Cornmeal Soda Bread

Oven: 200 deg.C - preheated
Baking time: approximately 30 mins. (maybe longer)
Ingredients:
6 ozs. fine cornmeal
6 ozs. self-raising flour (plus extra if dough is too sticky, and also for kneading)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. bi-carbonate of soda
1/2 pt. full fat milk + 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
(dried herbs of choice - optional)
little knob of soft butter

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl
2. Add the wet ingredients and gather together to make your dough. If it's a little too sticky, add some more flour, or just sprinkle a goodly amount of flour on your worktop and knead gently until dough feels soft and not too sticky.
3. Place on a baking tray, make a shallow cross in the top, and spread some of the butter over.
4. Bake until bread feels firm - check underside - tap for a hollow sound - which usually means it's done :)


this is really easy to make and tastes delicious warm :)
The only slight problem with Soda Bread is that it is really best on the day you make it.  It doesn't keep that well. If it does go hard you can either toast it - - -  or make croutons or breadcrumbs and store these for future use.

Almond and Garlic Soup - a (delicious) cold Andalucian soup .... (Ajo Blanco)



 

Ingredients:
1 cup of almonds (or cashews) soaked for at least 6 hours, remove skins from the almonds.
2 or 3 slices of white bread - soaked in cold water for about 5 mins., and squeezed out.
Large clove of Garlic - (or more if you like it)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup of chilled bottled water
1/3 to 1/2 cup of a good olive oil
2 tablespoons of Sherry Vinegar (Balsamic will do, but Sherry Vinegar is better)
Green Grapes and Chopped peeled Apple to garnish

This is a traditional cold soup, and is delicious ......

 

1. Using your liquidiser, place the bread, almonds, garlic, salt and water and blend until smooth.

2. With the motor gently running, add the olive oil - the consistency should not be too thick.

3. Pour the puree into a bowl and add the sherry vinegar - if the consistency is still too thick, add more chilled bottled water.  Taste to re-season, if necessary.

4. Pour into a glass jug and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

5. Cut up some green grapes (halve or quarter), and some chopped, peeled Apple and either place in the centre of the bowl, or serve in separate dishes.

 

There are lots of accompaniments to this soup - raisins, flaked almonds, cucumber - peeled and chopped, dark red cherries, chive flowers, garlic flowers - etc. 

it can look very pretty.

You can also serve this served as a duo with Red Tomato Gazpacho (and croutons) - - lovely on a summer buffet table.

Tortilla recipe link

PS: I cant take credit for the pics - but they are very pretty



Corncakes and Salsa

Ingredients:
2.1/2 cups of water
2 cups of Masa Instantanea - precooked yellow maize meal (as above pic.)
salt and pepper to taste
1 small tin of sweetcorn - drained - (if wanted - otherwise make them 'plain')
amount of grated cheese - to own taste (cheddar or similar)
Corn oil for frying

Pour the water into a large bowl and add the maize meal, stir, then add the cheese and sweetcorn.
Stir well to combine, and as you stir, it will thicken.
Leave for about 5-10 mins. and stir again.
It should be a thick enough consistency to be able to roll (a rounded dessertspoonful) into a ball, flatten out a little and fry in hot corn oil.

 

Don't try and turn them over until one side is done -
when ready, lift around the edges slightly, and turn over using a flat, heat-resistant spatula.

Cook until golden, and drain on kitchen paper.

              

Ingredients for Salsa:

4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (2 cups)

1 medium red onion, chopped finely (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup chopped green Pepper (1/2 medium)

1/2 cup chopped fresh corriander

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 large jalapeño chile, seeded, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)

Mix all the ingredients together in a non-metallic bowl - (glass, pottery)

- refrigerate and leave to 'blend' for a short time.

 Recipe for Sweet Potato Cornbread

Bread and Butter Pudding with Lemon Curd (delicious!)

Oven: approx.150/80 C.
Ingredients
Approx. 6- 8 slices of slightly stale white bread - crusts removed, buttered on both sides and cut into triangles.

1/2 pt. milk
3.1/2 fl. ozs of either creme fraiche, sweet or sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup or Honey
2 large eggs 
2 ozs. of demerara sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 jar of Lemon Curd
a handful of raisins

Instructions:
1. Butter a loaf dish/tin well, and place your first layer of bread triangles on the base.
2. Sprinkle some of the raisins and pinches of cinnamon scattered over the top
3. Dollop** and lightly spread some lemon curd over.
3. Continue layering, (reversing the triangle's direction),  until about an inch from the top of the dish.   
SEE TIP BELOW.

 4. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, Maple Syrup/honey and vanilla essence and pour carefully over the bread.  The liquid should cover the raisins so they dont burn when baking, though you could omit these  on the top.*
5, Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes, so the liquid soaks well into the bread.  This also makes it lighter and  fluffier.

Bake for approx. 45 mins. (till custard is set and is going slightly golden)

Serve hot/warm with cream - but it's just as nice cold.  In fact - delicious!

*TIP: I put a piece of slightly dampened sheet of greaseproof paper over the pud, before baking, pressing down gently.  Buttered foil would be fine.

 

** technical term :)

Bread - Basic White Loaf - & Bread Pudding

This is a basic white loaf which I made in my Kenwood breadmaker (which I dont use too often!) but as we were snowed in - decided to make this loaf.  This one took about 2.1/2 hours, which isn't much good if you're starving, but it does make a pretty good loaf .... (even if it does look a bit weird!)  Home baked bread doesn't seem to last as long as shop-bought (for obvious reasons), so if it does go stale - you could make a bread pudding* with it. :).

