Showing posts with label Bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bread. Show all posts
Monday, 2 May 2011
No Crouton Required - April
Well, I can barely believe it but I've won a second No Croutons Required badge: success with my Walnut and Rosemary soda bread recipe - hurrah!
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Back with a Challenge
Well, it's been a while but I'm back and the encouragement I needed was to be found in this month's No Croutons Required challenge. Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes has been very generous this month allowing a choice of challenges and, as a July baby, I've gone back through my archives to find a delicious bread to enter the fray.
The recipe of choice from my archive is Rosemary and Walnut soda bread, easy to make and bake and delicious with almost any soup - here's the link to the recipe.
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| A reminder of July - beautiful sweet peas |
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| Rosemary and Walnut Soda Bread - Yum! |
The recipe of choice from my archive is Rosemary and Walnut soda bread, easy to make and bake and delicious with almost any soup - here's the link to the recipe.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Two for One
Last week we had some rosemary and walnut bread from the market and it was delicious, I wasn't able to get there this week but we craved the delicious sweet nuttiness, so I thought I'd try to make some. Bread making takes rather a long time and with the kitchen in some disarray I needed a quicker solution. Soda bread is at the forefront of my mind as there seem to have been a number of TV cooks making it recently: Hugh FW and Nigella to name a couple.
I thought I'd try a rosemary and walnut version. I was so pleased with the result, the walnut pieces were nicely distributed through the bread and the rosemary flavour was strong enough without being overpowering.
A good bread needs a good soup so two recipes for the price of one today!
Rosemary and Walnut Soda Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
450g plain white flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp salt
1 oz finely chopped walnuts
1 oz coarsely chopped walnuts
2 good sprigs rosemary, finely chopped plus a few rosemary needles for decoration
350ml plain yoghurt
Method
Heat the oven to 220C and lightly flour a large baking tray.
Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and the finely chopped walnuts and rosemary, mix together well. Now add the coarsely chopped walnuts and mix again. Finally add the yoghurt and mix together to form a sticky dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring together into a ball. Flatten the ball to about 4cm deep then place on the floured baking tray. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf, use a floured knife to do this to stop it sticking in the dough, then sprinkle a few rosemary needles over the top.
Place in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes. The bread is ready when you tap it on the bottom and it sounds hollow. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm with the soup.
With the current range and availability of mushrooms in the greengrocers and the supermarket I had to make a creamy mushroom soup. Mushroom soup doesn't end up a very pretty colour but the flavour is immense, if you don't believe me give it a try and I'm sure you'll be addicted.
Creamy Mushrooms Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
1kg mushrooms, any mix you like, I used chestnut and portobellini
2tsps butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
small bunch of thyme
1ltr vegetable or chicken stock
500ml milk
100ml double cream
Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sweat until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the sliced mushrooms and the thyme and cook for a couple of minutes then add the stock and milk and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove the bunch of thyme and blend the soup. Pour the blended soup through a sieve and return to a clean saucepan. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and stir well, gently reheat the soup, but do not allow it to boil.
Serve in warmed bowls with the rosemary and walnut soda bread. Bread and soup heaven!
I thought I'd try a rosemary and walnut version. I was so pleased with the result, the walnut pieces were nicely distributed through the bread and the rosemary flavour was strong enough without being overpowering.
A good bread needs a good soup so two recipes for the price of one today!
Rosemary and Walnut Soda Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
450g plain white flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp salt
1 oz finely chopped walnuts
1 oz coarsely chopped walnuts
2 good sprigs rosemary, finely chopped plus a few rosemary needles for decoration
350ml plain yoghurt
Method
Heat the oven to 220C and lightly flour a large baking tray.
Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and the finely chopped walnuts and rosemary, mix together well. Now add the coarsely chopped walnuts and mix again. Finally add the yoghurt and mix together to form a sticky dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring together into a ball. Flatten the ball to about 4cm deep then place on the floured baking tray. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf, use a floured knife to do this to stop it sticking in the dough, then sprinkle a few rosemary needles over the top.
Place in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes. The bread is ready when you tap it on the bottom and it sounds hollow. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm with the soup.
With the current range and availability of mushrooms in the greengrocers and the supermarket I had to make a creamy mushroom soup. Mushroom soup doesn't end up a very pretty colour but the flavour is immense, if you don't believe me give it a try and I'm sure you'll be addicted.
