Mushrooms, jacket potatoes, beans...with a twist!

So, for those of your who read right down to the last paragraph of this post on Saturday you'll have seen that my dad's '3 favourite foods were':

"Mushrooms

Jacket Potatoes 

Baked beans"

Pretty classic stuff... so how was I to turn these into some kind of special Father's Day meal....hmmm?

In the end it all came together with a twist to the tale... Jacket potato skins and juicy grilled mushrooms for stuffing with smoky baked beans on the side, complete with spicy 'cheesy' whipped mash and a big salad. The baked beans dish was inspired by this recipe from Susan at the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, and the 'cheesy' mash inspired by Kathy's stuffed skins here at Healthy Happy Life.

Plus then there was a baked fruit custard dessert....cos I happen to know he loves custard too. I need to take some more photos of that as the light was fading! Recipe with you shortly ;-)

It was a great success! To top it all off I gave my dad a little package of dark chocolate (as he's also a dark chocolate lover) courtesy of the Real Food Source...yum!

Smoky apple baked beans

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:

2 onions- finely chopped
1 large red pepper-finely chopped
4 garlic cloves- crushed (I reduced the amount called for in original recipe as my dad is not a huge fan)
1 apple- finely chopped
1 ½ large cans canellini beans (or mixed beans)

sauce:
1 large tin tomatoes
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs molasses
A few drops of chipotle sauce to taste

Method:

Sliced or process the onion, peper, garlic and apple into small pieces. Saute the mixture for 5 mins until softening. Blend the sauce ingredients together in a seperate pan/blender and then add the the onion mix. Add the beans and stir through before cooking the mix for another 5 minutes.

In theory you could serve this mix as it is, but true to baked bean style I poured the mix into a pan and baked for approx 20 mins whilst preparing the remainder of the meal, I served it whilst the top was bubbling and beginning to form a golden skin at the edges.

Spicy cheesy whipped mash

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:

Approx 1 heaped cup cooked potato (middles of 4 potatoes)
2tbs hummus
2tbs nutritional yeast
2tbs salsa sauce
chipotle sauce to taste
¼ - ½ cup heated non-dairy milk to achieve desired consistency

For skins:
4 jacket potatoes- baked as usual
coconut oil
sea salt

Method:

Prepare the jacket poatoes in the oevn s usual. Alow to cool slightly before halving and scopping out the entres. Set centre aside. Generously cost the skins with coconut oil (or other oil) for a crispy skin and spinkle with salt. Place back in the oven for approx 20 minutes at 200C scooped side up, until golden. 

Meanwhile add the potato and remaining ingredients to a bowl and using a hand blender (I used my Thermomix throughout) blend until whippy and creamy, adding  little extra liquid as needed. If you use the potato whilst hot and add hot liquid the spicy mash should still be warm to serve.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Stuffed pancake stack!

With Pancake Day just around the corner next Tuesday, I wanted to bring you a pancake recipe ahead of time. See, I am actually getting organised this year!!  (I also have an amazing Valentines themed post lined up for Saturday...so keep your eyes peeled!)

Most people usually think of sweet filled pancakes and I am no exception, however this time I wanted to put a twist on things and create a simple savoury recipe. The concept is based on a savoury version of these fruity oatmeal blinis and I remember thinking to myself at the time that they would work perfectly as a base for a savoury filling...so here we are.

To speed things up even more you could make the blinis ahead of time and freeze them if not using the same day. Simply defrost and reheat in the oven for a few minutes. (It tried this and it works well). The instructions below may seem lengthy but I promise you won't spend more than 10-15 mins tops from start to finish.

The filing is my current favourite dip/spread, which will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days but it's best served fresh when possible. I served it warm this time round...yum! You may remember the dip was first seen here adorning my Christmas trees! Add a few extra roasted veggies or salad leaves as per your preference to create a pretty plate. 

Just remember to stack ‘em high!

