Gluten-Free Almond and Milled Seed Banana Bread

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I have been having adventures with gluten-free foods lately. It's not that I need to eat gluten-free foods suddenly or anything, it's more that I first made and ate gluten-free foods about fourteen years ago thanks to my friend Chloe, who was having severe food allergies at the time, and remembered recently that gluten-free food could be quite lovely with its seeming resurgence on food blogs.
I always have some allergy and food-intolerance recipes handy just in case a friend who suffers from one comes over and, in this particular instance, I'd been wondering how different it would be to eat gluten-free banana bread having never tried that (but eating my regular share of gluten-packed banana bread).

I have an unabashed love of bananas; I think they may be the perfect food. I know some people hate them but, frankly, I don't get those people; it seems everyone in this house loves them so banana bread is always well received, and I've taken to trying different versions lately having spent so many years with a favorite recipe. We don't often end up with overripe bananas here simply because they're eaten up so quickly but, on occasion, particularly when one too many visits have been paid to the store, we end up with several sets of bananas and I have to use them up. You can of course freeze bananas so that you're not forced to bake with them until you're ready, just be aware that if you do the peel turns completely black though the flesh is unaffected.

Of course there's no dearth of gluten-free banana bread recipes on the web with all the gluten-free blogs, but there's no telling what recipe will look appealing to you when you do a search for something as popular as banana bread. I settled on this recipe from Gluten-Free Goddess for snacking banana bread and set about figuring out how I would make it with less almond flour. I love me some almonds but I didn't really want this to taste mostly of almonds and banana.

I've spoken on my blog about a milled seed mix made by Linwoods which is made up of milled flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I made gluten-free muffins with it and they were delicious; I actually thought the mix was milled nuts until I took a good look at the package; due to my having made so many muffins with it, I decided to make some gluten-free banana bread instead with what remained. I didn't have enough of it to make up the entire portion of "flour", so I ended up mixing almond meal with finely chopped hazelnuts and what was left of the milled seeds.

I was pleasantly surprised by the result. I thought it would be good but I didn't realize how good it would be, and the best part of it was that it was incredibly light and moist. The recipe below is the most basic version. You could of course add other spices, perhaps whatever mix you usually use in your banana bread. Karina's version calls for 2 cups of flour-substitute, I added a bit more because I had an extra 1/4 cup of milled seeds left in the bag; if you look at the comments on her post, people substituted all different kinds of flours, ground nuts, etc... so feel free to experiment with your own kind of flour or non-flour mix.
The next time I get a bag of milled seeds, I'm definitely making this banana bread again, along with a few dozen muffins. You never know when the urge to snack might hit you.

Gluten-free Almond and Milled Seed Banana Bread
adapted from the Gluten-Free Goddess here

1 cup (100g) almond meal

3/4 cup (75g) milled seeds

1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped hazelnuts (or pecans or whatever kind of nut you want)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 large eggs, at room temp

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 cup (100g) light brown sugar

3 medium very ripe bananas, cut up, mashed

2 tsp vanilla extract

- Heat oven to 350F (180C).
- Grease a loaf pan very lightly. No need to flour it. (I used cocoa for the fun of it to see if it would make a taste difference, it didn't).

- In a small bowl, mix the almond meal, milled seeds, and hazelnuts with the baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and spices. Combine well. Set aside.

- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy; add the olive oil, brown sugar, banana mash and vanilla. Beat well to incorporate.

- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix and beat for a couple of minutes.

- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for ~35 minutes or until done. A pick stuck in the center should come out clean.

- Cool the bread completely on a wire rack before slicing or serving.
It will keep for about 3-4 days well wrapped or in an airtight container.

This post was written by HILDA


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Sourdough Starters and Mothers

Nurturing Mothers
We're all about families here at The Daily Tiffin. Mothers and fathers nurturing their family, and families caring for each other. For thousands of years, Mother
was the center of the household unit. While there are many types of families today, there's one thing that keeps them going - a nurturing parent, grandparent, siblings, aunties and so on, that feeds, sustains and cares for the family.

Today, I want to talk about another Mother. One who has been around for what seems like forever. She's been my mother for many, many years, and maybe even your mother, and your neighbor's mother too. This Mother is a real world traveler and has been part of cultures that we can't even imagine. This Mother really gets around!
Of course, I'm not talking about your biological Mother. I'm, talking about "Mother Sourdough". It's hard to tell how many families she's fed over the years. We could even be related in a spiritual sourdough sort of way!

Years ago, while I was still in my teens, I got this notion that I wanted to be independent. Sound familiar? I wanted to take care of myself, get back to nature, and create something that I could call my own. Too young to marry and start a family of my own, I learned that I could still create a living being, or substance as you will, that needed to be fed and cared for much like an infant. I picked up a new book (1970) called, Sourdough Jack's Cookery and Other Things by Jack Mabee. You can still find it today on Amazon or eBay. This book started a love affair with all things sourdough!



