Spinach & Cheese “Cannelloni”
MAKES: 4 servings
PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutes
COOKING TIME: 1½ hours
25g/1oz/scant ¼ cup soya flour
a pinch of fine sea salt
25g/1oz/¼ cup ground almonds
3 eggs, beaten
50ml/1½fl oz/3 tbsp skimmed milk
or soya milk
extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
400g/14oz defrosted, frozen spinach
100g/3½oz/heaped ¹⁄³ cup reduced-fat
ricotta cheese
100g/3½oz/heaped ¹⁄³ cup reduced-fat
cream cheese
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese,
to serve
grilled courgettes, to serve
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ carrot, grated
2 handfuls of finely chopped parsley
leaves, reserving 1 tbsp to serve
¼ celery stick, chopped
200g/7oz/1 cup tinned chopped
tomatoes
1 handful of basil leaves
1 Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and stir in the ground almonds. Add the eggs and milk and beat together to make a smooth batter.
2 Mist a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Working in batches, pour 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan to make a crêpe, tilting the pan to make sure the batter evenly covers the base. Cook for 1–2 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 crêpes, misting the pan again with cooking spray before cooking each crêpe. Stack the crêpes on the plate and cover them with foil to keep them warm.
3 To make the tomato sauce, mist a non-stick saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the carrot, parsley, and celery and cook for a further 3 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of water to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan, if necessary. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil, and 100ml/3½fl oz/ generous ¹⁄³ cup water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and leave on one side.
4 Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5 and mist a baking dish with cooking spray. Using your hands, squeeze out as much water from the spinach leaves as possible, then finely chop them. Put the ricotta, cream cheese, and nutmeg in a bowl and stir until combined.
5 Spoon one-eighth of the ricotta mixture and spinach near the edge of a crêpe, then carefully roll it up into a tube. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Transfer the crêpes to the prepared dish and top with the tomato sauce, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan over the top. Bake for 20–30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and parsley over the top and divide into 4 equal portions. Serve with grilled courgettes.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 264kcal Protein 16.7g Carbohydrates 12.9g Fat 10.4g
