Lemon and Chive Goats Cheese “Boats” – Deli Week

Creamy soft goats cheese quinelles in a tortilla shell with a decorative chive

This is my second “Deli Week” recipe, the idea being that these are recipes great to be piled onto a board in the middle of a table and shared amongst friends. These goats cheese ‘boats’ would also be perfect for canapes or a posh starter!

I’ve been eating goats cheese a bit more recently, I went off all cheese for ages but slowly I have begun to really enjoy it again! Goats cheese is great if you are lactose intolerant because it has no (or very small amount) of lactose! I find the soft creamy versions are not too strong in flavour, plus they are deliciously soft which makes them great to mix with flavourings such as lemon, herbs and chilli. You could make this meal vegan by using a nut cheese/ vegan cream cheese or even something completely different inside your tortilla shell like a little spoonful of avocado and salad.

How to make the boats!

You could also make this gluten free by simply using gluten free tortilla wraps!

To make the shells is really easy! Take your flat tortilla wraps and slice them in to 8 wedges. Lightly grease a muffin tin and then place each wedge in one of the muffin holes so that you are creating a curve with a flat base in the middle (see my photo above for guidance). Then pop in the oven at 200c for 5-6 minutes untill they have hardened and browned slightly on the edges.

The ‘boats’ once cooled and removed keep their shape however I found that they fell over due to the thick side of the wedge being heavier than the rest of it. Once you have delicately placed a goats cheese quinelle on to the flat base you will find that it balances out nicely and will then stay up right!

Presented on a long board these canapes look quite visually exciting!

I chose chives and lemon to flavour my goats cheese because I wanted fresh flavours which would go nicely with my spiced polenta chips and other items you might find on a deli board. These are light enough to be eaten in abundance on their own or as part of a larger spread.

You could add garlic, dried chilli and other herbs it is completely up to you! For the purpose of making 8 boats I used 1 tortilla wrap (cut into 8 wedges), 8-10 chives finely chopped and the zest of 1 lemon mixed in with 1 small tub of goats cheese with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper and 6 chives as garnish. Double up to make 12 boats etc!

Maple and Mustard Sweet Potatoes: Bonfire Night Recipe

Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night is one of my favourite times of year! It’s not the story behind it that I celebrate but what I love is being outside in the cold, wrapped up in a big coat, scarf and gloves drinking mulled cider or a big cup of tea, eating “bonfire foods” which consist of Jacket potatoes, Sausage baps and Candyfloss then watching the fireworks. I love the “ooohs” and “aaaahs” from the crowd, the cosy feeling of a hundred people staring at the sky together and of course the whole romance about the occasion.

Maple and Mustard Sweet potatoes in a big soft bap

I started to think about typical Bonfire Night food and my favourite was always a sticky honey and mustard sausage in a soft bap with plenty of salad. It’s the perfect food for the night because it is warm and comforting also you can just use a napkin to hold it so no need for plates. I decided to replace the sausages with sweet potatoes instead of just using veggie sausages because its much healthier for you and also I replaced the honey with maple syrup for all my vegan friends.

I’m probably in the danger zone of becoming less of a healthy website and more of a comfort food website because I keep piling things in soft white rolls (such as my vegan blt) and encouraging you to wash it all down with some beer of cider!! The thing is at this time of year, that is exactly what you should be doing!!! If this is just too much and you’re doing low carbs then I thought of you too and turned this delicious sticky sweet potato treat into a delicious salad!

Maple and Mustard Sweet Potato Autumnal Salad

For the salad I have added raisins, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, cucumber and rocket leaves . The nuts and seeds balance out the sweetness and add a bit of bulk to the salad, also a nice contrast to the soft sweet potatoes

Serves 2 giant baps or 2-3 salads

1 large Sweet Potato
2 tblspn Maple Syrup
1 tblspn Wholegrain Mustard

For the baps-
2 Soft White rolls (I used seeded)
Rocket leaves

For the salad-
Rocket leaves
Cucumber
Sunflower Seeds or Pumpkin Seeds
Hazelnuts
Raisins – soaked in some boiling water if they’re a bit dry.

