Nectarine Pancakes

I had some leftover ripe nectarines, so I decided to make pancakes with them.

 

Ingredients:

3 nectarines

water

1½ cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp honey

2 eggs

1¼ cup milk (I used rice milk)

oil

 

Instructions:

1. Score the nectarines. Boil the water and set the nectarines in it for about 3 minutes.

2. Peel and dice the nectarines.

3. Mix all the other ingredients except the oil together. Add the nectarines.

4. Warm the oil in a frying pan and drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the pan.

5. Fry the pancakes until golden on both sides.

Rhubarb Spice Cake

I love rhubarb in the springtime and I try to make lots of different dishes! This was wonderfully moist, and M loved it with a bit of Oatly cream.

 

Ingredients:

130 g vegetable oil, plus extra for the pan

130 g sugar (use dark sugar if you prefer)

200 ml water

4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp ginger

50 g honey

1 tbsp malt extract, if desired (molasses could work too, or you can leave it out)

4 tsp baking powder

300 g flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggsba

400 g rhubarb

 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the oil and sugar together.

2. Boil the water.

3. Add the spices, honey, malt extract, baking powder, and flour to the oil and whisk again.

4. Mix the bicarbonate of soda and water together and leave to fizz for a few moments.

5. Add it to the mixture.

6. Beat the eggs and mix them in. Make sure all is blended thoroughly.

7. Wash and chop the rhubarb into small pieces and stir into the mixture.

8. Pour into a lightly greased oven-safe dish.

9. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 C, checking after 20.

Aubergine Pate

This is great as a dip or spread, especially when with people who are busy munching on caviar or liver pate or similar. You can vary it with different spices or by using yogurt instead of tahini.

 

Ingredients:

1 aubergine

olive oil

sea salt

1-2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp tahini, optional

1 tsp mint

1-2 tsp honey

1 tsp chilli powder or flakes

 

Instructions:

1. Wash and slice the aubergine, then drizzle it with olive oil and salt. Roast at 200 C for about 25 minutes, until soft. You can remove the peel if you prefer.

2. Mix it in a food processor with the other ingredients and more olive oil until smooth.

Light Wheat Buns

This is another recipe inspired by The Nordic Diet by Trina Hahnemann, but I shifted the proportions quite a bit to allow for a lighter wheat taste for my M.

 

Ingredients:

275 g white flour

50 g spelt flour

5 g fast action dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp honey

300 ml warm water

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and leave to rise. Hahnemann suggests overnight in the fridge, whereas I left it for much of the day on the counter.

2. Shape into buns (the dough is soft so you might need to use a couple of spoons) and bake for 15-20 min at 220 C.

Soft White Rolls

Ingredients:

500 g strong white bread flour (or use a combination of white and wholemeal if you prefer)

7 g fast action yeast

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp sunflower oil (or rapeseed oil)

300 ml warm water

 

Instructions:

1. Blend all the ingredients together and knead or mix in a food processor for about 10 minutes.

2. Leave to rise for an hour.

3. Knead and shape into rolls. Leave to rise another 30-60 minutes.

4. Cut a cross into the rolls if you want. Bake at 200 C for 15-25 minutes.

Delicious White Bread

This was definitely the best white bread I’ve made, so now I keep making it. M prefers white bread to wholemeal (I’m the opposite) so I make it often.

Ingredients:

450 g strong white flour

2 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

2 tbsp oil

300 ml warm water

Instructions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add in the honey, oil, and water. Mix with a bread hook in a stand mixer or else knead on a floured surface. We mixed it in the mixer and then M kneaded it too.

2. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

3. Knead again and either prove a second time or bake.

4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200 C.

Petits Pain

My sweetheart likes white bread, so I try to make different types, varying them as I can. I found a recipe for French petits pain and adapted it to our tastes. This recipe makes 8-10 rolls, but it’s easily doubled, or you can make one large loaf.

 

You can also add herbs or seeds. And you can glaze it with an egg wash if you want a glossier finish.

