Hi guys!
Meat free Monday is here and I wanted to try a recipe from my brand new book "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian". The book was written by Mark Bittman, who is a columnist for New York Times, food journalist and cookbook author. I have come across his book on Gwyneth Paltrow's blog Goop in a post about meat free monday and vegetarian cooking and as I was searching for a decent vegetarian and vegan cookbook, I though I would give this a try. The book is huge. It has close to 1000 pages, no pictures unfortunately, but it gives you all the information on all basics with regards to vegan and vegetarian cooking as well as basic techniques and product knowledge at the beginning of every chapter.
I had some leftover tofu that needed to be used for something. Tofu is a little hard to handle for the average omnivore. It hardly has a taste to it and a funny texture when you're not used to it. I've always had trouble finding recipes that would end up with well-tasting tofu. "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" offers a variety of preparation techniques for tofu - poached, baked, broiled, fried or grilled - as well as a number of variations for each. As I have never tried baked tofu, I though I would give that a try. I went with a variation of the classic baked tofu: soy-baked tofu.
Here's the recipe:
1 to 2 pounds firm tofu
salt
1) Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Dry the tofu with paper towels - you don't have to be too compulsive about this; just blot off excess water - and sprinkle it with salt. Put in a nonstick skillet or baking pan.
2) Bake for about 1 hour, undisturbed. The tofu is done when the crust is lightly browned and firm. Remove and use immediately or cool, wrap, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Soy-Baked Tofu: about 10 seconds more work and - for many uses - a significant improvement. After blotting off water, brush liberally with good soy sauce. You may still want to sprinkle with salt, but very lightly. Bake as directed.
© Copyright: Mark Bittman, "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian", p. 641
Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 5 minutes
Total preparation time: 65 minutes
Here's how it looks:
I served mine with oven-roasted cauliflower and some quinoa. The tofu gets a beautiful crust and a lot of flavour from the soy sauce. I used 1/2 pound and cut the baking time down to about 35 minutes.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
Today I want to share a recipe for one of my favorite cakes of all time. It's called Königskuchen in german which translates as King's cake. I came up with the idea of sharing it when I wanted to bake a loaf cake and wasn't finding any recipe I wanted to try in any of my go-to cookbooks. The cake is a pretty typical cake in Germany, but most importantly, it is easy to make and doesn't need hard-to-find ingredients. I don't know where my mother has the recipe from and she can't remember because she's had it for so long.
Here's the recipe:
500g (3 1/3 cups; 16 oz) all-purpose flour
200g (a little under 1 cup; 6 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
250g (2 sticks; a little over 8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 eggs
1 pouch (16g; 1/2 oz) baking powder
pinch of salt
250ml (1 cup; 8 fl.oz) milk
200g (6 3/4 oz) raisins
100g (3 oz) candied lemon peel
100g (3 oz) chopped almonds
1) Preheat the oven to 175°C (347°F). Beat the butter and sugar for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the milk and mix until combined.
2) Sift the baking powder and flour in the liquid mixture and add the salt.
3) In the end, fold in the raisings, candied lemon peel and chopped almonds. Pour the batter in a greased loaf tin and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Here's how it looks:
A few notes on the recipe:
Candied lemon peel is sold as "Citronat" in Germany or Switzerland and is little cubed pieces of candied lemon peel. You can chop the almonds however finely you want. I like mine rather finely chopped so the almonds combine with the dough and end up tasting like marzipan.
I hope you are going to like it as much as I do.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
Today's recipe provides you with a great pick-me-up that you can enjoy at any time of the day. It's cappucino chip muffins. I'm a big coffee lover and combining coffee with my sweet tooth is probably as good as it gets. The recipe is from Cynthia Barcomi's "I love baking". I've been wanting to try this recipe for a little while, but couldn't seem to come around to it until recently.
Here's the recipe:
250ml (1 cup; 8 fl.oz) whole or semi-skimmed milk
120g (1 stick) unsalted butter, molten and cooled
1 egg
350g (2 + 1/3 cup; 12 oz) all-purpose flour
150g (2/3 cup; 5 oz) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons dissoluble espresso powder
1 teaspoon ground coffee (non dissoluble)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
100g (3.5 oz) chocolate (milk or dark)
1) Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F). Grease a 12-whole muffin tin or line with paper cases.