Recipe: Stuffed pancake stack

Serves 2 (8 blinis plus filling­)

Ingredients

Oatmeal blinis:

100g ground oats

¼ tsp bicarbonate soda

150ml soy milk (or other dairy free milk)

1tsp ground chia or flax

Approx. ½ tsp seasoning as desired

Approx. 50ml water to thin batter as needed

Green pea and bean dip:

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1/2 cup cooked white beans (canned or pre-cooked)
1 garlic clove- crushed
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 shallot (or 1/4 white onion)
1 tbs fresh herbs (I used parsley)
salt and pepper to taste

Handful of rocket or spinach

Sliced roasted or sun dried tomatoes

Sliced roasted or caramelised onions

Method

Prepare the onions and tomatoes as desired- I roasted mine for 5 minutes or so whilst I prepared the blinis.

To make the pea filling, add all ingredients to a blender and whizz together until desired texture is reached (I left mine a little chunky). To serve hot, you can either heat the beans and peas prior to blending or heat the blended product in the microwave for a couple of minutes (I did it that way as I also had a bit left over that I wanted to chill in the fridge without heating.)

Meanwhile, to prepare the blinis, blend together all ingredients (other than water) until very smooth. Add as much water as necessary to create a thick but easily pourable batter.

Spoon heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto a hot frying pan and fry for a minute or so on each side until golden.

Serve the blinis immediately layered up with the pea filling and onions, leaves and tomatoes. Make a big stack!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Tahini sauce salad- low fat!

Salads have become much more of a big deal for me in recent months. By salads I’m talking huge bowl salads, soup accompaniment salads and hot salads.... gone are the days when salads were only served in summer!

I love hot food, there is something so satisfying about a plate of hot home cooked food, but I also appreciate the virtues of raw and uncooked foods and try to eat raw veggie sticks and salads when I can. It’s a simple fact that regardless of how healthy a food is, it will lose some of its nutritional value during the heating process. So, for me a hot salad is a great compromise... the benefits of raw veggies whilst satisfying the ‘hot’ meal side of things.  I nearly always eat my spinach raw in what ever dish I make, partly because raw spinach is so much more bulky and visually substantial that wilted cooked spinach. You eat with your eyes, right?

Back to the point of this post....it’s not all about the salad but the dressing! The dressing is a low fat twist on a traditional tahini dressing and I credit Susan over at Fat Free Vegan for her great recipe.

The salad itself is up to you... I threw together a mixture of roasted and raw veggies...  iceberg lettuce with raw grated carrot and cucumber chunks, along with some leftover chickpeas and roasted cauliflower and courgette that I chopped small and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper and allowed to roasted whilst I blended the dressing and prepped the rest of the dish. 

Assemble your salad and then go crazy with the healthy tahini dressing until your hearts content! This could also be used as a dipping sauce- reduce the water by half when you blend together.

Recipe: Low fat tahini dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 tbs tahini
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs ground chia
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1-2 garlic cloves- crushed
2 tsp fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground)
black pepper to taste

Method:

Blend all ingredients together until very smooth. Dressing will store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

I served mine over a raw-cooked combo salad!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Pure potato crisps...fat free!

I know some recipes are simple...but I think this one might beat the lot!

potato...slice...cook

Erm that's it. I'll be off then.

Not so fast. These crisps are a great alternative to regular crisps and chips that would otherwise find their way into the tub of salsa or hummus. I took this recipe from the Forks over Knives Cookbook I received as a Christmas present. It has a great number of recipes as well as the intro to a plant based lifestyle...amazingly (considering how many cook books I have) many of the recipes gave a new spin to things in ways I hadn't come across before, so lots for me to try. I won't talk about the book any further as this isn't intended to be a promotional post of any sort, simply a link back to the recipe itself.

