Basic Bread

Basic bread  Recipe..


I have been making this bread since I think even before my apprenticeship whislt working at Tongariro Lodge in little old Turangi New Zealand . You can use this recipe as a base for many many different flavours of breads from foccacia,pizza, sweet breads, sundried tomato, and Tongariro Lodge favourate chilli and cheese.


2 cups of flour
2t instant yeast
1/4 t of salt
1t sugar 

Place in a bowl mix together, i like to filter flour though my hands and fingers a few times as it makes for a lighter dough. Learnt that from watching a boyfriends mum making fry bread once. Make a well in the center. 
Slowly add 1/8 c of olive oil and 3/4 c of slightly warm water a little at a time stiring with a spoon, then when it starts forming a dough use your hands and knead. 

Knead for a few minutes then cover and let rest for about 20mins, in a warm place. 

Knead again, you may need to add a little more flour, while kneading. 
Heres where the fun can happen. Some variations follow.......

You can split into three and make a braid, lightly wash with an egg wash, and sprinkle any seeds you like on top. 
You can place in a loaf tin for a simple plain loaf. 

Make into a ball roll out to about 2cm thick, place rosemary, herbs, garlic, olives, rock salt or anything you like on top poke with a fork and wash wish some of your favorite olive oil to make a yummy foccacia.  Here is a foccacia with red onion and thymme, on its second prove...

Knead in herbs, onions , sundried tomato, olives, seeds, anything you like pineapple ect.

Use as a pizza base, roll out to your desired thickness remember it will rise again and a bit more in the oven, I like to roll it thin and then it ends up to about 1-2cm thick when cooked. Place tomato sauce, or basil pesto, red onion reduction. Then cover with your favorite pizza toppings. mmm yum!

Then cover again and set in a warm place for 15 mins and then place in a preheated oven, 350f or 180c and bake for 20 minutes, check after 20 minutes depeneding on what shape you have choose to make your dough will be different cooking times. So check after 20 it may need 5 or so more minutes. 

Have fun with this recipe. There are endles possiblities depending on you taste buds. :)

Happy christmas

Sammys Holiday Loaf
Inspired by my lovley vegan friend...
2c Soaked Walnuts, cashews, almonds, macadamia (nuts of your choice really)
1/2c grated zuccihini and carrot
1c lentils (canned or cooked) 
1/4c chopped fresh herbs, parsley-corriander-thymme... you can use dry if you are unable to get fresh but only use a teaspoon of each 
1/2c craisens
1/2 nutmeg
1/2ct cinnamon
1/2t cumin
3T of ground flax 
1/4c seeds (hemp,sunflower,seasame) just optional
1/4c bread crumbs ... or a gluten free starch (potato,rice flour ect)to help bind at the end. 
Salt and pepper to taste
Pulse Blend all together in a food proccessor. I like to pulse so ao it has some texture so blend until it binds basicly. Add bread crumbs last until it all binds.
Place in a loaf tin. And back for 40 ish minutes in the over on 350f. 
Serve with your favourate gravy, caramlized onion or cranberry sauce. 

Enjoy... with this recipe you can add your own touches to it as well, be creative :)

fresh peashoot

Carrot Soup vegan gluten free yum!

Carrot coconut ginger soup

15 large carrots, chopped small
2 onion, chopped small
2 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T curry powder
2T basil
2Tcumin
1t lemon grass
1 t chili
1t lemon zest
Can of coconut milk, rinse and poor ecsess water into pot aswell
sea salt,and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro handful or fresh basil (leave til last )
Preparation:

Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger ect in coconut milk, and some water to cover for 25 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender with fresh cilantro, working in batches if needed. Enjoy :)

The Spirooli

Check out this little toy, I really enjoy using this baby, makes so fresh vege pasta. Many recipes coming soon using the spirooli :)
http://organiclives.ca/kitchen-equipment/spirooli

Raw, mushroom stack....

Balsamic marinated Mushroom, fig and lily..
How to: Clean and peel portabello mushroom slice thinly if you have any other mushrooms needle mushrooms are great for this dish.
Slice thinly some figs. Place figs, mushrooms and a small handful of dry lilys cover with balsamic grated fresh ginger, sliced fresh basil, cracked pepper and salt 1T of agave. Let sit for a while...


Raw basil pesto
A nice bunch of fresh basil, 3/4 c of raw sunflower seeds, 1/2c of  nutritional yeast, a squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper, 1/2c of raw hemp seeds. Blend together slowly add olive oil until smooth.
Zucchini Pasta
Clean zucchini and cut into thin strips you can use a mandolin or a sharp knife.


