Carrot sticks and Brownies has no kitchen: (edition 4) Gremolata goes well with grilled green beans… and a warm salad, of course!

Over the past weeks I’ve been making food in a makeshift kitchen arrangement whilst renovation work is progressing full steam ahead. In terms of breakfast, I’ve discovered that you can make eggs four ways in a rice cooker: scrambled, fried, poached and into an omelette. I can boil, sauté and steam too so breakfast and lunch pass without much difficulty. The main issue is getting bored at dinner time. Carbohydrates like orzo, rice, bread, and potatoes can get seriously repetitive so ensuring variety in meals is the main challenge. That and the risk of feeling heavy at dinner time.

The schizophrenic nature of the weather- alternating between sunshine and colder days with grey, rainy skies- means that salads and meals that are more assembled than cooked don’t always appeal to one’s humours but you don’t have enough vessels or ovens to facilitate making much else.

Not a problem! Adapting and not backing down to challenges posed- albeit in the realm of the culinary- are what separat-eth the men from the boys! ALWAYS choose to MAN UP!

Right, conversations and introductions aside, I shall now proceed to write about what I made for yesterday’s dinner. I had the following ingredients to work with:

- Fine green beans
- Curled parsley
- some pecorino cheese
- a lemon
- garlic cloves
- Charlotte potatoes – lots of potatoes in these dinners… but they’re easily digested…
-  a mixed bag of about 6 sweet pointed peppers
- some baby oak leaf salad

Seasonings/ Store cupboard ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, wholegrain mustard, himalayan salt, black pepper, some crushed red chilli flakes, orange blossom honey, sherry vinegar.

Out of my three weapons I chose:  the panini grill and my rice cooker/steamer. I also had two large mixing bowls to hand.

Here’s what I did (most measurements for ingredients were done by eye as I was too focused on getting this meal on a plate as quickly as I could!) :

- I sliced up the potatoes and set them to steam in my rice cooker for 15 minutes.

- In those 15 minutes, I chopped up the garlic, parsley, zested the lemon, grated about 4 tbsp of pecorino cheese and combined them in a little extra virgin olive oil, about 2tbsp lemon juice, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to make a gremolata- which I would combine with the green beans.

- I halved, then sliced the sweet pointed peppers and set them aside. Then I washed the salad leaves and green beans.

- Using some extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, honey, wholegrain mustard and sherry vinegar I made a mild honey mustard dressing to toss through the sliced potatoes.

- Once the 15 minutes were up, I tossed the green beans in a small amount of oil and chucked them on the hot panini grill- knowing they’d cook within 3 minutes. (those with kitchens are more than welcome to sauté them!)

- Green beans grilled, I quickly tossed them through the gremolata in a large bowl.
- I did the same with the potatoes, sweet pointed peppers in the honey mustard dressing and transferred both components to a plate and just got munching.

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SIDENOTE: The gremolata and honey mustard dressing worked well together on the plate- I had my doubts but took a risk anyway…with very good results! With a bit of roast chicken or turkey this would have been an even better meal– but I have to work with what I can manage to store and procure while supervising renovation work that starts at 8am and ends at 6pm!

Scorecard:

CSAB – 4 | No kitchen challenge – 0 [harnessing my power of man-ing up! hahaha]

Café de Thaan Aoan- Chiangmai, Thailand

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Whilst cycling through Chiangmai, where I discovered an entirely new method of preparing ice cream sandwiches (see my previous post where I dubbed these special scooped treats ChiangMa-Ice-cream sandwiches), I came across this amazing café shortly after. It was a hot day, and I fancied a little relief from the baking afternoon sun along with something to top up my energy levels for the rest of the cycling scheduled for the looonng day ahead …

I peeped in, the cafe looked extremely inviting. Cane furniture, carved three seater benches around dark wooden tables  sat upon a rustic tiled floor. I walked in, and sat down on the carved bench. I set down my camera bag, super touristy straw hat (don’t judge, they’re awesome!), and lens cap  beside me and perused their menu.