I served the crisps with a bowl of soup, it was a variant of this recipe with the beans I had to hand at the time (black beans) hence it doesn't look quite so appetising as the original. Since there is no oil, the crisps don't 'crunch' in the same way that regular crisps or chips do, so please don't expect them to as you'll likely be a little dissapointed. I enjoyed them in their own right as they have a crisp yet soft quality all at the same time, and they are firm enough to scoop dip onto, or in my case, soup.

The crispsness and length of cooking time, does very much depend on how thinly you slice the potato, obviously the edges will crisp before the middle of the chip does. I would advise using a mandolin (or similar) so that you can get a thin uniform slice approx 1mm thick, I sliced mine by hand and they were less uniform and up to 2mm thick on average. 

Feel free to sprinkle a little seasoning if desired. I appreciate that microwaving a potato to this degree might not be considered theoptimal nutritional standpoint, and I would totally agree with you, but these chips have no oil, and no other additions...pure potato with a little seasoning. So as an alternative to a deep fried chip I think this is a pretty healthy option indeed. A day later I also tried oven baking these chips, this method also works well, just be sure to use a non stick liner so that the chips can be removed easily from the baking sheet.

Recipe: pure potato chips

Ingredients:

1 potato (or as many as you like to make a larger batch)
seasoning to taste (I used approx. 1/4 tsp mixed cajun seasoning)

Method:

Slice the potato thinly and evenly- the thinner the better (unless you are aiming for a softer chip). Wash the slices to remove the starchy coating and lightly dry with kitchen towel.

Lay the slices in a thin even layer on a non stick lined baking sheet (if baking), or on a microwaveable plate, season if desired and bake for approx 15-20 mins at 140C (lower temp for longer to prevent edges burning too quickly). Or for approx 10 mins in the microwave (checking twice to flip over). Timings will vary depending on thickness.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Citrus spiced polenta crackers

Following on from my roasted red pepper soup are these spiced polenta crackers, the perfect compliment. Slightly crisp around the edges and perfect to scoop up some thick creamy soup.

This recipe was another simple last minute answer to the question, 'what can I have with my soup?'  I'm not gluten intolerant myself but do like to limit wheat and so I fancied something of the non-bread variety. These crackers were a great solution since they take just 5 minutes to prepare and then a little baking time whilst you go off and make the rest of the lunch or dinner.... or putting the washing on, or unloading the dishwasher, or if you are me a few minutes to grab your photography gear and prep the table ready...that kind of thing!

You can add any spices or mix-ins you like really, the only required elements are the polenta and the liquid ratios, so everything else is open to interpretation. To prep the crackers ready for the oven I spread the polenta mixture onto a lined baking sheet (do this quickly whilst its still very hot as it will spread more easily) and then in a moment of genius I grabbed a wooden roller and lightly rolled the surface of the crackers to get a uniform thickness, this worked really well  and wasn't at all messy as I was expecting. You'll want to roll the crackers to about 1-2mm thick for a cracker that bakes quickly and crisply.  Then slice into squares with a pizza cutter....and you are good to go!

Another great 'dippable' recipe coming up soon!

Recipe: Spiced polenta crackers

Ingredients:

1/4 cup quick cook polenta
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 tsp roasted garlic powder
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp lemon zest
salt to taste

Method:

Add the polenta in a steady stream to a pan of boiling liquid ingredients and bring back to the boil strirring continuously. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for approx 3 minutes and then whilst still hot pour onto baking sheet spreading it out as best you can.

Use a roller to flatten to an even layer as required. Using a pizza cutter to slice into squares, you could use a knife but I find a knife edge 'drags' on the polenta giving less neat edges!

Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes depending upon the thickness of the polenta. Keep an eye to make the sure the edges don't burn too much but get crispy.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chia tomato spaghetti sauce

I really wanted this post to feature spaghetti squash! 

I had a spaghetti squash delivered in my veg box and have been a little scared to use it since my first attempt a few months back was less than desirable (i.e a pile of mush)....so with trepidation I had another attempt....ahhhh the same result! When I scrape the cooked squash halves wth a fork just as I saw in many tutorial videos I came across my squash simply did not turn into elegant spaghetti style strands, but instead...more mush.