A Living Organism!
Keep in mind, I was a teenager, living at home with my parents who were not into that sort of "hippie stuff" back then. I made my starter - a bubbly, sour and yeasty smelling sourdough concoction. Sound yummy? It will when you discover all the delicious baked goods I made from this humble sourdough "Mother". I made sourdough pancakes, muffins, coffeecakes, and sourdough bread kneaded by hand. I kept my sour smelling mess in the fridge with strict instructions to my bewildered family, "DON"T TOUCH, Living Organism!" I called him Herman. Yes, he had a name, and it didn't matter to me that he was "THE MOTHER". Dad soon discovered that icky bucket of Herman in the fridge was like a pot of gold to his stomach! He ate everything - and I don't mean just the delicious creations I churned out. I mean the rejects, flops, the dropped-on-the-floor-five-second-rule yucky stuff too!

Over the next 30 years (please don't do the math!) I used the same starter for my family. (OK, I have to fess up here. I did let Herman die, but only once. I asked forgiveness, created him all over again, and life went on.) No matter where we lived, we always saw the bucket of sour and bubbly Herman in the back of the fridge. Then we opened a bakery and Herman needed to grow up fast. We fed him really well until he grew big enough to fill four, 5 gallon buckets at a time. We were always rotating them, never wanting to let Herman get too skinny and die again. This went on until 2004 when we closed the bakery and finally let Herman go. He served us well all those years, but it was his time to rest in peace.


The Supposed Story Of Sourdough
There are stories of sourdough "Mothers" living for 150 years, being shared one cup at a time and keeping the family going, generation after generation. Wagon trains crossing the country in search of gold and a better life, made sure they always had a sourdough "Mother" sponge aboard. San Francisco Sourdough Bread is probably one of the most famous breads made with sourdough. Friendship starter is another term used by friends as they shared a crock of the starter with a new bride or neighbor. A little card with recipes and wishes for a happy life is attached with a ribbon.

Sourdough (or natural leaven) has been around for a very long time. Before yeast was sold in little packets, it was made with leftover potato water and flour. Some bakers use scalded milk before mixing. Others use a variety of flours, such as whole wheat or rye. Wild yeast can also be used. Different ingredients will change the taste of the sourdough, in turn imparting unique flavors to your baked goods. You can also skip the entire conception part and buy Vermont's King Arthur's classic Sourdough Starter and then maintain it.




There are plenty of recipes out there, many made from scratch, but this is one of the easiest to make and care for. Experiment!

Homemade Sourdough Starter Recipe

* 2 cups Unbleached King Arthur Flour, or similar all-purpose flour
* 1 pk Active Dry Yeast (Again, play around with potato water, scalded milk, wild yeast.)
* 1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
* 2 cups (more or less) lukewarm spring water.


Directions

* Use a plastic container or a crock with a lid.
* Make sure it is double the size of your beginner as it will rise and fall, giving off gases. This is normal.
* Never use metal containers or spoons. A chemical reaction will take place and ruin the process.
* Mix Flour, yeast and sugar in container.
* Add enough water to make a pancake batter-like consistency.
* Place the cover on top, but don't seal it.
* Set it in a warm place for 24 hours or until bubbly and yeasty smelling.
* It will have risen during this time, so stir it down, cover and place in refrigerator.

Care and Feeding
Now that you've created a life, you need to feed and nurture it. Some bakers give their sourdough a name, although that's really not necessary.(Remember Herman?) At this point it's still a baby and needs to be cared for. After a day or two when it smells sour and tangy, cover and put it in the refrigerator. As it gets older, it will soon be called "Mother" and has to be replenished each time you use "her". If you use 1 cup of starter, then you need to put 1 cup back. Replace with 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water, mix in well, let her sit out for a while, cover and put her back in the refrigerator. Every now and then, add some potato water to help her along. You must remember to feed her often or she will get moldy and die. :-(

Sourdough Baked Goods
So, what can you make with this messy, sour-smelling slimy goop? Plenty! Some good suggestions are; sourdough bread, sourdough carrot cake, pancakes, bagels, coffeecake and muffins, quick breads, brownies, buttermilk biscuits, cinnamon rolls and, well, you get the picture. Just about anything that calls for leavening can be substituted with sourdough and with a little tweaking, turn out delicious baked goods.

This Sourdough Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is from my own collection. I've literally made a thousand or more of these cakes over the years. For obvious reasons, I highly recommend it!


The Sourdough Home has a number of delicious recipes for breads, muffins, sweets, rolls and more, some with photos, tutorials and classes.


The Fresh Loaf is a community for amateur artisan bakers and bread enthusiasts.

King Arthur Flour has an amazingly easy Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe. Full of tips and photos, I love this website!

Also from King Arthur Flour comes a Chocolate Sourdough Cake! I haven't made this one yet, but it's next on my list!

Joy The Baker shares her recipe for Sourdough Pancakes.

The Kitchn from Apartment Therapy has an alternative Sourdough Starter for you to try.

Remember to have fun with your sourdough. Take it out of the fridge once in a while and have a bakery play day with your kids. You'll make memories they'll never forget!



written by Donna Diegel

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The Great Pumpkin

When I was a child, I had an unexplainaible but strong aversion to pumpkin. All it was good for was making jack o'lanterns on Halloween, period. How could anyone possibly eat these things--they're not food! The pulp was merely a nuissance that slowed down carving a face on the pumpkin and the seeds were just garbage.