2) Put the milk, cooled molten butter and egg in a bowl and stir to combine. In a second bowl, mix the flour, sugar, espresso powder, ground coffee, salt and cinnamon powder. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
3) Chop the chocolate and fold it into the dough. Divide the dough equally between the muffin cases.
4) Bake for about 18 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then turn them on cooling rack to cool completely.
Yield: 12 muffins
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes
Here's how mine turned out:
These muffins are the perfect combination of coffee and chocolate. I've used dark chocolate, because I like it better in combination with coffee. If you can't find dissoluble espresso powder, you can also brew a very strong ristretto (max. 40ml (1/8 cup) espresso) and mix it in the dough. The ground coffee adds crunch and serves as a little surprise in the muffins.
Have fun trying and give in to those coffee cravings!
Hi guys!
Meat free monday again and we are having incredibly hot weather, so I wanted my lunch to be as summery and quick as possible. I find that nothing beats a basic tomato sauce on days like this. I usually prepare a big pot and freeze the sauce portionwise, but it will last in your fridge for a week. My recipe is not from a specific book, it's more a mix of different recipes and it changes from time to time.
Here's the recipe:
1 800g (13.5 oz) can peeled tomatoes
1 onion
1 pinch sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
dried basil
dried oregano
1) Cut the onion in fine dice. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion has softened.
2) Add the tomatoes and their juice. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the herbs and the sugar. I normally don't measure my herbs, but start with 1/2 teaspoon basil and oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the sauce bubble away for about 40 minutes.
3) In the end, season the sauce with salt. I add salt ealier, because in the time the sauce reduces, the flavours are getting more intense.
Serves: 4 + leftovers
Active preparation time: 5 minutes
Total preparation time: about 50 minutes
Here's how I eat it:
If you are not on a vegan diet, you can sprinkle parmesan on top. I love how little active work it takes. I don't know how you're feeling, but on hot days, I try to reduce my time next to the stove to a minimum.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
Summer is spoiling us with an exceptionally hot week, so I as well as the rest of my family are craving light and easy food that won't need hours of work in the kitchen or time spent close to a warm stove. I have wanted to try another Donna Hay recipe for some time: the Baked Italian Chicken she has featured in "fast, fresh, simple" as well as the accompanying tv show. I loved the idea of classic italian flavours, olives, pancetta and tomatoes combined with chicken.
Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/15160/baked-italian-chicken
Active preparation time: less than 5 minutes
Total preparation time: 50 minutes
Here's how mine turned out:
I decided to combine the chicken with another italian classic: a simple parmesan risotto. I absolutely love the flavours this recipe combines. The tomatoes turn beautifully caramelized and sweet when roasted in the oven, the pancetta becomes crisp and add saltiness in combination with the olives to really brighten things with the chicken. A big plus of this recipe is that you don't need to know how to cook to make this, but you are going to end up with perfectly cooked meat anyways.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
I had to feed my sweet tooth again the past week and I decided to bake cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns. They seem like the perfect winter treat, but I love them year-round. I have a recipe in the Primrose Bakery book that I had given a try a few months ago, but it didn't work out as I had wanted it to, so I decided to give it another try with a few adjustments and I managed to perfect the recipe, so you actually end up with wonderfully fluffy and caramelized cinnamon rolls.
The recipe calls for strong white bread flour whereas I am using plain all-purpose flour, so I don't know if that makes a big difference, but I need less fluid than the recipe asks for to form a nice yeast dough. I will share the original recipe first and then my adjusted version.
Here's the recipe:
275g (1+ 1/8 cup; 9 fl.oz) lukewarm water
5g (about 1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
600g (4 cups; 20 oz.) strong white bread flour, sifted, plus more for rolling
1/4 teaspoon salt
175g (halfway between a 2/3 and a 3/4 cup; 5.5 fl.oz) milk, warmed very slightly to "hand hot"
75g (3/5 stick; 2 2/3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
125g (1 stick; 4 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g (1 packed cup; 8 oz) dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves
For glazing:
2 tablespoons apricot jam
3 tablespoons water
1) Measure the water into a jug, then stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2) In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, using your hands or a spoon. Add the 75g butter and mix well. Add the milk and the yeast mixture and stir to form a sticky dough.
3) Turn the dough out onto a large, well-floured surface and, with well-floured hands, knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic - the dough should spring back when touched. Allow the dough to rest.
4) After 10 minutes, roll the dough out to a rectangle measuring 63x38cm (25x15 inch). Spread the 125g butter evenly over this rectangle, leaving a 2.5cm (1 inch) gap along the bottom (long) edge.
