Lower Fat Granola

I decided to try to get the fat content of granola way down by replacing much of the oil with apple juice. That also allows you to leave out some of the sweetener.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup nuts

2½ cups oats

½ cup seeds (I used pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, and sunflower seeds)

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup apple juice

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup maple syrup

1 cup dried fruit (raisins, apricots, prunes, cherries, etc)

 

Instructions:

1. Chop the nuts. Mix them with all the other ingredients except the fruit.

2. Make sure everything gets coated with the oil and maple syrup.

3. Put a piece of parchment paper or baking paper on a baking tray, then spread the oat mixture on it in a thick layer.

4. Bake for 20 minutes at 160 C, then rotate the tray, and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

5. Leave to cool, then break up the granola into whatever size pieces you prefer. Add the fruit. Store in Tupperware or similar.

Sesame Bread

This is a somewhat unusual bread, with tahini in it to add a tang. Decorate it with sesame seeds too, if you like. It has a sweet and slightly bitter taste and it’s great with salad. Ingredients: 5 cups strong white bread flour (about 500 g) 2 tsp yeast 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp honey or sugar or maple syrup 4 tbsp oil (I used rapeseed but I think toasted sesame oil would be good too) 1-2 tbsp tahini (depending on how strong you want the sesame taste) 1 cup warm water (about 225 ml) sesame seeds, optional Instructions: 1. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add in the honey, oil, tahini, and water. Add the sesame seeds if you want or sprinkle them on top. Mix with a bread hook in a stand mixer or else knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes. 2. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour. 3. Knead again and prove a second time. Sprinkle with sesame seeds now, if you prefer. 4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200 C.

Another Nice Brown Loaf

I make the same few breads a lot (focaccia, baking powder biscuits, white bread), so I wanted to vary it. This is what I created.

 

It can also be made into individual rolls.

 

Ingredients:

450 g strong bread flour (I used 270 g white and the rest wholemeal)

7 g dried yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar or honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs (only one if not using seeds or oats)

250 – 300 ml liquid (I used 200 ml rice milk and 50 ml water)

seeds or oats, if desired

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil together.

2. Blend in one egg and slowly add the liquid, a bit at a time. Knead for 10 minutes or mix in a food processor for 5 minutes.

3. Set in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to rise for an hour or so, until doubled in size.

4. Shape into a loaf or rolls and leave to rise another 30-60 minutes.

5. Brush with the second egg and sprinkle with seeds or oats. You can skip this skip, if you want.

6. Bake at 180 C for 15-25 minutes.

Granola

I like having granola for breakfast, but most ready-made granolas include honey, which I am allergic to, or other items I don’t want to eat, plus they’re expensive. So I tried making it myself and it turned out quite well.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried fruit (raisins, apricots, prunes, cherries, etc)

water

1 cup nuts (I’ve tried hazelnuts and almonds)

2½ cups oats (or 2 cups oats, ½ cup quinoa flakes)

¼ - ½ cup seeds (I used pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup maple syrup (perhaps agave or honey would work as well)

Instructions:

1. Chop the fruit, then place it in hot water for 10 or so minutes, so it plumps up.

2. Chop the nuts. Mix them with all the other ingredients.

3. Make sure everything gets coated with the oil and maple syrup.

4. Put a piece of parchment paper or baking paper on a baking tray, then spread the oat mixture on it in a thick layer.

5. Bake for 20 minutes at 160 C, then rotate the tray, and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

6. Leave to cool, then break up the granola into whatever size pieces you prefer. Drain the fruit and add it. Store in Tupperware or similar.

7. Serve with milk, as desired.

The Joy of Salads

Salads are such an easy, healthy dinner, and they can be varied endlessly. A recent salad consisted of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, radish sprouts (for some zing), hard-boiled egg, and flaxseeds, and I made a simple dressing from olive oil, ume plum seasoning, and tamari. It was delicious and filling.

To vary, use different nuts or seeds or sprouts. Add peppers, olives, shredded beetroot or carrots, or other vegetables. Even some fruits, such as apples, work well. For dressings, use lemon juice, yogurt, herbs, vinegar, and various oils. And so on. Be imaginative!

Lavash Bread

This is easy to pull together, but the hard work is rolling it out. That’s one reason why I’m lucky to have my beloved sous chef, M. She does all the hard work of chopping, kneading, and rolling for me.

You can serve it with any sort of topping, such as hummus, Nutella, ratatouille, etc.

