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The Easiest (10 Minute) Strawberry & Chickpea Caprese

Mai 21, 2021 by katharina.kuehr Kommentar verfassen

If there is one dish that embodies summer, it definitely is caprese. The Italian vibes, the freshness, the lightness of summer, and all the goodness. All of that not only is summer but can also be found in caprese. Not to mention how delicious it is! Still, as good as the classic one is, once in a while it is fun to switch things up and take them next level. Just as we are doing here.

Caprese actually is one of my favorite, if not my favorite dishes ever. When in Italy I have it at least once a day, in whichever form. Undoubtedly, the combo of tomatoes and burrata or mozzarella is unbeatable. I thought so at least before having tried this. And let me tell you, strawberry and mozzarella does not quite beat tomatoes an mozzarella but it definitely is at least as delicious!! 

Where does Caprese come from?

Maybe you have already noticed; the colours in Caprese, green (from the basil), white (from the mozzarella) and red (from the tomatoes), are identical with the ones in the Italian flag. A coincidence? I don’t know but I don’t think so. The dish also has its name from an Italian island, Capri. There the dish was first served and still is a must serve. If you are a Caprese lover, Capri definitely should be on your food bucket list! 

What’s special about this? 

As mentioned above, this is not your average Caprese. We‘re still keeping the colors, but we‘re changing up the flavors. Instead of tomatoes we are using strawberries and we also are adding some herbed chickpeas to it. You may wonder whether a fruit would taste good in a savory dish, and really, it does (tomato btw is a fruit to, so it‘s not too big of a change). Tomatoes are a bit sweet, and so are strawberries. They definitely do have a quite different flavor, yet the sweetness works in great harmony with the tanginess of the mozzarella.

Plus, the chickpeas are not typical. To all Italian out there, please don’t judge before you try! They add some extra texture and flavor and keep you full for longer due to their fibre. And mozzarella and chickpeas taste really delicious when combined. 

Mozzarella, Burrata, Mozzarella di Bufola? 

Before we are jumping to the health part of the dish, we need to clarify which kind of Mozzarella works best here. What even is the difference? 

So Mozzarella is the regular one. Depending on where you live and from where you buy the mozzarella, it can be harder of softer, yet it already has the typical mozzarella flavor. This one works great for anything that is being baked, like pizza or pasta gratins. Mozzarella di Buffola, is already way softer and higher quality mozzarella. It has a milder flavor and is way creamier than the regular one. Thus, it also is more expensive. This is the one you usually are served in Italy. 

And then there is burrata. I need to warn you though, once you try burrata, you‘ll habe a hard time returning to mozzarella di Buffola or even regular mozzarella. Burrata kind of is the queen of all mozzarella, and well deserved. It comes from Puglia, in the south of italy, and is made from a day old mozzarella and cream. And the result. Oh my goodness. Unreal. Such a creamy and tangy center, you cannot get enough of it. It just is unreal. Burrata usually is served with either caprese or on top of pasta for example.

So which one works best for this dish? 

I would say mozzarella di bufola. Burrata would taste amazing but since it is so creamy, the salad would turn into a (delicious) mess.

What about the chickpeas?

It wouldn’t do the mozzarella justice if we chose an A-level mozzarella but then some regular canned chickpeas – would it? So the chickpeas also have to be next level. Just like the ones from NENI. They actually are simply PERFECT for this dish. Why? They are precooked and prepackaged, so you can just grab them in your supermarket and make this dish even quicker. And they are ore spiced with ultra tasty Mediterranean spices and herbs. These herbs work perfectly together with the mozzarella and strawberries. These spiced chickpeas make this dish 10x more delicious and even healthier, because you get so many nutrients from them. If you somehow have access to getting those chickpeas, you definitely should! 

Is this dish healthy?

We can definitely say so. As a base we have the strawberries, which are loaded with vitamins and fibre and nutrients. (Btw, did you know, you could eat the green part of the strawberries? It still blows my mind). Then we have got the chickpeas, which also are an amazing source of protein and fibre. So they‘ll keep you full and happy and help your digestion. And then, not to forget about the mozzarella; it is rather high in fat, that needs to be said, but also in protein. The olive oil accounts for some unsaturated, healthy fats and the basil for some extra nutrients. All in all, pretty healthy! 

How to make this dish? 

This is beyond easy. Really. All we need to do is wash and slice the strawberries, chop the mozzarella and toss with the chickpeas, basil, oil and vinegar. Yup, that’s all. Then we only need to pack it for our picnic 🙂

Meal prep friendly?

Definitely! Otherwise it would not be a great picnic dish would it? You can store it in the fridge – even for a day if you want. This actually intensifies the flavors because the juices of the strawberries will run out and combine with the mozzarella.

This definitely is one of the easiest and most delicious meals you could make. It is amazing for those hot summer days when you just want a quick lunch, but also for warm and sunny picnics in the park! I hope you‘ll really enjoy this and have an amazing time picnicing! 

Print

The Easiest 10 Minute Strawberry and Chickpea Caprese

Easy to make, super quick, super refreshing and super delicious! Really, this is next level and not your average caprese (much better!). The strawberries and an amazing sweet-summery twist to it and all in all it is super delicious! A must make!

Course Appetizer, picnic, Salad
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten

What you will need

  • 1 package NENI Kichererbsen Salat mit frischen Kräutern
  • 250 g strawberries
  • 1 Package mozzarella cheese (around 120-150g)
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 1 handful greens (such as baby spinach)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

How to

  1. Wash the strawberries and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add them to a bowl along with the chickpeas, the mozzarella, the olive oil and the finely chopped basil. Give it a good mix, then divide onto bowls.

