Today’s recipe is for a main dish but also an appetizer: pea flans with gooey centers without eggs.
Perfect as a main dish, accompanied by grilled vegetables or gratin fennel and a delicious milk roll, these legume flans are ideal for a light and complete lunch, contributing tasty to a balanced diet. We eat legumes at home at least three times a week, and sometimes I’m not in the mood to prepare the usual bean meatballs or chickpea burgers, so I blend peas and then add a few more ingredients to quickly create a delightful dinner that everyone enjoys.
These pea flans, minus the cheese piece in the center, are perfect for those who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan diet since they contain no eggs or parmesan. Additionally, I used rice flour in the mix, making them also gluten-free.
To make them, I used a muffin mold to create neat single portions, turning our gooey-centered pea flans into a fancy appetizer. Delicious and tasty… try them accompanied by a raw tomato sauce!!!
Let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6/8 flans
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Pea Flans
- 4 cups peas (cooked)
- 2 fresh green onions (small)
- 0.25 cup rice flour
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 pinch pepper
- to taste salt
- 1 tsp curry (or another spice)
- to taste olive oil (for molds)
- to taste breadcrumbs (for molds)
- 8 cubes scamorza cheese
Tools
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Scale
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Muffin Pan
Let’s Prepare the Pea Flans with Gooey Center Together
To prepare the flans, we need boiled peas. We can use canned peas, frozen ones by boiling them first, or dried ones by soaking and then boiling them. Once the peas are cooked, drain them well and put them in the mixer bowl, add two cleaned green onions cut into chunks, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a teaspoon of curry. Start the machine and blend until there are no pea pieces left.
Pour the blended peas into a bowl and add the rice flour and a pinch of baking soda, then mix well with a spatula. Taste and, if it is bland, adjust the salt.
Take the muffin mold, lightly grease each hole, covering all the areas, then put a scant tablespoon of breadcrumbs, ensuring it adheres everywhere so that our flans do not stick.
Put a spoonful of mixture into a mold hole until halfway, insert a cheese cube, and add another bit of pea mixture. Continue until all ingredients are used up in the other holes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 15/20 minutes, then take out and serve hot accompanied by raw tomato sauce. To remove the flans, run a knife between the mold and the flan to detach it from the sides, then turn it out. To prepare the tomato sauce, blend a chopped tomato with a quarter of an onion, salt, pepper, and oil using a hand blender.
Una Riccia suggests
You can also prepare the pea flans in advance and then bake them when needed. Once cooked, they keep well in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container for two to three days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What spices can be used to flavor the pea flans?
I used curry, but you can get creative and use just simple pepper, chili, paprika, or some vegetable seasoning.
What type of cheese can be used in the center of the pea flans?
I used scamorza cheese, but you can also use galbanino, provolone, fontina, or even gorgonzola.