Ingredients:
350 g white bread flour (about 3½ cups) (you can also use a combination of white and wholemeal, so I used 3 cups of white and ½ cup wholemeal)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp seeds (sesame, linseed, poppy, etc)
2 tbsp olive oil
200 ml warm water (about 1 cup)

Instructions:
1. Turn the oven on to 220 C and put the baking tray in to warm up.
2. Mix the ingredients together by hand or in a mixer.
3. Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces and roll the pieces out until quite thing.
4. Bake for 5-10 minutes on a pizza stone or tray, 2-3 pieces at a time.

Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta

Since my partner isn’t a vegetarian, I do sometimes make fish dishes at home for her (I haven’t cooked any meat since I lived with my parents as a teenager). Trimmings of fish are much cheaper than regular fish and can be used in pies, flans, pasta, and many other dishes.

Ingredients:
1 onion
oil
honey or sugar
75 g green peas (frozen is fine)
pasta (about 75 g per person)
water
150 g smoked salmon (I used trimmings, which are cheaper and taste just as good)
soy cream (regular is fine too)
pumpkin seeds
chives

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and fry it in the oil. After a few minutes, add the honey or sugar, so the onion turns brown and caramelises.
2. Add the peas to the onion. Set the pasta to boil (depending on the type of pasta, this could take 2-10 minutes).
3. Mix the salmon and cream in with the onions. Stir and cook while the pasta is boiling.
4. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the salmon, then chop fresh chives and add them as well.
5. Serve the pasta with the creamy salmon sauce over it.

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins and Pumpkin Seeds

Healthy and delicious! When you use brown sugar, they get a more caramel-like flavour, but you can use all regular sugar if you prefer.

Ingredients:
water
½ cup raisins
¾ cup vegetable oil (or you can use butter)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
3 cups oats
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions:
1. Boil the water and put the raisins in it, so they plump up.
2. Mix the oil, sugars, cocoa, oats, flour, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Whisk the egg with the vanilla extract and add it to the mixture.
4. Add the raisins and some of their liquid (about ¼ to 1/3 cup, but you have to judge how moist the batter is).
5. Add the pumpkin seeds. Mix everything together.
6 . Drop by spoonfuls on a baking tray.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 180 C.

Corn Fritters

This is a savoury sort of pancakes that can be served for a light lunch or dinner. I served it with a tangle of watercress and the yellow of the fritters and the green of the watercress combined to make a nice summery look on the plate.

I’ve also sometimes added a tablespoonful of milled seeds (pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc) to the batter, because they’re healthy and add a nice full, nutty undertone.

When I served them, I accidentally called them critters. Let me tell you that critters are not appetising; if they were, I wouldn’t be a vegetarian, I guess. So make sure you get the name right when you serve them or you’ll end up with surprised and disgusted dinner guests.

Ingredients:
½ cup flour (I used whole wheat)
¼ cup cornmeal (polenta)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch smoked paprika
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tin corn
oil

Instructions:
1. Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika.
2. Blend in the milk and eggs, stirring to get rid of any lumps.
3. Mix in the corn.
4. Warm the oil in a frying pan and fry fritters a few at a time. Keep them warm in the oven until serving.

Broccoli, Courgette, and Tofu Tart

This was inspired by a recipe in Vegetarian Living. I made the pastry gluten-free and I added a bit of heat with curry paste.

Ingredients:
75 g butter
¾ cup flour (I used gluten-free)
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 dash salt
1 egg
1 onion
oil
1 courgette
½ package tofu
broccoli (I used tender-stem)
1 tbsp red curry paste (or chilli flakes)
½ cup yogurt
2 eggs
75 g blue cheese

Instructions:
1. Cube the butter and blend it with the flour until crumbly. Add the pumpkin seeds and salt and egg.
2. Chill the pastry for about 10 minutes then place it in an oven-safe dish (I just use my fingers to smooth it into all the corners and up the walls – it looks homey, which isn’t a bad thing). Bake it for about 7 minutes at 160 C.
3. Meanwhile, dice the onion and brown it in some oil. Slice the courgette into rounds and add it. Dice the tofu and chop the broccoli and add them as well.
4. Continue stir-frying, then add the curry paste and the yogurt and mix everything together.
5. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add some of the cheese.
6. Put the filling into the pastry and top with the rest of the cheese. Pour the eggs on top.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 190 C.