Ingredients:
In the base of your breadpan place:
380ml. of warm water (hand hot - not too hot otherwise it will kill the yeast) 
1.1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and
a good squirt of maple syrup (or regular sugar 1.1/2tsp. will do)
1 - 1.1/2 tbls. of salt
then carefully put on top:
600g. Strong (unbleached) white flour 
2 tablespoons dried milk powder
1.1/2 teaspoons of Easy Blend dried yeast

Set your machine for a 'Regular' loaf which should take approx. 2.1/2 hrs.
If you take a peek while it's 'doing' and looks a little dry add a little more liquid and a little more flour - this should then work into a nice smooth dough.
Looks good and tastes lovely. 

*Bread Pudding: 
Ingredients:
4 ozs. of white bread (hard crusts removed)
1.1/2 ozs. of demerara sugar
1 large egg
pinch of salt
2 ozs. dried fruit - sultanas, raisins
1.1/2 ozs. melted butter
1/2 tsp. mixed spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. finely grated lemon rind

Soak the bread in water until soft, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix well together and pour into a greased loaf tin or baking dish.
Bake at 200 deg.C for at least 3/4 hr.
It should be fairly firm to the touch when done - also test with a skewer to see that it's cooked through.

Stromboli - Pizza Roll

Watching the Hairy Bikers  Bakeation has been a real pleasure - here's another of their lovely recipes - (slightly adapted)  ...............

Stromboli is a rolled-up pizza.
Oven: 190/200 deg.C : 375deg.F

Dough:
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbls. sugar
1 tbl. oil
1 tbl. dry milk powder
2.1/4 cups of strong white flour (bread flour)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. active dried yeast

If you have a bread machine - make up the pizza dough according to instructions.
Otherwise -
Mix flour, dry milk powder, oil, sugar and salt.
Combine water and yeast and gradually add to flour mixture.
Blend well and  knead for 2-3 mins.
Sprinkle a little flour in a bowl - add dough and cover with klingfilm - leave to rise until doubled in size in a warm area.

Filling:
approx. 1/2 lb. (250g) Italian hard salami - skin removed and diced
1/2 lb. ham - cut into shreds

1/4 cup red pepper - diced

2 tbl. tomato puree

clove of crushed garlic

1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 cup good Italian - or hard cheese - grated
1/2 lb. mozzarella

2 tbls. Parmesan grated

egg for eggwash
some cornmeal or semolina
You can really use any filling of choice - making a Veggie one too.

1.
Lightly saute the first 6 ingredients in some olive oil - - taste - probably wont need extra salt but could add some black pepper
2.
When the dough is completed, punch it down on a lightly floured surface and roll out to approx.14"x12"   rectangle.
3.
Place the filling over one half (or 1/3) and leave an edge of about 1" all around.
4.
Sprinkle the cheese over the filling.
5.
Carefully roll up or fold over the dough, seal the ends, and make 2 or 3 slits on the top.
Sprinkle some cornmeal or semolina on a greased baking tray, and place roll on top. Brush with eggwash - (can add some water to the egg)
6.
Bake for about 20-25 mins until top is golden brown, and leave to stand for about 5-10 mins. before cutting.

Lovely served with a dressed green salad.

Fruit Loaf

Oven: 160 C : 325 F : Gas No.3

Ingredients:  

2 cups of any mixed dried fruits (raisins, sultanas, currants, soft prunes, apricots are all good)

1/2 cup of soft brown sugar and

1/2 cup of demerara .............. (otherwise any sugar will do)

1 cup of hot strong black tea

- mix these together until the sugar has melted  and if possible leave overnight - or at least 6 hours.

The next day stir the mixture well and add :

1 large beaten egg

2 cups of self-raising flour (sieved)

Pour into greased and floured  baking tin and bake for at least 40 - 50 mins.

Test with a skewer and press the top lightly to see if cooked through.

Eat sliced either warm or cold with butter .............. just delicious!
PS: If you're Canadian - you probably wont eat it with butter! :)

Soda Bread Rolls

Recipe originally by James Martin

but tweaked and deliciously made by No.1 Son -

Ingredients:
6 ozs. (170g) self-raising wholemeal flour
6 ozs. (170g) plain flour (plus extra if dough is too wet)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
1/2pt. buttermilk or ordinary milk+a tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Italian dried herbs and small amount of dried corriander

Oven 400F / 200C / Gas 6
Tip the flours, salt and bicarb into a large mixing bowl and stir together.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid, mixing quickly with a fork to form a soft dough - adding a little more milk or flour depending on the stickiness of the dough. It should be slightly tacky.

Turn on to a floured surface and knead briefly.

Form into 1 large or four round rolls, flatten the dough slightly and brush with melted butter. Place on to a greased/lightly floured baking tray.

Cut a cross on the top of each roll and bake for approx. 30 mins until the loaf or rolls sound hollow when the base is tapped.

Cool on a wire rack.

These are just delicious while still warm - enjoy! :)

The Hairy Bakers - BBC

Love 'em! Si and Dave have a new series called The Hairy Bakers! (They were/and still are "The Hairy Bikers"). I love their irreverant style - they make me laugh - as well as showing recipes which we would all love to try. Watch the series - it's fun.
Here's a link to their bread recipes.
You can also visit their website.