Category Archives: High-fibre Food

Spelt Cake With Blackberries And Apples.

First of all I have to apologise for publishing fewer recipes than normal this month. Unfortunately, my photography project has taken up most of my time lately, as I am trying to build up my creative portfolio. I love writing recipes though, so I’ll try to publish a few more next month…. But I hope you enjoy the picture-a-day project as my as I do! In fact, I am having a lot of fun with it and I’ll continue publishing new photographs, if you like the idea.

Anyway, speaking of recipes, today I am publishing an old Foodfulife classic, slightly revisited! We are going to make my spelt apple cake (the one without butter and refined sugar) with some fresh blackberries and ground almonds. This recipe was requested by friend who wanted to add a different kind of fruit to the original recipe. At first, I gave it a go changing a few ingredients, but then I realised that the batter was just right as it was…So I left it pretty much the same, with the exception of two ingredients, but I also I had to adjust the quantity of the apples and milk to balance.
Of course, you can replace the blackberries with whichever fresh berries you like.

Tip. Toast the almonds in the over for a few minutes at 160° C /320° F, before using them. Toasted almonds will add flavour to the cake.

Spelt with blackberries and apple.

Ingredients

300 g golden apples (1 and half big apples, or 2 smaller apples)

100 g of blackberries (about 25 big ones)

100 g whole spelt flour

1 egg

80 ml almond milk

60 g of finely ground almonds

1 egg

3 tablespoons of organic sunflower oil

3 tablespoons of barley malt

3 tablespoons of honey

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 pinch of cinnamon

the zest of an organic lemon

a pinch of salt

Method.

1. Wash the blackberries and let dry for a while.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder.

3. In a second bowl, mix the honey with the barley malt, then add the egg and mix well. Once you have a creamy mixture add the milk with the ground almonds and the lemon zest.

4. Mix the flour with the egg mixture. Add a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

5. Peel the apples, remove the core and cut into pieces. Add the apple chunks and the blackberries to the batter.

6. Line a cake tin with baking paper, then fill with the batter and bake at 180 ° C/356°F for 50 minutes (or maybe for a little longer, just keep an eye on the cake!). Here I used a 25 cm long x10 cm wide tin.

Torta di farro con more e mele.

Ingredienti

300 g di mele golden (una mela grande, più mezza mela)

100 g di more (circa 25 grandi)

100 g di farina di farro integrale

1 uovo

80 ml di latte di mandorla

60 g di mandorle macinate finemente

1 uovo

3 cucchiai di olio di girasole biologico e spremuto a freddo

3 cucchiai di malto d’orzo

3 cucchiai di miele

1/2 cucchiaino di lievito in polvere

1 pizzico di cannella

la scorza di un limone biologico

un pizzico di sale

Metodo.

1. Lavate bene le more e lasciatele asciugare.

2. Mescolate la farina e il lievito in una terrina.

3. A parte, unite il miele al malto d’orzo, poi aggiungere l’uovo e mescolare bene.
Una volta ottenuto un composto cremoso, aggiungete il latte di mandorla, le mandorle tritate e la scorza di un limone.

4. Unite la farina al il composto cremoso, poi aggiungete un pizzico di cannella e di sale.

5. Sbucciate le mele, levate il centro con i semi e tagliate la polpa a pezzi. Unite i pezzi di mela e le more al composto.

6. Foderate una teglia con carta da forno (uso una teglia rettangolare lunga 25 cm e larga 10 cm), quindi riempite la teglia con l’impasto e infornate a 180 ° C per 50 minuti (magari anche un po’ più a lungo, tenete comunque d’occhio la torta durante la cottura).

Light Mango And Strawberry Smoothie (No Milk Or Added Sugar)

Today’s smoothie is packed with antioxidants and it’s great if you, like me, need a little help to strengthen up and boost the immune system with natural vitamins and minerals, during the change of seasons. This is also a delicious and light breakfast smoothie, but it could be a tasty non-alcoholic drink to enjoy with friends if diluted with a little more orange juice.

Mango and strawberry smoothie.

Serves 2

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into pieces

200 g strawberries, washed , cleaned and cut into halves

the juice of half an orange

the grated zest of an organic orange

a pinch of grated ginger

3 ice cubes

Method.

1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

2. Serve in two big glasses with some straws.

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Smoothie light con mango e fragole.

