Quick and Easy Multi-seed Loaf

Multi-seed Loaf

After drooling over the bread at Zeb Bakes website, I decided to browse through the Sunday Times Book of Real Bread, which my Mum and Dad edited together in 1982. It’s full of bread making recipes from around the world and celebrates the skills of the many people with a passion for quality in bread and concern for health. Bread has been a staple in our diet for centuries but these days the loaf you buy has very little resemblance to a home-baked loaf.

Many people don’t realise that bread now lacks nutritional value and we need better bread for healthy, happier people. Chris Young recognises this and has recently co-ordinated a new Real Bread Campaign. You can read about this here and learn how you can get involved too.

I decided it was about time I did some baking of my own. Having looked at so many different recipes, I did what I do best, closed the book and made up my own version. The aroma was mouth-watering, the texture was dense and I had a perfect slice toasted for breakfast this morning. 

I used fresh flour, brought back from a trip to Norfolk. Always remember when baking that the fresher the flour you use, the tastier the loaf will be.

Makes: 1 loaf and a few rolls

500g wholemeal flour

250g plain white flour

14g dried yeast

400ml luke warm water

2tsp salt

1tsp honey

2 tsp olive oil

Handful mixed seeds

Mix together the yeast, honey and 200ml of warm water and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes until it has a ‘head’ like a pint of beer.

Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, seeds and olive oil in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture and gradually add the rest of the luke warm water to form a dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and springy.

Put the dough back in the bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes. The dough will double in size.

Heat the oven to 225º/Gas mark 8.

Knock the dough back and tear off a third.

Divide the third of the dough into four and shape into balls to make rolls. Brush each lightly with olive oil and bake in the oven on a greased tray for 10 to 15 minutes.

Put the remaining dough into a greased bread-tin, brush the top with olive oil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Cool the loaf on a wire tray before eating.

Arancini with an orange and pear salad

Yesterday's Beetroot and Broccoli Risotto

Arancini filled with Mozzarella and Ham



Orange and Pear Salad

I was in the mood for risotto and my mum recommended I try Aldo Zilli's risotto with purple sprouting broccoli and beetroot so I gave it a go.

I used normal broccoli as my local veg lady didn't have any purple sprouting. I found that the risotto was lacking a bit in flavour so if I make it again I will par-boil the broccoli first.

Whenever I make a risotto I like to make too much so that I have enough left-overs to make arancini.

Arancini 'little oranges' are a Sicilian speciality. There is a traditional recipe (fried rice balls covered in breadcrumbs, filled with mozzarella, tomato sauce and mincemeat) but they can also have many different fillings. I like to use left-over risotto as the rice is already flavoured and has a sticky texture which is perfect for moulding. Yesterday I filled the vegetarian's with mozzarella and added ham to mine.

Arancini

Serves: 2

Yesterday’s risotto, divided into palm size sections.

2 slices whole meal bread turned into breadcrumbs

2 free range eggs, whisked and seasoned

Buffalo mozzarella, quartered

M: Slice or two of ham

Wrap each piece of mozzarella in the risotto and mould it with your hands into the shape of a ball. Dip the rice ball into the egg and then roll it in the breadcrumbs until covered. Repeat with all sections of risotto until you have numerous balls.

M: Wrap the mozzarella in the ham first before following above instructions.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan until bubbling hot. Lower the heat and gently fry the risotto balls for a few minutes on each side until the arancini is golden brown all over.

Cut open and watch the mozzarella ooze out. They are pretty filling so I serve mine with a refreshing salad.

Orange and Pear Salad



Serves: 2

1/2 orange, segments peeled and pith removed

1/2 pear, sliced

Chunk of blue cheese, crumbled

Chunk of cucumber, sliced

Handful walnuts

A few lettuce leaves

Olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together and drizzle with a little olive oil. 

Ratatouille with Crumb Topping

Ratatouille with Crumb Topping

Fillet of Sea Bream, Ratatouille and Roasted Baby Potatoes

I had a craving for vegetables so I decided to make a delicious ratatouille. This dish can end up quite mushy so to avoid this, make sure the vegetables aren't cut up too small. The breadcrumb topping on this particular recipe adds a lovely crunch.

 

Serves: 4

Ratatouille:
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 aubergine, chopped into chunks
1 red onion, quartered
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 courgette, halved then cut into chunks
Handful cherry tomatoes

A few sprigs rosemary

A few sprigs thyme
1 tin chopped tomatoes

Handful, capers

Olive oil

Sea salt & pepper

Crumb Topping:
300g spinach
15g roughly chopped basil
3 slices brown bread
Chunk of butter

Chunk of Parmesan, finely grated 

Heat the oven to 180º.  Place all ratatouille vegetables except the tinned tomatoes and capers in a dish, sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and scatter with the fresh herbs. Roast for 35 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and capers to the dish, stir the ingredients together and return to oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread and then place in a food processor and turn into crumbs. Wilt the spinach in a pan then add the bread along with the butter and basil. Stir until the butter is melted then remove from heat.

Add the crumb topping to the dish, sprinkle with Parmesan and return to oven for 10 minutes.

I served this with a fillet of sea bream, the vegetarian had a poached egg and we both had a few roasted baby potatoes. There were some leftovers from the ratatouille which I heated for lunch the next day.