Creamy Mushrooms Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
1kg mushrooms, any mix you like, I used chestnut and portobellini
2tsps butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
small bunch of thyme
1ltr vegetable or chicken stock
500ml milk
100ml double cream
Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sweat until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the sliced mushrooms and the thyme and cook for a couple of minutes then add the stock and milk and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove the bunch of thyme and blend the soup. Pour the blended soup through a sieve and return to a clean saucepan. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and stir well, gently reheat the soup, but do not allow it to boil.
Serve in warmed bowls with the rosemary and walnut soda bread. Bread and soup heaven!
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Loaves and Fishes
A second order from fishinabox has landed me some lovely hake fillets. I've wanted to try hake after seeing Hugh FW cook with it as an alternative to cod. Seemingly hake is much more sustainable than cod so worth a try.
My impression on looking at the fillets was how 'meaty' they looked and a lovely colour, more creamy coloured than cod. I had an urge to make a fish pie, lovely comfort food to mark the changing of the clocks.
Earlier in the day I'd bought a delicious rosemary and walnut granary loaf from the baker at our local market, so a simple supper of fish pie and rosemary and walnut bread for a late autumn evening. The sweetness and crunch of the walnuts went beautifully with the delicate fish flavour and soft texture of the pie.
Simple Fish Pie
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g hake fillets or other white fish
300ml milk
half an onion, peeled and sliced
5 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
50g butter
3 tbsp plain flour
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small leek, washed and sliced
half an onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
half a glass of dry white wine
potatoes mashed with butter and yoghurt to cover the pie
grated parmesan
Method
Dry the fish with kitchen paper and place in a frying pan. Pour over the milk and add the peppercorns, onion slices and bay leaf. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the fish flakes. Remove the fish and place on a plate. Strain the cooking juices through a sieve and reserve, discard the peppercorns, onion slices and bay leaf.
Whilst the fish is cooking add the chopped carrot, onion, leek and garlic to a saucepan with a glug of oil and gently heat to soften the onion. Add the wine and the parsley and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Using the reserved cooking juices from the fish make a white sauce as follows. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir well to remove any lumps and cook gently for a minute or two. Gradually add the cooking juices, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil and then simmer for a few minutes.
Now make up the pie by adding the flaked fish and the winey vegetable mixture to the white sauce. Put the combined ingredients into a pie dish. Cover with the creamy mashed potatoes and sprinkle over the parmesan.
Put the pie dish on a tray and bake in the oven at 200C for about 30 minutes. Then serve in wide bowls (pasta bowls are good) with a couple of chunky slices of buttered rosemary and walnut bread...yummee!
My impression on looking at the fillets was how 'meaty' they looked and a lovely colour, more creamy coloured than cod. I had an urge to make a fish pie, lovely comfort food to mark the changing of the clocks.
Earlier in the day I'd bought a delicious rosemary and walnut granary loaf from the baker at our local market, so a simple supper of fish pie and rosemary and walnut bread for a late autumn evening. The sweetness and crunch of the walnuts went beautifully with the delicate fish flavour and soft texture of the pie.
Simple Fish Pie
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g hake fillets or other white fish
300ml milk
half an onion, peeled and sliced
5 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
50g butter
3 tbsp plain flour
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small leek, washed and sliced
half an onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
half a glass of dry white wine
potatoes mashed with butter and yoghurt to cover the pie
grated parmesan
Method
Dry the fish with kitchen paper and place in a frying pan. Pour over the milk and add the peppercorns, onion slices and bay leaf. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the fish flakes. Remove the fish and place on a plate. Strain the cooking juices through a sieve and reserve, discard the peppercorns, onion slices and bay leaf.
Whilst the fish is cooking add the chopped carrot, onion, leek and garlic to a saucepan with a glug of oil and gently heat to soften the onion. Add the wine and the parsley and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Using the reserved cooking juices from the fish make a white sauce as follows. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir well to remove any lumps and cook gently for a minute or two. Gradually add the cooking juices, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil and then simmer for a few minutes.
Now make up the pie by adding the flaked fish and the winey vegetable mixture to the white sauce. Put the combined ingredients into a pie dish. Cover with the creamy mashed potatoes and sprinkle over the parmesan.
Put the pie dish on a tray and bake in the oven at 200C for about 30 minutes. Then serve in wide bowls (pasta bowls are good) with a couple of chunky slices of buttered rosemary and walnut bread...yummee!
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