We love this recipe from celebrity nutritionist Vicki Edgeson. Ok, so there are a few ingredients that you’ll have to go and hunt for, but after that, it’s really easy to make and looks super impressive. It’s from her book brand new book, Gut Gastronomy, which is well worth checking out.
There’s a lot going on in these delicious treats, with protein from the different cheeses, sesame seeds, gram flour (chick pea flour), peas and the yoghurt dip, all bursting with a fresh tangy flavour. Make these lollipops in large batches, as they will disappear faster than you expect. This serves 4.
250g cooked garden peas
125g feta cheese
10g mint leaves, chopped
1 fresh green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
30g grated Parmesan
2 organic free-range egg yolks
½ tsp chilli powder
30g gram(chick pea) flour
sesame seeds, for sprinkling
60g coconut oil
For the mint yoghurt sauce:
100ml 24-hour fermented or live yoghurt (page 52 in the book describes how to make fermented yoghurt)
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and
finely chopped
pinch of saffron
pinch of salt
1 tbsp chopped mint
½ tsp local runny honey
For the radish salad:
1 tsp hazelnut oil
1 tsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp local runny honey
60g radishes, thinly sliced
10 mint leaves, finely shredded
Use a stick blender to blend the peas, feta cheese, mint, fresh chilli, Parmesan, egg yolks and chilli powder. The mixture does not need to be really smooth – a few lumps are fine. Pour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the gram flour to tighten up the mixture.
With your hands, roll pieces of the mixture into 8 equal-sized balls. Flatten them a little and skewer with a lollipop stick. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and arrange them on a plate lined with greaseproof paper. Keep in the fridge until ready to cook.
Make the radish salad: whisk together the oil, vinegar and honey to make a dressing for the radishes. Toss lightly with the radishes and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle with the shredded mint.
Make the mint yoghurt sauce: gently stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Do not whisk them as the yoghurt will break up and become too runny.
To cook the lollipops, heat the coconut oil in a small pan and then shallow-fry them, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and hot in the centre.
Serve the lollipops on the radish salad with the mint yoghurt sauce in a side dish for dipping.
Enjoy! To read more about Vicki, see here.