  2. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar and serve with fresh basil! Enjoy!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière 

Kategorie: Diet-Specific, Picnic, Salad, Season, spring, Summer, Vegetarian Stichworte: burrata, caprese, chickpeas, einfach, erdbeeren, Kichererbsen, lunch, mozarelly, Neni, picknick, picnic, quick, salad, schnell, strawberry, summer food, vegetarian, vegetarisch

Incredibly easy Strawberry and Pesto Couscous with Crumbled Feta

August 11, 2020 by katharina.kuehr Kommentar verfassen

I can’t stress this enough but summer REALLY is all about those quick and easy meals. And about all of the fresh fruits. So we are taking those super juicy and sweet large summer strawberries and packing them into the easiest „salad“ with couscous, pesto, feta and lemon and making it into a (no joke!!!!) 10 minute (healthy!) dish. We do not need anything more!

What is special about this dish?

Well, I guess everything! I mean, we all know those „basic“ combos, watermelon and feta, strawberry and spinach, feta and pesto, and so on, But really, a watermelon and feta salad or a strawberry and spinach one is nice but it really is not filling. maybe for 10 minutes ok, but that’s not what we want.

What is special is that there are so many different products used and combined into one dish! So many different flavours and textures mixed up in a bowl. It is the sweetness of the strawberries (which you really have to try because they are in season right now!!), the softness of the couscous, the crunch of the spinach, the nice tanginess from the feta and the saltiness from the pesto.

The pesto – a dream

I have already explained in a blog post whether pesto is healthy or not (you can read about it in the post for the and for the Ultra Green Pesto Salad with Burrata ). To summarise, you can say yes(-ish) if in moderation. But really, pesto is not just pesto. When you go to the supermarket there are many many different pestos. So just a few words about it.

Pesto is traditionally from Italy and made out of basil, olive oil, pine nuts, salt, garlic and parmesan cheese. And really, these are the only ingredients that should be in pesto. But if you go to the supermarket you are very likely to find one that is not high in quality since most of them are. A little tip here: look out for dark ones and check the ingredient label. the darker they are the higher the quality because the more basil is in there, and the less water!

I know, I know, it is not so easy to find a good pesto at the supermarket. That is the reason I have decided to try and order one online and let me tell you, BEST DECISION EVER. It literally tastes just like in Italy or homemade one!!! The perfect saltiness, a REAL basil flavour and not just watery paste with flavour enhancer.

I got it at PastaFani and it really is a game changer. Made out of 100% Austrian Ingredients and 100% organic ingredients. I am being serious, that exists AND it is tasty! Really, the best pesto I have ever bought somewhere. And it is so convenient. It comes straight to your door (delivered) and you can (and definitely will want to) add it on pretty much anything! Trofie with Pine Nuts and Potatoes, like in Italy, in Salad dressings, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, anything.

You can find the pesto here. If you want good pesto, get this one. It is insane!

Is this dish healthy?

Alright, enough said about pesto (if there is such thing as saying enough about pesto) but is this dish actually healthy or is it just super tasty? believe it or not, it is healthy too! You get in your vitamins, from your strawberries and spinach, a good amount of plant based protein, carbohydrates and fibre and healthy fats from the pesto. It is a pretty well balanced, healthy and delicious dish!

Although, I need to say that couscous is not quite as healthy as Quinoa is since it contains way less fibre but you can look out for wholegrain couscous to make it even healthier!

Substitutes:

Couscous – Quinoa, Millet
Strawberries – Raspberries
Feta Cheese – leave it out, sub for Mozzarella or Cottage Cheese
Spinach – lambs lettuce, arugula, kale
Pesto – do not substitute this (since this really makes the dish)

I genuinely love this recipe on hot summer days since it comes together really quick! It also works amazing for meal prep so you can take it on a picnic or to a friends house for barbecue or take it to work/ school for a delicious and healthy lunch!

Print

Incredibly easy Strawberry and Pesto Couscous with Crumbled Feta

Summer in a bowl. Takes you 10 minutes to make, combines juicy strawberries with tangy pesto, fresh feta and soft couscous. Tastes like a treat but is healthy. You´ll want it all summer long!

Course Appetizer, bowl, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 450 kcal

What you will need

  • 240 g couscous
  • 400 g strawberries
  • 100 g spinach fresh one
  • 100 g feta cheese
  • 120-160 g basil pesto
  • some fresh basil leaves
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

How to

  1. Prepare the couscous according to package instructions and generously salt it. (Usually you just have to pour boiling water on top but this varies from brand to brand).

  2. Remove the greens from the strawberries and quarter or half them. Roughly chop up the spinach and basil.

  3. For the dressing combine the pesto with the juice of the lemon and 1-2 tbsp of water.

  4. Once the couscous is done let it cool off a bit and then combine everything in a bowl. Divide onto plates and crumble the feta on top! Serve and enjoy!

I hope you really enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Kategorie: Diet-Specific, Lunch/ Dinner, Salad, Summer, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Stichworte: couscous recipes, easy, easy salads, healthy couscous recipe, healthy summer recipes, pesto, pesto couscous, pesto recipes, pesto salad, pesto strawberries, spinach, strawberry, strawberry season, summer couscous salad, summer recipe, summer salad, vegetarian, vegetarian lunch, vegetarian salad recipes

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