Kamut Spelt Bread with Dried Plums, Hazelnuts and Sesame
Thursday, June 13, 2013This is a dense nutty bread made with organic wholemeal spelt flour, kamut flour, hazelnut, sesame seeds, dried plums and thyme. Kamut (ancient khorsasan wheat) has a buttery, sweet, rich flavour and a nutritious alternative to conventional wheat flour. Kamut is very versatile, just like spelt, and can be used to make bread, cookies or cakes.
Kamut Spelt Bread with Dried Plums, Hazelnuts and Sesame
adapted from lecker
|
- Dry roast the sesame seeds in a pan on medium heat until lightly browned, shaking the pan occasionally. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- Cut the dried plums into four pieces. Roughly chop the thyme leaves. Whisk together wholemeal spelt flour, wholemeal kamut flour, and salt. Add in dried plums, thyme leaves, 75 grams of whole hazelnuts, and 40 grams of toasted sesame seeds.
- Stir together the water and fresh yeast in a large bowl. Pour the yeast water into the flour mixture, then add in balsamic vinegar. Stir all the ingredients until mixed. The dough will be rather sticky.
- Scrape the dough into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Smooth the top and scatter the remaining hazelnuts and sesame seeds over. Place it on the lower rack of cold oven.
- Bake the bread at 225C/440F for about 90 minutes, tenting it with a piece of aluminum foil after 45 minutes. Leave the bread in the pan for 10 minutes after baking. Turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Blueberry Chocolate Tartlets
Saturday, June 08, 2013A generous portion of fresh blueberries and a good splash of black currant liqueur make these chocolate tartlets irresistible--serve dusted with cocoa powder or icing sugar. I have played with crust both with a buttery rich pastry and an unbaked healthy energy bar mixture. They were both very delicious!
Crust | Filling |
---|---|
|
- Press the prepared crust mixture into the base and sides of the four 12-cm tartlet moulds with removable bottom or one 28-cm. Cover with plastic film and chill until ready for use.
- Blend the fresh blueberries in your mixer until smooth. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
- Chop chocolates into smaller even chunks and add into a large bowl. Place blueberry puree, soya cream, vanilla seeds and bean in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring it to a simmer. Pour the hot blueberry-soya mixture over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for one minute. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted and smooth.
- Now add in coconut oil, black currant liqueur and blueberry syrup. Stir until well combined and smooth. Pour the berry-chocolate mixture into the prepared tartlet crusts and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Spelt Spinach Bread
Tuesday, June 04, 2013A fiber-rich and earthy whole wheat spelt bread with creamed spinach baked right in. It is surprisingly delicious and doesn't taste much like spinach. This could be the way to finally get your picky husband or kids to eat their vegetables.
Enjoy this highly nutritious spelt bread spread with a nice generous layer of homemade seed butter or a bowl of bean soup for the lunch.
|
- Place the frozen creamed spinach chunks in the mixer and pour in the boiling water. Process until blended.
- Whisk the spelt, bread flour and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center. Add in dried yeast, olive oil and spinach mixture. Stir first on slow speed for 3 minutes, then increase the speed, knead the dough until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes.
- Turn out the dough onto the lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times. Grease the mixing bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil. Return the dough into the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Let is rise for an hour, or until doubled.
- Once the dough has doubled, turn out the dough onto the lightly floured work surface and punch the dough with your fist so that it deflates. Knead the dough for a minute. Now shape the dough into a log and place it into a 30-cm loaf pan. Or divide the dough into 10 even pieces and shape them into round balls. Place them in a parchment-lined baking tray. Cover with a damp towel for 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Bake the bread loaf in the center of hot oven for about 40 minutes or 25 minutes if you make them into the small buns.
Arabic Style Baked Chicken With Dried Plums and Herbs
Friday, May 31, 2013
The Arabic cuisine is mainly a combination of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian food. It has been affected by the mingling of Arab and non-Arabs over the centuries.
Sumac is an essential ingredient and adds a tangy, lemony taste to the dishes. The dried plums are a popular cooking ingredient and impart a sweet and sour flavour. Serve the baked chicken breast with a side of couscous or steamed Basmati rice.
Arabic Style Baked Chicken With Dried Plums and Herbs
adapted from Eat Smarter
|
- Rinse and dry the chicken breast. Season the chicken breast well with salt, pepper, sumac and paprika powder. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour.
- Peel, and cut the onion into wedges. Slice each tomato into 4 wedges. Rinse the lemon clean with hot water. Finely grate the lemon zest and squeeze the juice.
- Wash, dry the chives, thyme and parsley. Cut the chives into rings and finely chop the parsley and thyme leaves. Cut the dried plums into smaller pieces. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add in chicken breast and sear until golden on both sides. In a baking dish, add in tomatoes, onions wedges, thyme, chives, half of the parsley, dried plums, lemon juice, zest and chicken broth. Place the pan-seared chicken breast fillets on top. Season with salt, pepper and paprika powder. Cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Bake the chicken in the middle of the hot oven for about 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil after 30 minutes and continue to roast the chicken until done. Sprinkle the rest of parsley over and serve.
Black Olive Sesame Spelt Bread
Sunday, May 26, 2013This is one of my favourite bread recipes from Dan Lepard, via Guardian. It is studded generously with black olives and coated with a mix of sesame seeds, oregano, thyme, sumac, and lemon zest. Since the spelt flour (I used bread spelt flour here) is more “water soluble” than wheat, therefore, using the same amount of liquid will result in a more sticky dough. Thus, if you plan to use wheat flour, then you need 250ml of liquid that the original recipe calls for, instead of 220ml that I used for this spelt version.
|
- Strain the olives, then measure the liquid and top up with warm water to make 210ml. Put the strained olives and the liquid into a bowl, then stir in the yeast, sugar and 50g of sesame seeds. Add the spelt bread flour, mix to a soft, sticky dough, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
- Turn out the dough on a lightly oiled work surface, then give the dough a short, 10-second knead. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes more. Repeat this quick knead twice more at 10-minute intervals, then leave the dough, covered, for 90 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line the base of a tray with nonstick baking paper, grind the herbs as fine as you can, then tip on to a large dinner plate and mix with a tablespoon of sesame seeds, the sumac (if using) and lemon zest. On another plate, have ready a wet square of kitchen towel.
- Pat the dough into a rectangle on a clean worktop dusted with a little flour, then roll it up tightly into a snug scroll, making sure all the olives are tucked in. Next, tightly roll the ends of the loaf, so they pinch in and the loaf has a shape a bit like a lemon. Roll the loaf on the wet towel, then roll it in the herb and spice mix.
- Place on the tray seam-side down, cover and leave to rise for 90 minutes. Slash the top and bake at 220C/425F for about 40 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Vegan Gluten Free Fudge Brownies
Wednesday, May 22, 2013These fudge brownies are gluten-free, vegan, rich yet truly healthy, free from all processed ingredients. A delicious combination of fudge brownie with nuts, honey and fruit. Delicious desserts are unnecessary fatty, sugary and calorie intensive.
Vegan Gluten Free Fudge Brownies
adapted from FitsugarCrust | Topping |
---|---|
|
|
- Mix together all crust ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
- Press it into a loaf pan lined with tin foil or plastic wrap until evenly distributed and set in the fridge while preparing the topping.
- Place all the ingredients for the topping in a food processor and process until well blended. Spread topping onto the crust layer base until evenly distributed. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Cut into 16 squares. Serve and refreeze the rest.