JAM TART MADE WITH A BREAD DOUGH (vegan)

A good variation on this is, before baking, to run the pizza cutter or knife in between the squares - creating little tarts. No need to separate the dough, they'll just break apart when they're cooked 

Ingredients:

200g strong white flour 
1 or 2 dsp sugar
125ml lukewarm water 
1 rounded teaspoon yeast
Splash of olive oil (optional)

Plus:
2 different sorts of jam


Method:
1. Place the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl, and mix to distribute the ingredients. Measure the water and stir in the yeast until it dissolves (dried yeast takes longer to dissolve than fresh). Add the yeast liquid to the dry ingredients, and add the olive oil.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary; remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by flattening and stretching the dough out, folding it over, stretching it out and so on and so forth. Do this until it is smooth – or until you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag until you are ready for step 5. Or go straight to step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, take the dough out of the mixing bowl and place it on your worktop. This time, don't 'knock the dough back'! Instead, just roll it out into a large square or circle. 

6. Using a pizza cutter if you have one, a sharp knife if you haven't, cut a square from the dough by cutting strips from the edges - you'll need 6 strips in all, one for each edge plus 2 across the middle. Press them down on the edges - they will join onto the base as the bread rises. 

7. Place a good dessertspoon of jam in the middle of each of the squares and spread into the corners.

8.Cover and leave to prove until they have grown appreciably in size. Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7, for about 10-12 minutes.

A SWING IN THE KITCHEN - keeping the grandchildren amused!

When my grandchildren began arriving nearly 12 years ago I installed a swing in the kitchen. I figured that even if it was too wet to go out, at least this would amuse the children.

I bought the swing

(swings, because I bought a baby swing as well - not pictured)  from Ikea. I can't remember what I paid for them, but it wasn't a lot. I also bought 2 quick-release caribeners so the swing can be erected in seconds - the staples stay in the ceiling, of course.

 The staples stay in the ceiling.

Here's Alfie about to launch

And here he is in full flight - last summer

Whee!

There's obvious danger here, of course, so there are strict rules which apply when the swing is being used: No food preparation while the swing is in use, obviously; one child on the swing and one waiting for their turn; and adult supervision at all times -and the swing comes down when the kitchen returns to its primary function!

I'm quite surprised that they still all love the swing - even our sophisticated 11-year-old likes to take her turn!

5:2 DIET RATATOUILLE PIE (VEGAN) made with bread dough

20 minutes at 220C - more pics below

Bread dough (717 calories):
200g strong white bread flour (676 cals)
1 stock cube (crumbled) (14 cals)
1 teaspoon curry powder (5 cals) (optional)
10g fresh yeast or 5g dried yeast (22 cals)
125g lukewarm water

Method:

1. Measure the water and stir in the yeast until it is dissolved. Place the flour, stock cube and curry powder into a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast liquid.

2. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be wetter (slack) rather than drier (tight). Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a knife, cutting through the dough as it forms. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use your hand to squeeze the mixture together. As it forms into a solid mass, keep turning it over and pressing it down to pick up the flour at the bottom of the bowl – but make sure it stays soft. Don’t be afraid to add more water to keep it soft! When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and begin to knead.

3. Knead by flattening the dough out, folding it over and flattening it again. If the dough is too sticky, instead of putting extra flour on your worktop, place some in the bowl, put the dough back in and turn it round to coat it all over. That way you keep the flour under control and you won’t be tempted to add too much. Knead until the dough becomes smooth – and then stop before you get fed up!

4. Leave to prove for about an hour on your worktop, covered with a dry tea towel. Or place in an oiled plastic bag – all day if necessary - until you are ready for step 5. Or go straight to step 5.

5. When you are ready to proceed, don't knock the dough back, just divide into 2/3rds and 1/3rd.  Roll out the larger piece of dough about 4cm larger than your  pie dish and place it over the dish, carefully pushing into the sides all round. Roll out the smaller piece to the size of the dish, and place on a floured piece of baking parchment. 

6. Cover both with a tea towel and leave to prove on your worktop until the dough is risen and puffy, then fill the pie dish with the ratatouille filling (using a slotted spoon - you don't want too much liquid). Using the baking parchment, upturn the other piece of dough over the pie dish and filling and trim the edges.

7. Leave a few minutes for the dough to recover, then bake at 220C for about 20 minutes, turning the pie if necessary to ensure an even bake.

Filling (430 calories):
250g celery - 20 cals
100g onion – 31 cals
115g cabbage – 15 cals
64g carrot -19 cals
100g cauliflower – 31 cals
200 mushrooms – 15 cals
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed - 10 cals
50g sun dried tomatoes - 90 cals
800g tinned tomatoes - 152 cals 
10g bouillon powder – 24 cals
1 dessertspoon mushroom sauce - 15 cals
1 teaspoon curry powder - 8 cals
1 teaspoon mixed herbs 
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Simmer the chopped vegetables in a little water until soft, then add the tinned, chopped tomatoes and flavourings. Reduce the liquid by simmering for 30 minutes. Adjust the flavourings, then using a slotted spoon, place the filling in the pie.

This pie will give 4 generous servings - each containing less than 287 calories!  

I'm always blown away by just how encasing some good ingredients in bread dough massively enhances the flavour of those ingredients - whether it is  a simple mushroom en croute, or a lovely vegetable pie such as this!

The dough is already rising

Now with the filling

Trimming almost complete. For reasons I don't fully understand, there is no need to cut slits in the top of a pie made with a bread dough

The trimmings were used to make a couple of spicy grissini (with a kink so they can be turned over if need be)

The bottom was lined with a piece of baking parchment

9th June 2013

My latest attempt:

I made the dough with curry powder, bouillon powder, tomato puree and chopped s-d-tomatoes

The filling was again a rich vegetable sauce

The trimmings made two tasty grissini

There are 3 good servings in this pie - four with a few veg. I just have curried wedges with it.