As with many things, I've come to realize how very wrong I was. First off, pumpkins are obviously food--very good food, as a matter of fact. They're another gourd-like type of squash which, like tomatoes, are one of those things you'd never think to call a "fruit." They can come in all shapes and sizes, whether it be a tiny one pounder or obsenely large 1,000+ lb beasts. There are more varieties than I can count, but as far as your kitchen is concerned, you generally want the smaller varieties (e.g. called "sugar pumpkin," "pie pumpkin," etc.) rather than the giants you carve faces in as there is a big difference in flavor (namely a lack of it in the bigger ones--trust me, I've tried). As for health benefits, the orange color ought to give this one away: they're loaded with lutein, alpha, and beta carotene, which means vitamin A to you and I. And the seeds that I maligned as a child are a great source of protein, zinc, and other vitamins.

Pumpkin factoids aside though, the real issue is how did I ever spend all those years blowing off a sweet slice of pumpkin pie? Why was I going for peanuts and sunflower seeds when I could have opted for toasted, spiced pumpkin seeds? I'm definitely making up for lost time this season. Every week now, I leave the grocery store with a few pumpkins so I can break them down and make pumpkin puree so I have it handy throughout the week (yes, you can always buy canned, but I personally think has a tinny taste, and really, making it fresh is very easy to do and requires very little of your time in the kitchen. You can make a lot, bag it up, and freeze it, too, taking it out as you need it).

Of course, there's a lot more to enjoying pumpkins than the traditional pumpkin pie and toasted seeds. You could make muffins, rice pudding style risottos, cookies, macarons, ice cream, or donut holes. Armed with pumpkin puree, the only real limit to pumpkin-based sweets is your imagination. Of course, you aren't limited to sweets, either. You could try a loaf of bread, savory pumpkin pie, pumpkin wild rice soup, pumpkin gnocchi, or even try your hand at Afghani cuisine and make kaddo bourani. Its surprisingly versatile and I certainly will have a lot of new pumpkin-centric recipes to share this season, both sweet and savory.

How do you enjoy this autumn fruit?

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This Post was written by Mike from Mike's Table

Inside A German Bakery: A Twisted Bread

It's been a while since I took you for another peak at my baker's. But I am back with another great bread that my baker makes using organic products. In German it's called "Wurzelbrot" - roughly translated it would mean a twisted bread or root bread. Probably because of it's shape.



While researching for this bread I found out that it actually originated in Switzerland and soon became extremely popular here in Germany. It's has a wonderful aroma and strong rustic taste. The combination of malt flour with wholemeal and normal bread flour probably is what makes this bread have such a unique flavor.



My baker also told me that the aromas have all the time to unfold in this bread as it is left to rest for 24 hours. Cutting into the bread, it has a crispy crust but is a perfectly moist crumb and the light hint of malt lingers in the air when freshly bought.

It's perfect with a strong cheese or even sweet preserve. My favorite way it eating it with a Gruyere cheese and a few slices of figs on top.

This bread seems easy enough to make at home and I urge any one who enjoys making bread to give this a try. Unforgettable.

Twisted Bread - Wurzelbrot

Ingredients
500g flour - you can use a mix of malt, wholemeal and normal flour
1/2 packet of dry yeast
300 ml ice cold water
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of sugar
Extra flour for sprinkling
Oil to coat the baking tray

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 240 degrees C.

Dissolve the yeast in some luke warm water. Then using the hook attachment of your kitchen machine mix all the ingredients together and allow to knead for 5-10 minutes.

Pour out the dough into an ovenproof form or a casserole and cover it well. My baker gave me a tip: place the from in a plastic bag and tie it tightly.

Allow the dough to rest and rise overnight for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.

After the resting period remove the dough and pour out onto a floured counter top. Using a sharp knife cut off thick strips lengthwise. Make sure you do not knead the dough anymore as this destroys the air bubbles and causes the bread to become stiff. You are aiming for a light fluffy crumb.

Oil a baking tray well. Take each strip of dough and roll it against each other - almost like a corkscrew. However not so tightly. Repeat for each strip of dough. Place them on the baking tray and bake the bread for 15 minutes until the crust is crispy. Then reduce the heat to approx. 150 degrees C and bake for a further 30 minutes.

Enjoy warm.

Happy baking and have a great week! It's great to be back again!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside A German Bakery: My Breakfast Rolls

I call them my breakfast rolls simply because I enjoy these rolls for our relaxing Sunday morning breakfast.

On most occasions Sunday breakfasts are a bit more relaxed than our weekday routine. We kick back and make sure we take time for this important family ritual. Often our breakfast will be a typical continental style breakfast with half boiled eggs, cheeses, ham, salami, honeys and jams/preserves.


Then there simply has to be a variety of freshly baked rolls from our baker. We are blessed really - as Herr Becker's bakery is open even on a Sunday - a luxury in Germany where everything is closed on this particular day. So when Tom comes back from his Sunday morning jog he has a bag full of rolls and we can smell the wonderful aroma as he enters the house. Of course coffee is already freshly brewed, the eggs are the perfect 6-minute-egg and my homemade preserves are colorfully displayed on the table.