Per 2 persone

1 mango maturo, sbucciato e tagliato a pezzi

200 g di fragole lavate, pulite e tagliate a metà

il succo di mezza arancia, biologica

un pizzico di scorza grattugiata d’ arancia, biologica

un pizzico di zenzero grattugiato

3 cubetti di ghiaccio

Metodo.

1. Frullare tutti gli ingredienti insieme fino ad ottenere una bevanda cremosa.

2. Servire in due bicchieri grandi con alcune cannucce.

Quick And Easy: Strawberry And Banana Smoothie

This week’s healthy recipe is packed with fibre, vitamin C, B6, manganese, potassium and with the vegetable proteins of the oats and the soya milk….Today I am sharing a dairy-free smoothie recipe for a super healthy and delicious energy boosting drink filled with bananas and strawberries; perfect for breakfast or as a light lunch. No need to say that banana and strawberry are a match made in heaven… Enjoy! 😉

Strawberry and banana smoothie

Ingredients

Serves 2

250 g strawberries, washed and cleaned

100 ml soya milk

2 bananas, cut into chunks

4 tablespoons of rolled oats

the grated zest of an organic lemon

1 tablespoon of honey (optional)

a few leaves of fresh mint (optional)

3 ice cubes

Method.

1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.

2. Serve in two large glasses or glass jars with two straws.

Smoothie con fragole e banane.

Ingredienti

per 2 persone (due smoothie grandi)

250 g di fragole, lavate e pulite

100 ml di latte di soia

2 banane, tagliate a pezzi grandi

4 cucchiai di fiocchi d’avena

la scorza grattugiata di un limone, non trattato

1 cucchiaio di miele (facoltativo)

qualche foglia di menta fresca (facoltativo)

3 cubetti di ghiaccio

Preparazione.

1. Frullate tutti gli ingredienti fino ad ottenere una consistenza cremosa.

2. Servite in due bicchieri grandi (oppure in due vasetti di vetro) con delle cannucce.

Chickpea And Potato Soup With Lots Of Rosemary!

I have to admit that this recipe comes from my mother’s favourite dishes. She was enthusiastic about this dish and as soon as I tasted it I could see why… Not only is it a delicious and tasty soup, but it’s also a recipe that anyone can make and with ingredients that are cheap and everyone has in the kitchen pantry.

For this dish I used ditaloni, which is a short pasta often used in soups in Italy. If you don’t find this particular kind of pasta you can replace it with some broken spaghetti (make them two-three centimetres long). You can also add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese to add some flavour and protein, however this soup is so tasty that you don’t really need to add any additional ingredients to flavour it…It is delicious!!!

Chickpea and potato soup with rosemary.

Preparation and cooking time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

3 sprigs of rosemary

2 cans of chickpeas

Vegetable stock made with organic vegetable stock cubes

2 large potatoes, washed, peeled and diced

220 g of ditaloni

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method.

1. Sauté the chopped onion with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, after a few minutes add the chopped garlic.

2. When the onion is soft and transparent, add the chickpeas with the diced potatoes and the rosemary sprigs. Cover with vegetable stock and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Stir quite often during the cooking time.

3. Cook the pasta separately and then drain when is al dente.

4. When the soup is ready remove the rosemary, then add the pasta and serve.

Zuppa di ceci e patate al rosmarino.

Tempo di preparazione e cottura: 30 minuti circa

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

1 cipolla

2 spicchi d’aglio

3 mazzetti di rosmarino

2 scatole di ceci

Brodo fatto con due dadi vegetali biologici

2 patate grosse, lavate, pelate tagliate a pezzetti

220 g di ditaloni

3 cucchiai olio extra vergine d’oliva

Preparazione.

1. Fate soffriggere la cipolla tritata con tre cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva, dopo qualche minuto aggiungete l’aglio tritato.

2. Quando la cipolla sarà diventata morbida e trasparente, aggiungete i ceci, le patate e 3 rametti rosmarino. Ricoprite con del brodo vegetale e fate cuocere per 20-25 minuti, mescolando abbastanza spesso.

3. A parte cuocete la pasta, poi scolatela quando è al dente.

4. Quando la minestra è pronta togliete i rametti di rosmarino, poi aggiungete la pasta e servite.

Crepes With Swiss Chard And Borage Filling

This week I am sharing a recipe with some traditional Genoese flavours, adapted for you with the usual healthy twist. Perfect for the holiday season, these crepes with swiss chard and borage filling are light, packed with fibres, deliciously crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. As a final touch, we are going to serve this dish with plenty of light béchamel sauce, an extra creamy and gluten-free parmesan-flavoured sauce perfect for this recipe.

