Seeded Rye Soda Bread

This soda bread recipe couldn't be easier! It is conveniently placed above my Homemade Seville Marmalade post below. Baking bread is often quite tedious, which is probably why I never make it; but this recipe allows you to make a delicious loaf without all the faff of kneading and resting.

Ingredients (roughly 14 slices)

- 8oz rye flour or brown flour

- 4oz white flour

- 2oz oatmeal

- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp brown sugar

- half a 500ml natural yoghurt pot (250g), the rest filled with milk to the brim

- a handful of mixed seeds (like pumpkin, sunflower and linseeds)

1. Start by pre heating the oven to 205°c.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and then add the yoghurt and milk. Stir well until fully combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a large-ish greased loaf tin (I use a non-stick plastic one), and cook at 205°c for 10 minutes.

4. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 185°c and cook for a further 35 minutes. 

5. To check that the loaf is ready, tap its top. If it's firm, remove it from the tin, and pat its bottom. If the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, its ready to cool down on a wire rack and serve as and when you want it. 

It's delicious toasted in the morning with homemade jam, or sliced and served with houmous and cheese.

Banana and Stem Ginger Muffins with a Whole Lot of Seeds

After finding this recipe on the Waitrose website, I decided that I had to make them, even if it was 8pm. While beginning to make these delicious muffins, I noticed that I was missing a few ingredients. I substituted chocolate drops, orange zest and poppy seeds for linseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I love the rustic, homemade quality of using parchment paper for muffin cases...I think it adds character and flair. 

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)

- 250g plain flour

- 120g caster sugar

- 1 1/4 baking power

- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

- 1 tsp ground ginger

- 1 egg

- 3 tbsp vegetable oil

- 200g natural yoghurt

- 2 balls stem ginger, roughly chopped

- 2 bananas, peeled and sliced

                                                                                                         - 1 tbsp sunflower and pumpkin seeds

                                                                                                        - 1 tsp linseeds

1. Preheat the oven to 190°c.

2. Start by sifting the flour, sugar, ground ginger and raising agents into a bowl with a few pinches of salt, and stir well. 

3. In another bowl lightly beat the egg, oil and stem ginger. Stir in the mixed dry ingredients until combined and fold in 1 1/2 chopped banana.

4. Cut some baking parchment into suitable squares and fit them into a cupcake holding try by folding them slightly. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases (N.B it might get messy). Then use the remaining 1/2 chopped banana, pushing a piece into the centre of each muffin. 

5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean from the centre. Leave the muffins to rest and cool on on a wire rack or tray. 

They are delicious either hot or cold, in the morning for breakfast or with a nice afternoon cuppa.

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Apple and Cinnamon Overnight Oats with Vanilla Yoghurt, Goji Berries and Apricots

Ingredients (breakfast for one - fills a medium jam jar)

- 1/3 plain porridge oats

- 1 large tbsp flaxseed (find my recipe a few posts down)

- 2 tbsp vanilla yoghurt 

- 2 apricots, chopped

- 1 very small apple (or half a medium apple), grated

- 1 tsp flaked almonds

- 1 tsp sunflower seeds

- 1 tsp pumpkin seeds

- 1 tbsp goji berries

- 1 tsp raisins or sultanas

- 1 tsp linseeds

water (about 1-2 tbsp)

- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1-2 tsp golden syrup or jam

Overnight oats is so simple and delicious, I'd eat it every morning if I could. I have continued to experimented with this apple version, and I think I've hit the jackpot! All the seeds and currents add extra flavour and texture, the goji berries are also a great addition as they absorb the water, soften and become super juicy.

1. Place everything apart from the water into a suitable jam jar, and stir the mixture with a spoon. Depending on the size of the jar, you may have to reduce the quantities of seeds or berries.

2. Once the mixture gets too thick, gradually add some water, a little at a time until it resembles rice pudding.

3. Place the jar in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours before eating, drizzle with extra golden syrup to make it sweeter.

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Gherkin, Date and Broad Bean Salad with Goji Berries and Seeds - Vegan and Dairy Free

Picking and podding broad beans is so satisfying. Although it takes a while, and you're left with very little; what you get is so delicious and precious, that you cherish every bite. I love them in salads.

Ingredients (serves 4)

for the salad -

 - 5 handfuls of chopped lettuce

- 3 gherkins, chopped

- 4 dates, pitted and chopped

- 1 handful of broad beans (cooked like peas for a few minutes and left to cool)

- 1 handful of goji berries

- pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds and sesame seeds to sprinkle

for the dressing -

- 170ml olive oil

- 50ml balsamic vinegar 

- 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

- a pinch of sugar

- 1 tsp worcester sauce

- salt and pepper

1. Shake all the ingredients for the dressing in a jam jar until fully mixed and pour it over the scrumptious salad. 

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Homemade Flaxseed Recipes - Vegan and Dairy Free

I have previously bought my flaxseed from Holland and Barratt, but it seems to be quite expensive when you can make it easily yourself. Flaxseed can be added to almost anything and is packed with omega 3 and nutrition. I like to add it to overnight oats and smoothies.

Plain Flaxseed

Ingredients

- 50g linseeds (golden or brown)

1. Blend the linseeds in a tall food processor or blender until they resemble ground almonds.

Goji Berry, Sunflower and Pumpkin Seed Flax

Ingredients

- 50g linseeds (golden or brown)

- 25g goji berries

- 25g sunflower seeds

- 25g pumpkin seeds

 1. Blend all the ingredients in a tall food processor or blender until they resemble ground almonds.
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