GF Ravioli and Raw Zucchini Ribbon Salad

GF ravioli
Believe or not, I’ve never ordered ravioli or any other pasta dishes at Italian restaurant. I remember when I went out with work people for Christmas party a few years ago. We all went to this very popular Italian restaurant in town. Well some people ordered pizza, pasta, lasagna, you know all the traditional Italian foods. I ordered a bowl of salad (a safe option for being gluten-sensitive) and Daniel ordered a steak. Everyone laughed at us not ordering any Italian foods at Italian restaurant. I still don’t order those although they offer a gluten-free option. It tastes quite heavy to me. When I was browsing some food blogs, I came across this blog called “Dolly and Oatmeal” based in NY. Her blog has beautiful photographs and simple recipes that I fell in love. This ravioli is inspired by her.

You should all have some leftover rice papers in your pantry. Well I do! If you don’t, you can get them from any Asian groceries or in the Asian food aisle at the local supermarket. Handling rice papers can be a little bit tricky because it gets sticky and messy when you dip it in water too long. So you might need to play with it and practice until you get the hang of it. I like making rice paper rolls using fresh crisp vegetables and now making this gluten free ravioli! You can put any kind of fillings such as pesto, cheese, tofu, etc. I had a jar of chilli-capsicum chutney made up in the fridge, so decided to try with it. The bright red colour actually went so well with the green zucchini salad.

GF Ravioli1
Ingredients

For the ravioli
Rice papers

Fillings
Dried chilli
Char grilled capsicum
a teaspoon of coconut oil
a teaspoon of smoked paprika
a teaspoon of cardamom powder
Himalayan salt

For the salad
1 zucchini
1 cup of arugula leaves
1 cup of sliced celery
a teaspoon of fennel seeds

Maple vinaigrette
a table spoon of coconut vinegar
a teaspoon of e.v.o.o
a teaspoon of maple syrup
a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
a squeeze of orange juice
salt and pepper to taste

Dip the rice paper in water until soft and set it on the plate. Put dollops of chutney fillings on the rice paper. Dip the second piece of rice paper in water and then put it over the bottom piece. Get rid of air bubbles using a knife to make little cuts and create a seal around the filling. You might want to use a bit of oil in your finger to handle the rice papers since it can be quite sticky. Use a cookie cutter or a sharp knife to cut the ravioli. For the salad, I simply mixed ribboned zucchini, sliced celery, arugula leaves and fennel seeds. Then tossed with the maple vinaigrette. A beautiful fresh summer salad! You can make this to impress your loved ones or it is a perfect entree on a special day.

GF Black Bean Brownies

Black beansYes, dessert can be healthy yet still delicious! I like putting savory ingredients in sweets e.g. beetroot, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, beans. It really fools you! They don’t taste like beans at all, but adds an amazing flavour and consistency. Rich, dark, moist, chocolatey and fudgy. Just the way the brownie should be! Trust me on this. You will fall in love with this after the first bite. From a health point of view, it is gluten-free, sugar-free and guilt-free. This brownie has a good amount of protein from beans and eggs, which means it fills you up and stabilises your blood sugar level unlike other desserts that are commonly full of sugar and empty calories. Great for a breakfast if you have a sweet tooth, a snack with a cuppa, even a satisfying yummy dessert with a glass of red 🙂

Black bean brownie 2Cacao powder – well known superfood. The best source of magnesium and anti-oxidants.
Almonds – high in essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E
Black beans – very high in fibre, folate, protein, anti-oxidants, an amazing longevity food!
Cinnamon – natural anti-infectious components, contains fibre, calcium, iron and manganese
Chia – very high in fibre, omega 3, a complete protein, anti-oxidants
Maple syrup – an anti-oxidant powerhouse. contains anti-inflammatory compounds, essential minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, and potassium. helps with digestion and muscle recovery

Black bean brownie

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked black beans and adzuki beans
50g almond meal
25g cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 table spoon of chia seeds
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of maple syrup
3 eggs
a pinch of salt

Soak dried black beans over night. Wash well and cook in a boiling water until soft and tender. Drain and mash them with the back of the fork. Add all wet ingredients in a mixing ball, and then dry ingredients. Combine well making sure there is no lumps. Pour into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40 minutes until cooked.