Category: BREAKFAST

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TOMATO & CHEESE SCROLLS

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth – I prefer savoury stuff any day and these are perfect with a cup of coffee and great to take on a picnic.

You can use pesto or Branston pickles instead of tomato relish.

Tomato & cheese scrolls

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

400g strong bread flour

8g salt

7g instant dry yeast (contents of one packet)

15g olive oil

250ml water

Additional flour for dusting

FILLING

5-6 tbsps tomato relish

150g tasty or any sharp tasting cheese, grated

Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

METHOD

Place flour, salt, yeast and oil in a large bowl and mix together. Add the water and using a wooden spoon, combine to form a dough mass. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 -15 minutes, resting it for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a  warm place for approximately 45 minutes, until almost double in size.

Tip dough onto the work surface and gently deflate by folding it a few times. Return it to the bowl, cover and let rest again for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Tip one portion onto a well-floured work surface and roll out to about 30cm x 25cm.

Spread the tomato relish up to half way through your rolled out dough. Sprinkle the cheese to cover the relish. Gently roll the dough like you would roll a carpet. Using a sharp knife, cut cross-ways about 3 centimetre wide scrolls. You should get between 8 -10 scrolls. Lay them on the baking tray and cover with the kitchen towel. Let them prove for another 30 minutes. Repeat with the other portion.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush immediately with olive oil and place on a wire rack to cool.

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BIRCHER MUESLI

Bircher Muesli

Eating oats daily can lower bad cholesterol because of the soluble fibre, help control high blood pressure and maintain your blood glucose level, all the while making you feel fuller for longer. That’s not too bad for one of the cheapest and most versatile grains on the supermarket shelf. I sometimes wonder why we don’t call this a super food.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups rolled oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/3 cup of desiccated coconut

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BANANA BREAD

Banana Bread (gluten free)

Banana bread elevates ordinary breakfast to something special especially if it’s toasted and slathered with super crunchy peanut butter. This is a gluten free recipe and I used buckwheat flour and rice flour instead of a readymade gluten free mix.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup sunflower oil

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

400 grams over-ripe bananas (4 small)

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BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES WITH RHUBARB COMPOTE

Buckwheat pancakes with rhubarb compote

Did you know that buckwheat is not a grain but is actually the fruit of a plant related to the rhubarb and sorrel? It is widely popular in many cuisines for its nutritional benefits. Another interesting fact is that rhubarb is a native of Russia and is really a vegetables but is often treated as a fruit. I love the rose pink colour of cooked rhubarb and the natural sharpness works well with the pancakes.

Just a note the leaves of rhubarb have a very high oxalic acid content and are poisonous. Please discard them and cook only the stalks.

BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS

1 plus 1/3 cup buckwheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

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VEGAN MENEMEN

Vegan Menemen

Menemen is a Turkish dish often made with eggs, tomatoes, green peppers, cured meats and spices. If you think you don’t like tofu, think again if prepared this way. It is very easy, rustic and quick. It is great to eat anytime of the day and serve it with Turkish Pide or steamed rice.

600 grams of tofu, drained

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SMOKY BAKED BEANS and BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Smoky Baked Beans and Balsamic Mushrooms

200 grams lima beans

75 grams red kidney beans

200 grams of onions finely diced

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon hot paprika

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 or 2 chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce chopped

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

200 grams of tinned tomatoes crushed with your hand

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Wash the beans, soak in water overnight, drain and rinse well.

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer then cook, cover for an hour or hour and a half until the beans are softened. To save time, alternatively, you may pressure cook. Otherwise you can use two tins of lima beans and one half tin of red kidney beans.

In another pan, heat the oil. Fry the onions for ten minutes. Then add the garlic and when garlic flavour is evident, add the coriander and cumin powder, and the paprika powders. Fry to mix. Add the tomato paste, the brown sugar and dark soy sauce. Continue frying to mix and then add the tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Once the tomatoes are bubbling, add half a cup water and then the beans along with their cooking liquid. Salt to taste and grind a few generous grinds of pepper. Allow to come up to the boil and gently simmer for about 15 -20 minutes. Serve hot for a vegan breakfast like I did with balsamic mushrooms and hash browns (store bought). Serves 6 – 8.

BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Prepare mushrooms by dusting off with a kitchen towel and cut in half if larger than a fifty cent piece otherwise leave them whole. The trick is to choose even sized ones that have a very short stalk.

½ kilo button mushrooms

3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed just enough to open them

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Italian Parsley finely sliced to garnish

METHOD

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a largish fry pan (you do not want to crowd the mushrooms). Add the crushed garlic and when they turn brown, add all the mushrooms. Toss around and add the rest of the olive oil.  Add the salt and few grinds of pepper and turn the heat to high. Shake the pan from time to time so the mushrooms fry evenly. If they are burning, reduce heat, cover and cook for a minute. Remove the cover and when the mushrooms look cooked, add the sugar and allow sugar to bubble/caramelize. Then add balsamic vinegar and toss around so they turn glossy. Remove from heat and serve garnished with the Italian Parsley. (Serves four)

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CHIA SEED PUDDINGS

Chia Seeds Pudding with tamarillo

Chia seeds are rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids and antioxidants. A serving provides enough protein and because of their high fibre content keeps you full for longer. They also are a good source of iron and calcium. This is a quick and easy way to incorporate chia seeds into your eating. I normally serve for breakfast.