What am I doing wrong? I can only assume I am overcooking it, or maybe I need to let it cool a little before spaghettifying it?  Any advice appreciated...!

Anyway, I had to resort to a backup spaghetti plan. Sasify noodles! 

salsify (complete with earthy covered skins)

Salsify is another veg I have not used before, also delivered in the veg box. I figured I could julienne the stems (is that the right word for them?!) in a similar way to my noodle stir fry. It worked pretty well so I'm pleased. My salsify stems were quite skinny and getting a bit old and bendy so they were  harder to work with than if they were thicker. You could of course use courgettes or parsnips instead....or even spaghetti squash if you can master it!  Or if you want to go all out, just use regular spaghetti! :-)

The sauce is the star of today's post. I wanted a traditional style Italian tomato sauce flavour but with a thicker consistency since the sauce clings less to vegetable noodles compared to pasta noodles. Enter the chia seeds... achieving a thicker sauce but without altering the flavour (with a bonus 'superfood'  infusion). You could of course add other veggies to this sauce and use it top anything you like.  I also added my 'meat' balls to add some carbs to an otherwise low carb meal. 

Recipe: Chia tomato spaghetti sauce

Ingredients:

2 tsp oilve oil
400g (large tin) chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato puree
1 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
2 garlic cloves- crushed
1 small white onion- chopped
handful of fresh herbs- chopped (I used basil but parsley would also work)
2 tsp ground chia seeds (ground ensures a smoother texture)

Method:

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil for approx. 5 minutes until softening. 

Add all ongredients other than chia and frash herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the chia and fresh herbs suring the final 2 minutes of cooking.

Serve immediately over the 'spaghetti' of whatever type you choose.

Notes: I stir fried my 'noodles' of salsify in a little coconut oil for approx. 5-7 minutes until they had just softened. My veggie noodle recipe is here and my meat balls recipe is here or for a quinoa version try these. 

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Oh Christmas tree oh Christmas tree....

Final pre-Christmas post!!! I got there in the end....

I know by now some of you will be buried under wrapping paper in full flow of Christmas spirit (but hopefully not quite yet Christmas spirits!)

For me it's now 9:40pm on Christmas eve so I'm putting together the finishing touches...final blog post, bread sauce, the first bake of the nut roast (I go for the double bake strategy), wrapping up the gifts (I wont elaborate for now in case of prying eyes)...and finally if I have time, a few games with the family.

So, here you have it, a super simple but super cute christmas buffet recipe...perfect for the times throughout the holidays when you put out a display of 'picky bits' for people to nibble on.

I can't take credit for the 'visual' idea since I saw this version linked through Facebook, the original uses a dairy based guacamole for the 'green' but my version opts for a simple white bean and pea dip layered up on my gluten free flatbread, topped with corn and peppers and white chia seeds for fairy lights...a spontaneous moment of genius ;-) For an even quicker non GF option you could use regular pitta breads as the triangular bases.

On that note, I will be off to get busy in the kitchen. I hope you have a magical day wherever in the world you may be!

Recipe: White bean and pea dip 

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1/2 cup white beans
1 garlic clove- crushed
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 shallot (or 1/4 white onion)
1 tbs fresh herbs (I used parsley)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Whizz everything up together until smooth!

Spread onto the flatbread triangles and decorate with corn, pepper pieces and chia seeds (or sesame seeds) and some carrot wedges for the trunks.

Store any remaining dip in the fridge and use within 2 days.

Notes: I only used half the amount of dip to cover the trees, you can use the rest as a dip for veg sticks served hot or cold.  For the flatbreads use half of this recipe to make six trees.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Smoky BBQ sauce

Rich and smoky….

Reminiscent of hot summer cinders, a dwindling fire and a full belly….

Welcome the BBQ dip!