Slice the Sweet potatoes into large wedges, leaving the skin on, and brush or spray with a little oil. Meanwhile, mix the maple syrup and wholegrain mustard in a bowl and put to one side.

Heat the oven to 200c and roast the sweet potato wedges for 15 minutes, then coat in the glaze and put back in the oven for 5-6 minutes untill the glaze has gone sticky and the potatoes are soft.

Serve either in a bap with some rocket leaves or chop the wedges into small pieces and scatter over your assembled salad. I haven’t put amounts for the salad because it’s up to you how much you want

Vegan BLT (BBQ Tofu, Lettuce and Tomato): Meat Free Monday

I haven’t really missed bacon at all (It’s the first thing people ask when you say you’re vegetarian – probably just as annoying for a vegan being asked again “what do you eat?”) but for some reason I haven’t really found a satisfying alternative to the simple BLT sarnie (bacon, lettuce and tomato). So I decided to create one. A BLT needs to be slightly smoky, slightly salty and a good contrast between crispy ‘bacon’, crunchy lettuce and juicy tomatoes!

BBQ Tofu Strips, Lettuce and Sliced Tomatoes

What I liked about this sandwich was the fact that the tofu packed some great flavour but it also had a creamy subtleness which was delicious against the toasted bread. I actually left the tofu marinating for quite a while as we went to the pub and I can confirm that after a few cold pints of beer on a rainy day, this sandwich was perfect to come home to! Luckily I took a lot of photos to get the few decent ones because I was obviously a little tipsy when trying to photograph this quickly before devouring it!

First you need to thinly slice the tofu so it is around 1cm in thickness. I did three slices per sandwich which made for quite a hearty portion. You need the tofu to be really firm so place the strips onto some kitchen towel and then place more kitchen towel on top and press firmly. You can either place something heavy on top and leave it or if your tofu is already firm then just a good gentle press with your hands will do the trick. Just be careful not to press to hard and squash it!

For the BBQ sauce you need:
2 tablespoons Ketchup
1 tablespoon Light Soya Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
1/2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 tablespoon Chilli Powder

Mix all of the ingredients together and put to one side. This can be put in the fridge for later use if you are preparing in advance! The flavours develop nicely over time.

Spread the bbq sauce over both sides of the tofu and heat your grill to high. Place the tofu on a grill rack under the grill and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes on each side. This takes a little tender loving care as you don’t want the tofu to break. Also turn it frequently and apply more bbq sauce to each side as it cooks untill evenly coated and the sauce is beginning to blacked slightly.

When cooked put in a toasted bun with some freshly sliced tomato and some crisp lettuce! The smoked paprika gives it a real smokiness which reminds me of bacon and the sweetness from the ketchup and maple syrup balances it all out nicely!

The best bit is that because the tofu is nice and creamy there is no need for anything added like mayo (albeit vegan) or butter! I recommend toasting your bun for the ultimate BLT!

I’ve put this forward to be part of Souper Sundays (also now salads and sammies!) at Kahakai Kitchen

Butternut Squash Enchiladas: Meat Free Monday

Vegan, delicious and so so easy to make!

I have had a really busy few weeks at work – busy to the point where when I come home I haven’t felt like cooking (well as much as I normally do) so all of our dinners have gone back to basics and I’ve been taking  a lot of short cuts (like using pre made curry paste instead of building up the flavours). In this recipe I use a jar of tomato salsa mixed with canned tomatoes, it gives the sauce a gorgeous sweet and spicy flavour with absolutely no fuss!

You can find jars of salsa in the supermarket, usually in the aisle with the Doritos (tortilla crisps) or in the mexican section with the ‘make your own’ kits.

