balls of tasty love
Find it hard to digest wheat and dairy, but don’t want to miss out on delicious treats?
Never fear, my recipes are always gluten free and cow’s dairy free.
This tasty risotto recipe is super easy and has none of the usual parmesan cheese, instead using nutritional yeast flakes for that cheesy flavour.
If it’s party food you’re after, the risotto can easily be made into arancini balls, using gluten free flour and crumbs, and buffalo mozzarella inside.
Many of us can tolerate cleaner, less processed dairy options, from goats, sheep and even buffalo, while standard dairy with it’s large protein molecules (similar to gluten) and hyper processing over time means it’s much harder to digest.
Don’t miss out on your favourite savoury party food! Anything can be substituted for an intolerance-friendly treat.
Risotto (can be eaten as is, or made into delicious arancini balls for a party treat)
Ingredients
1 large onion, finely chopped (use leeks for low salicylates)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Arborio (risotto) rice
2 3/4 cups vegetable stock (use home-made or preservative/additive free)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
pinch good quality sea salt
1 handful fresh thyme, stalks removed and chopped
1/2 cup green peas (frozen is fine, just defrost by rinse under warm water before adding to dish)
1 dessertspoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional, but gives a parmesan-y flavour)
Method
Place stock in a pot and warm to simmering. Fry onion in olive oil over medium-low heat till translucent. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat; add garlic. Use vinegar to deglaze pan (pour into pan and scrape bottom with a wooden spatula to get all the yummy bits off). Gradually add stock (I use a soup ladle) and stir rice, then wait till liquid has all been absorbed before adding another ladle-full of stock. This process takes about 20 minutes. Add thyme, peas and nutritional yeast flakes and stir through till warm. Enjoy alongside your favourite protein and a green salad, or if you can resist, let cool then place in fridge to cool completely before making the arancini balls!
Arancini balls
Ingredients
Gluten free flour, flat layer on dinner plate
1 egg, beaten in bowl
gluten free rice crumbs, ½ cup or more if needed
1 ball buffalo mozzarella (from delis), chopped into cm cubes
1-2 L rice bran oil
Method
Using cold risotto, scoop heaped tablespoons into your hand, push mozzarella into the centre and form a ball around it. (This is quite sticky and you’ll feel like they’re not going to come together, but they will!). Place balls on a clean plate and keep rolling…
Once you’re done rolling balls, place them in the fridge for half an hour to firm up again before crumbing.
Crumb balls by rolling them in flour (shake off excess by bouncing them in your hands with fingers slightly spread, so the flour falls through your fingers) then into the egg mix to coat, then the breadcrumbs. (Hint: try and keep one hand for egg and one for breadcrumbs… you’ll still get messy, but your bowls will stay a lot cleaner.) Again, pop the balls in the fridge when you’re done to firm up before frying.
Heat oil in a large saucepan/pot/wok until tiny bubbles form when you place a wooden utensil in the oil. Use tongs to place balls into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to soak up excess oil.
These babies are ready to go, just don’t burn your mouth getting into the ‘chef’s taster’ too soon… Serve as is, no sauce required. You can make these in advance and warm in the oven at party time, if you like. Very popular with kiddies and adults alike.
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