The perfect marinade, sauce or dip…it’s so rich and full flavoured that a little dab will go a long way.

As a bonus there is no cooking required…so no slaving away over the stove on a hot summer’s day.

This recipe is largely based on this recipe by Healthy Happy Life  as I was keen to have a go at making a deep rich but healthy bbq sauce and the recipe ticked all those boxes. I actually changed very little (other than the odd ingredient here and the overall quantities). This sauce was made specifically for a BBQ we had last weekend with my family, my brother was visiting from Southampton as an early celebration for my mum’s birthday and it was great to spend time together in the sunshine!

I’m not a big fan of ketchup (shock horror) although my homemade version was a million times better than the sweetly synthetic stuff bought in shops (oops..sorry Heinz), however I have always loved a bit of BBQ sauce and so a healthy homemade version has been on the cards for a while now.

Give it a go…it won’t disappoint! I used it as a baste over a batch of Mexican bean burgers (made especially for the occasion- recipe to come soon) and also as a marinade for the veggie skewers. Also pictured is my super speedy satay sauce which makes for another fabulous marinade. Both sauces were total winners with my family.

 

Recipe: BBQ dip

Makes approx. ½ cup

Ingredients

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 tbs molasses

1 tbs agave

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp chipotle smoky hot sauce (or similar)

1 tsp olive oil

Pinch dry mustard

1 tsp soy sauce*

3 tbs tomato puree

1-3 tbs water (depending on thickness desired)

1 tbs arrowroot powder

Salt and pepper to taste (I used approx. 1/6^th tsp each)

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cumin

Method

Mix everything together really well by hand or in a mini blender until, you have a smooth thick paste. Best made in advance and allow flavours to meld for an hour in the fridge before using for dipping/basting.

Add between 1 and 3 tablespoons of water depending on desired thickness. I used the thicker version for basting and would use a thinner version for dipping or drizzling.

* for further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Tomato ketchup

So, you remember this post from a couple of days ago…

Black bean beet burgers!

Well just peeking through in the corner of that photo is a little pot of tomato sauce. Homemade tomato ketchup, with a sweet  kick just like regular tomato ketchup but without all the sugar!  What provides the sweetness…plums! Helped out with a little agave syrup (you could omit this is you liked), the plums are a perfect complement to the fresh tomatoes.  I also added some ground chia seed stirred through right at the end to give a health boost and to act as a thickener. If you don’t have chia I would advise experimenting with some other form of thickener to achieve the right consistency for your sauce.

This will store in the fridge for a good for weeks and is the perfect companion for summer time. I can already picture the burgers on the BBQ now! It’s best to store this sauce for a couple of weeks before consuming as it will allow the flavour to mature…nut feel free to dip in of you can’t wait that long!

This sauce would also work well as a basic pasta sauce or base for my super- speedy  GF pizza crust.

Recipe: Tomato ketchup

Makes approx. 500ml

Ingredients

1 large clove garlic

400g ripe vine tomatoes

120g ripe plums

2tbs tomato puree

20g agave

1tsp molasses- optional (gives a slightly deeper richness)

50g white wine vinegar

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1 small chilli pepper with seeds removed

Salt to taste (I added approx. ¼ tsp)

3-4 tbs ground chia seed

Method

Roughly chop the garlic and add to a food processor along with the tomatoes and plums, pulse to achieve a coarse even ‘paste’.

I used my Thermomix for the entire cooking process, but for those without, transfer the tomato mixture to a medium pan, add the remaining ingredients (except chia) and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring as required to avoid sticking. Add the ground chia in the last  minute.

Remove the cloves and bay leaf (if you can find them) and then transfer the mixture to a blender (or use a stick blender in the pan) and blend until you have a smooth mixture.

Pour into a sterilised bottle or jar and store in the fridge. The flavour matures over a couple of weeks.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

peanut butter and lentil dip

This is the best one yet…I promise you!  I’m actually surprised I haven’t got it up on here before now.

