Easy Curry Carrot Bread
Monday, November 22, 2021A lovely yeast-leavened carrot bread boule made with organic bread flour, finely grated carrots and honey sweetened carrot juice. The unexpected use of curry powder and honey sweetened carrot juice give this bread a beautiful golden colour, and a warming, earthy and mildly sweet flavour that is perfect for any topping, as well as a nutritional boost. I spread it liberally with schmaltz, freshly milled black pepper and arugula. You can use butter instead.
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- In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the flour, crumbled yeast, curry powder and salt. Add in finely grated carrots and carrot juice. Mix at slow speed until the ingredients come together, then increase the speed and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, 7-9 minutes. Cover the dough with a clean towel and set aside at room-temperature for 45 minutes until double in size.
- Gently press down the dough and shape the dough into a tight ball. Place it in a parchment-lined baking tray and brush with the olive oil. Dust the bread with a little flour.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Use a sharp knife, razor blade, or bread lame to quickly score the surface of the boule. I did a common "tic-tac-toe" pattern, but a simple cross will be great too.
- Bake in the middle of hot oven for 50-60 minutes until crusty, golden and sound hollow when done. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
6-Week Long Maturing Spelt Gingerbread Loaf
Friday, November 19, 2021Nothing spreads the holiday spirit like a good homemade gingerbread loaf. This particular gingerbread is well-flavoured and incredibly delicious due to the 6-week long maturing process and the generous use of homemade spice blend. For a loaf with a soft crust and tender crumb, cover the gingerbread with a few slices of bread or fruit (I used clementines) for a couple of days before slicing. Glaze the gingerbread loaf with a simple lemon icing or chocolate ganache with some chopped nuts or just serve it with some whipped cream and some stewed plums for a festive brunch or try as a teatime snack slathered with butter.
Gingerbread Spice Blend | Gingerbread |
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- Combine all the ingredients for the spice blend in a jar. You don't need all the spices for the recipe. So half the recipe if you prefer.
- 6 weeks before Christmas: Gently melt the honey, coconut sugar and butter in a saucepan. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Set aside to cool for a bit. Add soda to the milk and mix. Whisk together the spelt flour and gingerbread spice, soda with milk, egg and cooled honey mixture. Mix well. Scrape the thick batter into a 20cm loaf pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge, undisturbed, for 5 weeks.
- After 5 weeks: Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Bake the loaf for about 50-60 minutes until nicely browned. Leave to cool in the pan, then turn out. Wrap the loaf with a large piece of tin foil. Set aside at room-temperature for a couple of days or up to a week before serving.
- If the gingerbread is hard, place a few slices of bread/apples/clementines on the loaf, then wrap with tin foil. They will help make the loaf tender and soft (change the bread/fruit each day with fresh ones). When the loaf is tender, glaze the gingerbread with chocolate ganache and sprinkle with some chopped nuts over, or simply dust the loaf with some powdered sugar and enjoy!
Couscous Salad with Almonds and Raisins
Tuesday, November 16, 2021This fresh Middle Eastern-inspired couscous salad features zingy ras el hanout, sumac and herbs on a bed of couscous with raisins – it’s filling, flavoursome and makes for an easy, satisfying meal that's on the table in 30 minutes.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat and cook the sliced red onions with a large pinch of sea salt for 5 minutes until beginning to brown. Pour in 250ml chicken stock or water and rapidly boil for 10 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the onions have softened. Turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes more until the onions are sticky and caramelised. Stir in the ras el hanout and cook for another few minutes. Season and leave to cool.
- Put the couscous and raisins in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the hot chicken stock. Cover and leave for 10 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed, then fluff up with a fork. Leave to cool.
- Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together. Season.
- Scrape the caramelised onions into the couscous. Add the arugula, parsley and dressing, and toss really well. Tip onto a platter and top with the flaked almonds and sumac.
Shingled Butternut Squash with Harissa and Pistachio Dukkah
Saturday, November 13, 2021This shigled butternut squash recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit, leans a bit spicy, tangy and smoky thanks to the generous use of homemade harissa (jarred versions available at specialty stores or on amazon make a good substitute), a peppery, garlicky condiment orginally from Tunisia, mixed with olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. It’s incredibly simple to put together, flavourful, and it tastes yummy.
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- Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Whisk together the olive oil, harissa, and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl to combine. Thinly slice butternut squashes crosswise on a mandoline 3mm/1/8inch thick.
- Add to bowl with harissa mixture and toss to coat. Season well with salt. Arrange the squashes so they are standing upright in concentric circles in a large baking dish, packing tightly. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over.
- Roast, brushing any accumulated harissa oil in dish onto squashes every 10–15 minutes, until soft and starting to brown on top, about 80 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss pistachios, sesame seeds, and fennel seeds on a small rimmed baking sheet. Toast alongside sweet potatoes until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then chop coarsely. Set dukkah aside.
- Remove butternut squash from oven and brush with accumulated harissa oil. Sprinkle with prepared pistachio dukkah.
Roasted Carrot Buckwheat Salad with Belgian Endive and Orange Honey Dressing
Thursday, November 11, 2021This hearty buckwheat salad is packed with flavour as well as nutrients. Belgian endive and roasted walnuts add crunchiness and earthiness while aromatic mint leaves adds just the right amount of zing, freshness, colour and texture. The pleasant bitterness in Belgian endive pairs perfectly with the sweetness of roasted carrots and orange honey dressing. If you don't have buckwheat, simply use your favourite grains or even quinoa instead.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Arrange the carrots in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with ground coriander, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, or until just tender and beginning to caramelise. Set aside to cool.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add buckwheat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add in buckwheat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Spread over a tray lined with paper towel to dry.
- To make the dressing, blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the buckwheat, carrots (cut them into smaller pieces if too large), Belgian endive leaves, mint and roasted walnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.
Giant Chocolate Cookie with Cacao Nibs and Flaky Salt
Monday, November 08, 2021This incredibly delicious and dangerously addictive oversized chocolate cookie is soft, chewy and loaded with milk chocolate and cacao nibs with crisp edges that’s designed to feed a crowd and perfect for sharing. The combination of sea salt, sweet milk chocolate and bitter cacao nibs create an amazing sweet and salty contrast. To make it even more festive and decadent, serve with a large scoop of your favourite ice cream or chantilly cream.
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- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Stir together spelt flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With an electric beater, beat the butter, coconut sugar and vanilla sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in flour mixture, beating until just combined, about 1 minute. Fold in chopped chocolate and 2/3 of the cacao nibs.
- Transfer cookie dough to a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover top with another sheet of parchment and roll out dough into a 9-inch round, trimming edge as needed. Remove and discard top layer of parchment and transfer the cookie dough round on parchment paper to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and remaining cacao nibs, pressing lightly into dough to adhere.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until just set around edges. Remove the cookie from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into wedges.