I really wanted a cold drink- so naturally I decided on a Thai Iced Tea : cold, sweet, tea with a strangely pleasant caramel aftertaste…
But then I also wanted a meal that didn’t require much effort to eat, so I could sit, rest and re-fuel in the cool oasis that was this beautiful café… the but stems from the fact that mixing hot food and a cold drink isn’t exactly the best thing for your digestion… but I didn’t care… I ordered a street food favorite : a pork meatball and noodle soup ( I think it was called Yum woonsen sai mu ).

While waiting for my food to arrive, I perused their bookshelf- which was filled with Cordon Bleu cookbooks, coffee table books on Thailand’s rich history and murder mystery novels. It seems the proprietors were persons of many pursuits… my kind of people! I chose to flick through a book of desserts by the famous macaronier (yes that’s my word) Pierre Hermé. I found myself memorising combinations of ingredients for future experiments and trying to control my salivating mouth…  needed to distract myself.

They had free wifi, so I jumped at the chance to send out a message or two to my close friends via Facebook. Lo and behold, my lunch had arrived.

I picked up my spoon and chopsticks and tucked into the steaming bowl of noodle soup, generously garnished with fresh spring onions. The stock in which the pork and noodles floated was incredible. It was meaty, infused with shallots, a touch of fish sauce and a hint of lemon and palm sugar… or so my palate could detect. The meatballs were made of coarsely ground pork- which I appreciated, as other versions tend to favour a smoother grind of meat. The texture and naturally rich, fresh flavour of the meat meant the meatballs didn’t need much attention- I think they just added a little garlic and salt and let the meat speak for itself…. I was more than happy to listen.

I sat and ate, slowly and silently. I relished the crunchy spring onions against the bites of meatball, noodle and stock. There is a great deal of sophistication in this simple soup. It may be served in stalls and by the roadside… but there is a reason for its popularity. It’s satisfying, well seasoned, and carries with each mouthful a wealth of flavour.

My sister and I decided we would sample a slice of their large lemon meringue pie, which was calling our names from its refrigerator.
It arrived in small dessert plate, with a flourish of whipped cream and honey on the side. The pastry was baked until golden brown and the layers of lemon curd and meringue were in perfect proportion. I was full, but the sight of this delightful dessert was too much to resist and I picked up the dainty dessert fork, loaded it up with a little of each layer in one deft flick of the wrist.

Marshmallow. Marshmallow is how the fluffy meringue read on my tongue, followed by an exceptionally well balanced lemon curd and crisp crumbly crust. Fantastic is a word that doesn’t really do justice to the dessert… but technology hasn’t advanced so far as to assist in recreating the visceral experience … so this blog entry shall just have to suffice.

This place is definitely one I’d recommend – it’s close to Wat Chedi Luang in central downtown Chiangmai… so it’s easy to find.  :) They even have a website … http://www.cafedethaanaoan.com
The overall ratings:

Taste: 5/5
Ambience: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Quality: 5/5

Experiencing a little moonshine by way of meringue pies: 5.5/5 

Carrotsticks and Brownies has no kitchen (edition 3): Sri Lankan Prawn Curry!

As you know, I’m posting recipes of dishes I’ve successfully cooked using my three weapons: a microwave, rice cooker, and a panini grill.

For yesterday night’s dinner I chose my rice cooker and microwave to create a delicious Sri Lankan Prawn Curry served with hot rice.

NB. I added spring greens to the curry for some green veg- the traditional curry doesn’t feature this, but I try to pack as many healthy ingredients into my cooking so that I am not only happy after a meal.. but healthier!  :P

NB (number two). A vegetarian version can be made by substituting the prawns with zucchini cut into 1/4″ slices and cut in half… so they are semi-circles, omitting the greens, and cooking them in the curry for about 15 minutes.  

