nice and transparent with a white kernel in the centre). Add Prosecco and allow to evaporate stirring until you can no longer smell the wine alcohol. Start adding the boiling stock. Continue stirring and only add stock when the rice has absorbed almost all the liquid. When the rice is still al dente, remove from the heat and start adding the creamed salt cod, continuing to stir the rice well so that the starch is released to form a nice creamy mixture, add the grated Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until it is completely incorporated. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
  5. Plate the risotto: with the help of a piping bottle or pastry bag, place little tufts of asparagus cream on the surface and 4 asparagus tips on each plate.
  6. Serve the risotto and enjoy!

Risotto-al-baccala-uno-che-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Salt cod risotto

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

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