mixed seed bread with thyme and rosemary

I using yeast?!! This is what happened. I haven't used yeast for about three years or so, not because I have anything against it, I simply find it more convenient to bake bread with gluten-free baking powder that is ready for the oven as soon as the dough has been mixed. Last week my husband went grocery shopping and on the list was baking powder. In the health food section it is next to the yeast so he simply grabbed the wrong thing. He bought a few packages and instead of returning it I decided to experiment a little with bread recipes. This is one of my results and it looks like I'll be buying more yeast in the future. If you buy dry yeast in the health food section it will contain nothing but fresh yeast that has been dried. The package I use contains 9 grams and is intended for 500 grams of flour. It's a quick yeast which means that you don't have to mix it with water or anything like that, you simply blend it with the ingredients and let the dough rise before moulding a loaf that goes straight into the oven. Most yeast bread recipes will tell you to knead the dough for several minutes but I find it best to knead it as little as possible (maybe it's because I use spelt flour). I make two medium sized loafs from the dough.

MIXED SEED BREAD WITH THYME AND ROSEMARY

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g spelt flour (4 cups*)
• 1 package dry yeast (9 g) - see description above
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ tablespoon raw cane sugar, organic
• ½ tablespoon flaxseeds/linseeds
• ½ tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• ½ tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 150 ml hot water
• 125 ml soya milk or regular (½ cup)
• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil or other quality vegetable oil

* American readers please note: 500 grams of spelt flour is about 4 cups minus 3 tablespoons. 1 cup = 250 ml

METHOD

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl using a large wooden spoon or a spatula
2. Boil some water and then blend the water, milk, and oil in a measuring cup. Slowly pour it into the bowl while mixing the dough gently with the spoon
3. Use one hand to gently knead the dough while it is still in the bowl. If there is still some dry flour on the bottom of the bowl that doesn't mix then add 1-2 tablespoons of water and knead the dough a little more. Make sure the dough is not sticky (at this stage I keep the dough in the bowl while kneading it)
4. Put a lid on the bowl or cover it with a tea towel and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes in a draught-free spot
5. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Divide the dough in half and gently knead each half on a lightly (spelt)floured working surface. I start with making a ball and then I slowly begin spreading it a little and rolling it back and forth. The size of the loafs I mould is about 10 x 22 cm (4 x 8.7 inches)
6. Bake at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 20-22 minutes

oven braised artichokes with garlic & thyme

I found this recipe on the wonderful food blog Gourmande in the Kitchen, written by Sylvie Shirazi. With the artichokes in season they are everywhere and I was beginning to crave them. I didn't really make any changes, added a bit of garlic and used less oil. I took the photos when I was experimenting with skipping the white wine, so they look less cooked if you compare them with the photos of the original recipe. I wanted to taste them without the wine, just to see how it would work, and I must say that they tasted really good. The recipe with the white wine is, of course, delicious. If you have never cooked artichokes before then I dare you to try it, it's not as difficult as some would think and when you take that first bite it's quite rewarding.

OVEN BRAISED ARTICHOKES WITH GARLIC AND THYME

INGREDIENTS

• 45 ml extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons)
• 60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/4 cup)
• peel from one lemon
• 60 ml good quality/organic white wine or water (1/4 cup)
• sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 large artichokes
• for garnishing: 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

METHOD

1. In a large roasting pan, combine all the ingredients except the artichokes
2. Pull off and discard the thick outer leaves of the artichokes by bending them back and pulling them down toward the stem. (Remove leaves that are dark green, but do not remove leaves that are green at the top and yellow on the bottom.)
3. Snip off the tops of the leaves (at the point where the green and yellow come together) and trim around the base of the artichoke heart to smooth the sides and peel the stem
4. Cut the artichoke in half and scoop out the fuzzy choke with a small spoon. As each artichoke heart half is completed, add it to the roasting pan with the braising liquid, turning it to coat completely and prevent browning
5. Cover the pan with a lid or parchment lined aluminium foil and cook in the oven on 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 30-40 minutes, until the hearts are tender when pierced with a knife [I cooked them in the oven for exactly 40 minutes]
6. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and let the artichokes cool in the braising liquid
7. Garnish with chopped parsley [I skipped that step], serve warm, or refrigerate and serve chilled

apple and cinnamon muffins - 'appins'

I have a confession to make; these are my I-need-to-manipulate-my-hubby muffins. If I don't have time to bake his favourite, the apple cake, then I can always make these, as the recipes are similar, and have my way with him. Well, sort of, he's not that easily manipulated! By the way, he calls these appins. All jokes aside, these muffins are very easy to make and if I remember correctly I put the recipe together for a Sunday brunch. Everyone in this household finds them delicious and I make them frequently. I always use one teaspoon of cinnamon and I don't think the taste is too dominant. Use less if you're sensitive to its taste. I have added a few baking options below the list of ingredients if you would like to pop them up. If using regular baking powder one teaspoon is enough.

APPLE AND CINNAMON MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 200 g spelt flour (1½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg, free-range/organic
• 1 egg white (from a large egg)
• 100 g organic raw cane sugar (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 large red apples, peeled and grated coarsely

Optional: You can use less cinnamon and/or add some ground ginger or nutmeg instead, or both. Sometimes I add a handful of chopped pecans and I have used raisins. If you really want to treat yourself then add 20 g of chopped organic dark chocolate and skip one tablespoon of maple syrup.

METHOD

1. In a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, egg white, sugar, maple syrup and coconut oil (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)
3. Peel the apples and remove the seeds. Grate the apples using a coarse grater and then add them to the egg and sugar blend and mix with a spatula
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix gently. Make sure not to stir, the texture of the dough should be light
5. Lightly grease a silicone muffin pan with some coconut oil and fill each muffin cup about two-thirds to the rim (makes 12 muffins)
6. Bake at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 22-25 minutes
7. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack