CROISSANTS AND DANISH PASTRIES (vegan)

Just to show that these are not as difficult as people would have you believe, these were made with one of my special needs groups. Here they are 

Baked and brushed with a sugar glaze. As you can see, we also made iced buns

VEGAN PIZZA My best yet!

Choice of two toppings

Saturday is pizza day in our house - and today, I think I excelled myself.

I wanted a variety of toppings, so I covered half of the pizza with a rich tomato sauce and the other half with three layers: First I spread it with Pateole mushroom spread, then Meridian pesto and finally topped it with a layer of hummus.

I then scattered mushrooms, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and a few pieces of vegan cheese (Violife). I neglected to add a sprinkle each of nutritional yeast and dried oregano, but, no matter, the pizza was absolutely gorgeous.

I have to say that, of the two toppings, the mushroom pate/pesto and hummus combination just edged it for flavour. I've used these three ingredients in different pairings before, with very good results, but the three together are absolutely amazing!

OVEN TOPPED BREAD (In 13 minutes!)

When you can't afford to put the oven on, or you only have a hob and a frying pan, all these breads can be made on the top of the oven.

Ready in 13 minutes!

Soda bread

Peshwari naan

Spicy fruit naan (a variation on the above)

Pierogis

Parathas

Pancakes

Crepe suzette

Pikelets

Dumplings

Tempura

Panzerotto

Soda bread calzone

Socca omelette

What can I make with just flour and water

APPLE TURNOVERS (vegan)

These were made by my Special Needs students

(Makes 8)

Ingredients:

400g strong white flour

2 dessertspoons sugar  (granulated is fine)

1 teaspoon fresh yeast

250ml lukewarm water

A good glug of olive oil (optional)

                       

Filling:

200g dried fruit (currants, sultanas or raisins plus mixed peel)

2 large cooking apples, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons sugar (unrefined sugar if you like, but granulated is fine)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

(Mix these ingredients together quickly to prevent the apple browning)

Glaze:

1 dessertspoon sugar, dissolved in 2 dessertspoons of boiling water

Method:

1. Measure the water and stir in the fresh yeast. Place the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl, pour in the yeast liquid and then add the olive oil, if using.

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, divide the dough into 8 pieces and form each one into a bun shape. Using plenty of flour on your worktop, roll each one out into a circle about 15cm across. Place a spoonful or more of filling on one side of the circle, lift the other side over to cover it and press the two sides together. Form a crimp by pushing your fingertips together – with 2 fingers of one hand on top of the edge of the dough and 2 fingers of the other hand at the side of the dough, so that the tips of the fingers go between each other.

6. Place each one onto a prepared baking sheet and leave to prove until the dough has become risen and puffy.

7. Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for between 12-15 minutes. Look for some colour underneath the turnovers.

8. Brush with the sugar glaze.

VEGAN, NO FAT, CHOCOLATE CAKE

Vegan chocolate cake (with banana instead of oil)

Ingredients:

150g sugar

25g cocoa powder

150g self raising flour
1 mashed banana

250g water

Method:

Measure the sugar and the cocoa powder, and mix them together. The sharp edges of the granulated sugar break up the clumps of cocoa powder, so sieving is not necessary. Add the flour and mix, first with a dessertspoon, then with a whisk, then add the banana and water. Stir, initially with a dessertspoon, and then with a whisk, and pour into a prepared 20cm (8") cake tin.

Bake at 175C for 30-35 minutes.

Or: Use a silicon cake form and place in the microwave (800w) for 6 minutes. In my experience, not only do you get a quicker cake, but the cake rises about 25% higher in the microwave.

(It's also possible to make an excellent gluten-free version of this cake. The recipe uses vegetable oil - but you can always substitute a mashed banana.)


Notes:
You can play around with this recipe as you wish. Here I've reduced the sugar from 200g in my original recipe. I've also substituted 250g of stewed apricots and dates for the sugar - and my daughter simply used 4 bananas along with the flour, cocoa powder and water.

HOW TO GET THE BEST OUT OF DRIED APRICOTS

I've been a devotee of unsulphured apricots (the brown ones), over the far commoner sulphured dried apricots (which are yellow), for quite a few years now.

I've only ever seen them in my local HFS, and they cost a bit more - but they are so worth it!

Unsulphured apricots are absolutely jam-packed full of flavour, but there's one major drawback - recently, more than half of the apricots have been quite hard and not very nice. So I've found myself sorting through them, picking out the soft ones to nibble on, and using the harder ones in cooking, where, of course, they soften up nicely.

However, I've now found the solution to the problem - by cooking the apricots. All I do, while the oven is on for something else, is place some in a small casserole dish, cover with water and cook for 30 minutes or so. When they are cooled, I place them in the fridge.

The result of this is that they become absolutely succulent - soft and almost falling apart. They are glorious, and the liqueur that results is just bursting with flavour.

I have a variety of uses for these. I snack on one or two when I need a sweet hit and I would normally reach for a square or two of dark chocolate. I add them occasionally to my flaxseed 'porridge', along with flaked almonds. (Partly this is to make sure I gain the extra value from the trace elements which might otherwise be missing from my diet.)

But the best use I've found of these luscious fruits is as a base for an after-dinner sweet, or pudding. A few of these, and some of the liquid, along with some sliced banana and a splash of soya cream, makes a superb dessert. For a deluxe version of this, which is what I shall probably have on Christmas day, I add a dash of a liqueur to the dish. My current favourite for this is Benedictine, but any vegan liqueur would go really well.

I do have one or two other ideas where I can use these apricots, but, until I try them, I won't post about them. But I'm sure you could invent your own method of using these - they truly are gorgeous!

Notes:
I'm sure any way of cooking these in a little water would be as effective as the above method. Poaching them in a saucepan, with water to cover, for ten to fifteen minutes; microwaving them would also do the trick. It's just that I like the 'free' method of using the oven while it's on for something else.

Variation:

I've given dates the same treatment - with very similar results! I must try other dried fruits.

VEGAN CHRISTMAS DAY MENU

Breakfast  

(Although I may miss out breakfast altogether, saving my calories for later) 

2 dessertspoons ground flaxseeds

2 dessertspoons sesame seeds (also ground)

Apple juice

1 dessertspoon flaked almonds

Lunch.

Starter:

French toast with mushroom pate, chilli and onion chutney, cayenne pepper and salad.

Main:

Haggis en croute, with a brioche wrap, along with a rich, spicy tomato sauce. Plus all the trimmings - the roasties, cranberry sauce and all the lovely veg.

Dessert:

Either a trifle, if I can be faffed, or, my new favourite, lightly cooked dried apricots, with their juice, sliced banana, soya cream and a splash of Benedictine.

All this will be washed down with a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape, which my son received for his birthday and he assures he's bring down with him when he arrives this afternoon. :)

Supper.

Bubble and squeak - with added nutritional yeast and curry powder - and fresh wholemeal bread spread with olive oil (keeps solid in my fridge).