In this preparation I used borage because it is a popular ingredient in Genoese traditional recipes, however, if you have problems finding fresh borage you can replace it with spinach or chards.

Crepes with swiss chard and borage filling

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

for the filling

500 g of Swiss chard

200 g of borage

150 g fresh ricotta

80 g of Parmesan Cheese

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

for the crepes

6 buckwheat crepes (see the buckwheat crepes recipe)

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Put all the ingredients for the filling in a blender and then blend everything together until creamy.

2. Fill 6 buckwheat crepes with the mixture, then place the crepes on a baking tray, previously lined with baking paper and greased with extra virgin olive oil.

3. Season the crepes with more extra virgin olive oil and bake at 180 ° C (356° F) for 25-30 minutes.

4. Serve the crepes with plenty of warm béchamel sauce (see the gluten-free béchamel sauce recipe).

Crepes con ripieno di bietole e borragine.

Ingredienti

Per 4-6 persone

Per il ripieno

500 g di bietole

200 g di borragine

150 g di ricotta

80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano

2 uova

Per le crepes

6 crepes di grano saraceno (guardate anche la ricetta delle crepes di grano saraceno)

olio extravergine d’oliva

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Mettete tutti gli ingredienti (senza l’olio) in un mixer e amalgamate bene tutto fino ad ottenere un composto cremoso.

2. Riempite le crepes di grano saraceno con il ripieno, poi mettetele su una teglia ricoperta con carta da forno, unta con un po’ d’olio extra vergine d’oliva.

3. Condite anche le crepes con un po’ d’olio e infornate a 180° C per 25-30 minuti.

4. Servite le crepes con sopra la besciamella calda (guardate anche la ricetta della besciamella senza glutine).

Buckwheat Crepes (Gluten-free, High in fibre)

Rich in flavour and fibre, buckwheat crepes are incredibly delicious, healthy and can make a simple meal look quite impressive! You can be a little intimidated when you first make crepes….Well, I was when I made crepes for the first time! It is not so difficult to make nice crepes, as long as you remember to occasionally grease the frying pan during the preparation method, you move quickly when you shape the crepes and you cook the crepes over a low heat.

Tips.
It might take a little bit of practice at first, however the best way to shape the crepes is to quickly move the pan around, in order to spread and flatten the batter evenly. During this process the frying pan shouldn’t be too hot, otherwise the batter will cook too quickly, leaving you with thick and uneven crepes.
During the cooking time, the crepes will start curling around the edges and lifting up from the pan; at this point the crepes are ready to be flipped around, to cook both sides.

You can be very creative with this dish and serve your crepes with lots of savoury or sweet fillings, experimenting with a great variety of ingredients, textures and flavour combinations.
Enjoy the recipe and have fun with it!

Buckwheat crepes

Ingredients

For 10 crepes

2 eggs

300 g of buckwheat flour

400 ml of milk

100 ml of water

extra virgin olive oil

salt or sugar (depending if you are making a sweet or savoury recipe)

extra virgin olive oil

Method.

1. In a bowl, gradually mix the flour with milk, water and salt (or sugar). Separately, beat the eggs and then make the batter incorporating the eggs and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the flour mixture. Place the batter to cool for two hours in the refrigerator.

2. Heat a large frying pan over a low heat, then grease the base with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

3. Using a ladle, pour the batter in centre of the pan, then spread evenly and let cook for a few minutes.

4. When the crepe starts curling around the edges, turn it around and cook the other side.

Repeat the process until you have made all the crepes, occasionally greasing the pan with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Also see the Gluten-free Béchamel sauce recipe and the Crepes with swiss chard and borage filling recipe.

Crepes di grano saraceno

Ingredienti

Per 10 crepes

2 uova

300 g di farina di grano saraceno

400 ml di latte

100 ml di acqua

olio extra vergine d’oliva

zucchero o sale (dipende se la ricetta è dolce o salata)

Preparazione.

1. Amalgamate la farina e il sale (o zucchero) con il latte mischiato all’acqua. A parte, sbattete le uova e incorporatele al composto con un cucchiaio d’olio extra vergine d’oliva. Lasciate riposare la pastella nel frigorifero per almeno due ore.

2. Fate scaldare, a fuoco moderato, una padella con un cucchiaio d’olio extra vergine d’oliva.

3. Usando un mestolo, versate il composto al centro della padella, poi muovete energicamente la pentola per stendere uniformemente la pastella.

