Cung-Fe Rolls - Cumin and Fennel Rolls

I'm on a roll! After more and more successful experiments with bean-based biscuits (more recipes and updates on the current recipes will be online soon), I thought it's time to expand to bean-based savoury baking. This was my first experiment with bean-based rolls, and I was quite happy with the results the first time round. The rolls stay a bit moist inside but I don't think that you can really expect anything else with these ingredients. Sorry for the afwul picture; I still haven't replaced my broken camera.

If you're not a big fan of cumin and/or fennel, just try leaving it out or replacing it with some other spice.

CUNG-FE ROLLS

3 dl cooked white beans (about 1.5 dl unsoaked beans)
1 dl soaked millet grains (about 0.5 dl  unsoaked millet grains)
1.5 dl blended steamed courgette
5 tablespoons ground flax seeds
0.5 tablespoon cumin seeds
0.5 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

0. Soak the beans and the millet grains overnight.

1. Drain the millet grains well. Do not cook them.

2. Cook the beans until soft and drain them well.

3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and line a baking tray with baking paper.
4. Wash a largish courgette, cut it in small pieces, steam until soft and blend until smooth.
5. Mix 1.5 dl of blended courgette, the ground flax seeds, the cumin seeds, the fennel seeds, the salt and the lemon juice, and let the mixture stand for a while.

6. Blend the beans, the millet grains and the wet mixture until smooth.
7. Add the baking powder and fold.
8. Use a tablespoon and a teaspoon to form eight round rolls: both spoons to get the batter onto the lined baking tray, and the teaspoon dipped in water to shape the rolls.

9. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the rolls start browning. Turn the baking tray around halfway through. If you don't bake the rolls long enough, they will stay sticky inside. This also means that the rolls will and should get nice and crusty on the outside. You can use two different ways to test if the rolls are ready (it's best to use both, just to be sure): 1) stick a toothpick in the middle of a roll; if it comes out clean, the roll is ready 2) knock the bottom of a roll with your finger; if the sound is hollow, the roll is ready. If you keep the rolls under a tea towel after they have cooled down, the crusty outside will get softer.

10. Place the rolls on a cooling rack, and let them cool down.

11. Enjoy.

Risindiano - Risotto with an Indian Touch

I am about to move house, and have realised that I have a cupboard full of food that I neither want to chuck out nor take with me. One of the things that I found in my cupboard was a good amount of Italian red rice. I'm not big into starchy foods but I decided to make an exception and try to cook a risotto, using up the rice and some cumin seeds that I got from an Indian ex-workmate a few months ago. I was quite pleased with the result - a spicy risotto with an Indian touch. However, I must say that the strong taste of the red rice and the spices overshadowed the much more subtle taste of the veggies that I decided to use - asparagus and courgettes. Next time, I might try to replace the asparagus and the courgettes with veggies that better complement the taste of the red rice (an alternative for those of you who use white rice might be to stick to the asparagus and the courgettes but use white rice instead).

So, here is what I used and did today.

Risindiano

4.5 dl Italian red rice
10 dl water
1/2 kg asparagus spears
3 large courgettes
1 medium-sized onion
4-5 cloves of garlic
fresh ginger
extra virgin olive oil
gluten-free bouillon powder
cumin
~2 tablespoons of paprika powder
~1 teaspoon of ground pepper
sea salt

1. Peel the onion, the garlic and the ginger, and chop them finely.

2. Wash the asparagus spears and the courgettes, and cut them into small pieces.

3. Heat some olive oil in a large pot, and saute the cumin, the onion, the garlic and the ginger.

4. Add the water, the rice, the bouillon powder and the rest of the spices. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes.

5. Add the veggies. Stirring every now and then, let the risotto simmer under a lid until a) the rice is soft enough and b) the water has been absorbed into the rice.

6. Enjoy.

Annika

Eggy Brekkie - Vegetable Omelette

I started the day with one of my favourite breakfasts... Eggy Brekkie. Quick, easy and tasty.






Eggy Brekkie

organic free-range eggs
courgette
leek
(spinach)
sea salt
pepper
paprika
extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix the eggs and the spices with a fork. To get an idea about the proportions, veggies are the main ingredient! I typically use two eggs and loads of veggies.
2. Cut the courgette and the leek.
3. If you intend to use a lot of spinach, you might want to steam it first so that it'll all fit in the frying pan!
4. Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the veggies and pour in the egg mixture. Let it all cook under a lid, mixing the ingredients every now and then. Don't let it cook too long, though; it's nicer if the courgette remains a bit crisp.

Annika