These couscous cakes are a busy person’s lifesaver. In under 20 minutes you can have an elegant, delicious and wholesome meal on the table. They are a great make-ahead dish and freeze fantastically. If you find yourself constantly on the go but want a healthy meal or snack, this is the perfect recipe for you!
I am on a mad dash to create fifteen 20 minute meals to present to the television producers ::produttori televisivi for when I will appear on Italy’s most famous national television cooking show, La Prova del Cuoco, this September. My first attempt was these couscous cakes, and, boy, were they a winner. Hopefully the judges will think so as well!
Buttery avocado and smooth cannellini are mashed together with crunchy bread crumbs :: pane grattugiato, aromatic basil, pungent chives and to add some heat, I’ve thrown in some finely diced hot peppers. Now toss in the cooked couscous to add texture and drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil and Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from La Vecchia Dispensa. (One of my favorite balsamic vinegar producers.) Season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before scooping up handfuls of the mixture to form 6 patties. Pour in a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and set the couscous cakes con top and cook until the out layer turns a nice golden hue. If you prefer a lighter version, you can skip the oil and heat the couscous cakes directly on the pan, although they won’t brown as nicely.
Arrange the couscous cakes on a serving plate, or over arugula :: rucola that has been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top each cake with a dollop of greek yogurt and scatter some chives over the creamy white mountain. If you want to impress your guests and have them drooling over your food, remember this gold rule: garnish, garnish, garnish. Just check out the difference it makes in the photo below!
Now comes the best part: devouring these little cakes. If any remain (which, I assure you will be unlikely) you can store them in the refrigerator; just reheat them for a few minutes or enjoy them cold. Double ::raddoppiate the batch and pop these couscous cakes in the freezer for a meal to have on hand for unexpected guests or an unexpected change in your lunch or evening plans.
These couscous cakes are a busy person’s lifesaver. In under 20 minutes you can have an elegant, delicious and wholesome meal on the table. They are a great make-ahead dish and freeze fantastically. If you find yourself constantly on the go but want a healthy meal or snack, this is the perfect recipe for you!
Serves: 6 cakes
Ingredients
¼ cup (48g) couscous
½ ripe avocado* (very important that it is mature)
½ cup canned cannellini beans (or other white bean), drained
¼ cup (33g) finely ground bread crumbs
⅓ cup (7g) loosely packed basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (10g) chives, finely chopped + more for garnish
Pinch of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Greek yogurt, as needed (optional)
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the couscous with ¼ cup hot (but not boiling) water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mash the avocado and cannellini beans together then toss in the bread crumbs, basil, chives, hot pepper, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Stir in the couscous and form 6 patties with your hands.
Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Set the patties on top and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the outer layer has a nice golden hue. Top with a dollop of greek yogurt and sprinkle chopped chives on top. Serve alone or with salad greens that have been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. They were kind to send me some samples of their products; I only support the companies I believe in and the products I love and would use myself.
Italy is the land of croissants (after France, of course) or “brioche” as they call them in my region, and although they are beyond delicious sometimes a gal just needs a little variety. So, last weekend I attempted to make my first homemade scone, with a twist of course.
I wanted to give this classic English dessert, that is enormously popular also in America, an Italian flair by using Fig Condiment with Balsamic Vinegar from Modena from La Vecchia Dispensa to create a creamy glaze :: glassa to drizzle over these freshly baked peach scones. What I love about La Vecchia Dispensa, a small family run company, is that they are extremely attentive about selecting only the highest quality of raw materials and only work with fresh seasonal produce. Their products also don’t contain colorants, additives or preservatives. Hallelujah!
Oh, how I relish peaches :: pesche and their summer sweet smell, soft fuzzy skin and glorious fresh flavor that bursts in your mouth with every bite. Couple that with brandy’s tangy raison taste and sweet natural fig balsamic vinegar that warmly coats your tongue like when you immerse yourself in a bath after a day out in the snow, enveloping your senses in pure pleasure and relax.
These scones are also healthier than traditional recipes as they are made with whole wheat and kamut flours and there is less butter :: burro. This is my third attempt on this recipe because I wanted to make sure I got it just right, and I have to humbly say, that it is a winner. 🙂 When you bite into one of these golden peach scones with brandy and fig balsamic vinegar glaze you get a taste of Italian summer love.
Peach Scones with Brandy and Fig Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
In a medium sauce pan add the peaches and fig balsamic vinegar condiment. Cook over medium heat until the vinegar has reduced and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
In the meantime, measure out the soy milk and add the white wine vinegar or lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and cane sugar; mix.
Cut the butter into the bowl and use a pastry cutter to mix together (or a knife if you don’t have one) until the butter is chopped into fine pieces and mixed well with the flour mixture.
Spoon in the peaches, leaving the extra balsamic vinegar in the saucepan. Set the pan aside.
Add the soy milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula then knead together for 5-6 times. The dough will be really sticky but don't add more flour.