Stuffed Aubergine

I’ve never been a great fan of peppers (perhaps because I remember the green peppers my mother used to stuff with rice and ground meat, and which she used to leave for me and my father when she was going out of town for work), but I am trying to use them in recipes more these days. I think it’s important to challenge yourself and expand your tastes, so I frequently try new ingredients or new recipes. In this case, I used a red pepper as part of the stuffing for an aubergine and I was quite pleased with the results.

Ingredients:
1 aubergine
oil
1 red pepper
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp sugar
balsamic vinegar
pumpkin seeds
nigella (onion seeds)
black pepper
2 tbsp yogurt

Instructions:
1. Wash and halve the aubergine, then rub it in oil. Wrap it in aluminium foil and roast it for 30 minutes at 200 C.
2. Meanwhile, slice the pepper, onion, and garlic and fry the pieces in a little oil with the parsley and sugar. After 10 minutes, season with the vinegar, seeds, pepper, and yogurt.
3. Take the aubergine out of the oven and scoop the flesh out, leaving the shell intact. Chop the flesh and add it to the pepper mixture. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Fill the aubergine skins with the stuffing and bake for another 5-10 minutes, then serve.

Veggie Crumble

Fruit crumbles are so easy to make and they’re a tasty, healthy end to a meal. So why not a veggie crumble? It’s the same concept. Lots of veg topped with a yummy crumble, perhaps with cheese and/or seeds in it. It’s really easy to vary both the filling and the crumble topping, so you could happily make many different veggie crumbles.

Ingredients:
900 g vegetables (I used a combination of potatoes, parsnips, peas, spring onions, and carrots, but any combination could work)
1 l vegetable stock (or milk, if you prefer that sort of taste)
parsley, tarragon, mustard, black pepper, or other spices
75 g flour (I used spelt flour)
50 g butter
2 tbsp seeds (I used poppy seeds)

Instructions:
1. Peel, wash, and chop the vegetables as needed.
2. Cook the vegetables in the liquid and season with the spices.
3. Blend the butter and flour, but leave some lumps. Mix in the seeds.
4. Pour the veg into a casserole dish, then top with the crumble.
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 200 C.

Spelt Rolls

We were having a friend over for dinner and I wanted to serve a simple salad with some rolls to start with. I loved the idea of warm rolls coming fresh from the oven. I envisioned butter melting into the yeasty interiors. So this is what I came up with. M and I also ate some of the rolls toasted with cheddar cheese and that was great too.

Ingredients:
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp honey or agave
1 tsp salt
1½ cups lukewarm water
2 cups flour
1 1/3 cup spelt flour
salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or other topping, as desired

Instructions:
1. Whisk the yeast, honey or agave, salt and water. Add the flours and combine well, until it has formed a sticky dough.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for an hour or so.
3. Knead on a flour-covered surface or in the mixer for a few minutes. Shape into rolls.
4. Sprinkle the rolls with any topping desired, then leave to rise for another 30 minutes.
5. Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes.

Challah (Egg Bread)

This is the bread I grew up with and since I can’t get it where I live now, I wanted to make it myself. It can be a bit time-consuming, but mainly because it needs time to rise. You don’t have to spend all that time with it. Basically, you just mix the ingredients, let the dough rise, then shape the dough into breads. While it’s rising, you go off and do other things, like reading a great book.

Challah has a great eggy, slightly sweet taste. Use it in French toast or for sandwiches or just with some butter on it. Eating it makes me think of the Jewish bakeries I used to go to. I remember one in particular where the ladies behind the counter used to always give me a cookie or two to eat as my mother and I were waiting for our challah to be sliced. Those were the days…

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
½ cup milk
7 g (1 tbsp) yeast
8 cups flour, plus more for kneading
4 tbsp vegetable oil or butter, plus more for the trays
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp agave or honey
3 eggs, plus 1 egg for the egg wash
poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds

Instructions:
1. Put the water and milk into the bowl of a stand mixer, then sprinkle with the yeast. The yeast will probably foam a bit.
2. Mix in the flour a couple of cups at a time. Add the oil or butter and the sugar and agave or honey.
3. Mix in the eggs. Cover the dough in the bowl with a dishtowel and leave it to rise for about an hour.
4. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead it. It will be quite sticky, so add more flour as needed, although if you add too much, it will get dry.
5. Divide it into two pieces of dough, then divide each piece into three. Braid the three pieces together so you have two braided loaves.
6. Place the loaves on oiled trays and leave to rise for another hour.
7. Give the loaves an egg wash, then sprinkle them with seeds as desired.
8. Bake at 190 C for 40 or so minutes.