In line with my vegan mofo I have omitted our usual sprinkle of cheese and it was still really tasty and much fresher. I think a meal like this can be celebrated as the ultimate healthy comfort food, along side a good hearty stew or soup!

I serve 2 wraps each!

This is also a meal which is easily adapted if you are like me and you have a meat loving husband! For Scott I mix in some good quality organic bacon or some free range chicken and then when serving up you have something for everyone all in one baking tray!

Serves 4 (2 wraps each)

1 Large Butternut Squash/ Pumpkin/ Gourd or you could even use all of those courgettes you have left from the last bit of summer
2 Onions
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tablespoon Chilli powder or you can use paprika/ mexican seasoning/ chilli flakes
Oil for roasting
1 Jar Tomato Salsa (I used this one)
2 Cans Chopped Tomatoes
Fresh Coriander
8 Wholemeal or multigrain tortilla wraps

Preheat your oven to 180c (fan oven) 200c (other ovens). Pour approx 1 tablespoon of oil into a large baking tray and place into the oven for a few minutes to heat up the oil.

Peel and slice your butternut squash, peel the garlic and onion and roughly chop. Put all the ingredients into the warmed baking tray and sprinkle over the chilli powder, mix so that everything is coated in spice and oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes (I sat and had a cup of tea while it was roasting!).

Veggies ready to be roasted

Mix the tomato salsa and chopped tomatoes in a bowl. Warm each tortilla wrap in the microwave for 10 seconds each, then place some of the roasted bns mix in the middle of the wrap, pour over some tomato salsa mix (make sure you leave some salsa left for the end) and roll the wrap up then place in a deep rectangle baking dish. Repeat with each wrap (I had to use two baking dishes as could only fit 4 wraps in each dish).

Pour the remaining tomato salsa over the rolled up tortillas and top with fresh coriander. Finish off in the oven for 10 minutes untill browned and the edges of the tortilla have started to crisp up.

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Carrots and Cous Cous in a Raw Cabbage Wrap

Contrasting colours bring life to a recipe

I love the Raw food movement however I could never fully commit to a raw diet, there is too much I love about cooking! However it is undeniable that raw vegetables are very healthy for you so I try to incorporate something raw into my day when and where I can. I like the contrast between raw and cooked food – just think about how nice a fresh salad is next to your lasagna or spaghetti Bolognese!

I couldn’t put this recipe forward as a Meat Free Monday post because those recipes are there to say “Hey look how easy vegetarian cooking is” and this recipe is a bit experimental to say “Hey look how creative vegetarian cooking can be!” I’ve always seen people use leaves as a wrap and I think it looks fantastic. I saw these gorgeous sweetheart cabbages in the supermarket and couldn’t resist buying them, however they can have quite a tough stalk running up the middle so look for a younger tender leaf and if you don’t fancy it then swap it for a large lettuce leaf or some collard greens.

Wonderful Dark Green Cabbage Leaves

I love roasted carrots with everything, sometimes I mix them in with potato wedges for more flavour and colour, they’re great with zesty pesto, fragrant cumin, spicy paprika or even simply salt and pepper. I will never boil a carrot again because the flavour of a roasted carrot is much deeper and the texture softer. The key with these carrots for this recipe is to add the spice at the beginning to let it all soak into the carrot but don’t add the garlic and ginger until nearer the end otherwise it will burn.

The spicy Moroccan carrots contrast brilliantly with the fresh lemony cous cous.

Makes 2 Wraps (with left over cous cous if your leaves are a bit smaller)

100g or 1/2 cup Cous Cous
5 or 6 long thin carrots (I picked out the smaller carrots at the supermarket so that they could be served halved in the wrap. Bigger carrots you may need to slice up into a few pieces)
1/2 teaspoon Moroccan Spice (pre bought mix or use some ras el hanout)
1 Garlic Clove
1 inch piece Fresh Root Ginger
1 Lemon (Zest and 1/2 Juice)
1/3 Cucumber finely diced
Fresh Coriander
2 Cabbage/ Lettuce leaves

Firstly put the cous cous in a large bowl and cover with boiling water, the level of water should be about 2-3 cm above the cous cous. Place a plate/ lid over the bowl and put to one side.