I love this dip so much I haven’t really had much need for exploring other dip or hummous type recipe in recent weeks…and that is very unlike me!

So simple. I use my freezing method and whip up a big batch (often  doubling the recipe) and then freeze dollops ready for when I need a dip or sandwich filler at short notice.

This dip is deliciously smooth and creamy and with a lovely warming amount of spice. Not overly spicy (well that’s up to you!) but just super tasty and also smoky if you use smoky chipotle sauce (I really recommend you do!) I love the peanutty taste, if you make your own PB make sure you roast the peanuts first to give it a great depth of flavour. You could of course use other nut butters if you fancy, although I find peanut butter has a strength of flavour that works really well with the lentils.

I nearly always serve this dip warm with a load of raw veggie sticks, as that’s my personal preference, but if you prefer it cold….go right ahead.  If serving from frozen, defrost a ‘dollop’ and then mix through with a spoon, adding a splash of oil or milk alternative as necessary to get a good cream texture. Warm through in the microwave for a few seconds…and there you have it..

So, how would you dress this dip up? When I’m not simply ‘dipping it’, I use it as a base for a sandwich or a wrap,  I have also used it to fill a jacket potato…now that was yummy! With a little more liquid it would probably make a great pasta sauce too.

Get creative…have fun!

Recipe: PB and lentil dip

Makes approx. 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

1 onion- chopped

1 cup red lentils

2 cups veg stock

1/3 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

½ tsp each garlic powder, cumin powder, chilli or smoky chipotle sauce

Method:

Cook onion in olive oil for approx. 5 minutes to soften.

Add the lentils and veg stock and cook for 20 minutes. Drain the lentil mixture and return to a food processor/blender.

Add the remaining ingredients and puree all together to get a thick smooth dippy paste.

Store in the fridge (eat within 2-3 days) or spoon serving sized dollops on a baking sheet and freeze individually on the sheets before removing and storing together in the freezer.  Simply defrost to serve.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Satay sauce

It’s still sunny and it has been all week! Today I sat outside at my dad’s house writing up some posts to schedule whilst I am away on holiday next week. However I didn’t sit out too long as it wasn’t the most comfortable bench in the world! I’m just hoping the weather holds next week for my family break in Cornwall…well as long as we have some sun I will be happy!

Anyway, time for food……….

Remember my little teaser from this post at the weekend? Well, the wait is over and if you hadn’t guessed it already this is my current favourite, simple, speedy, no-fuss, super yummy (all my favourite words)… peanut satay sauce.

Even before I became a fan of peanut butter I always loved peanut satay sauce. Particularly on chicken skewers in a Thai restaurant! But now I have my own. I can’t believe I haven’t made it before. To me it tasted pretty much like the real thing but with only 4 ingredients and 2 minutes of time. Yes this is another one of my 5 minutes recipes.

As it was such a lovely spring day last Saturday I fancied a simple light lunch but wasn’t in the mood for salad. So instead here we have simple grilled veggie skewers with a satay marinade and drizzle sauce. It was so good. The drizzle sauce is quite light in colour as it is simply a thinner version of the marinade, you could add extra soy sauce or maybe even a touch of molasses if you want extra colour and depth. I felt it was perfectly tasty enough without.

I think this may even become my new quick snack recipe alternative to veggie sticks and dips, the whole meal took no more than 10 minutes, and you could easily add some carbs or lentils for a more substantial meal.

Want more peanut recipes? Well, I would suggest giving this unusual but yummy soup a try…plus I might just have a PB&J granola recipe currently undergoing a few tests….nom nom nom.
 

Recipe: Satay sauce

Makes one ramekins worth (for roughly one serving of veggie skewers)

Ingredients

2 tbs peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs soy milk
Approx. ½ tsp hot sauce or chipotle pepper sauce (to taste depending on what type you use)

Additional 1-2 tbs soy (or other) milk to thin out once the veggies have been basted in half the sauce.

