Category: Vegan

No knead multiseed bread

One bowl, no kneading and a heavenly, nutty, crunchy, loaf that is lighter than you expect . It packs quite the protein punch too!

Ingredients

  • 370g (faina integrala) a mix of organic wholemeal flour and spelt flour (and in these pictured some rye too)
  • 200g (faina normala) strong white organic bread flour
  • 300g of seeds: 100g (Seminte de In) Flaxseeds, 100g (Seminte de Dovleac) Pumpkin seeds and 100g (Seminte de Floarea Soarelui) Sunflower seeds or 100g (susam) sesame seeds or 100g (Mac) poppy seeds
  • 2 tsp (sare) salt
  • 25g  (drojdie) fresh yeast (or dried and use according to the packet)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or flaxseed oil or or cold pressed sunflower oil or best of all hemp oil
  • 1 tablespoon treacle, carob molasses (sirop de roscova) or pomegranate molasses (sirop de rodie) – something sweet to speed the yeast up
  • 450 ml (apa)  warm “jammy water” (the temperature of a bath)

How To

  • Make the “Zero Waste” jammy water. Find an almost empty jam or honey jar (in this case marmalade) where you can’t actually get at the last bits of jam and fill with water and shake. Use the jammy water for the bread.
  • If you are using bread tins then oil well or paper and oil. This recipe is very good for free form loaves, in which case just oil your trays or flour and polenta your trays as I often do.
  • Put all the flours in the bowl
  • Pour on the yeast and jammy water mixture and mix together with a large spoon. Add the oil. The mixture will look unappetising and uninspiring – akin to very very thick glue. Fear not.
  • Leave to rise until double in volume. Put a damp tea towel over the top so it just touches the dough…when I notice the tea towel rising above the bowl rim it reminds me the dough is risen! #Plasticfree
  • Push the dough down and add the seeds and the salt. Work in the seeds and divide into three or four depending on how big you want your loaves. Shape the dough into balls if free forming or oblongs if baking in tins. Allow to double again in volume.
  • Bake at 250C for 18-25 mins.  Now if your domestic oven doesn’t go up to 250C put it at its maximum setting and bake a little longer.  When you take them out knock them on the bottom and they must sound hollow.  If its the first time and you are nervous then cut through and check – better to sacrifice aesthetics and have cooked bread.  If you have space put a bowl of water at the bottom of the oven – my oven is usually too crowded with loaves jammed in!

This bread lasts a good 3 to 4 days and is great with sweet stuff and savoury. It also toasts well too – as the seeds then become all “nutty” in flavour. On the nutrition front this packs a hefty protein level of 20%.

Lemon and Polenta vegan cookies

Easy peasy lemon squeezy – these are my Go To lemon cookies that I make in one bowl really fast and just shape by hand. They are made almost by the time the tea is brewed!

Ingredients

  • 200 grammes flour
  • 50 grammes polenta
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 120 grammes organic sugar or 75 ml honey or agave nectar or grape syrup or 80 grammes of fructose
  • 190ml cold pressed sunflower oil
  • 40ml lemon juice
  • zest of 1 lemon (**save the squeezed lemon skins for making jam)

How To

Set the oven to 180C if baking with regular sugar and 160C if baking with fructose or agave or grape juice

Line your baking tray with some baking paper or silicone sheet

Place all ingredients in one bowl and mix gently until the dough comes together and is pliable

Break off into chunks and mould each one into a ball – these pictured are quite large 50g cookies – if you feel OCD-ish then weigh each chunk before you shape it. Then place on your baking tray and squidge with your fingers into round cookie shapes

Bake gently for 12-15 minutes until pale golden.

Perfect with a cup of afternoon tea.

Funky Golden Paste

 

When you feel blue…turn to the yellow

I’ve called it funky because I make this when the January/February “funk” strikes. One of the miracle properties of turmeric is said to be alleviation of depression and anxiety so for those sensitive to “SAD” (Seasonal Affective Disorder) it’s a boon. My version can be eaten straight out of the jar, spread on toast, made into tea or my preferred way warmed in milk to make golden milk.  As the base is honey, as long as you don’t mind turning fluorescent yellow, it is also an excellent skin balm for hives, psoriasis or eczema. The secret really is the honey; makes it tastes nice not tongue curling revolting and preserves the stuff. 

Turmeric is reportedly a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-coagulant, anti-depressant and anti-oxidant making it a superstar medicinal spice and much used in Ayurvedic medicine. Because of this powerful array it can be brought to bear on a myriad of conditions and is best known as an alternative therapy for cancer, arthritis, depression, blood clots and skin conditions.

Cinnamon although seemingly a little more mundane than flashy turmeric is also a spice powerhouse and has many similar properties:  anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic but it also is a powerful help in preventing cognitive decline and protects brain function so I add it as well and besides, it does improve the taste!

I have added fresh ginger in the past but while I really love the flavor it has had a tendency to ferment (not good and not really sure why as there was enough honey but anyhow) but as I was using mainly to make golden milk I personally found the grated fibrous ginger rather irritating but that’s just me. So in this recipe I have included some powdered ginger.

I love to make jars for friends who are convalescing, in need of a pick me up…or dare I say it… regularly feel a tad fragile after an evening of over indulgence. 

Ingredients – makes 1 jar 

The easiest thing to do at home is to buy a jar of your favourite organic honey and go from there – a jar of approx 200ml.   Use up 1-2 table spoons of honey to make room for the spices.

180ml organic runny honey (if set honey you will not be able to mix )

30g turmeric

5g ground black pepper (helps the absorption of the turmeric)

10g ground ginger

10g cinnamon (changes the colour but your brain will thank you and it does make it taste nicer)

How To

To avoid being splashed by powdered turmeric I add the spices gradually and mix with a knife slowly. 

I use a level teaspoon in a glass of boiling water for tea and the same in hot milk for golden milk but it depends on your personal taste.  When I have a cold or flu I take spoonfuls direct from the jar.  I’ve yet to try it as a face mask.