Savoury choux buns look spectacular, yet are easy to make. Here they are filled with a creamy mixture of avocado, tomato, cucumber and cannellini beans flavoured with lime juice, fresh coriander and a touch of garlic. They make an appealing and well-balanced lunch dish, delightful with a glass of fruity white wine.
To make crunchy hummus-filled choux buns, purée 1 can of chickpeas, about 410 g, drained and rinsed, in a food processor or blender with 1 tbsp tahini, 1 crushed garlic clove and the juice of 1 lemon. Stir in a 10 cm (4 in) piece of cucumber, finely diced, 1 grated carrot, 2 finely chopped spring onions and 1 seeded and finely diced red pepper. Season with ½ tsp ground cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into the choux buns. Garnish with radicchio leaves and serve with a tomato salad.
Cannellini beans, like other pulses, are an excellent source of protein and starchy carbohydrate, while being low in fat. * Avocados are unusual in that they are fruits that contain a large amount of fat. The fat is predominantly monounsaturated, however, particularly in the form of oleic acid. This can help to lower levels of the harmful LDL cholesterol while raising levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol. * Lime juice contains vitamin C, which will help to improve the absorption of iron from the cannellini beans.
A, E * B1, B2, B6, B12, C, folate, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, selenium, zinc