5) In a bowl mix together the brown sugar and all the spices and spread over the butter. Starting form the top of the rectangle, roll up the dough towards the bottom edge, enclosing the filling.
6) Brush the bottem edge with a little water to secure the dough you have just rolled and then cut the roll into 5 cm (2 inch) lengths. Place on a baking tray and leave to rise for about 40 minutes in a warm area.
7) Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the apricot jam glaze over the hot buns. These are best served straight away, but any uneaten buns can be wrapped in clingfilm and refrigerated overnight and then reheated the next day.
© Copyright: Martha Swift, Lisa Thomas, "The Primrose Bakery Book", p. 87
Yield: 12, according to the recipe, I usually get 16 to 18
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 3/4 hours
Here are my adjustments:
150g (1/2 + 1/8 cup; 4.5 fl. oz) lukewarm milk
125g (1/2 cup) lukewarm water
5g active dry yeast
600g plain all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1) Combine the milk and water, then stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, mix together the four, salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add the 75g butter and mix well. You can use a kitchen machine or hand mixer with kneading hooks to assemble the dough. Add the water-milk-yeast mixture and combine everything to a dough. It should leave the bowl clean once it's done, so it's not on the sticky side, but not dry either.
3) Knead the dough with your machine or by hand for 5 minutes until it's smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rest, covered with a clean cloth, for 30 minutes to rise.
Follow the original recipe for the remaining steps.
Yield: 16-18 buns
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preperation time: 2 hours
Here's how mine turned out:
I find the dough way too sticky, if you follow the original recipe. A sticky dough will make it almost impossible for you to roll it out without sticking to your working surface, even if you've floured it well. It also has a tendency to rip. I leave the dough to rise for 30 minutes before rolling it, so it can get bigger and I have more dough to work with. It will be a lot easier to roll it out to the demanded size. If your dough is not sticky, but nice and smooth, you won't have trouble rolling it up afterwards, as well. I promise.
I cut the dough roll in 2.5cm (1 inch) lengths. I find that they hold their shape better during baking if they're not as high.
I like my cinnamon rolls best without the glaze. I usually brush them with molten butter before baking. This ensures the surfaces stays nice and soft. You could sprinkle them with more sugar if you'd like or take it to another level and top them cream cheese icing or a simple plain icing (combine water and icing sugar and stir until the mixture becomes sticky).
These cinnamon buns take a little time and they are a little challenging when you try them for the first time, but you'll get better with every new try and before you know it, you'll rock this recipe.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
It's monday so time for a meat free recipe. I am a big soup lover. I think there's nothing as versatile and rich in possible combinations as vegetable soup. You can use whatever vegetable you like and add spices to give it a twist and brighten things up. Today's recipe is my own idea. I got the idea while scanning through cook books looking for an idea on changing things with my mum's classic carrot soup. There's nothing wrong with her version, but I wanted to make it more interesting by adding other ingredients that would complement the sweetness of the carrot. As I love ginger, I started adding ginger to the mix and when I saw a recipe for and orange-carrot soup I figured orange would bring a nice freshness.
Here's the recipe:
500g (16 oz; 1lb) carrots
1 onion or 2 scallions
25g (3/4 oz) ginger
about 10g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, for greasing the saucepan
500ml (2 cups: 16 fl.oz; 1 pint) vegetable stock
100ml (3.25 fl.oz; a little less than 1/2 cup) orange juice
1) Peel the onion and roughly chop it or slice the scallions. Peel the carrots and cut them into 0.5cm slices (about 1/4 inch wide). Grate the ginger.
2) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, ginger and onion and roast until the carrots start to caramelize.
3) Add the warm vegetable stock and orange juice. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the carrot is cooked.
4) Blend the soup with a handheld blender. If the soup is very thick, thin it with water until the consistency is to your liking.
Serves: 3
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
Here's how it looks:
I love that the soup is done in no time. It offers a variety of flavors, the sweet from the carrot, spicy from the ginger and fruitiness as well as a little acidity from the orange which makes it very interesting. This soup is perfect to serve as a warming winter treat, but it is not heavy at all so it's suitable for summer as well.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
I've been sharing a few of my breakfast favorites with you along the way, but as of today, I haven't shared my absolute weekday favorite. I love to make brioche or chocolate bread for the weekend, but on weekdays, I need something I can whip up fast. It is important to me, that my breakfast is healthy and filling without leaving me stuffed. I have found that Oatmeal works best.
