These scones are the perfect Christmas morning or afternoon tea treat for unexpected or expected visitors as they can be chilled in the fridge or thawed overnight from the freezer (RAW, and shaped ready to bake). They are delicious and the antidote to the rich Christmas offerings, it can be served simply with butter or vegan butter or to be paired with sharp vegan or dairy cheeses such as cheddar or even creamy Brie or Camembert. For sweet toothed people … cherry jam is pretty good too!
This lovely old-fashioned loaf will take you down memory lane in a time of COVID19 stress. The aroma and ultra-soft texture create a sandwich loaf you will crave and want to rush home to savour… So, here is my sourdough version, inspired by Janine: best friend and best sister. Actually, you can tell we aren’t really sisters as she is a blond and I have black hair. Janine, thank you for allowing me to adapt and share your recipe. Stay well and share the joy of sourdough (SEE RECIPE NOTES below for a video of how amazing soft this loaf is)
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, but I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version.
So the base of this salad is three roasted vegetables: brocolli, cauliflower, pumpkin (you can use sweet potato instead but I think pumpkin fits better here)
To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted quinoa
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta, to be served separately.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Enjoy…
Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Note: can be vegan without the feta cheese
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, and I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version. I also serve one to three alternative dressings on the side so everyone can choose and add his/her own. Trust me, this way I always manage to please everyone.
So the base of this salad is salad greens such as rockets, radicchio and few sprigs of herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and fennel fronds. To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted de Puy Lentils (you can choose chickpeas or other lentils) and roasted beetroot (cubed).
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta or bufallo mozzarella, but remember once you add this to the main salad the dark red beetroot colour will bleed into the white colour of the cheese.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Below are the two salad dressing recipes, one vegan and one dairy.
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
It is not everyday that I get very excited about a new tool, but I am really impressed with the new Magimix Dough Hook XL. Not only does it live up to its advertised capacity of being able to knead dough up to 1.6kg without its motor overheating, but more than that, what really tickled my fancy is its ability to knead dough gently as if I am kneading the dough by hand.
This new Magimix Dough Hook XL kneads the 1.6kg dough so gently without creating heat hence it does not oxidise the dough. It also collects the dough and ‘lifts’ the dough up above the blade, creating a ball of dough (see various pictures in my recipe below) and therefore prevents the chopping off of the gluten as the dough is directly moving above the blade.
I managed to mix and knead three lots of 1.6kg dough one after another and the bowl and dough hook remained cool with no overheating of the motor observed.
So let’s give this amazing tool a work out with this new recipe..
http://wildsourdough.com.au/recipe/review-magimix-dough-hook-recipe-sourdough-purple-and-heirloom-ancient-wheat-grains/
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
(MAGIMIX CE Method)
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
I always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
Magimix CE function which allows you to keep the blade stationary at a perfect fermenting temperature of 30C is perfect for this cake, especially if you make this cake in Nothern Hemisphere pre-Christmas time. Allow 4 hours to ferment this cake using the Expert Programme, Speed 0, at 30C.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!