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Courgette Rolls with Lemony White Bean and Herb Filling

Thin raw courgette ribbons rolled around a creamy white bean, lemon and chive filling, topped with toasted sunflower seeds and dots of balsamic glaze. A vegan snack ready in 20 minutes.

Snack

20

Serves 4 (3 rolls each)

Hands placing a small courgette ribbon roll filled with creamy white bean and herb filling onto a white plate with other rolls, crumbs of green herbs and small dots of balsamic glaze

Ingredients

  • 1 large courgette (zucchini, about 300g/10½oz), washed
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 240g/8½oz drained)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
  • 1 small clove garlic (about 3g), crushed
  • A small bunch of chives (about 5g), finely chopped, plus a pinch of salt and black pepper
  • 15g/2 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted
  • 2 tsp (10ml) balsamic glaze

Method

  1. Mash the beans with the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper until thick and mostly smooth; a fork works, or use a food processor for a smoother filling. Stir in most of the chives.
  2. Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool.
  3. Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave the courgette lengthways into 12 long, thin ribbons, stopping when you reach the soft seedy centre. Pat the ribbons dry on kitchen paper.
  4. Roll each ribbon into a loose ring about 3cm/1¼in wide and stand it on a plate, then fill the centre with a heaped teaspoon of the bean mixture.
  5. Top with the sunflower seeds, scatter the rest of the chives over the rolls and plate and add small dots of balsamic glaze around the plate. Serve 3 rolls each. Keep chilled and eat within a few hours; keep any leftover filling in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Why it works

Three rolls give you about 6g of protein and 5g of fibre for 131 calories, with 10g of carbohydrate.

A light, fresh snack. Raw courgette is mostly water, so the rolls are filling for very few calories, and the cannellini beans add protein and fibre.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. With 10g of carbohydrate and fibre and protein from the beans, these rolls are less likely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. Balsamic glaze contains sugar, but 2 teaspoons across 12 rolls adds very little.

Making the ribbons. Press firmly with a sharp peeler for ribbons thick enough to hold their shape, and pat them dry so the rolls do not slide apart. If the courgette tastes very bitter, do not eat it, as that can signal cucurbitacins, natural toxins that cause stomach upset.

Free from gluten, dairy, nuts, soya and sesame as written; balsamic glaze usually contains sulphites. Sunflower seeds add crunch and a little vitamin E. For a quick bean dip instead, try the garlic and lemon white bean dip.