4. Lasciate cuocere per qualche minuto. Quando la crepe incomincia ad arricciarsi sui bordi potete girarla per cuocerla su entrambi i lati.

Preparate tutte le crepes, ricordandovi di ungere ogni tanto la padella con un filo d’olio.

Guardate anche la ricetta della Besciamella con amido di mais e la ricetta delle Crepes con ripieno di bietole e borragine.

Even Better Than Apple Pie! (Vegan)

Nothing better than a thick and creamy apple smoothie, aromatised with lemon, maple syrup and cinnamon to make you feel utterly spoiled! This smoothie will make you feel special inside out! It’s not just a wonderful way to take care of yourself, it’ s a delicious and quick-to-make treat that you’ll truly enjoy! But don’t take my word for it, give it a try!

I almost forgot to add that this smoothie is packed with calcium, proteins and nutrients…

Enjoy!

Apple pie smoothie

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 golden apples

60 g of almonds, with skins

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

200 ml of almond milk (or the vegetable milk you prefer)

the grated zest of half a lemon (use organic lemons)

2 tablespoons of rolled oats

a pinch of grated cinnamon

4 ice cubes

Method.

1. Roast the almonds for 7-10 minutes at 160 ° C (320 °F). Remove from the oven, then finely grind the almonds until you get a paste and let cool.

2. Peel and clean apples.

3. In a blender, blend the almond paste, the chopped apples, the rolled oats, then add 4 ice cubes, the almond milk, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and the grated lemon zest with a pinch of cinnamon. Blend everything until smooth.

4. Garnish with a few mint leaves, a couple of straws and serve.

Apple Pie smoothie

Ingredienti

per 2 smoothies

2 mele golden

60 g di mandorle con la buccia

2 cucchiai di sciroppo d’acero

200 ml di latte di mandorla

buccia grattugiata di mezzo limone, non trattato

due cucchiai di fiocchi d’avena integrale

un pizzico di cannella grattugiata

4 cubetti di ghiaccio

Preparazione.

1. Tostate le mandorle per 7-10 minuti a 160° C. Togliete le mandorle dal forno e tritatele molto finemente.

2. Tagliate e pulite le mele.

3. Frullate insieme le mandorle tritate, la polpa di mele e i fiocchi d’avena; aggiungete 4 cubetti di ghiaccio, il latte di mandorla, la buccia grattugiata di mezzo limone, due cucchiai di sciroppo d’acero e un pizzico di cannella. Continuate a frullare fino ad ottenere una crema.

4. Guarnite con qualche foglia di menta, due cannucce e servite.

Traditional Recipe: Easy Spinach Flan

This week we are going to prepare a light spinach flan, made with lots of spinach, fresh ricotta, eggs and parmesan cheese. It is an incredibly easy dish to make and so tasty, it can be served as a main vegetarian meal with some fresh salad on the side, but it is also a wonderful side dish.
My mother prepares this flan very often and we love it! I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Easy spinach flan

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

500 g of fresh spinach, washed and ready to cook

80 g of Parmigiano Reggiano

2 large eggs

250 g ricotta

3 tablespoons of polenta (or breadcrumbs)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Soften the spinach in a large pan with two tablespoons of water, over a low heat for a few minutes.

2. Drain the spinach and let cool (as the spinach will release some water when they cook). Then vigorously squeeze the vegetables for a few minutes.

3. Coarsely chop the spinach using a knife.

4. In a large bowl, mix 250g ricotta with two large eggs, 80 g Parmesan cheese, then season with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well.

5. Line a small baking pan with a sheet of baking paper (I used a 22 cm x 6 cm round pan), then grease the base with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

6. Pour the spinach mixture into the pan, sprinkle with lots of polenta (or breadcrumbs) and bake at 180 ° C (356 °F) until the flan is golden brown around the edges. Serve warm or cold, as you prefer.

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Sformato di spinaci (facile)

Ingredienti

per 4-6 persone

500 g di spinaci freschi in busta

80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano

2 uova medio-grandi

250 g di ricotta

polenta (o pangrattato)

4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

Noce moscata

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Fate ammorbidire gli spinaci in una pentola con due cucchiai d’acqua, a fuoco molto basso per qualche minuto.

2. Scolate e lasciate raffreddare gli spinaci, poi strizzateli energicamente.

3. Tritate grossolanamente gli spinaci usando un coltello.

4. Unite 250 g di ricotta a due uova con 80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano grattugiato, poi condite con sale, pepe, un pizzico di noce moscata e due cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva. Mescolate bene.

