As a ravenous coeliac, I like to have a gluten free ‘topper’ in the fridge at all times. A ‘topper’ is something that goes on top of a rice cake, toast or other flat carbohydrate. There are several criteria for a topper.
1) Needs to contain a good amount of protein, to fill you and keep you filled for a while
2) Needs to be tasty enough to deal with the thickest of flavour-sapping rice cakes
3) Ideally, made without cooking
4) Is spreadable
They fill you up and stop that ‘there’s nothing to eat’ panic setting in. I’m always on the lookout for new ones, and here’s the latest.
Butter bean and mustard topper
1 400g (13oz) tin butter beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp Olive oil (preferably mild tasting unless you’re a fiend for the olive)
1 tsp gluten free whole grain or dijon mustard
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leafed parsely
Fresh ground black pepper
Put the beans and mustard into a blender, turn on and add the olive oil. You will probably need to add a little water to get to the desired consistency. Blend until smooth. Add the parsely and black pepper.
That’s it! That’s is why a good topper recipe is worth its weight in gold. If it’s half an hour to bedtime and you think “Crikey pyjamas, I haven’t got anything for snacks tomorrow”, you can still whip one up.
Welcome to the wonderful world of gluten free toppers, the coeliac’s savoury saviour.