Method

Mix together all the ingredients to get a fairly thick paste. Coat the veggies and feed onto skewers for grilling. Grill for up to 10 mins turning once.

Meanwhile, you should have about half the sauce remaining. Add additional soy milk until you reach a drizzle consistency. Taste and add extra soy sauce etc if required. Heat the sauce in the microwave for approx. 1 minute on 50% power (not full power as I found it burnt the sauce).
Serve along with the skewers.
 

Dutch crunch rolls (aka tigerbread)

It’s that time of the month again…the Daring Bakers Challenge.  This month it was tiger bread, or Dutch Crunch as it’s also known…though I has never come across that name before (I like learning random new things!)

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!

In the UK we say  ’tiger bread’…well most of us do, other than this one little girl who had other ideas! 

(source)

(I would have to agree that giraffe bread is indeed much more appropriate!)

 

I decided I would try a couple of options for my bread rolls, My favourite spelt flour rolls made in my Thermomix plus a gluten free version.  Considering I’ve never attempting gluten free bread before…was a DB challenge really the right time to start? Well the result was definitely edible but very dense and not very ‘bread like’. I will have some further attempts and post a winning recipe at a later date. So for now, below you have the spelt option, but of course you could use any soft topped roll/loaf recipe you like and simply add the tiger bread paste prior to baking. 

The tiger bread topping it certainly something I’ll be experimenting further with, I was even wondering whether these flatbreads would accommodate a topping even though they are grilled and not baked…curious now! I also wondering whether the topping could be sweetened and used in a semi-sweet tea bread form.

The second half of the challenge was to make a sandwich from the bread. My filing consists of spinach leaves and a ‘dip’ which I often also use for my sandwiches  (though these days it’s rare that I have an actual sandwich so this was quite a novelty).  I love a creamy spread but don’t want to resort to fakes vegan cheezes or butters if I can help it..  This is a lentil and peanut dip, the recipe for this specific dip is not yet up on the blog, but for a similar filling option check out this dip. I love how versatile dips can be…sandwich fillings, pasta sauces…er ok, well that are probably tons more ways to use them too!

Back to the tiger bread topping. I loved the fact that this was such a simple recipe and easy method, and it is naturally gluten free made with ingredients I typically have in my baking boxes anyway.  I did a little research and read a few comments from others in the forum and decided to opt for a sesame paste with a little molasses and marmite for extra colour and kick. It made the bread super tasty!

My lentil and root vegetable dip (or sandwich filling). 

Recipe: Easy rolls (made in the Thermomix, kneading times etc may need adaptation without)

280g cold water.

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp dried yeast

1 tps salt

520g wholemeal or white spelt flour

Method:

Add the water, sugar and yeast to the TM and heat sp2 for 90 seconds. Add the salt and spelt flour and knead for 4 minutes on the dough setting.

Leave in the TM bowl for the dough the rise for approx. 1 hour. (Allow the dough to roughly double in size).

Remove from the bowl and shape into rolls. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and leave to rise for another hour. Before baking at 200C for 10-15 minutes until golden (keep a close eye to check for colour).

Recipe: Dutch Crunch topping

(note- begin preparing the bread topping 20 mins before the end of the final bread rising period)

6 tbs rice flour (white or brown non-glutinous)

65ml warm water

1 ½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp molasses

½ tsp marmite

1 ½ tsp dried yeast

Method:

Add all the ingredient s to a small bowl and mix well together to form a smooth paste. Allow to stand for 15 minutes,

Paste onto the top of the bread rolls/loaf…thickly spread for large cracks and thinly spread for small subtle cracks.

Bake the rolls immediately.

(note- some suggest leaving the bread with the topping to sit for 10 mintues prior to baking but others say there is no need for this. I didn’t wait)

 These are the gluten free attempts. the topping didn't crackle as well and the rolls 

themselves are very dense.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.