Although there are always several varieties of rolls to choose from, I typically enjoy this one. It's made with rye flour, yeast and milk - no big deal really - but the taste of this roll paired with my special strawberry chili preserve is out of this world.



Strawberry Chili Preserve

900 g strawberries - washed and coarsely chopped
2-3 red chilies - cut in half lengthwise and the seeds removed, then finally chopped
100 g Black current liqueur
500 g Dr. Oetker gelling sugar

Incorporate all the ingredients in a saucepan well. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously and cook on a high heat for approx 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Immediately fill the mixture into sterilized jars with twist-off lids. Place the jars upside down for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely then store in a cool dry place.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside a German Bakery: Wild Garlic Baguette

This is not your ordinary baguette. The traditional French baguette would hide in shame at this soigné version. My baker has taken baguettes to a whole new level. He creates a few different varieties of the baguette and believe me each one is a whole different experience.

This one is a special one. It is flavored with wild garlic or ramsons and is made of 100% organic ingredients.



One pays a few cents more for this baguette but it is really worth every bite. Herr Becker bakes this with a mix of white and rye flour, which gives this a wonderful texture, not to mention making it healthier than it's French white counterpart. Then he adds fresh and dried wild garlic leaves to the dough mixture giving the whole bread an incredible flavor. We really enjoy this baguette with barbecued meat and vegetables. However, my favorite way is simply with a nice big bowl of mixed salad and a huge chunk of the baguette ripped off.



Ramsons or wild garlic belong to the Allium family and also goes by the name of bear's garlic. This is because bears dig out the ground to get to the bulbs of the plant.

Wild garlic grows mainly in swampy woodlands and the leaves are used in a variety of different dishes like salads, pesto, or as I do in a wonderful flavored butter - see recipe below.

In Germany it is known as Bärlauch which means bears' leek. This herb has become very popular in German cuisine and one can find so many exciting and very unique dishes using this herb.

A great way to enjoy the Wild Garlic Baguette would be to spread it with a wonderful thick layer of my fantastic Garlic Duo Butter.

Meeta's Garlic Duo Butter

250g butter - at room temperature
Salt
5-6 garlic cloves - crushed
20g wild garlic - finely chopped

Cut the butter in half and place one half in a mixing bowl. Add salt and the fresh crushed garlic to the butter and using a fork, incorporate well.

On some waxed paper spread the garlic butter in a rectangular about 1-2 cm thick.

Place the second half of the butter in another mixing bowl and incorporate the wild garlic leaves and salt as above. Spread this on top of the garlic butter on the waxed paper, giving you two layers.

With the help of the waxed paper roll both layers of the butter into a roll. Place in the fridge to cool and become slightly harder - about 3-4 hours.

This butter is perfect for fresh bread and any barbecued meat. It can be pre-prepared and frozen for up to a month.

Enjoy your week!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside A German Bakery: The Simple Stone Baked Bread

Looking at this bread you all might think it's not as spectacular as the other breads I have shared with you from my baker, in this series. But don't let the simple look fool you here.

As inconspicuous as it looks, this bread is pretty big in taste and flavor. What's so special about it? Well for one it's baked in a stone oven.


And that's where it gets it's name from - Steinofenbrot, which simply means stone oven bread. Almost every baker has his/her variation of this bread and after trying a few I really have to admit that Herr Becker's is truly the best.

In older days this type of bread was traditionally baked in large wooden stone ovens, which gave the breads baked in this oven a rustic and unmistakably distinct taste. Nowadays due to large production many bakeries have opted for a more economical method of making this bread - Herr Becker however bakes his bread in very much the same way as it was traditionally. He has a special stone oven laid out with firebricks, which captures the heat and saves it in the bricks for a very long time. This allows the bread to be baked on the stone for a longer period at lower temperatures.



The result is a wonderful moist crumb with the thick and crispy crust, typical for this type of bread. The crust is darker than most breads due to the longer baking and tastes more intensive than a regular bread.

Before it's actually baked the dough also goes through a longer rising period than most breads. This together with a special sour dough mixture all contribute to the distinct and aromatic flavor this bread offers.

Soeren enjoys the bread fresh spread with butter and a special forest honey. I enjoy it with a herb quark mixture and Tom likes his with butter and a little sprinkling of salt.

What I really love about this bread is that it can be used even after it's 2 or 3 days old. I hate the thought of throwing this delicious tasting bread away and so one day I came up with the most incredible tasting croûtons using this bread.

Meeta's Stone-oven bread croûtons

4-6 sliced thickly cut stone-oven bread - cut into cubes
3-4 garlic cloves - finely chopped
Olive oil
Handful of mixed herbs - finely chopped
Salt and pepper

In a large pan heat some of the olive oil. Add the garlic and immediately after that the bread cubes. Fry on a gentle heat until the bread has toasted and is crispy. The garlic might also turn brown, but this adds to the lovely flavor.
Shortly before taking the mixture out of the pan add the herbs and salt and pepper. Toss and allow to drain on some kitchen paper.