Put the dough in the middle of the prepared baking sheet and form a circle that is about 1-inch high. With a wet knife, cut 8 slices. Keep wetting the knife as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Leave the slices touching each other.
Sprinkle raw cane sugar on top.
Bake for 20 minutes then take them out. Using a knife, separate the slices and space them apart on the baking sheet.
Cook for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely otherwise they will crumble when you try to pick them up.
For the glaze:
Add the powder sugar to the saucepan used to cook the peaches. Add the balsamic vinegar, brandy and water. Stir well. Adjust the taste and consistency by adding more liquid or powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled scones and let cool so the glaze slightly hardens, about 10 minutes. Buon appetito!
*You can also use regular balsamic vinegar; I highly recommend using a good one like what you find at the La Vecchia Dispensa because the quality definitely makes a difference.
Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. They were kind to send me some samples of their products; I only support the companies I believe in and the products I love and would use myself.
You may have used honey, maple syrup or agave nectar to naturally sweetened your baked goods or morning bowl of yogurt, but now I will tell you about apple saba, a natural sweetener:: dolcificante naturale that many of you might never have heard of but what the Romans commonly used over two thousand years ago.
I met a lot of great artisanal producers at the Cibustradeshowa few months back. Among them was La Vecchia Dispensa, a producer of traditional balsamic vinegars and other delicious products likefruit condimentsand organic apple saba,just to name two. So, what is apple saba and how is it used? Apple saba is a thick sweet syrup made from 100% apple must. It is commonly used as a condiment drizzled over fresh cheeses :: formaggi and gelato or to naturally sweeten baked goods or pasta fillings.
In the region of Emilia Romagna, grape saba (which is made with 100% grape must) is commonly made in-house and used to flavor ice and snow— the original and all-natural slushie or snow cone. I remember doing this as a child as well, but our version was less healthy as we would add milk, sugar and food coloring :: colorante per alimenti to the snow. I’m glad to know that a healthier version exists and can’t wait for the snow to fall to try out both grape and apple flavors :: sapori. In the meantime, I couldn’t resist inventing a recipe with this organic apple saba that La Vecchia Dispensa was so kind to send me, and therefore came up with one of my new favorite bruschetta recipes: pear, walnut and burrata bruschetta with organic apple saba.
I’ve already eaten three of these bruschette today. One in the morning for breakfast to test out the recipe then two alongside a side salad for lunch after photographing them. You think I would be satiated? Not even close. As I write this, I secretly am thinking about toasting another slice of sesame Sicilian bread, piling it high with creamy burrata cheese, layering on a few thin pear slices, arranging walnuts :: noci on top so I have a piece in each bite and drizzling the whole delicious masterpiece with organic apple saba. Oh, I’m being tortured as I write this post. Resist, Mrs. Italicana, resist! For now, at least. Tomorrow, I know exactly what I will be having for lunch…and maybe even dinner. 🙂
Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. I promote companies who products I like and think you will enjoy. La Vecchia Dispensa was kind to give me some samples of their high quality products to use in my recipes.
Pear, Walnut and Burrata Bruschetta with Organic Apple Saba
2 slices rustic Italian bread, toasted (I used a sesame Sicilian bread which was divine)
Instructions
Divide the following ingredients in the order given on top of the two slices of toasted bread: buratta cheese, pear slices and walnuts. Drizzle the apple saba on top and serve alone or alongside a side salad.
I am on a mad dash to create fifteen 20 minute meals to present to the television producers :: produttori televisivi for when I will appear on Italy’s most famous national television cooking show, La Prova del Cuoco, this September. My first attempt was these couscous cakes, and, boy, were they a winner. Hopefully the judges will think so as well!
Buttery avocado and smooth cannellini are mashed together with crunchy bread crumbs :: pane grattugiato, aromatic basil, pungent chives and to add some heat, I’ve thrown in some finely diced hot peppers. Now toss in the cooked couscous to add texture and drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil and Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from La Vecchia Dispensa. (One of my favorite balsamic vinegar producers.) Season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before scooping up handfuls of the mixture to form 6 patties. Pour in a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and set the couscous cakes con top and cook until the out layer turns a nice golden hue. If you prefer a lighter version, you can skip the oil and heat the couscous cakes directly on the pan, although they won’t brown as nicely.
Arrange the couscous cakes on a serving plate, or over arugula :: rucola that has been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top each cake with a dollop of greek yogurt and scatter some chives over the creamy white mountain. If you want to impress your guests and have them drooling over your food, remember this gold rule: garnish, garnish, garnish. Just check out the difference it makes in the photo below!
Now comes the best part: devouring these little cakes. If any remain (which, I assure you will be unlikely) you can store them in the refrigerator; just reheat them for a few minutes or enjoy them cold. Double :: raddoppiate the batch and pop these couscous cakes in the freezer for a meal to have on hand for unexpected guests or an unexpected change in your lunch or evening plans.