 

Ingredients:

1 tsp dried yeast

175 ml warm water

1 tbsp sugar or honey

250 g strong white bread flour

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the yeast, water, and sugar together and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

2. Add in the other ingredients and knead or mix for 5-10 minutes. Leave in an oiled bowl to rise for an hour or so.

3. Shape into rolls or a loaf and leave to rise for another 30 minutes.

4. Bake at 180 C for 15-20 minutes.

Hot Pot

I saw a recipe for a vegetarian hot pot. I’ve never had a hot pot, not being English, but I liked the idea, so I made my own variation on the recipe. I don’t know if it’s like a hot pot, but it was good and warming.

Ingredients:

4-6 small potatoes or 2-3 medium ones

water

1 onion

1 clove garlic

oil

1 tsp honey

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 carrots

2 stalks celery

½ cup liquid (I used a combination of coconut milk and water, but wine or ale or just water would work too)

2 tbsp herbs (I used dill and sage, but any would probably work well)

black pepper

Instructions:

1. Parboil the potatoes in the water for about 10 minutes.

2. Peel and dice the onion and garlic and lightly soften them in the oil and honey. Mash in the stock cube and stir in the tomato puree, then continue to caramelise for a few minutes.

3. Peel and chop the carrots and wash and chop the celery. Add them and the liquid to the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

4. Add the herbs and season with black pepper.

5. Pour the vegetables and liquid into an oven-safe dish. Slice the potatoes and layer them on top. Drizzle with a little oil.

6. Bake at 180 C for 10-15 minutes.

Savoury Carrot Pie

This can also be easily varied with different vegetables or different spices or herbs. I thought this worked quite well and was something different.

Ingredients:

1 onion

1-2 garlic cloves

oil

2 tsp honey

2-4 small potatoes

3-5 carrots

1 courgette, optional

milk or water

1 lemon

2 tsp cinnamon

2-4 stalks dill

filo dough

70 g hazelnuts or almonds, chopped

Instructions:

1. Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Soften them in oil in a large saucepan over low heat, then add the honey, so they caramelise.

2. Thinly slice the potatoes and add them to the pan. Chop the carrots and add them. Slice the courgette, if using, and add it too.

3. Add a little water or milk, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring now and then. Add more liquid if the vegetables start sticking to the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the lemon zest and juice from half the lemon and the cinnamon. Wash the dill and snip it into the mixture as well.

5. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blitz a bit at a time until it’s the desired consistency (some people like it smooth; I left it slightly chunky); you can also use a hand mixer.

6. Lightly oil an oven-safe dish. Spread 3 pieces of filo dough across the bottom, then top it with some of the carrot mixture. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top, then sprinkle with nuts.

7. Top with 2 more pieces of filo dough, then more carrot mixture, lemon juice, and nuts. You can do one more layer if you like or just do two. Top with 2 more pieces of filo.

8. Bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes.

Pine Nut Bread

I like to make this in little rolls. It’s great with butter or sunflower spread.

Ingredients:

5 cups strong white bread flour (about 500 g)

2 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

4 tbsp sunflower oil

1 cup warm water (about 225 ml)

about 50-100 g pine nuts, to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add in the honey, oil, and water. Mix with a bread hook in a stand mixer or else knead on a floured surface. We mixed it in the mixer and then M kneaded it too.

2. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

3. Knead again. Separate into equally sized rolls. You can also make one large loaf.

4. Place 5-6 pine nuts in the centre of each roll. Fold the rolls over and place another 5-6 pine nuts in the centre. Then fold over again and decorate the tops with a few pine nuts. (In other words, you’ll end up with layers of pine nuts in the dough.)

5. Leave to rise another 20-30 minutes.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes at 200 C.

Honey Cake

We had some friends over to celebrate one of their birthdays and I wanted to make a cake that had no dairy or soy in it, so M could eat it. I decided to make a honey cake (never mind that I’m allergic to honey!). I made it a day in advance so the flavours could blossom, so to speak.