These croûtons taste incredible in salads and soups. Soeren actually eats them as a snack plain.

Hope you enjoy them however you eat them.

Have a great week!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside A German Bakery: A nutty walnut bread

Today's speciality at the DT bakery is the Walnut bread. A lovely nutty and moist bread that tastes fantastic with sweet and with savory spreads.

If one would like to get their hands on this particular bread they need to order it in advance. It's that popular.


I can understand why too. It's made with spelt flour, but it’s not too dense and has a generous helping of walnuts for that extra crunch.

My baker is a clever man. He has four to five different types of breads that he keeps totally exclusive. They are only baked in small amounts and just once a week. Each weekday he offers a different type of bread. So, Tuesdays is the day you can get your hands on the walnut bread. When they have all been sold out for the day, he does not bake an extra batch. This way he manages to keep these breads on the top 5 of everyone’s list. People really rush to buy these top of the rank breads. As a matter of fact if you want to get your hands on one of these breads in time (and you forgot to reserve one on the day before), you’ll have to go there early in the morning. It is not uncommon that you’ll have to wait in a pretty long line to get served.

Well you all do not need to wait in any line. I am passing the recipe on to you right here! Hope you enjoy it.



Walnut Spelt Bread

600g fine spelt flour
½ cube yeast
½ teaspoon honey
100 ml warm water
200 ml warm milk
100 g butter – melted
2 teaspoons flour
½ teaspoon of fine dried herbs
200 g walnuts – coarsely chopped
handful flour

Preheat oven at 200C.

Mix the spelt flour with the yeast, honey, water, and 2/3 of the butter in a large bowl until the ingredients have incorporated well. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for approx. 40 minutes.

Knead once again, punching the dough with your hands. In a small bowl place the handful of flour and coat the walnuts with it. Now work the nuts into the dough. Put the dough into a loaf pan and allow to rise until it has doubled in size.

Place the loaf tin into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Take out and pour the rest of the butter over the top, then bake again for 10 minutes.

Mr. Becker said there are some variations to his recipe here, but this should work really well in conventional everyday home ovens.

My favorite spread on this bread is one I got form my WeightWatchers cookbook. It’s a lovely Carrot Ginger Spread. The aromatic flavors of the ginger rally harmonizes perfectly with the nutty bread.

Carrot Ginger Spread
5 medium carrots – peeled and cut into large pieces
1 shallot – peeled and cut into pieces
2 pieces ginger -about 1 by 1 1/2 inches each - peeled
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Toss all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse to a paste.

This tastes awesome just plain but I also love it with some tuna salad.

Hope you enjoy bread baking this week ;-)! If not I wish you all a great start to your week!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside a German Bakery: Onion Ring

After a lovely vacation in Prerow we are back full of energy and completely relaxed.

I am also looking forward to continuing the German bread series, started a few weeks ago. Today I am featuring a wonderful and exceptionally flavorful bread. The onion ring.

When you buy the bread from the baker it comes in a ring and looks like the letter "O". As you can see from the pictures I could not take a picture of the whole ring because as soon as I come home with it, the aroma of this bread brings both my boys to the kitchen. Then the bread is sliced and spread with butter and enjoyed with this simple pleasure.

The onion ring is made of wholewheat flour and a mixture of slowly roasted onions and herbs. It took me a while to coax the recipe for this one from my baker - he did not reveal everything - but I hope the recipe I provide below is one that comes very close to it.

We often buy this bread when we are craving for something wonderfully savory or have a BBQ party coming up. It's always a huge hit with our guests and a brilliant alternative to the ordinary baguette.

It normally does not happen, but if we do have any leftovers of this bread, I love making bruschetta with it. After a day or so, I find this bread tastes more intensively of the onions and therefore works incredibly well when combined with roasted vegetables and toasted. My favorite kind of Bruchetta is a delicious recipe from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver - Aubergine and Mint Bruschetta.

Hope you enjoy both the recipes.



Onion Ring

Ingredients
800g + more Wholewheat flour
50g yeast
3/8 l luke warm water
2 teaspoons salt
4 onions - finely chopped
handful herbs - finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter

Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.

In a pan heat the butter and gently sauté the onions until browned and caramelized. Sprinkle the herbs and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl add the flour and make a well in the middle of it. Mix the yeast in 1/8 l of luke warm water and then pour into the well. Sprinkle with a bit of flour. Covered with a damp tea towel place the bowl in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Add the salt in the remaining water and then pour this into the dough. Add the onion-herb mixture. Knead to incorporate the ingredients. Once you have a smooth dough, form the dough into a ball and scatter some flour. Put the ball of dough back into the bowl and allow to rise covered with a damp tea towel in a warm place - about 30-40 minutes. The dough should have doubled in size.

Place the dough on your kitchen counter and start kneading. Knead for a few minutes, then form either a ring, by rolling the dough into a"snake-like" form and then joining the ends together to form an "O", or simply form a longish loaf out of it.