Dehydrated smokey eggplant (do this the day before) :)
In a bowl mix together 1T of smokey paprika, 1T of agave, 1t of chili powder, 1t salt and cracked pepper 1t black sesame seeds, 2T sesame oil, 1t of white wine vinegar , whisk together, toss sliced eggplant thought and lay on the dehydrator tray. Dehydrate over night. Around 15-20 hours.


Balsamic Reduction
2t finely grated ginger, 3T agave, 1/2c of balsamic vinegar, put in a jar and shake...


Spoon some of the pesto, layer zuccchini strips, more pesto , then mushroom mix, spinach and eggplant, keep on stacking around three layers drizzle with the balsamic reduction ... hope you enjoy....

Pikopiko

How excited was this treasure, pikopiko in Canada, here they call them fiddelheads.  They have a very strong taste they need a little love.Clean in nice cool water take of all the brown stuff because its really bitter. Cook in boiling water for about 15mins or so.So here's how I made them a little tastier, 5T of lemon juice, 2T agave, 4T flax  oil, 2Tchopped fresh dill, 1t crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Mix together poor over the pikopiko and marinate for a few hours...

Black forbidden rice..

Just a few interesting things about one of my new fav foods...

• Just a spoonful of black forbidden rice contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants...which is why it has such a beautiful rich purple colour
• Like fruits, "black rice" is rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, substances that show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases...
• This black rice is a type of heirloom rice, meaning that it is open-pollinated, was grown at earlier times in history, and not grown on a large scale in modern agriculture.
• Forbidden rice can be found at many health food stores...
• The rice contains more vitamin B, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than white rice.

I like to use forbidden rice in a lot of my cooking, so I thought I would share why.... :)

Kale Wraps

Crisp fresh kale(when selecting at the store try and find a really big bunch, they are much easier to wrap) wash then place in a bowl to marinate with lemon juice, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.
Let sit for a little while.

The forbidden rice 
1c of forbidden rice to 2-1/4c of water,  while cooking get together a few ingredients together. 1/2c of sun dried tomatoes sliced, 1/2c chopped walnuts or any nuts you like, 1/2c of freshly chopped herbs(dill and basil), thinly sliced spring onions, 1/2c of finely diced peppers any colour.
Make a little dressing in a jar.....1T honey or agave, 1t cumin,1/2t dried basil 1/2t dried oregano, salt pepper, 1t mustard seeds, lemon juice and finely grated rind, 2T white wine vinegar, 1/2c of olive oil. Shake it all up. 
When cooked mix together and get ready to wrap.....

Hummus
1c of cooked chic peas, 1 roasted red pepper, 1T of tihini, 1t cumin,1t of clove of fresh garlic, small handful of fresh parsley, salt pepper, 1t lemon juice and 1/2c olive oil blend in a food processor until smooth.

Dressing  
1/2c Goats cheese feta, a handful of fresh dill, salt pepper, 1/2c olive oil and 2T lemon juice, blend in a food processor....

The kale leaves should be easier to work with now, lay the leaves out flat, use a spatula to spread hummus about 2mil thick, place forbidden rice mix in the centre and roll away. The hummus should keep everything together. Lay on a plate then drizzle over the goats dressing.....

Note;this dish is gluten-free and if your vegan this is still yummy with out goats cheese :) enjoy

Thai lentil and potato cakes

This dish came about as I had a lot of mashed potatoes that needed to be used, a bag of lentils, and a fridge full of fresh veges. So heres what I did......

The cakes
Cooked about a cup of lentils, strained, drained and cooled off.
Placed in a bowl, added 2 cups of mashed potato, about 1/2 teaspoon of thinly sliced and diced chili, 4 sprigs of spring onion, 2 heap tablespoons of coconut flour,3/4cup of diced pineapple, fresh cilantro,fresh thai basil, and parsley chopped roughly so there is nice big bits to, toasted cumin seeds. Mixed up and made into palm sized patties. Fry on a low-medium heat until golden brown on each side.
The Slaw
If you have a spiroli or mandoline slice(or you could just juliene) cucumbers,carrots,celery,peppers,red cabbage and spring onion. Pick a nice portion of fresh thai basil, and cilantro leaves. For the dressing. 1tablespoon of seasame oil, 1tablespoon of fesh lemon juice,1teaspoon of agave, seasame seeds, salt pepper and a little chili if you like heat..
The Sauce   
Slice half a leek, be sure to give it a good wash they tend to be a litle dirty,fry with some garlic fresh chili to your liking, add around a cup of coconut milk sweet chili and lots of chopped fresh cilantro and basil . Simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.

then serve all together.... yum yum yum enjoy :) this dish is glutenfree and vegan.....