If you want, you can add a milk glaze (½ cup confectioner’s sugar and 1-2 tbsp milk or rice milk).

Ingredients:

½ cup water

2 tsp instant coffee

3 eggs

¼ cup sugar

½ cup honey

3 tbsp oil

1½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ginger (you could also use cloves)

2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Boil the water and mix it with the instant coffee, then leave to cool.

2. Separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff.

3. Mix the yolks with the sugar, honey, and oil until creamy.

4. Mix the dry ingredients together, then mix into the honey. Add the coffee.

5. Carefully fold the egg whites in.

6. Bake at 165 C for about 35 minutes.

Vegetable Stew

This was a hearty meal, especially served with the dumplings and bread I posted in the last two posts. You can easily vary the amounts and the vegetables.

Ingredients:

oil

5 shallots

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube

1 pinch rosemary

2 tbsp flour

3 parsnips

4 carrots

½-1 sweet potato

4-8 little new potatoes or 2-3 medium potatoes

1 apple

water

½ cup orange juice

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe casserole.

2. Dice the shallots and sauté them for a few minutes over low heat.

3. Add the honey, tomato puree, stock cube, rosemary, and flour, and cook for a couple of minutes.

4. Peel and dice all the vegetables and the apple. You can choose how large to leave the pieces. Small pieces cook more quickly but large ones might look nicer to you.

5. Add the vegetables to the pan and cover with water and orange juice.

6. Roast in the oven, covered, at 180 C for about an hour.

7. Stir, add the dumplings (if using them), and cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Almost White Bread

I don’t really like white bread that much, but M and M’s mum prefer it so when we had her mum over for lunch, I thought I should make a white loaf. But to make it a bit healthier, I added some brown flour too. I couldn’t go fully white! But if you prefer white, use all white flour instead. We let it prove twice, but once is enough.

Ingredients:

5 cups flour (about 500 g) (I used 3 cups of white bread flour and 2 cups of brown bread flour)

2 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

4 tbsp oil (I used 3 tbsp sunflower and 1 tbsp olive to add a slight tang to it)

1 cup warm water (about 225 ml)

Instructions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add in the honey, oil, and water. Mix with a bread hook in a stand mixer or else knead on a floured surface. We mixed it in the mixer and then M kneaded it too.

2. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

3. Knead again and either prove a second time or bake.

4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200 C.

Red Rice and Lentils

This sounds plain, but the flavours work together well and this has a sweet finish. You can, af always, add other herbs, spices, or vegetables.

Ingredients:

olive oil

2 shallots

2 tsp honey

1 stock cube

¾ cup red rice

water

¾ cup puy lentils

2-4 tsp tomato puree

watercress

mint

Instructions:

1. Warm the oil in a saucepan.

2. Dice the shallots and add them and the honey to the pan. Fry lightly for a few minutes.

3. Add the stock cube and rice and mix everything for a moment or two.

4. Add the water (about twice as much as the rice) and simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the lentils and more water. Cook for another 25-30 minutes, checking for the tenderness of the lentils.

6. Stir in the tomato puree, watercress, and mint.

Honey and Mustard Stir-Fry

Obviously, you can use any vegetables you like, but the combination of honey and mustard (and, for a touch of tartness, add some lemon juice or sour plum) works really well with greens and potatoes.

Ingredients:

6-8 new potatoes (or 2 larger ones)

water

2-3 shallots

oil

1-2 carrots

1-2 parsnips (or a piece of swede)

honey

mustard

spinach or spring greens

100 g tofu

lemon juice, if desired

Instructions:

1. Wash the potatoes, then boil them for 15-20 minutes in the water.

2. Peel and dice the shallots, then fry them lightly in the oil.

3. Peel and dice the carrots and parsnips and add them to the pan.

4. Add honey and mustard and let the vegetables caramelise a bit.

5. Wash and dice the spring greens. Add them to the pan.

6. Chop the tofu and add it as well. Stir-fry everything together for another 5-10 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired, and serve.

Stuffed Squash

I was able to stop at a gourmet grocery store after a lecture one day and I was happy to see that they had a  nice selection of squash. I got an acorn squash and a kabocha squash. That evening, I baked the acorn squash, and stuffed it with couscous and raisins. A simple, lightly sweet evening meal. M had hers as described below, but I added some chilli peppers to mine for an extra depth of flavour.

Ingredients:
1 squash
oil
1 onion
1-2 tsp honey
couscous (about 50 g per person)
water
1 handful raisins
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Wash the squash and rub it lightly with oil. Wrap it in aluminium foil and roast it at 200 C for about 30 minutes.
2. Dice the onion and fry it in the oil and honey.
3. Halve the squash and remove the seeds. Put it back in the oven for a few more minutes.
4. Add the couscous to the onion.
5. Boil the water and pour it over the couscous.
6. Add the raisins and cinnamon to the couscous. Cover the couscous and set it aside for about 10 minutes.
7. Stuff the squash halves with couscous and serve.

Soda Bread

A friend of ours likes soda bread, so I often make it for him when he comes over. It’s so easy and needs no rising time.

Ingredients:
5 cups flour (I used 2 cups spelt flour, 3 cups regular white flour)
1½ cups milk (I have used rice milk or soya milk)
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vinegar (I had balsamic on hand, so that’s what I used)
1 dash salt
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together by hand or in a mixer until thoroughly mixed.
2. Knead for a few minutes and shape into a round loaf.
3. Score the top of the loaf.
4. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 200 C.

Tofu and Spring Greens

This was really simple but tasty and satisfying.

Ingredients:
100-150 g spring greens (or spinach or cabbage)
a bit of butter (about 15 g)
water (about 1 tbsp or thereabouts)
vegetable oil
tamari sauce, to taste
honey (about 1 tbsp, but depends on taste)
firm silken tofu (about 175 g)
noodles (I used medium stir-fry noodles)

Instructions:
1. Wash and chop the spring greens. Put them with the butter and water in a pan and put the lid on. Steam over low heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat up the oil in a frying pan. Add the tamari sauce and honey.
3. Dice the tofu and add it to the frying pan. Stir it around so it gets covered with the tamari sauce and honey. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the spring greens and the noodles. Stir well. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, then serve.

Onion Tart

This is very simple but looks pretty if you use red onions (you can use white too, of course) and it is especially good with goat’s cheese on top. This time, though, I just used mozzarella. I’ve also done it with cheddar. But you don’t need cheese at all, if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 block puff pastry (about 250 g)
3 large red onions or 5 small ones
2 garlic cloves
oil
1 tbsp honey
1 dash balsamic vinegar
100-200 g black olives (depending on how you feel about olives)
black pepper
1 tsp mint
cheese, optional

Instructions:
1. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle and put it on a baking tray.
2. Dice the onions and garlic and fry them lightly in the oil. Add the honey and the balsamic vinegar and continue frying until caramelised and they have a slightly golden hue.
3. Chop the olives.
4. Spread the onions and olives on the puff pastry. Season with black pepper and mint. Add pieces of cheese, if desired.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 C.

Flapjacks

Flapjacks in the US refer to pancakes, but in the UK, they’re a sort of biscuit or bar made from oats and honey or golden syrup (I dislike golden syrup so I use honey).

Ingredients:
175 g butter
175 g honey (1/2 cup)
¾ cup sugar
spices, as desired (I used a bit of cinnamon and ginger, and also a splash of lemon juice, though that’s not technically a spice)
350 g oats (4 cups)
½ cup raisins, optional (I soaked them in boiling water first to plump them up)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter and add the honey and sugar. Warm until the sugar dissolves. Mix in spices, if you are using them.
2. Mix in the oats and raisins.
3. Grease an oven-proof dish and put the oat mixture in it.
4. Bake at 180 C for about 15-20 minutes, then slice into squares.