On a greased baking tray place the onion loaf and allow to rise for another 15 minutes. Then brush the top of the loaf with some water, sprinkle some flour and bake for a good 40 minutes.

Enjoy warm.

If you have any leftover the next day, make these lovely snacks for dinner.



Aubergine and Mint Bruschetta
Adapted from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients
2 aubergines - sliced in approx. 3 cm thick slices
Good olive oil
White wine vinegar
Large handful of Italian parsley - cut into strips
Small handful of mint - cut into strips
2 garlic cloves - 1 finely sliced and one halved
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method
Heat a grill pan and place the aubergine slices next to each other. When they have nicely grilled on both sides and are a golden color remove them from the pan and place them in a bowl.

In the meantime in another bowl mix together a 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 8 tablespoons of olive oil with the parsley, mint and the garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the vinaigrette over the grilled aubergine slices and allow to marinate for a few minutes.

Cut slices of your onion bread and grill these in your grill pan. Rub the halved garlic clove onto the toasted slice of bread. Sprinkle with a dash of olive oil.

To assemble your bruschetta place the aubergine mixture of the toasted bread and press down so that the aromas of the mixture get soaked into the bread.

Enjoy with a glass of wine.

Hope you have a great week ahead!

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Technorati Tags: bread, recipe, onion, Jamie Oliver, bruschetta, German Bread, lunch box, health

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside a German Bakery: Spelt Wholegrain Loaf with Amaranth

Today, I thought I would show you another great bread made by my awesome baker in this series of Inside a German Bakery. This bread is called Dinkelvollkornbrot mit Amaranth or spelt whole-grain with amaranth.

A sourdough made with spelt, amaranth and wholegrain flour with a generous helping of sunflower and amaranth seeds thrown in for an extra crunch. It is then covered with popped amaranth seeds. This loaf is moist and has a subtle taste so it pairs great with savory and sweet spreads. It was actually this bread that introduced me to Amaranth.

Amaranth in actual fact is a herb and not a seed. It is also known as pigweed, as well as the garden plant we know as Cockscomb. The name amaranth originates from the Greek for "never-fading flower." There are about 60 species of amaranth and there is no definite distinction between amaranth grown for the leaf (vegetable), and the seed (grain). As a matter of fact you might even have seen the leaves of one of the species, better known as Chinese Spinach.

Amaranth is so versatile that you can cook it as a cereal, grind it into flour, pop it like popcorn, sprout it or toast it. The seeds can be cooked with other whole grains, added to stir-fry or to soups and stews as a nutrient dense thickening agent.

Amaranth flour is often used to make baked goods and it must be mixed with other flours for baking yeast breads as it contains no gluten. When preparing flatbreads, pancakes and pastas, 100% amaranth flour can be used. Sprouting the seeds will increase the level of some of the nutrients and the sprouts can be used on sandwiches and in salads, or just to munch on. It's flavor is mild, sweet, nutty, and malt like, with a difference in flavor depending on the variety being used.

The amaranth seeds are high in protein and contain high amounts of essential amino acids like lysine, which are not frequently found in grains. It is high in fiber and contains calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C.

The fiber content of amaranth is three times that of wheat and the iron content is five times more than wheat. It contains two times more calcium than milk. Using amaranth in combination with wheat, corn or brown rice results in a complete protein as high in food value as fish, red meat or poultry.

Ever since I did this research, we have really increased the intake of amaranth seeds in our household. I use it liberally in rice dishes in our muesli and cornflakes, fruit salads get an additional crunch when a few amaranth seeds are added and pop corn has been long out - now we pop amaranth seeds when we have our family movie evenings. I often buy bundles of Chinese Spinach at the Farmers Market and use this in a mixed green salad or in the fantastic but simple sandwich I share with you below

More amaranth info on the web:

Organic Trading: Amaranth Facts
Wikipedia: Amaranth History
Purdue University: Amaranth Rediscovered



This is one of the very few breads that Soeren actually allows me to leave the crust on as he enjoys picking the seeds off of it. Soeren and I often make this sandwich when we go for our bike rides and want to enjoy a picnic on the way.

Healthy Provencal Style Sandwiches
Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients
4 slices spelt whole-grain bread with amaranth
Handful Chinese spinach leaves - as a substitute you can also use baby spinach leaves
Prepared olive tapenade
Herbed goats cheese - crumbled into pieces
Cherry tomatoes - sliced
Freshly cracked black pepper

Method
Spread all 4 slices of bread with the prepared olive tapenade. Place the spinach leaves on two slices of bread. Add the goats cheese and lay out the tomato slices on top of the spinach leaves. Sprinkle with pepper and cover with the other two slices of bread, pressing down gently to seal. Wrap in cling film and cool for 30 minutes.

Have a great week!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Inside a German Bakery: Multigrain Spelt Wholemeal Bread

Now that you have met my baker and his family, let me show you around some of his delicious products. Every other week I will feature one bread, roll or pastry from Herr Becker's lovely bakery. There are so many to show you I just was not sure which one to start with. After sorting through my pictures I finally decided on this one - a Multigrain Spelt Wholemeal loaf.