As I had to make a curry, I couldn’t make rice in my rice cooker… SO I washed and cooked my rice in the microwave for 20 minutes in a high walled dish and prepared the prawn curry in the rice cooker. I have discovered it doubles up as an electric hotplate and pan…. so long as there’s enough liquid to make contact with the plate beneath… total cook time for the curry and rice is 20 minutes! So it’s very easy and very quick to make

To make the curry- hopefully in your kitchen, and not in a rice cooker (!)- you will need:

3 pcs green cardamom
1.5 tsp mustard seeds
2 whole dried red chillies
5-6 cloves
10-15 pcs whole black peppercorns
2 medium sized onions – finely sliced
2 small tomatoes – finely chopped
15-20 washed curry leaves
3 cloves garlic – finely sliced
1″ fresh ginger – finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp himalayan salt ( I use this because it’s free from chemicals and bleaching agents!)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
300 ml coconut milk
300 ml water
200g sliced english greens
250g fresh king prawns
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 slit green chilli to garnish (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Put washed rice, with double the water into a high walled microwaveable dish and cook in the microwave on high for 20 minutes (this applies to 800-1000W appliances).

Turn on the rice cooker and heat up the oil. To the hot oil, you need to add the whole spices and let them sizzle until fragrant —> cardamom, mustard seeds, dried red chillies, cloves, black peppercorns, curry leaves.

Then you need to add the ginger, garlic, sliced onions, tomato puree, salt — (to add liquid or my rice cooker turns off!!) and sauté.

Then add the turmeric powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, crushed chill flakes and sauté for another minute or so…  then add the coconut milk and stir well. Add the water and spring greens and leave to boil for 10 minutes. Your rice will *ding* in about 10 minutes too…

Once the greens are cooked, add the prawns and cook them for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and green chilli. Serve immediately with the rice which should, if your timing was spot on, be ready

I only took pictures of the curry in the rice cooker because I was too hungry to plate my food nicely and take a picture…. appreciate the honesty! haha! So here is my finished prawn curry with spring greens in its rice cooker receptacle… the lighting’s not great, but it’s a good illustration of how I manage… or am managing.

Hot Bread Shop Bakery- Nathon Beach Road, Koh Samui, Thailand.

Introduction (because I forgot to do this in the earlier Samui post!) :

Koh Samui is an island found on the east coast of the Kra isthmus (bit of land joining Thailand and Malaysia). It’s Thailand’s third largest island after Phuket and Koh Chang famed for its “unspoilt” beaches (although tourist activity in recent years has caused me to question this), the infamous Full Moon parties in nearby island Koh Phangan, watersports in the Ang Thong National Marine Park,  and scuba diving in the less commercial island of Koh Tao.

I spent a few days here exploring three out of Koh Samui’s seven areas: Bo Phut- where I came across the wonderful Happy Elephant Café, Mae Nam (where I stayed) and Chaweng.

So, Chaweng is basically the heart of Samui where there is an abundance of restaurants serving food from Germany, Brazil, Italy, France, and of course Thailand. It’s pretty lively by day and night, and you’ll run into several tourists looking for a bite to eat or bargaining for a novelty T-shirt at one of its many market stalls.

Bo Phut is an area on the North-West of Samui that’s much quieter than Chaweng with a lot of restaurants and bars…

Mae Nam beach is much more relaxed and has a lot of resorts and spas… so the beach is mainly used for swimming and sunbathing.

Food is very reasonable at most places and you can feed four people for about 600 baht..(12 POUNDS!) assume about 800 if your group plans on having a drink or two… I’d recommend trying Chang Beer – it’s locally made and quite light… for the morning after, restaurants stock plenty of coconut water- so you can stay nice and hydrated!

Now… onto the restaurant that you must visit when you’re in the Northern area… Hot Bread Shop Bakery!

It’s a bakery and a fantastic restaurant that’s open daily till late. Located on Nathon Beach Road, this little restaurant serves all kinds of food but in all honesty- why would you have a burger when you can have their incredibly priced, locally sustained Thai fare ?!!

Now in terms of atmosphere, it’s located on the main road, so there are vans circulating every 15 minutes or so loudly promoting local Muay Thai fights with the all too familiar song, Eye of the Tiger…. can be a little offputting but for the quality of food this restaurant serves it’s all part of the fun, and totally worth it! They have a small television screening Muay Thai fights live, to entertain you while you wait for your food and eat!