Pre heat the oven to 180c (fan oven) 200c normal oven.

Wash and trim the carrots but don’t peel unless they’re a bit tough. Coat the carrots in some sun flower oil and the spices then roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and crush the garlic clove into the baking tray and add the finely diced ginger.

Put back into the oven and continue to roast for another 10 minutes.

Check on the cous cous, it should have absorbed all of the water and become lightly and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, juice, chopped fresh coriander, finely diced cucumber and some salt. Mix well so that all ingredients are combined.

Wash your leaves carefully then cut the tough ends of the stalk out. Pile in the cous cous and then top with carrots and the now slightly crispy garlic and ginger. Fold up the wrap and eat!

Tandoori Roasted Cauliflower with Curried Yoghurt Dressing in a Naan Wrap: Meat Free Monday

Use your hands and naan to scoop up the delicious fillings then tuck in!

This is anther recipe where I had a very exact idea in my head of what I wanted to create but I wasn’t sure if the idea would translate well into real life. Fortunately I think it has, it’s a great little dish for a weekend lunch or light evening dinner. The spicy Cauliflower is the base flavour of the dish, the curried yoghurt is to add some moisture and another flavour level, the raisins and flaked almonds add bursts of sweetness and a crunch. I never used to add raisins to curries but Scott always did when he cooked a curry at uni and since then it’s become normal in our house. You can swap raisins for chopped dried apricots for an equal sweetness. You could also swap flaked almonds for cashew nuts for a slightly different texture but equally as delicious.

Cauliflower florets coated in a little bit of spray oil and some tandoori spice mix

I love roasted Cauliflower it has so much more flavour than boiling it, adding a spice like tandoori mix enhances the flavours and transforms the cauliflower to an almost meaty base which can be used in a curry, warm salad or like this – topped with curried yoghurt, garnishes and rolled up in a naan.

Naan topped with curried yoghurt, roasted tandoori cauliflower, raisins, flaked almonds, sprouted lentils and quinoa and fresh coriander

This is very much a ‘hands on’ dish, I piled all my ingredients on to a board and then used my fingers to scoop up a mixture of everything into my naan bread and rolled it up to eat. I couldn’t fit all my cauliflower into the wrap so I finished it off with a fork. Next time I would try finding a larger flatter naan bread – or making my own! You could also use a flat bread, tortilla wrap or roti to scoop up the fillings.

The curried yoghurt was very simple and would be a nice dip to accompany many Indian starters or just to scoop on to some rice to spice it up. I used soya yoghurt because, although I can occasionally eat dairy without feeling ill, yoghurt is something which really does not agree with me. I found the soya milk a fine alternative once the curry paste had been added but by its own it was a little sweet.

The different textures and flavours all complimented each other really nicely!

Serves 2

1/2 Cauliflower (roughly 4 or 5 florets each)
Sprinkle of Tandoori Spice Mix
1 Small Onion – finely diced
2 tblspn Curry Paste
3 tblspn Yoghurt (Soya)
Handful Raisins
Handful Flaked Almonds
Small Bunch Coriander
Handful sprouted lentils and quinoa (optional)
Sunflower oil for cooking (Spray variety if you have it)

Pre heat your oven to 190c (fan oven temp). Wash your cauliflower and place in a  baking tray, spray with sunflower oil (or drizzle with a little oil if you don’t have spray oil) and sprinkle generously with the tandoori spice. Roast in the oven for 15-17 minutes.

Meanwhile in a frying pan add a little sunflower oil and fry the onion untill softened, add the curry paste and continue to cook for 1 minute stirring to combine the onions and curry paste.
Put the yoghurt in a bowl and then add the curried onion mix and mix to combine completely.

Heat up a naan/ roti/ wrap and place it on a plate then top with the roasted cauliflower, yoghurt, raisins, almonds, sprouts and coriander.

Eat by wrapping up the naan with the filling or with a knife and fork. This could also be served with rice or salad instead of a naan if you wanted a low carb curried treat.

Might need a bigger naan…

I have submitted this recipe to the Weekend herb Blogging event  over at Graziana from Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs)

Katz Deli New York City – Egg Salad Sandwiches

This is the last of my “What we ate on honeymoon” posts, I shared my new found love of Poutine from our time in Montreal and also had a go at a healthy version of deep fried pickles from Toronto.

My Version of Poutine

My Version of Deep Fried Pickles

One of the main tourist attractions we wanted to visit, along side The Empire State Building/ Statue of Liberty etc was Katz Deli, famous for the fact it was the background setting to the timeless “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in When Harry Met Sally but also famous for it’s gigantic portion sizes. New York was relatively healthy compared to what we were expecting from America so we we’re actually kind of excited about seeing what they had to offer.

The little yellow ticket you are handed when you walk in appears to have no purpose however if you lose it whilst dining there then you have to pay a $50 fine!!

I had looked on the menu before we left so I already knew that my options as a vegetarian were extremely limited but I still wanted to go and have fun. I felt a bit embarrassed ordering the Egg Salad sandwich which was hidden at the bottom of the menu underneath the endless choices of pastrami, beef and tongue sandwiches, I felt even more embarrassed when the waiter (loudly infront of everyone) said “Whats the point of coming all this way if your not going to try our famous pastrami!” Well sir there is more to life than pastrami!!

To begin with we were given a plate of pickles and also pickled green tomatoes, I tried one it was ok although a bit tangy for my taste. Scott ordered a Brisket sandwich and I had the Egg Salad. I was expecting Egg mayo with salad however this had salad items mixed in with the egg! It was nice but I think there were about 8 eggs in my sandwich and also it tasted a little powdery and dry. I had to have a lot of drinks to get through the sandwich.

The Egg Salad Monster Sandwich

Once back in the UK I decided to make my own Egg Salad sandwich, not to the extreme of this mammoth but just a respectful nod to the deli and our time in New York. I decided to make mine an open sandwich because with the amount of filling I had infront of me I definitely needed a knife and fork! I mixed up the salad aspect of the sandwich so I have mixed some ingredients in with the egg just like the deli did, and I have layered some underneath the egg. This gives a mix of textures as well!

My Open Egg Salad Sandwich

For this Sandwich I mixed 2 roughly chopped boiled eggs with 2 sliced spring onions, 4 plum tomatoes chopped small and 1 tablespoon of Wholegrain Mustard. Then I sliced 1 ciabatta in half and on each half I layered 2 gem lettuce leaves, 2 slices of roasted red pepper and 2 slices of gherkin/ pickle. Then I piled the egg mixture on top and dug in! I really liked having pickle with the egg this is something I will eat together more often.

Egg Salad Sandwich

I really enjoyed Katz Deli and would recommend it to any hard core carnivores out there because the meat options looked really good and Scott confirmed that his first ever taste of Brisket was delicious. Also the atmosphere was great and I loved people watching and seeing what everyone had chosen to eat!

Beany Chilli and Mozarella Quesadillas: A recipe revisited

I will have been writing my blog for a whole year in August and I can’t believe how much I have enjoyed growing my interest and abilities in the kitchen. Writing this blog has helped me understand a better way of living and even though putting that in to practise is still a work in progress I can see positive changes in myself and Veghotpot.

So to celebrate my one year of doing this blog I have decided to revisit a few of those recipe which have always niggled at me, the ones I knew had so much more potential or weren’t quite perfect but at the time I decided to post them anyway! I’m starting with my “Spicy Kidney bean and cheese quesadillas”

9th September 2011

30th July 2012

This recipe only needed a small amount of tweaking and my main aim was to make it much fresher and healthier.  I started by adding a can of tomatoes to the original spicy bean mixture and I slightly adjusted the spices used to make it less dry and to give it more depth of flavour. This really worked, it was a little bit more time consuming as you have to let the chilli simmer to reduce down but it is worth it!! I added cinnamon which I never used to like but recently I have found a small amount of cinnamon can really enhance both sweet and savour dishes.

The Beany Chilli to fill the wraps

I also swapped the cheddar cheese for mozarella because I felt the mild flavour of mozarella would sit better next to the spicy beans. Also you need less mozarella to get a nice melted cheesy quesadilla! Finally I added slices of avocado and fresh coriander to the wraps to make the wrap have a nice contrast between spicy, creamy and fresh.

Over all I think this is a much more complete quesadilla recipe which can be eaten as a meal by itself or with wedges and salad! I put the left over bean mixture into a plastic tub in the fridge along with the left over mozarella and avacado (sliced and wrapped up) and then had quesadillas again the next day but this time it took 5 minutes to throw it all together! So it’s always worth making an extra quantity of chilli and even freezing it. This would be just as nice on a jacket potato or with rice.

Makes 4 wraps (Beany chilli is freezable)

1 Onion – diced
1 Red, Yellow or Orange Pepper -diced
1 Garlic Clove – crushed
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 can Kidney Beans (cooked)
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes

4 Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps
1 or 2 Avocados – sliced
1 Ball Mozarella – or a vegan substitute cheese sliced
Fresh Coriander – chopped

In a deep sided frying pan or a sauce pan fry the onion and pepper in vegetable oil for 3-4 minutes untill softened then add the garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stir occassionally.

Add the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, smoked paprika, kidney beans and tomatoes. Stir so it is all combined and then turn the heat down slightly and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.

After 10 minutes add half the coriander and stir so it wilts. Take off the heat and put to one side.

Take one tortilla wrap and add a few spoonfuls of the beany chilli then top with the mozarella, then slices of avocado and some more coriander. Take the top and bottom edge and fold them in over the filling and then take the left and right edge and fold it in so you have made a parcel, gently press it down to keep it all in place. Place the parcel folded edges down on a griddle pan (or frying pan) and fry for about 4 minutes on each side untill slightly crispy and browned.

Cut them in half and serve on a plate with your sides and any salsas and dips of your choice!

Traditionally you can also make these by placing one tortilla on a grill pan, topping with the ingredients and then place another tortilla on top and flipping it over half way through cooking, but I find this abit messy! By making the parcels it is easy to eat and the chilli is kept all wrapped up inside.

Hazelnut and Apricot Bread Rolls (The Naked Chef): Friday Challenge!

For Christmas I was given a few of the same cookbooks so I returned one and found Jamie’s first 4 cook books on sale for the same price as the book I was returning! They are quite retro and you can see how Jamie has evolved and improved however I love them! You can buy the collection of the individual books here. The recipe isn’t online anywhere so I’m afraid I can’t provide a link this time, however if you know how to make a bread roll then just add in some crushed hazelnuts and dried apricots before the dough rises!!

This recipe is from one of Jamie’s earliest books “The Naked Chef” and as much as I love Jamie I have to say that I found the recipe quite hard to follow because it was dotted around different pages. Also he says the weight of the nuts and fruit should be 1/4 of the weight of the risen dough but then says you must have your filling ready before the dough. Anyway apart from it taking a little while to piece together the recipe I was more than happy with the result!

The combination of nuts and fruit within the bread works very well and it was delicious eaten toasted with a little butter or as a burger bun with a twist!

When the bread rolls came out of the oven I was expecting them to be quite heavy and they looked quite dense however I let it cool down a little bit, cracked one open and ta daa I had light fluffy bread in amongst the hazelnuts and apricots! So happy!

