The taste of lamb’s lettuce, sweet and nutty and his velvety and crunchy texture They make it the ideal vegetable to give a special touch to salads.

It is a plant that has been considered diverse originssince it was already consumed in Ancient Egypt to the fact that it is native to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. What does seem confirmed is that it was a common cultivation in the gardens of monasteries and rectories For this reason it was called canons’ herb.

In addition to being very light (21 kcal per 100g) it contains the 3 vitamins antioxidants (A, C and E) and valuable phytonutrients. With its 2 mg of iron For every 100 g (a figure similar to that of meat), lamb’s lettuce is a good source of this mineral.

But the most interesting thing is that lamb’s lettuce is not only useful to complete salads: They are a perfect vegetable for cooking hot dishes. and tasty recipes.

Below we tell you all the possibilities you have to use lamb’s lettuce in cooking apart from salads and we give you two surprising recipes with lamb’s lettuce.

In this video we also show you an example of a hot recipe with lamb’s lettuce: a delicious cream of chard and lamb’s lettuce.

Other ways to use lamb’s lettuce in cooking

Both raw and cooked, we can integrate lamb’s lettuce into our dishes in different ways:

• They can be done in tortilla, battered tempura style, in flanaccompanying a vegetable soup, in a filling for pasta or crepes or in a gratin.
• Chopped with fresh cheese or yogurt, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper provide an original alternative to a mayonnaise sauce.
• Your juice can be used to create a vitamin dressing mixing it with olive oil in equal parts.
• If it is going to be cooked it is better to opt for short cooking and it always has to be added at the last minute.
• Can be added to small children’s porridge in a moderate way, blanching it slightly with steam.
• A quick soup made with kombu seaweed broth, vegetables and miso can be enrich and balance energetically with a few teaspoons of chopped lamb’s lettuce at the last moment. The same is valid for any broth soup with pasta.
• for one flan-shaped garnish they can sauté and mix with 3 eggs and 250 ml of milk or vegetable drink, and bake this mixture during 20 minutes.

Recipes with lamb’s lettuce that are not salads

A delicious and very original way to taste this vegetable is the following.

1. Zucchini stuffed with lamb’s lettuce

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 3 medium zucchini
• 400 g of very soft fresh cheese
• 200 g of lamb’s lettuce
• 200 g onion
• 1 small fennel bulb
• 60 g parmesan cheese
• 400 g of tomato
• 100g sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 50 ml olive oil

Preparation (20′ + 35′ cooking):

1. Choose three equal, medium-sized zucchini. Cut into four pieces widthwise and empty with the help of a baller or a coffee spoon. Steam the zucchini for about 25 minutes, until they are cooked but whole.
2. Then cut the onion and fennel into very small cubes and sauté in olive oil. Halfway through cooking, add the zucchini pulp and finally the finely chopped lamb’s lettuce. When everything is cooked, mix with the cheese and adjust the salt.
3. To prepare the sauce, grate the tomatoes and sauté them in oil. When they are a little reduced, add the sugar and the cinnamon stick, let it cook until it becomes caramelized. Season and strain to obtain a fine sauce.
4. Fill the zucchini with the sauce and cover with the grated parmesan. Finally, bake in the oven and serve with the tomato sauce.

Variant:

The zucchini They can also be filled with potatoes.

The parmesan cheese can be changed for manchego.

Nutritional information:

• Calories: 383
• Protein: 23 g
• Carbohydrates: 36 g
• Fat: 16 g
• Cholesterol: 39 mg.

2. Quinoa with tofu and lamb’s lettuce

It is a very complete dish, thanks to the tasty combination of cereal and vegetables.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 350 g quinoa
• 600 ml of water or broth
• 200g tofu
• 2 eggs
• 200 g of lamb’s lettuce
• 50 g pine nuts
• 1 small ginger root, about 50 grams
• 30 ml olive oil

Preparation (15′ + 20′ cooking):

1. Toast the quinoa and blanch it with two parts of water or broth, let it simmer for about 20 minutes, always covered. It is better to have to add broth than to have leftover.
2. Cut the tofu into squares and sauté with the pine nuts and grated ginger. Sauté the lamb’s lettuce and make two flat tortillas with them; cut them into thin strips.
3. Finally mix the quinoa with the tofu and the chopped tortillas. Save four bunches of lamb’s lettuce to decorate.

Variants:

It can be served both hot and cold and made with any other cereal.

Nutritional information:

• Calories: 207
• Protein: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 1 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg.