I only recently happened across einkorn flour after a grocery delivery error, and the verdict is: great error!!! A very flavoursome flour, slightly darker in colour than wholewheat once baked. I normally use wholewheat flour for most of my baking, but in comparison the einkorn, an ancient and purer wheat, is nutritionally superior. It's easier to digest as it contains less gluten, so people with mild gluten sensitivities are often able to tolerate it well. It has higher levels of protein, fats, carotenoids and antioxidants than whole wheat and other varieties of modern wheat. When baking with einkorn there are a few differences, such as it requires about 1/3 less liquid than wholewheat when following a recipe, and whilst it's a great flour for many things it doesn't rise as well so not the best choice for bread.
I adore every kind of green vegetable I can think of, but know of many people who don't eat nearly enough fresh greens (other than that ever-present bag of peas in the freezer!) Vegetables contain an array of nutrients and it's important to get a really good variety in our diets to ensure we're getting all the nutrients our bodies require. This is one of the reasons juicing is so popular these days, as we're able to concentrate much goodness in a single glass, and flavours we dislike can be masked with ones we do. Vegetable bakes and cobblers are another great way to get vegetables into you, as a sauce is required and therefore you can adjust flavours to suit, rather than having a plateful of veggies to eat as they are. A great option for fussy children too!
What you will need:
1/2 large broccoli
1/2 large courgette
1/5 savoy cabbage
1 leek
1/2 large green pepper
2 small white onions
6 cloves garlic
For the sauce:
1 pint milk
50g butter
100g flour
2 tblsp paprika
2 tblsp coriander leaf
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
For the scones:
200g einkorn flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
50g butter
1 free-range egg
Approx 3 tblsp milk
Method:
Cut the florets from the broccoli (*if using a whole small broccoli dice the stem as well). Slice the cabbage into bite-sized strips. Slice the courgette and then cut into quarters.
Steam the broccoli, cabbage and courgette for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. They should be softened yet retain firmness, as they will continue to cook in the oven and we don't want them mushy.
Dice the pepper, onions and garlic.
Slice the leek and rinse thoroughly.
Put 1 tsp coconut oil into a casserole dish and add the pepper, onion, garlic and leek. Pop uncovered into the oven at 190 degrees Celsius to soften whilst the oven is pre-heating for the cobbler - we may as well make use of the heat instead of sauteing on the hob!
Combine the milk, butter and flour in a saucepan and heat on low, whisking continuously until the sauce thickens.
Stir in the paprika, coriander leaf, black pepper and nutmeg.
Add the steamed veg to the casserole dish, then gently stir in the sauce (if we're too vigorous we'll break the veg into much smaller pieces, and it's best chunky!)
Put the flour into a large bowl and add the butter, cut into small pieces. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and enough milk to form a smooth dough (remember einkorn flour needs less liquid than regular flour, so just add a little at a time).
On a lightly floured surface roll out the scone mixture to about 0.5cm thick, and cut out whatever shapes you like.
Arrange the scones on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with coriander leaf.
Pop uncovered into the oven (190 degrees Celsius) for about 20-25 minutes, until the scones are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling slightly underneath (indicates it's plenty hot enough!)
Serve and enjoy! Really yummy!
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Many thanks.
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