I Like the idea of mixing things into the bread dough, I was worried it wouldn’t rise but it worked nicely. I’ve got loads of ideas running through my head although from doing a little googling on the subject I seem to be a bit behind the times haha (You know people have only been making bread for like thousands of years). I think I will be spending this month throwing a variety of things into bread doughs and then seeing what happens!

What I have learnt about Bread Rolls:

Something I had been doing wrong in the past is not letting them prove for a second time after shaping them into rolls – This makes a much softer fluffy roll. After reading lots of recipes I’ve also realised that there is not really a right and wrong set of ingredients for bread, you can mix flours, add oil or milk, salt and sometimes sugar or even honey! So far I’ve used Strong white bread flour but I’d like to have a go at mixing some healthier grains in there!

Serving Suggestion – Heat the roll under the grill then spread on some butter (I used dairy free butter) and a good thick dollop of good quality honey! With the nuts and apricots within the bread this makes for a filling and satisfying breakfast.

Basic White Bread Rolls (Leon Baking Cookbook): Friday Challenge!

A few month’s ago I was doing my usual weekly food shop and I decided to really look at all the labels of the foods to see if I could spot many differences between brands and budgets. To be honest most of it meant nothing to me, it was just a list of words I can’t pronounce, however on the bread I was shocked to see so many E numbers and ingredients like Palm Oil (I know that palm oil is destroying our rain forests so I knew I didn’t want to be encouraging that). I finally found a loaf (sainsburys own brand no less) which had an ingredients list similar to the the recipe I know for bread and so I have been buying that one, but ideally I’d love to make my own bread!

When researching recipes for bread I came across ‘The Real Bread Campaign‘ which is a campaign to bring real home made chemical free bread back into our communities. This quote from their website sums up a lot of what the Real Bread Movement is about “if you add anything but salt to butter, you have to call it something else; if you add anything at all to milk, it’s no longer milk.  So why does similar legal protection not apply to that other staple food: bread?”. It’s so true, I have been very complacent over the years when buying bread and have just accepted that when I am buying a wrapped loaf I am buying normal bread, but now that will change! I should just point out that 7th – 13th May is ‘Real Bread Maker Week’ so make sure you go and check out the website (Here) and see what they have going on.

So for this month’s Friday Challenge I am focusing on bread rolls. I’ve chosen rolls instead of loaves because I felt there was more scope for visual variety with them. I had to start with a simple crusty white bread roll to really get to grips with the basics! This recipe is from the “Leon: Baking and Puddings” a fantastic book which also outlines how “Sadly, over the last Century many of the supposed advances in bread making have in fact stripped the goodness from this elemental food”. This is a great book and you can buy it here.

The recipe uses fresh yeast however I had dried yeast but this was substituted fine, also the recipe calls for warm milk but I used soya milk and again they came out fine! I’ve always wondered if soya milk can replace cows milk in any recipe or whether there is something in cows milk which reacts differently to create the correct texture or flavour but so far I think it’s safe to say that a dairy free milk works in most recipes.

The key to creating a crusty roll with a perfectly fluffy and soft inside is by throwing a handful of ice cubes into a preheated tray at the bottom of the oven when you put the rolls in. This creates steam which makes the crust…crusty!

What I have learnt about bread:

I had to fight the urge to add more flour to what was quite a wet dough, however they do say in the book “wetter is better” so I resisted and I’m glad I did as they turned out perfect. I’ve learnt that you need a certain degree of patience with bread making – knead the dough, wait an hour, knead the dough, wait an hour. It’s definitely a task for a quiet saturday afternoon!
Next week I will be adding a bit of flavour to the bread rolls with an early Jamie Oliver recipe!

Serving Suggestion: Warm the bread roll in the oven and then dip into a big bowl of healthy soup – such as my Pea, Leek and Fennel Soup! (Recipe here)