English muffins

 Muffins

What you need

1 teaspoon salt
450g strong bread flour
1 teaspoon sugar
7g satchel of dried yeast
300ml tepid water
(Note:  can add fruit and spice to make fruit muffins)

What you need to do

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the liquid and mix together (even use mix master) until combined and smooth. 

Cover bowl and rest in a warm place until doubled in size.

Knock dough back gently in bowl and rest 5 minutes.

Place on lightly floured surface, roll out until about 1cm thick.  Cover with cloth and rest 5 minutes.

Using a 9cm round cutter and cut your muffins and place on baking sheet, cover and rest 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven 200 degrees.  Bake muffins for 5 minutes, then turn and bake a further 5 minutes.

Cool on rake.

Sough Dough Loaf

Sough Dough Loaf

What you need

500g bread flour
280g water
200g sough dough starter 
2 teaspoons salt

What you need to do

Combine water and starter, whisk to combine, add flour and salt, mix to form dough, shape into round, place in bowl cover and rest 10 minutes in a warm place.

Oil work surface, using Dan Lepard method knead dough for 10 seconds, shape into round and return to bowl, cover and rest in warm place.  Repeat twice more, on third knead rest 30 minutes.

Stretch dough and fold into envelope, shape into round and rest 1 hour.

Repeat two more times.

Either make one large loaf, shape as Dan's method.  OR divide in two shape and place in baskets rest for two to three hours or until risen.  

Heat oven to 200 degrees, bake in tins (with lid i use cake loaf tins) for 40 minutes.  Remove lid and bake further 10 minutes.  Cool on racks.

Basic white loaf

Basic White Loaf

What you need

325g water
500g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 satchel of yeast 

What you need to do

Combine ingredients, shape into ball, leave to rest 10 mins.

Oil work surface, knead for 10 seconds (Dan Lepard method), shape to ball and rest 10 minutes.

Repeat two more times, on third knead rest for 30 minutes.

Grease and flour deep loaf tin, divide dough into two equal balls and drop into tin side by side.  Cover and rise in warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake in 200-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Salmon with Sundried Tomato Butter

Salmon Tray Bake 

What you need (serves 4)

40 grams sundried tomatoes finely chopped (if in oil, pat dry) 
80g butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds roughly crushed
1 lemon, zest and the rest in wedges
300g broccolini cut into 3cm pieces
2 x 400 g butter beans
4 Salmon fillets

What you need to do

Add chopped tomatoes, fennel seeds, lemon zest and cracked black pepper to butter, mash to combine.  Spoon onto glad wrap, roll into cylinder to enclose and refrigerate.

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Par cook broccolini.  On a large baking tray or dish, arrange the broccolini, butter beans and nestle in the salmon fillets. Add quartered lemon slices.  Slice the sundried tomato butter and arrange on top of the salmon fillets and vegetables.  Season and roast 15 mins or until fish is flaking.  Serve fish onto plates, toss vegetables in the tray juices add to plates with the lemon wedges.  Suggest a side serving of wedges and a glass of chardonnay.

 

WALNUT SAUSAGE ROLLS

 What you need

1 brown onion ( approx 180g)

1 tbsp dried oregan100 g walnuts

90g rolled oats
3 eggs
150g fetta cheese cut into small chunks
1tbsp soy sauce
50g breadcrumbs
3 sheets readymade putt pastry
milk for brushing 
poppy or sesame seeds  for sprinkling

What you need to do

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.  Line tray with baking paper.

Chop onion and place in a food processor with the walnuts, dried oregano and rolled oats and blitz.  If not processing well add the eggs and soy sauce and blitz again. Put into bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and fetta cheese.  Put mixture on puff pastry sheets and roll into 'sausage rolls'.  brush with milk and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.  Bake in over 20 to 30 mins.  

Suggested variation - use cooked potato and peas and shape into pasties.

Lamb Spinach and Chickpea Curry

 Winter Warmer Lamb Curry

What you need:

Left over roast lamb

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 knob of ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground corriander

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1 teaspoon tumeric

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Chicken stock to cover

1 tin crushed tomatoes

1 tin chick peas 

1 bunch cooked spinach

What you need to do:

Blitz onion, garlic and ginger to form a paste.  Heat oil in a chasseur and cook onion mixture until golden.  Add spices and cook 2 minutes.  Add stock and tomatoes and stir.  Add chopped lamb, spinach and chickpeas, cover chasseur, put in oven heated to 170 degrees and cook 1 hour.  Enjoy with your favourite indian accompaniments. 

Lentil fritters with labne

What you need

2/3 cup plain flour 

1 tsp baking powder

Good pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

2 eggs separated 

150 ml milk

400g can brown lentils 

2 tblsp flat leaf parsley chopped

Olive oil to fry

1 tomato chopped

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds

Labne:

400g natural yogurt 

1 teaspoon dried mint

1tbs chopped fresh mint leaves

What you need to do

For labne, mix together yogurt mint salt and pepper. Place in a fine sieve Lind with muslin cloth. Place over a bowl and cover with plastic wrap then place in fridge overnight. The next day transfer to a clean bowl, cover and chill until needed.

Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl. Lightly whisk in egg yolks then slowly incorporate the milk. Stir in lentils chopped parsley salt and pepper. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites to soft peaks then gently fold into batter.

Heat oil in fry pan. Add one tablespoon of batter for each fritter and fry couple minutes each side. Drain on paper towel as you continue to cook in batches.

Serve topped with labne, rocke tomato cumin seeds, splash or olive oil and pomegranate molasses if desired.