Lentil & Spinach Tart

This is a lovely foolproof tart, perfect for picnics or easy dinners. Delicious served with a rocket and parmesan salad. You can omit the lentils and add extra spinach, or even use a basil pesto instead of lentils.




Lentil & Spinach Tart

Ingredients:

1/2 C de puy (blue-green) lentils, rinsed and cooked in boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender
500 g fresh ricotta cheese from the deli - the type sold in tubs in the supermarket is too wet
1 egg, lightly beaten
handful of fresh dried breadcrumbs
1/2 C finely chopped spinach
2 TBS chopped thyme or lemon thyme
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/2 TBS raw sugar
200g fetta, grated
100g parmesan, grated
100g cheddar, grated
salt and pepper
2 sheets of puff pastry

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a flan tin with puff pastry then use a fork to make small holes over the base. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes, then set aside. It will puff up, but just press it back down with your fingers when cool enough to handle.

Heat the olive oil in a small pan. Gently fry the onion until it starts to colour, then pour over the balsamic vinegar and raw sugar. Stir quickly and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the lentils, ricotta, eggs, spinach, thyme, onion mix, fetta, parmesan and enough breadcrumbs to make the mix come together. Be sure not to add too many breadcrumbs or the tart will be too dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mix into the tart case and top with the grated cheddar cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden.

Vegan Mini Christmas Puddings

Yes, I know this is terribly late, but I need to post it or I will completely forget about how these were made when Christmas comes around again! Besides, any time is a good time for pudding and custard.

These keep for up to 6 days in an airtight container and can also be frozen. They could last longer but we didn't have the self control to test it out. Ooops.




Vegan Mini Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:

500g mixed dried fruit, diced (I used a mix of mango, apple, pawpaw and raisins)
100g currants
150g nuttelex, or other non-dairy spread
180g brown sugar
1 TBS marmalade
3 TBS maple syrup
300g self raising flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1 TBS cocoa (optional)
1 TBS white vinegar + 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda mixed with 1/4 C boiling water

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix the dried fruit, nuttelex, sugar, marmalade, maple syrup and 1 C water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil while stirring, then pour in the 1 TBS white vinegar + 1tsp bicarbonate of soda mixed with 1/4 C boiling water. Allow to cool.

Sift the flour and spices into a large bowl. Add the fruit mix and combine well.

Spoon the mix into the muffin cases, then bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when poked into the centre of a pudding.

Cool in tin for 5 minutes and then place onto a rack to cool or serve immediately.

Banana Bread

I had a couple of manky bananas needing a home so I knew it was time to whip out the banana bread recipe again. This one is virtually fool proof and doesn't contain nuts. This can be made vegan by replacing the eggs with 1 TBS of white vinegar mixed with 1/4 C water, and the milk and butter replaced with dairy free alternatives. You will need to use 1/2 C brown sugar to counteract the vinegar. Use these ingredients as described for the non-vegan options.

This bread can have all sorts of things added to it - I have used grated chocolate, chunks of pear, blueberries and currants. All are good, but I love it cooked to the original recipe, warmed up with lots of raspberry jam and a perfect pot of tea.



Banana Bread

Ingredients:

60g softened butter
1/4 - 1/2 C brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like your bread)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 C milk
2 C self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a loaf tin.

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add eggs, banana, vanilla and milk. If you like your banana bread with chunks of banana through it, use a spatula or wooden spoon. If you prefer it smooth, use beaters.

Sift flour and bicarb into the banana mix and mix lightly.

Spoon the mix into the loaf tin and bake for 25 minutes.

Check the loaf, cover with foil to prevent the top browning too much and then pop it back in for another 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly.

Cool in tin for 5 minutes and then turn onto a rack to cool. May be cut into individual slices, glad-wrapped and then frozen for emergency snacking.

No Eggs Here - vegan hot cross muffins

Especially for Benji, the vegan version of the previous recipe:

Muffin Ingredients:

2 C self raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C brown sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/2 C currants
3/4 C hot chai tea*
1/2 cinnamon stick
125g melted nuttelex or vegan spread of choice
1/2 C silken tofu, drained and well mashed
3/4 C soy or rice milk (rice milk makes for a lighter muffin)

'Hot Cross' Ingredients:

1/4 C plain flour
2 - 3 TB warm water
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp caster sugar
Combine well, just after putting the muffins into the oven for the first round of baking.

Method:

Sorry about the repetition, but I figure it makes for an easier cut and paste to print out.

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.

Soak the currants in the hot tea for 10 minutes.

While the currants are soaking, sift the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Mix in brown sugar and zest. Stir well to combine.

Drain the currants, then add to the melted nuttelex with soy/rice milk and tofu. Mix super well with beaters (if you have them) to avoid tofu chunks (ewww - tofu chunks) and pour into the dry ingredients.

Gently stir everything together. Be sure not to over-mix or you will end up with Rock Hard Muffins of Doom TM

Spoon mix into the muffin cases, ensuring they are no more than 3/4 full.

Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven and use a piping bag with a small plain nozzle to make the crosses on top. If you don't have a piping bag you can use baking paper to form a cone, which works just as well and the bonus is that you don't need to clean it!

Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre muffin comes out cleanly.

Remove from the tins to cool on a wire rack.

Hot Cross Muffins

What better way to start a food blog than with a Frankenstein of a recipe? I had a hankering for fresh hot cross buns, but with only an hour up my sleeve I needed to improvise. Thankfully my trusty muffin recipe came to the rescue, needing only a 'few' tweaks.















Hot Cross Muffins

Muffin Ingredients:

2 C self raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C brown sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/2 C currants
3/4 C hot chai tea*
1/2 cinnamon stick
125g melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 C milk

'Hot Cross' Ingredients:

1/4 C plain flour
2 - 3 TB warm water
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp caster sugar
Combine well, just after putting the muffins into the oven for the first round of baking.
Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.

Soak the currants in the hot tea for 10 minutes.

While the currants are soaking, sift the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Mix in brown sugar and zest. Stir well to combine.

Drain the currants, then add to the melted butter with milk and eggs. Mix well and pour into the dry ingredients.

Gently stir everything together. Be sure not to over-mix or you will end up with Rock Hard Muffins of Doom TM

Spoon mix into the muffin cases, ensuring they are no more than 3/4 full.

Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven and use a piping bag with a small plain nozzle to make the crosses on top. If you don't have a piping bag you can use baking paper to form a cone, which works just as well and the bonus is that you don't need to clean it!

Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre muffin comes out cleanly.

Remove from the tins to cool on a wire rack.

These are best eaten warm, sliced in half with butter or jam or cream or all three.

*if you would rather not use Chai tea, hot water with a cinnamon stick, a few cardamon pods, 3 cloves, 1 bay leaf and 1 star anise will do just as well.