Giallozafferano supports the Susan G. Komen Foundation Italy in the fight against breast cancer: the spelt crepes with artichoke caponata recipe uses a combination of certified organic ingredients, high in fibre and low in fats, and it’s the perfect example of a healthy meal! Find this and many more recipes with pictures on the Giallozafferano App (in English) http://itunes.apple.com/app/giallozafferano-recipes/id384387249?mt=8
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Let’s start with making the crepes: here are two types of flour — this recipe uses only certified organic ingredients, meaning they are grown without chemical fertilizers: you should always prefer organic food, when available — sift both the flours into a bowl, then add the cold water. I’m using whole grain spelt flour because it’s a good source of vitamins, as well as fibres and fatty acids. Spelt flour is a soft flour, so it needs to be mixed with a strong flour; add the water and a pinch of salt, stir well to dissolve any lumps, cover with cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least half an hour.
I’ll fill my spelt crepes with an artichoke caponata: clean and cut the artichokes in half, then cut into thin slices. Wear disposable gloves when handling artichokes to protect your hands from staining! Once cleaned, toss the artichokes in a bowl of acidulated water, that is water with lemon juice, that prevents them from turning brown. Artichokes have many nutritional benefits: they are high in fibres and mineral salts and low in calories, besides they contain cynarin, a bitter compound with purifying, draining and diuretic properties. Here I chopped the onion and the mint and now I’ll soak the raisins in lukewarm water: sultana raisins are important because they add a sweet note to the dish and curb your hunger at the same time, besides they contain soluble fibres that help lower the blood cholesterol level.
Move on to the celery: separate the stalks from the base, cut off the end, and peel the strings from the stalks with a paring knife, in this way. Once cleaned, cut the celery into sticks. In a pan, put a little extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic and the chopped onion… the artichokes and the celery; meanwhile, dissolve a teaspoon of rice malt in a small amount of cider vinegar. Add the raisins, that have been drained and squeezed, the capers, a few green pitted olives, that have been cut into rings, stir well, cover with a lid and cook until the vegetables have softened. Now move on to the crepes. Place a crepe pan over the heat, lightly grease with olive oil and ladle the batter into the pan, then spread it around evenly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and flip it over. Repeat for the next crepes, sesame seeds. The vegetables are cooked, so we can add the last ingredients: pine nuts and chopped mint. Turn off the heat, taste the vegetables for salt and adjust to your taste, if needed. Meanwhile, I’ll finish cooking all the crepes.
Now we can assemble our crepes: place the side sprinkled with sesame seeds down, so it will be on the outside after folding, fill the crepe and fold it over. And while I’m assembling the crepes, let’s see together the ingredients needed for this recipe.
Ingredients
For 4 crepes
¾ cup (90 g) of whole grain spelt flour
just under ½ cup (55 g) of all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) of water
1 pinch of salt
a handful of white sesame seeds
a little extra virgin olive oil for greasing the pan
For the artichoke caponata
4 artichokes
4 stalks of white celery
1 white onion
1 clove of garlic
⅓ cup (50 g) of raisins
1 tsp of rice malt
⅕ cup (50 ml) of cider vinegar
1 ¾ tbsp (15 g) of capers, rinsed and drained
a few sprigs of fresh mint
¼ cup (30 g) of pine nuts
3,5 oz (100 g) of green pitted olives
1 pinch of salt
a little extra virgin olive oil
For the acidulated water
2 cups (500 ml) of water
half lemon
Credit: YouTube
