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...