Sourdough success!!!

My second attempt at sourdough has made me so happy. I got the book Nourished Traditions for Christmas and there were some really good tips in there. I also joined a Facebook group for starters and cultures in Ireland and I got lots of advice there. I used rye flour for my starter and strong flour for the bread. I also allowed the dough to be wet when I put it in the oven.

I got more of a rise and more air bubbles through the crumb. It is so tasty that I can't stop eating it and I am already preparing another loaf for tomorrow.

Jamie Oliver's rye soda bread

Given that one of my resolutions is to bake more bread I tried this today. It turned out great! It's from Jamie's Everyday Superfood and it was so easy to make.

I used Greek yogurt to make it rather than natural yogurt and it made no difference whatsoever. I also left out the porridge oats (as I didn't have any) and it didn't seem to have any impact on the bread.

It only took me five minutes to prepare and 43 minutes in the oven. It also wasn't as crumbly as other soda breads. This meant it was easy to cut and I didn't choke on a crumb like I usually do.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Restore my front garden to its former glory. 2. Bake more bread. 3. Eat more fish.

Shatshuka

Today is Brian's birthday so I wanted to make him a new breakfast that he's never had before. I've been reading a good bit about shatshuka online so I decided to try it out.

This is a middle Eastern dish and is a bit similar to huevos rancheros. My ingredients were: 5 tomatoes, 2 eggs, half an onion (diced), half a clove of garlic (minced), half a green pepper, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, half a teaspoon of chilli powder, half a teaspoon of paprika, half a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of Cayenne pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.

I used my cast iron pan to make it. I fried the onion in some rapeseed oil until soft. Then I added the garlic and then the green pepper. When the pepper has softened add the tomato paste and the tomatoes (chopped into cubes).

Then add all the spices, stir in and let the tomatoes cook down into a sauce. Be careful not to burn them!

Crack the eggs on top of the tomato sauce.

Put a lid on top and let them cook for ten to fifteen minutes (depending on how you like your eggs).

I served it with pitta bread. The portion was quite large so I think this would work well for two people. Just add two more eggs.

Brian's verdict is that it was delicious!

Guacamole and homemade tortilla chips

The day after I roast a chicken I use the leftovers to make fajitas. Today in addition to this I made guacamole and homemade tortilla chips. The guacamole is really zingy and fresh. Into a blender I put: half a chilli, a handful of cherry tomatoes, the juice of a lime and an avocado. I blend it for a few moments. I like it chunky so I find the pulse button great for that. So easy!

For the tortilla chips you are basically using tortilla wraps. You cut them into triangles. Then you fry them on a high heat for a few moments on each side.

A tongs is very useful for turning them. Them you put them on a baking sheet and season.

Today I sprinkled them with smoked paprika and a smaller amount of cumin and Cayenne pepper and salt. I put them in the oven at 200 degrees for 5 minutes and serve them warm.

They are so delicious!

Glühwein

As I am now addicted to glühwein after Munich I decided to make my own. The ingredients are: a bottle of inexpensive, drinkable wine (Bordeaux from Lidl), 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, a lemon and 2 tablespoons of sugar.

You put them all into a large saucepan. I heated it but didn't allow it to boil. I then put it on a low heat stirring occasionally.

To serve I have some glühwein mugs from Munich. You pay a deposit and get it back when you return your mug. Some mugs were just too cute to give up though!

To get it to my taste I had to add a very small amount of boiled water and another teaspoon of sugar.

A fruitbear in Munich

I have never been to Germany before. It's so close to me and I've never visited. This is my first time here and I can't believe I've waited this long because I LOVE MUNICH!!!! It was our first full day here today so we just wandered around and got our bearings. We went to some Christmas markets and just strolled about. I am a flâneur (hmmm...I'm not sure what the feminine of that is in French). The buildings are so impressive here. Beautiful 17th and 18th century buildings make me really curious about the history of Munich.

In the past few years I have become so curious about that time in history. It is really cold here. It is crisp and refreshing. I love wrapping up well. The feeling of koselig is very strong here.

Everyone eats and drinks outdoors. It is so nice. Before lunch we had mulled wine outside to warm up. Everyone was drinking it even though it was morning time. Normally I don't like mulled wine but this was delicious. Unfortunately Brian got it with a shot of liqueur so we were a bit buzzed afterwards!!!

Chocolate chunk cookies

I don't normally bake but it's really cold here at the moment and it seemed like the thing to do. Yesterday evening I was sitting in a darkened sitting room by the stove catching up on Downton Abbey and it just seemed very necessary to have warm cookies. I use Ina Garten's cookie recipe although I modify it. I don't use as much sugar or chocolate. When I make cookies I keep the dough in the fridge and I bake them as I need them. It means my cookies are always warm and fresh. I also use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough. This ensures that all the cookies are the same size and are all round.

Super easy tomato soup

I have been living on this since the weather got colder. It's great when I haven't gone food shopping and the cupboards are a bit bare. It uses tinned tomatoes and a chicken stock cube which I wouldn't normally use. I do feel like I'm cheating a bit with it but it tastes great regardless.