In German it is known as Dinkelvollkornbrot mit Körnermix. This is a great tasting loaf, high in dietary fiber and full of health benefits. It is a sourdough made of full flavored wholemeal and spelt, packed with flaxseeds/linseed, oats and oatmeal, and sesame seeds.

Wholemeal is made from grinding the endosperm, wheat germ and bran until they are all finely broken down. This is what gives the bread a characteristic “brown” color and hence bread. As the wheat germ and bran are not removed this bread is usually high in fiber. Make sure you check the labels though; “brown” bread is not necessarily the same as wholemeal. Spelt is a green wheat grain which is low in gluten. This bread is particularly good for people who cannot handle a large amount of gluten in their diets.

Bread and other cereals are very good sources of carbohydrate and fiber and also provide a number of vitamins, minerals and protein. In comparison to white bread, which is fairly high on the GI (Glycemic Index) scale, this bread has a medium GI level of approx. 54.

We all know that bread is an important part of a balanced diet, but it has to be the right kind of bread. Stay away from the white breads ad read the labels. Choose grainy and wholegrain breads. These are best for most adults, as they are high in fibre, slow to digest, and they provide important vitamins and minerals. These types of breads are important as they work to keep the bowel healthy; this has been proven to decrease the risk of bowel cancer and stomach cancer.

This bread can be enjoyed with any type of spread - sweet or savory. Soeren and I love to spread vegetables on this bread. The nutty flavor of the seeds combined with the vegetables is unbeatable. Today, we share our favorite open faced sandwiches.

Roasted Bell Pepper and Asparagus Sandwiches

4 slices multigrain spelt wholemeal bread
1 small bunch of green asparagus - washed and woody ends trimmed
1 red or yellow bell pepper - de-seeded and cut into quarters
1 ripe tomato - sliced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgine olive oil
150g Gruyere cheese - grated
2 garlic cloves - minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice


Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In an oven proof dish place the asparagus and peppers and add the olive oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper and give the vegetables a good toss. Arrange them on a baking sheet and allow to roast for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the peel from the bell peppers.

Place the 4 slices of bread on a baking sheet and arrange the roasted vegetables on each slice. Top with a few slices of tomatoes and a good sprinkling of grated cheese.

Turn the grill function of your oven on and grill the sandwiches until the cheese has melted and just started to brown. Take out and serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy your week!

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News:

We would like to ask you all to welcome our newest Daily Tiffin member. Amanda of Little Foodies will be enriching our blog with fantastic articles focusing on parents and children. She will share kid friendly recipes, ideas for arts and crafts, food trends and other related topics.

Here is what Amanda says about herself:

I'm a stay at home mum of two great boys, just setting up a business from home. My working life has been diverse to say the least, and includes time in the travel industry, the landscape gardening industry and before becoming a mum a few years as Training and Development Manager for a Law Firm. I never was one to follow one straight path!! My main passion is food, particularly children eating and learning about good food.

Welcome to the team, Amanda!

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Meet My Baker!

Allow me to introduce the man responsible for all the wonderful bread creations that are used in Soeren's lunch boxes and enjoyed by us at dinner time: Herr Becker ("Herr" being German for Mr.). Soeren and I are forever joking with him and call him "Herr Becker der Baecker!" - Mr. Becker the Baker. He takes it lightly and with humor. That's one of his many qualities - he is not just a brilliant baker but a kind hearted soul, always smiling and despite the size of him he is as gentle as a lamb. His family is equally wonderful and each one of his five ladies help out at the bakery: his daughters Katarina, Katy, Kim, Keila and his wife Kathrin.





I decided to revisit this post I had written to start a German Bread series a while back. Unfortunately, as many things so happen, I never got around to it. But thanks to Bee and Jai who reminded me about it. Both liked it and were charmed by this article so much and wanted to know more about my bakery and German bread and so they asked me to take part in their wonderful postcard series. So, I decided to re-write the article, dust it up and bring it out again. I am sending this with hugs and love to Jugalbandi's postcard series.

Visiting the Beckers at their bakery is never just an in-and-out routine, but an event. We always bring enough of time with us, because there will be a lot of chatter, a bit of gossip and a lot of tasting. Being his favorite customer, Soeren is allowed to go into the back and always taste one of his new creations that "he is currently in the middle of testing" - a new cake, cookie type, or bread. The bakery produces (mostly) organic breads and pastry and the thing I really like is that Herr Becker is always trying out new things. Kneading and mixing up concoctions, always busy and always with a huge grin on his face. In a week we visit the Beckers 3 to 4 times, buying mostly fresh bread, buns, rolls and pastry. It really is hard to choose one favorite when the variety is so huge, but we have found a few favorite breads we like to buy regularly. That is till the next time Herr Becker comes up with a new bread creation - who knows it might just become one of our new favorites.



Bakeries in Germany sell their large selection of breads in uncut loaves. They are all piled and sorted nicely on shelves behind the glass sales counters. In the glass counters you are disillusioned by the colorful selection of wonderful pastries, cakes and cookies. I think if I was ever left in there at my own risk I would dive into the counter - one of my more crazy fantasies!