This is what we ordered: 

- Green Curry a.k.a Gaeng Kiew Wan (meaning sweet green curry.. although not necessarily sweet )
- Stir fried Kang Kong (a local green leaf with a sweet flavour and moreish crunch) in a simple garlic and oyster sauce
- Pad Thai with prawns and another portion with chicken (the plate at the front is chicken)
–> We actually visited here twice and ordered their Som Tam with prawns along with the above order. They were in abundance, so fresh and juicy so I’d recommend you order one of those if you can too!!

Their green curry  was not over spiced or too thick, it was mellow- the way it should be. The paste from which it was made contained the perfect balance of galangal (thai ginger), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, green chillies, garlic,  and salty shrimp paste. It was garnished with fresh red chilli and lots of fresh green basil leaves.

The Kang Kong was so fresh and crunchy. The garlic and red chilli worked hand in hand to add flashes of heat to the sweet leaf and were perfectly balanced in their salty swimming pool.

The pad thai DID NOT CONTAIN KETCHUP- HOORAY!  So many tourist-y restaurants in Thailand (would you believe?!) and abroad put ketchup in their noodles. URGH ! WRONG! But I digress… these pad thai noodles were full of fresh bean sprouts- not the insipid, unappetising bruised specimens you pick out and put to the side of your plate at your local purveyor of thai food- green beans with so much flavour, juicy prawns and chicken and freshly sliced tomatoes. They were served with crushed peanuts, a wedge of lemon and crushed red chilli if you wanted a little more heat… their noodles were cooked perfectly, not greasy, or starchy so you know, despite its humble facade, this restaurant meant business.

High quality, fresh ingredients are an easy indicator of authentic fare, and you can always tell a good restaurant by the dishes being eaten by their customers…. always have a peep in while you’re exploring where to eat, proprietors welcome this behaviour and this means you won’t be far from sniffing out a good meal to re fuel for the next day’s shenanigans…

The bottom line:
Hot Bread Shop Bakery was an oasis of good service, excellent food, among several mediocre imitators…

The ratings:

Taste – 5/5

Value for money - 5/5

Service - 5/5

Atmosphere- 3/5 (but because of the food I’ll bump it up to 4!) 

Getting pumped up for your meal courtesy of the Muay Thai megaphone cars – 5/5

Carrotsticks and Brownies has no Kitchen: (Edition 2) Recipe # 11- some meals have so much sunshine to the square inch!

The weather these days is just so beautiful it’s a crime to be indoors… cherry blossom and greenery are flourishing wherever I look… Hot weather causes my body to gain an inclination towards very fresh ingredients that are full of flavour, and colors that emulate the same energy and vibrance of a bright sunny day.

So as you know from my previous post about having no kitchen I have quite a limited repertoire of ingredients and tools with which to fashion a meal… for today’s challenge I chose the panini grill and rice cooker to pull together a meal out of

- Baby new potatoes
- An aubergine
- Courgettes
- Mozzarella cheese
- Fresh rocket leaves and mixed baby leaf salad
- Olive oil
- Smoked paprika/crushed chilli(/both), himalayan salt, cracked pepper
- A jar of red pesto

—> and hey presto, I made this. Scroll down for the method…

Method:

1) Turn on the grill so it’s nice and hot to receive the vegetables.

2) Turn on the rice cooker with about 1.5 cups of  boiled water  in it and add washed baby potatoes to the steaming tray- this means you waste less time waiting for the water to boil and the potatoes can cook faster. (YEAH! TIME-EFFICIENT COOKING!)

3) Meanwhile slice courgette, aubergine into 1/4″ pieces and toss in a bowl containing about 4 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed chilli – I used about 1/2 tsp.. although feel free to modify this according to your taste. Add these to the hot grill and cook for about 15 minutes.

4) The vegetables and potatoes will finish cooking around the same time so now get your plates ready and tip out about 1/2 a 190g jar of red pesto into the same bowl you tossed the vegetables in olive oil… now add the grilled vegetables and potatoes and toss through so the pesto coats them evenly.

5) Serve up some  salad leaves in a plate and top with some chunks of fresh mozzarella and place the pesto-ed vegetables on the side. The moisture and intensity of flavours from the pesto and grilled vegetables are balanced by the ‘naked’– (why say undressed when I can be more provocative?) leaves so you don’t risk them being overpowered by a dressing…

This recipe is so healthy, and satisfying… and when you finally have to come indoors to eat, you’ll find a little bit of sun in every plateful!

