Today a recipe for a main course but also an appetizer: pea flans with melty heart without eggs.
Perfect as a main course, accompanied by grilled vegetables or gratinated fennel and a delicious milk bun, these legume flans are ideal for a light and complete lunch, contributing tastefully to a balanced diet. At least three times a week we eat legumes at home and sometimes I don’t feel like making the usual bean balls or chickpea burgers, so I put the peas in the blender and then add a few other ingredients to quickly obtain a delicious dinner that everyone always enjoys.
These pea flans, by removing the piece of cheese in the center, are perfect for those who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan diet because they do not contain eggs or parmesan cheese. Moreover, I used rice flour in the dough, making them also gluten-free.
To make them, I used a muffin mold, thus obtaining cute single servings. This way, our pea flans with a melty heart become an appetizing appetizer. Exquisite and tasty… try them accompanied by a raw tomato salsa!!!
Let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6/8 flans
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the pea flans
- 2 1/2 cups peas (cooked)
- 2 fresh spring onions (small)
- 1 oz rice flour
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 pinch pepper
- to taste salt
- 1 tsp curry (or other 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 mold
Let’s prepare the pea flans with melty heart together
To prepare the flans, we need boiled peas; we can use canned, frozen by boiling them first, or dry peas by soaking and then boiling them. When the peas are cooked, drain them well and put them in the blender bowl. Also, add two spring onions cleaned of their outer leaves and cut into chunks, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a teaspoon of curry. Turn on the machine and let it blend until there are no more pea pieces.
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 oil each cavity thoroughly, then put a scant tablespoon of breadcrumbs, making sure it adheres to all parts so our flans don’t stick.
Place a spoonful of dough into a cavity of the mold, stopping halfway, insert a cube of cheese, and add a little more pea dough. Continue until all ingredients are used up in the other cavities.
Bake in a preheated oven at a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15/20 minutes, then remove and serve hot with a raw tomato salsa. To unmold the flans, run a knife between the mold and the flan to detach it from the sides, then turn it over. To prepare the tomato sauce, place a chopped tomato with a quarter of onion, salt, pepper, and oil and blend everything with an immersion blender.
A Curly Cook’s Advice
You can also prepare the pea flans in advance and then bake them when needed. Once cooked, they keep well in the fridge, stored 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 simple pepper, chili, paprika, or some vegetable seasoning.
What type of cheese can I use in the center of the pea flans?
I used scamorza, but you can use galbanino, provola, fontina, or even gorgonzola.