I fry an onion in some rapeseed oil. To this I add black pepper and either dried oregano or fresh basil. I never use dried basil. I think it tastes awful. When the onion is cooked I add one clove of garlic and fry for a minute. I add two tins of plum tomatoes. I fill one tin with water and add that. Then I add the chicken stock cube. I let it cook for about half an hour and then I blend it. I used to add more water and then thicken it with a roux but this is much easier. You can serve this with some crusty bread, fresh basil and a swirl of cream. I had none of those items in the house today though so it is just plain in the photo.

Sourdough sadness

I have been cultivating my sourdough starter all week. I loved it and nurtured it. I thought everything was great between us. WHY WON'T MY SOURDOUGH RISE???? Is it the recipe?..... Is it the starter?...... Is it me?...... I need sourdough help! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPDATE: I baked my sourdough anyway. It didn't rise much in the oven and had a compacted crumb. BUT it tasted AMAZING!!!! I am going to keep making my sourdough. If I make one a week then eventually I will have perfect sourdough.

Jamie Oliver easy flatbread

Tonight we were eating leftovers. There wasn't quite enough to fill us up so I made these flatbreads. They are fantastic because I always have the ingredients for them.

You mix 350 grams of flour, 350 grams of natural yogurt (I always use Greek yogurt) and a teaspoon of baking powder. You fry them at high heat. I make a garlic butter to go over them. I crush a garlic clove into a frying pan and gently fry it. Then I put some butter in and stir until it has melted. I pour this over the flatbreads and they taste amazing!

Meatballs!!!

Meatballs are always a hit in my house. I make Spanish style albondigas. It can be time consuming to roll the meatballs but this can be done in advance and they can be stored in the fridge. The tomato sauce can also be made in advance. I usually begin with the sauce. I crush a clove of garlic and fry it until it is golden.

I then chop around eight tomatoes into slices and add them to the garlic.

I turn the heat up high and cover the pot with a lid.

I leave them to bubble away for about ten minutes and then I squash them down with a spoon. The longer you let this cook the tastier it is. It can be a bit watery at first so it is a good idea to take the lid off the pot and let it reduce down a bit.

To make the meatballs I beat an egg in a big mixing bowl. I break a slice of bread into this and let it absorb some of the egg. Then I add lean minced beef and chopped parsley.

I give it all a good mix. I put flour onto a chopping board and set out a clean plate.

In my hands I roll the meatballs into a shape that is about one inch in diameter. I like small meatballs. They are easier to cook and more tasty in my opinion.

I then roll the meatball in the flour and put it on the plate.

I heat rapeseed oil in a frying pan to a high heat. It is important to wait until the oil is hot to avoid your meatballs falling apart. It is also important not to add too many to the pan as it becomes hard to turn them if they are overcrowded. Wait until they are cooked well on one side before turning them. You constantly run the risk of your meatballs falling apart! I turn them with a dessert spoon as this seems to help. The oil spits a lot when you are cooking meatballs so wear an apron and be careful of your hands and arms. You may need to cook them in several batches. If this is the case you will need a clean, fresh bowl to put them in.

It is very important to avoid cross contamination from dishes that held the raw meat. When they have all been well cooked (no one likes a bleeding meatball!) put them back into the frying pan and heat them thoroughly.

Then pour in the tomato sauce and mix well.

You are ready to serve up your amazing meatballs. I serve them with steamed brocolli

and boiled potatoes. I toss the potatoes in olive oil, black pepper and fresh parsley.

This dish is also perfect for toddlers. My one year old baby couldn't get enough of them . He ate his own and then he ate most of Brian's too! If that isn't an indication of their tastiness then I don't know what is!!!

Baked apples

There's nothing so autumnal as baked apples for dessert. I love them. One is never enough!

I cut them in half and take out the core. I sprinkle them with cinnamon and I put them on a baking tray in the oven for twenty minutes at 200 degrees. Unfortunately they were so nice that i ate them as soon as they came out of the oven. I will update with an after photo the next time i make them. They are healthy and sweet and the perfect dessert. I even give it to my baby. He can't get enough of them either. Fruit bear for life!

Preserved lemons

Although I cook Moroccan food a lot I sometimes find myself restricted because I don't have any preserved lemons. It always seems like a bit of an ordeal to make them but it isn't! In reality it only took ten minutes. Today in the middle of cooking dinner I decided to take the bull by the,eh, lemons and just do it. I sterilised my jar first. I washed it in hot soapy water and I put it in the oven at 120 degrees for twenty minutes. I washed the lemons in warm water to get rid of the wax.

Then I quartered each lemon while leaving it attached at one end.

I put one teaspoon of rock salt into each lemon, closed it back up and placed it into my sterile jar.

Into the jar I also added some black peppercorns and two fresh bay leaves. I added the juice of one lemon and slightly cooled boiled water.

I filled the jar to the top and put the lemon skins from the juiced lemon on top. This is because a white scum forms on top and these can easily be discarded. The scum is harmless. The jar is sealed and put into a dark cupboard for four weeks. For the first week you shake the jar daily. This helps the salt to dissolve.

I'll update this post in four weeks so you can see how it went. Until then!