Scorecard so far:

CSAB- 2 | No kitchen challenge – 0
[BOOM! BRING ON THE NEXT MEAL]

SIDENOTE: Cooking for yourself can skew your judgement – usually because being hungry makes you fuss less and…well  you’re hungry… so you just want to eat something… ANYTHING!!! However, today I realised a good meal makes you smile as you eat it.

Starbucks’ “Perfect” Porridge. NAT!

This is a scathing review I had been meaning to write for a long time, after having sampled quite possibly the worst iteration of a healthy breakfast option I hadn’t had time to make for myself one fateful morning… during my penultimate week of working at the New Statesman this March.

“Why would you ever eat porridge… made at a coffee chain, you say?” Because I had no choice… I overslept and had no time to have breakfast, or I’d risk missing my train to Paddington and end up late for work… so I had to commute on an empty stomach and eat something filling to fuel a morning of cool journalist stuff…(muffins for breakfast just aren’t what they used to be…) and Maple syrup is tasty… or so I thought when I ordered it at Paddington’s Starbucks!

The label read “maple and honey sauce.” I should have changed my order for a buttery mushroom and cheese croissant there and then. MAPLE AND HONEY SAUCE?!@#$ Anyway. I opened the cardboard pot and looked down at the stodgy clump of oats I had been sold and decided to give it a second chance by stirring it… I felt my heart sink.

NB. Breakfast is a meal I go to bed dreaming about… and low blood sugar really does not help when it comes to setbacks pertaining to food. It’s a deadly combo of hunger and anger… I call this being HANGRY.  This presents itself on my face and in my demeanour for the following hour… best used (strictly in my mental monologue) in the phrase You wouldn’t like me when I’m HANGRY!!  I turn quiet and glower on the outside… inside my head burst fiery tirades of profanity, and the opening sentences for a blog post…

Out of sheer desperation, I decided to man-up and take a spoon of the oaty clump once I had added the maple and honey sham of a syrup from the tiny plastic pot in which it was packaged.

Normal maple or golden syrup falls in an undulating amber stream… bringing a childish grin to my face as I write my name or draw out a pattern over the surface of my breakfast bowl… Starbucks’ porridge topping fell in the most puzzling manner I can only liken to Mr Muscle Sink and Drain Unblocker. Like a liquid but it  falls in gelatinous clots. This “thing” plopped on the already clumpy surface of the porridge.

Sighing, I took a spoon in my mouth, and had to swallow it for the sake of being around polite professionals… I shall spare you the detailed description and fast forward to the bit where I threw it in the bin and boarded the Bakerloo line train; bleary eyed and bloody disappointed with my stupid breakfast choice. I bought myself a nice coffee from the cafe below the building and sailed through the morning of review writing on a caffeine high… which very quickly turned into a low after 90 minutes… then the only thing I could think about was my awesome packed lunch…  WHICH I ATE AT 11 AM… and ceased glowering.

Ratings:

No number can express my thoughts (emotions still run high) so instead, I shall use the french word: AFFREUX!  As it’s aggressive enough to put across my warning to any of you that decide to order porridge at a cafe… for whatever reason…JUST DON’T DO IT! NO! EAT THAT MUFFIN… OR CROISSANT… OR PASTRY WHIRL THING…

MY FIRST PAUL MACARON- KPMG LADIES NETWORKING EVENT

 

Funny story about this. My friend  and I were looking to get onto a grad scheme with KPMG during our third and final year at UCL. I came across these magical munchies late at night after the event.  But first… I shall set the scene.