1 ½ cups coconut milk or soy milk

½ cup chia seeds

1 -2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey or jaggery (if using jaggery, grate and add a couple of tablespoons of hot water to melt)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toasted almond flakes and berries or seasonal fruit to serve

I used tamarillo (tree tomato). Incidentally tamarillos regulate blood sugar levels and are rich in antioxidants. No resemblance to the tomato, but belongs to the same family. I blanched the tamarillo for about 45 seconds in hot water and peeled the skin.

METHOD

Chia Seeds Pudding

Mix the coconut milk or soy milk with chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once mixed thoroughly, pour into three or four bowls or old fashioned glasses. Place glasses in refrigerator to set overnight. This keeps in the refrigerator for three or four days. Put your fruit on top and sprinkle the toasted almonds and serve cold.

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PESARETTU – MUNG BEAN PANCAKES

Pesarettu

This is a highly nutritious, tasty and popular breakfast item made in Andhra households. It is nice on its own or you can serve with ginger chutney (allam pachadi). This along with allam pachadi is comfort food and as such tend to eyeball the ingredients rather than measure them out precisely. For purposes of sharing this recipe, I have given measurements. I use a tawa which is a special fry pan that is flat with a lip of one centimetre tall. You can however use a regular fry pan.

250 grams whole mung beans

1 -3 fresh hot green chillies, chopped

5 cms piece of fresh ginger peeled and chopped

Handful of fresh coriander stems and leaves

2 tablespoons rice flour

8 teaspoons vegetable oil like canola

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 medium onions finely chopped

Put the beans into a bowl and wash them in several changes of water. Drain, then cover generously in fresh water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and put into a blender. Add chillies, ginger, coriander stems and leaves, salt and about 200 ml water. Blend for several minutes until you have a pancake like batter. Empty into another bowl and mix in the rice flour.

Mix the chopped onions with the cumin seeds and set aside.

Set a largish non-stick fry pan over a medium heat. When hot, stir the batter from the bottom and pour a ladleful into the centre of pan. Lightly use the back of the ladle and a wrist action to spread the batter outwards in an even spiral form to reach the wall of the fry pan about 20 centimetres in diameter. Sprinkle the onion and cumin mix and pat them down gently with the back of a spoon. Add a few drops of oil in the centre and about the edges of the pancake. Cook on a low medium heat until the pancake turns crisp and golden. Flip the pancake and allow to cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Serve right away (I tend to use two fry pans). Make all the pancakes in the same way, stirring the batter each time you make.

Pesarettu

ALLAM PACHADI (Ginger chutney)

30 grams tamarind (the variety that comes in a packet in an Indian store) (small lime sized ball)

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 tablespoons channa dhal (split chick peas)

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

½ teaspoon powdered asafoetida

8-12 dried red hot chillies

3 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola

40 grams jaggery (if you can’t find jaggery, you can use palm sugar or muscavado sugar)

Salt to taste

100 grams ginger (peeled and evenly chopped)

Wash the tamarind and then soak in 60 ml of hot water from the kettle for an hour. Using your hand (wear gloves), squeeze the tamarind and extract thick pulp. Discard the fibrous bits that don’t get pulped. Put the pulp into a microwave safe container and microwave on high for a minute and set aside.

Heat a kadai (Indian style wok) or a saucepan and add the oil to make the popu (seasoning). Add the fenugreek seeds along with channa dhal and fry them until they are slightly brown (if the oil is too hot they tend to burn and get bitter). Add the chillies (you can cut them in half if they are too long), stir and then add the mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, remove from heat and add asafoetida to the hot mixture. Allow to cool.

Once the popu is cool enough, blend to a fine paste in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Add the tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery and ginger. Pulse until everything is ground. Transfer to a jar and serve with pesarettu or adai dosa. Store in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

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TOASTED MUESLI

Toasted Muesli

This is a firm family favourite. Since it is so nutrient dense, about 4 to 5 heaped tablespoons with yoghurt is satisfying. Easy to prepare and yields well making it cost efficient.

Ingredients

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup natural almonds roughly chopped in half

1 cup cashew nut pieces

½ cup flax seed powder

¼ cup chia seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup pumpkin kernels

½ cup honey

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon powder

1 cup chopped dates

½ cup sliced figs

1 cup sultanas

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. In a large bowl, combine the oats, desiccated coconut, all the nuts and seeds. Mix well. In a small saucepan set over a low heat, add honey, oil and cinnamon powder and stir until all melted together – make sure you don’t boil. Pour over the grains and nut mix. Mix well, making sure everything is evenly coated.

Put in two large baking dishes and place them both in the oven. You will need to check every five minutes and turn the muesli over so the mixture is evenly toasted and golden brown.

Remove from oven, and add the dried fruit while still hot. Mix well and leave to cool before storing in air tight containers. Serve with yoghurt and seasonal fruit.