The loaves of bread are sold by weight and depending on what's in them. One of the very best moments is to come home with a bread that is still warm, cutting a slice with the bread knife and the aroma of this wonderful freshly baked good spreading throughout the house, getting some fresh butter out of the fridge and spreading it on the slice. As the butter melts and trickles into the bread you take a huge bite. UMMMMMM! Heavenly!



Did you know that there are at least 300 types of bread to choose from? I think however that, that is just a rough basic number and in actual fact the number is a lot higher. "Brot" is a fundamental part of German food. You will find a "Baeckerei" (bakery) at any street corner and when we ask any of our friends and family living abroad what we should bring with us, the answer is always the same - "Some of that lovely German bread!" A typical bread mixes wheat and rye flour to form the basis of the traditional German bread. Other popular ingredients also include oats, barley and spelt, or onions, nuts, special types of grain, herbs and spices.

Something we really enjoy eating at our home is probably the darkest bread ever: Pumpernickel. It consists mainly of grainy rye flour and isn’t baked but steamed. This makes it very firm and juicy with a slightly sweetish flavor. As it stays fresh for a long time it is a handy gift for friends and relatives living outside Germany.

What I like about many bakeries here is you can often buy just half of a loaf. Which I do very often. I buy a half of one type and half of another type. This way I have a variety and it does not spoil that quickly.



So, maybe some of you can understand why I never wish for a bread machine on my Birthdays or for Christmas. Why should I when Herr Becker the Baker is just around the corner?

With this I am starting a new series on the Daily Tiffin. I hope to show you the many varieties of breads, rolls and pastries available in a normal everyday bakery.

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This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Blog the Bread #1 - Bernd the Bread

Looking for Soeren's lunchbox? Sorry, none today? Soeren is off to his grandparents for the weekend.

Instead I thought I'd treat you to my first promised German bread review. Under Blog the Bread I'll be posting a few posts every now and then talking about the breads I use and what a large variety is available here in Germany. If you're interested, tune in later.

Now, I have to drive Soeren to his grandparents - see ya'll later

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Well here it is at last. My first German bread review.

I'll start by introducing my baker: His name is Herr (German for Mr.) Becker. I am always joking around with him and calling him "Becker the Baker". He has 4 wonderful daughters: Katarina, Katy, Kim, Keila and his wife Kathrin (a lot of K's). They all help out at the bakery and are such a wonderful and kind hearted family. Soeren is always getting free treats when we go and we are there 3 to 4 times a week!

The bakery produces (mostly) organic breads and pastry and the thing I like is that Herr Becker is always trying out new things. Kneading and mixing up concoctions, always busy and always with a huge grin on his face.

This bread here is our favorite. It really is hard to choose one favorite when the variety is so huge. But it is something I always buy. It is only available on Mondays and Thursdays. On one of those days I do always go and get a loaf.

Bakeries in Germany sell their large selection of breads in uncut loaves. They are all piled and sorted nicely on shelves behind the glass sales counters. In the glass counters you are disillusioned by the colorful selection of wonderful pastries, cakes and cookies. I think if I was ever left in there at my own risk I would dive into the counter - one of my more crazy fantasies!

The loaves of bread are sold by weight and depending on what's in them. One of the very best moments is to come home with a bread that is still warm, cutting a slice with the bread knife and the aroma of this wonderful freshly baked good spreading throughout the house, getting some fresh butter out of the fridge and spreading it on the slice. As the butter melts and trickles into the bread you take a huge bite. UMMMMMM! Heavenly!

Did you know that there are at least 300 German bread types to choose from! I think however that, that is just a rough basic number and in actual fact the number is a lot higher. What I like about the bakeries here is you can often buy just half of a loaf. Which I do very often. I buy a half of one type and half of another type. This way I have a variety and it does not spoil that quickly.

Anyway, back to this bread. This one has a name - Bernd the Bread! I am being serious. He is so popular he even has his own TV series for kids! No jokes!

The bread is made from rye and is packed with flax, sesame, sunflower and oats, as you can see on the crust. This is also one of the very few breads that Soeren will eat with crusts. Now surprises there, eh?

I love to eat this one spread with cream cheese and a spoonful of pesto alla genovese on top. That is so scrumptious!

We eat a lot of bread at home. There are two or three times a week when I will cut up the fresh bread slices and spread a variety of cheeses, hams, salamis and other cold cuts or fish out on the table. There are also tomatoes, carrots or salads to go along. We then sit at the table and enjoy laying our own slices with whatever we want and like. This is a very typical German way to have a light supper and is often reffered to as "kaltes abendbrot" meaning a cold supper. The word "abendbrot" is also very revealing as "abend" means evening and "brot is the German word for "bread". So the word itself says a lot about how the German eating habit in the evenings is ;-)

Of course, if any "real" Germans reading this would like to add or modify anything I have written, please do.

Hope you enjoyed this first little review. I'll be doing this type review for each type of bread that I buy and on an irregular basis but mostly on the weekends, when I have more time ;-)

I'd love to hear your comments and feedback about your bread experiences in your country or home.

Happy Weekend!