KPMG were hosting a cupcake and champagne networking event at the Dirty Martini in Covent Garden in winter 2011…  we went along, talked to their helpful people and decided we would apply. The cupcakes were upsettingly dry and the buttercream, uninspiring. I “rested” my cupcake on the table after a bite, and a second bite which I like to term “the deciding bite.” Said bite determines the fate of the dish I’m tasting when the first bite is inconclusive- ie. when you’re not sure what you just ate. This is where the plot thickens… like custard…

After sipping champagne and being disappointed by their cupcakes, I had to go and find some other dessert to fill the void of disappointment. Food seals my emotional disposition on a number of occasions… especially when hungry… ( see my post about Nero’s Cheesecake for a good example.) Walking down the piazza at about 10.30 pm I spotted a light on in Paul (A cafe chain I came across many years ago whose menu I never really explored) … as I drew nearer, my gaze fell upon some beautifully stacked GIANT macarons in my favourite flavours- hazelnut, pistachio, raspberry, vanilla and chocolate. A fail-safe, yet oh so sophisticated quintet. (Yes, I have since TRIED THEM ALL!)

Having tried several macarons by different purveyors during my global trottings… macarons always deliver on looks but not always in texture and taste. For me, a good macaron is slightly chewy, with no air bubbles separating a beautifully crisp crust from the main portion of the biscuit, and the filling has to be silky, and slip across the palate without much effort. I was captivated by their smooth, glossy sheen … those plump biscuits which sat proudly on a generous layer of ganache filling, I had to try one… and decided to go for raspberry. Not just because of its deep, almost seductive colour, but because I am always partial to a dessert containing raspberries- they were always a treat when I was little.

I paid, and gingerly gripped the brown paper envelope containing my macaron and walked back across the cobble stoned piazza towards the tube station with my friend. Now, I could have waited to reach home and have it, but I couldn’t ignore the voice in my head telling me to eat it…on the tube home. I pushed the macaron up towards the mouth of the packet and took my first bite.  Marvellous. My eyes had not been deceived and expectations had not been dashed. Perfection, in bite after bite. Almond and raspberry is hands down one of the most delectable combinations… and the almond flour that classically comprises macarons was the shining star in the movie playing in my mouth. It met my teeth in a sequence of textures and flavours- crisp and then chewy finished with  a flourishing ribbon of raspberry jam.

“The next station is.. Holborn” said the weird lady inside the speakers. I saw an old lady eyeing my dessert… I looked her in the eye as I took the next bite, I didn’t care how I may have come across. All I could think of was the next bite. I savoured it, all the way home and pondered philosophically over the expression “all things happen for a reason” … mine was to experience the delights of a good macaron, that’s satisfying, well presented, well priced.. and better than many I have tasted…yeah, have that Laduree.

***Although I must also mention the kumquat macaron I ate during an afternoon tea for my 18th birthday at the Ritz Carlton, Dubai. That was…. phenomenal!

The Ratings:

Taste: 5/5

Texture: perfect! 5/5

Value for Money: 5/5

Post macaron induced philosophical ponderings : 5/5

Carrotsticksandbrownies has no kitchen… :S BUT HERE’S RECIPE #10- THE RICE COOKER CHALLENGE!

So.. for the next three weeks, while my kitchen is being renovated, I have no kitchen, and most of my tools and ingredients are in boxes, so I’m working with basic inputs…. There are no fridges per se, gas flames on which to sauté, boil, stir-fry or anything else. I have a kettle and three appliances with which to prepare my meals. THIS IS LIKE A STRANGE GAME SHOW WHERE THE CHALLENGE IS, COOK MEALS WITHOUT A COOKER!  My three appliances are: a microwave, a panini grill with variable heat settings and, a rice cooker with a steaming tray.

For today’s “dinner challenge” I chose the rice cooker and due to my limited storage space for ingredients… I had to work with:
-charlotte potatoes
-some fresh giant asparagus sticks
-one red pepper
-chives
-dijon mustard
-extra virgin olive oil
-sherry vinegar
-some chilli flakes and garlic salt
-honey

Given my rice cooker steams stuff pretty darn well… I had a cunning plan to create a one pot dish/ warm salad by steaming the potatoes and asparagus separately, making a dressing of some sort and adding in the red pepper at the end for variations in texture

Slicing and steaming is very simple— so I’ll give you the recipe for the dressing in which I tossed my steamed potatoes and asparagus.

Dressing-

Extra virgin olive oil – 6-7 tbsp
Sherry Vinegar- 2-3 tbsp
Garlic salt- 1/2 tsp
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
Chilli flakes- 1/2 tsp
Dijon mustard- 1.5  tsp
Honey 1 tsp
Chopped chives- a good bunch.