5. Ricoprite una teglia con carta da forno (uso una casseruola di 22 cm x 6 cm) e ungete la base con due cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva.

6. Versate il contenuto nella teglia, cospargete la superficie con abbondante polenta e infornate a 180° C, fino a quando lo sformato sarà dorato sulla parte superiore.

Pear And Gorgonzola Risotto (no oil, no butter)

This pear and gorgonzola risotto is definitely another highly addictive dish!….One of those dishes that you just can’t stop eating, even when you have picked up the last grain of rice and swept up the all the traces of what was left on the plate with a spoon!

A truly delicious risotto, where the flavours blends perfectly together and the consistency is perfectly creamy and yet quite “light”. In fact, there is no need to add any oil or butter, because the cheese already does the job!

Cooking tips.

1. For the preparation of this dish you’ll need quite a good quantity of pepper and salt to balance out the flavours and sweetness of the pears.

2. It is important to keep the vegetable broth quite warm during the whole cooking process, in this way the rice won’t stop cooking when you add the broth to the risotto.

3. Always get the best quality ingredients when making a risotto! For this dish I used the best quality of fresh Gorgonzola, sweet, tangy and so creamy that it literally melts in the mouth.

Pear and gorgonzola risotto.

Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes

Easy

Ingredients

Serves 4

320 g risotto rice (Carnaroli or Arborio)

3 kaiser pears (or any pear suitable for cooking)

200 g good quality Gorgonzola cheese, cut into small pieces

80 g of Grana Padano cheese

salt to taste

plenty of ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

1 litre of hot vegetable stock (I used an organic cube stock, without glutamate)

Method

1. Peel and clean the pears, then cut the fruit into little pieces.

2. Toast the rice grains in a pan (without any oil or butter) for a few minutes.

3. Add the pieces of fruit with two ladles of broth and let shimmer over a low heat.

4. Once the liquid has almost completely evaporated, add more broth and let evaporate again, then continue this process until the rice is cooked (the rice will take about 18-20 minutes to cook).

5. When the rice is properly cooked, add 200 g of Gorgonzola cheese, 80 g of Grana Padano, salt and pepper. Mix well.

6. Mix well, then cover the pan with a lid and let sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Note.

At the end of the cooking process the risotto should be very creamy, however it might thicken a little when you add the cheeses (see step 5). It’s ok, you can solve this problem by adding one or two ladles of warm vegetable broth to the risotto, which will make it creamier.

Risotto alle pere e gorgonzola

Tempo di preparazione e cottura: 25 minuti

Facile

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

320 g di riso da risotto (Carnaroli o Arborio)

3 pere kaiser (o altre pere adatte alla cottura)

200 g di gorgonzola di buona qualità, tagliato a cubetti piccoli

1 litro di brodo vegetale caldo (uso del dado biologico senza glutammato)

80 g di Grana Padano

prezzemolo fresco tritato molto finemente (facoltativo)

sale q. b.

pepe a volontà

Preparazione.

1. Pelate e pulite le pere, poi tagliate la polpa a pezzi piccoli.

2. Fate tostare i chicchi di riso in una pentola (senza olio o burro) per qualche minuto.

3. Unite la polpa delle pere con due mestoli di brodo al riso. Mescolate e lasciate evaporare il liquido a fuoco molto basso.

4. Aggiungete gradualmente altro brodo e fate evaporare, continuando così per tutto il tempo di cottura (il risotto cuoce in 18-20 minuti).

5. A cottura terminata, aggiungete 200 g di Gorgonzola, 80 g di Grana grattugiato, sale e tanto pepe.

6. Mescolate bene, coprite la pentola con un coperchio e lasciate mantecare per qualche minuto. Aggiungete del prezzemolo tritato finemente e servite.

Nota.

Se a fine cottura il risotto dovesse risultare poco cremoso, aggiungete un po’ di brodo caldo, quindi mescolate e fate mantecare.

Pear And Passion Fruit Smoothie

A delicious and delicate smoothie, high in fibre, vitamins A, C and also contains a good quantity of iron, calcium, manganese and potassium. I added some chia seeds for extra fibre, omega 3 fatty acid and vegetable proteins.
If I was to describe it in a few words, I’d say that this smoothie tastes like spring! So take a sip of this wonderful drink, relax and enjoy the flavours!