Here's my recipe:
180ml (3/4 cup) soy milk
35g (1.2 oz; about 1/4 cup) spelt flakes
1 teaspoon maple syrup
fresh fruit
1) Combine the soy milk and spelt flakes in a saucepan over high heat. Once it's cooking, turn the heat down to medium and set a timer at 7 minutes.
2) At 5 minutes left, stir in the maple syrup.
3) At the end, fold in the fruit.
Serves: 1
You can prepare this by doubling or tripling the ingredients. You might have to let cook the oats for a little more time, though. I have found that double the recipe needs about 9 to 10 minutes of cooking time.
Here's how it looks:
You can use regular milk or almond milk, if you like. I am not allergic to cow's milk, but I've found that I like the taste better using soy or almond milk instead of regular milk. You can also use more maple syrup. I like my oatmeal to have a slight touch of maple syrup only and not be sugary. You can use any fruit you like, dried fruit if you like. I've used raspberries and blueberries in the picture above. When I'm using dried fruit like dates, plums or figs, I will chop it and add it to the cooking oats for the last 3 minutes so it softens a bit.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
It's Monday, so I'll share another meat-free recipe for you to try. I was looking for a soup that would be more filling than a plain vegetable soup. I came across this recipe for a vegetarian, actually vegan, chilli in Gwyneth Paltrow's "notes from my kitchen table". I love that the recipe calls for different beans and lentils because it makes the chilli interesting and it makes you forget that you haven't used any meat or dairy product.
Here's the recipe:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, peeled and finely diced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
1/2 large red peppers, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 5mm dice
3/4 teaspoon mild chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
2 400g (14 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
100g (3.5 oz) puy lentils, rinsed and drained
1 410g (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 410g (14.5) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
big pinch coarse salt
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, red pepper, garlic, chilli powder, cumin and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the chipotle and stir to combine.
2) Turn the heat up to high, add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing them a bit with your wooden spoon, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
3) Add the lentils and beans. Fill one 410g can with water and add it to the pan, along with the salt. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
4) Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the flavours are melded.
Serves: 4-6
Active preparation time: 1/2 hour
Total preparation time: 2 hours
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my kitchen table", p. 49
Here's how mine turned out:
The chilli has a really nice depth of flavour, as it combines so three different types of lentils and beans and carrots, peppers and tomatoes and each component adds a different taste and a slightly new touch to the texture as well. The carrot and tomatoes add sweetness that works great to contrast the chilli. As I couldn't find any chipotle chillies, I used a strong chilli powder to add spiciness.
This recipe certainly is not fast, but the cooking time is essential to really combine the flavours. You are going to get a lot out of the time you put in.
Have fun trying and happy Monday everybody!
Hi guys!
Summer is still pampering us with pretty warm weather and lots of sunshine, so I was craving a little something to take care of my sweet tooth with a refreshing touch to it. My sister gave me a cook book from the Primrose Bakery in London and I haven't been finding time to fully take it to the test. The book features lots of recipes for cupcakes, loafs and cakes as well as some breakfast favourites like croissants and pain au chocolate. I have found a recipe for a lemon drizzle loaf cake and as I love lemon in summer, I decided to give it a try.
Here's the recipe:
155g (1 cup; 5 oz) self-raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
155g (2/3 cup) caster or superfine sugar
20g (1 tablespoon) cornflour
155g (1 + 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
great zest and juice of 1 lemon
160g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Grease 1 loaf tin and line with baking paper.
2) Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and cornflour into a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter , eggs, lemon zest and juice and mix until combined.
3) Pour the mixture in the tin and level the top with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the tin.
4) Make up the drizzle by stirring the sugar into the lemon juice in a jug and mixing well. Prick the surface of the loaf all over with a fork. Pour the drizzle over the loaf and allow to set before removing the loaf from the tin and serving.
If you can't find self-raising flour, use regular all-purpose flour and add about 1 tablespoon baking powder to one cup of flour.
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: about 50 minutes
© Copyright: The Primrose Bakery Book, Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas, p. 141
Here's how mine turned out:
By pouring a drizzle on top of the cake, the cake stays nice and moist. I also love the strong lemon flavor, because it is really refreshing and perfect for a summer day. The cake will keep well for 5 or 6 days at room temperature in an airtight container. You can keep the cake in the refrigerator if you like.
Have fun trying and soak up some sun during the weekend!