Mix all of this together in a bowl and add the steamed vegetables quickly and then the chopped pepper. Its a surprisingly fast and very satisfying meal!

No kitchen challenge – 0 CSAB – 1

I WON TODAY’S CHALLENGE… LET’S SEE WHAT TO COOK TOMORROW. HA! Yes, the picture has very very yellow lighting, apologies.

RECIPE # 9 CINNAMON ROLLS AND APPLE PUREE

There’s a bit of a theme in this weekend’s baking adventures… Cinnamon.

FUN FACT(s): Cinnamon helps to regulate your blood sugar by preventing sugar spikes… so when baking you can say bye bye to that niggling voice in your head saying ALL sugary treats are bad for you… It’s extremely beneficial for diabetics and hypoglycemics alike… or for anyone who wants stable energy levels and moods…

Cinnamon when consumed in meals regularly can potentially alleviate menstrual pain and infertility as it contains a natural chemical called Cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde increases progesterone levels and decreases testosterone production in women, which in theory should help to balance out those pesky fluctuating hormones.

Now onto my recipe blurb —->

This little beauty, complete with a generous spoon sweep of apple(and plum) puree was devised a few days ago from a hankering for something fruity, warming and not too heavy… and because living in suburbia makes you miss things you ate in your former city dwellings, compelling you to develop your culinary prowess and “resourcefulness” to take the edge off how disconnected one can feel at times…

This recipe uses flour,  for the Gluten Free version simply swap out the flour for your Gluten Free white flour mix… for an all access pass to an apple and cinnamon scented edible whirligig… (ha! whirligig! What a great word)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH:
(makes about 10 2″ sized rolls)

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup fine ground whole wheat flour
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
2tbsp softened butter cut into cubes
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1 egg

FOR THE CINNAMON BUTTER FILLING:

4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1.5 tbsp cinnamon powder

FOR THE GLAZE:

It’s a simple “Glace Icing” that looks cool…

1.5 tsp milk
about 6 tbsp icing sugar

- Mix these together in a bowl till its the consistency of honey and drizzle over cooled rolls before serving.

TO MAKE THE APPLE PUREE

2 chopped apples
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp malt vinegar or lemon juice… I didn’t have any lemons (sadface)
1/2 tsp butter (optional, but it adds a little bit of gloss… )
1/4 cup water

- boil these up in a pan for about 10-15 minutes and puree in a blender, reserving for later when you have to serve …

METHOD:
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the dough and roll out into a rectangle, ensuring the dough is 1/4″ thick onto a well floured surface

- Mix together the ingredients for the butter in a small bowl and spread out onto your dough rectangle.

- Roll up the rectangle as you do a persian carpet and cut into slices in the desired thickness, I cut them about 1/2″ thick.

- Bake at gas mark 5 for 20 minutes. Cool for 5, drizzle with glaze and place on a “spoon sweep” of apple puree.

 

Lighter Fruitbread- Experiment #2 ITS GLUTEN FREE!!! YEAHH!!

Having concluded that my earlier fruit bread recipe is better suited to the winter months as it’s quite a dense loaf… this morning I switched up some of the ingredients to lift the loaf more and retain moisture. I also added a cinnamon and vanilla bean glaze/drizzle for more flavour—- making it a rather delicious breakfast or tea time snack.

Modified Recipe:

1 cup Dove’s farm gluten free white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup or 3/4 cup raisins mixed with candied citrus peel
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup milk

For my Awesome Glaze:

6 tbsp icing sugar
1.5 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp milk
1/2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste ( Its a tiny little jar that goes a loooong way- I use Hansell’s Chef’s Strength Vanilla Paste)

Method:

- Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5
- Mix together wet and dry ingredients and shove in a well greased loaf tin (so the GF flour doesn’t cause the mixture to stick) for 30 minutes and cool for 5 minutes
- Prepare the glaze. Mix together the butter, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, milk, and icing sugar and drizzle in thick lashings across the top of the loaf.

- Enjoy with a cup of peppermint tea or chamomile or your favourite coffee….. GLUTEN-FREE MORNING TO YOU ALL!!