- Nourishbooks

Fig & Lentil Salad from Virtually Vegan

Posted on June 1, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

Summer and salad go hand-in-hand and this offering from Heather Whinney’s Virtually Vegan is a fresh, sweet, figgy take on a summertime staple. Complete with a harissa and mint dressing for an unmatched kick!

Taken from Virtually Vegan by Heather Whinney

Serves 4–6
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins

Ingredients
400g/14oz/2 cups dried Puy lentils, rinsed well
a pinch of allspice
2 garlic cloves, grated
about 10 fresh figs
a drizzle of olive oil
200g/7oz coconut pieces
2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely sliced
3 spring onions/scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 large handful of land cress or baby spinach leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1–2 tsp harissa, plus extra for drizzling
1 handful of mint leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish

Method
1 Put the lentils in a pan of salted water and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid partially on for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and leave to one side.
2 While they are cooking, make the dressing. Put the oil and vinegar in a small bowl or jug, whisk and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the harissa and mint. Pour it over the lentils while they are still warm so they soak up the flavours. Add the allspice and garlic and stir well so all the lentils are coated. Taste and season some more if needed.
3 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
4 Put the figs in a roasting pan and drizzle over the oil, add the coconut to the pan and roast for about 10–15 minutes until the juices start to just run from the figs and the coconut begins to turn golden. When cool enough to handle, slice the coconut pieces into shards and roughly chop the figs or quarter them. Leave to one side.
5 When the lentils are cool, stir in the celery, spring onions/ scallions and cress or spinach leaves, then add the figs and half the coconut and stir gently. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter over the remaining coconut shards and mint leaves and drizzle with a little extra harissa oil from the jar to serve.

For non-vegans…
The Moroccan flavours of this salad work well with lamb kebabs, particularly for a barbecue. Alternatively, crumbled feta would make a tasty topping.

Don’t forget to tag us – @nourishbooks – in your recreations! Happy cooking!

Scallop & Spring Onion Gyoza with Pickled Brassicas from Too Good to Waste

Posted on May 27, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

Too Good to Waste by Victoria Glass is THE guide to getting the very most out of your food, in the most delicious way possible! So much good food is thrown away when actually, with a bit of creative thinking, you can eat up everything – and enjoy a much more exciting meal for it. This book is about rethinking what we throw away, and why. By taking this waste-free approach, these recipes are some of the most inventive and innovative that you will ever try, and can show you a whole new way to think about your meals. Start your food waste journey with this delicious recipe!

From Victoria: ‘This is a great way of eating scallops without blowing your budget. The wrappers can be kept chilled for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. You can open freeze raw, filled dumplings; just defrost before cooking. Shop-bought wrappers and a gyoza press will turn this labour of love into a speedy supper.’

Taken from Too Good to Waste by Victoria Glass

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the pickled brassica stems
a thumb of root ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
3 spring onions/scallions, cut into fine matchsticks
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1½ tbsp mirin
2 tbsp tamari
2 tsp dark soft brown sugar
base of 2 cauliflower or broccoli heads, cut into matchsticks
For the gyoza wrappers
200g/7oz/1½ cups plain/all-purpose flour
⅓ tsp fine sea salt
cornflour/cornstarch, for dusting
For the seafood filling
8 large scallops, finely chopped
8 spring onions/scallions, chopped
3–4 garlic cloves, crushed
a thumb of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 long red chilli, with seeds if you like it hot, finely chopped
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Ponzu Dipping Sauce, to serve

Method
1 Put all the pickling-liquid ingredients into a large plastic box and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Toss with the brassica stems, cover and chill, shaking the box every now and then. They will last for up to a week.
2 Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Slowly mix in 100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup boiling water to form a dough, stirring with a chopstick. Dust with cornflour/cornstarch and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cut in half and roll into two 4cm/1½in thick sausage shapes. Wrap in cling film/plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3 Unwrap both sausages, dust with cornflour/cornstarch and cut each one into 15 pieces. Cover with a damp cloth. One at a time, shape into a ball, then flatten and roll out to a circle about 3mm/⅛in thick. Use an 8cm/3¼in round cutter to make a perfect circle, if you wish. Keep dusting with cornflour/cornstarch to prevent sticking and cover all the pastry with a damp cloth to stop it from drying out.
4 Mix the filling ingredients, then leave to stand for 10 minutes. Put a scant teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper. Wet the edges and fold the wrapper over the filling, pleating the edges to seal and expelling the air. Heat the sunflower oil in a wide, heavy-based pan. Fry half the gyoza at a time for a few minutes, or until the bottoms are brown and crisp. Add 3 tablespoons water, cover and steam for 2 minutes. Serve with the pickled brassica stalks and the ponzu dipping sauce.

Go forth, cook and devour! Don’t forget to tag us (@NourishBooks) in your social pics!

Cinnamon and Hazelnut Knots from Slow Dough: Real Bread

Posted on May 20, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

Today we’re sharing a much coveted Real Bread: Slow Dough recipe – Cinnamon and Hazelnut Knots! These sweet knots are beloved all over Scandinavia, whip up a batch of 8 using Chris Young’s recipe.

From Chris:
‘Back in early 2010, I spent two nights at Fifteen, the enterprise set up by Jamie Oliver to help train young people who have the passion to work in a high-end restaurant but who have struggled to hold down, or even find, a job. I was there to see what other bakeries could learn about taking on apprentices, and these buns are inspired by a loaf their baker Kenny Rankin showed me how to make, as well as by the spiced, enriched buns found across Scandinavia.’

Taken from Slow Dough: Real Bread

Makes: 8 buns
From Mixing to Oven: 4½–6½ hours
Baking Time: 15–20 minutes

Ingredients
Dough:
250g/9oz/1¾ cups white bread flour
100g/3½oz/¾ cup plain/all-purpose flour
140g/5oz/generous 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
40g/1½oz/¼ cup caster/superfine sugar
30g/1oz/2 tbsp butter
10g/2 tsp fresh yeast
1 egg
5g/1 tsp fine/table salt
Filling:
100g/3½oz/1¾ cups fresh white breadcrumbs, very fine
100g/3½oz/heaping ½ cup caster/superfine sugar
100g/3½oz/⅔ cup ground hazelnuts
4g/1½ tsp ground cinnamon
75g/2½oz/scant ½ cup water
icing/confectioners’ sugar, for glazing

Method
1 Mix all of the dough ingredients together thoroughly, then knead until you have a smooth, silky, stretchy dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 3–5 hours until well risen.
2 Meanwhile, mix the filling ingredients together, adding the water a little at a time until you have a spreadable paste (you may not need it all). Cover and leave in the refrigerator until needed. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.
3 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a 40x20cm/16x8in rectangle, with the long edges to the sides and a short edge facing you. Spread the filling over the half of the dough nearest to you, then fold the remaining dough towards you to cover this.
4 Cut the dough lengthways into 8 strips, stretching them out to 25–30cm/10–12in long. Take a strip and, holding one end in each hand, twist it to create a rope effect (see below, fig. 1). Holding one end firmly between thumb and forefinger, wrap the rest of the strip around twice (fig. 2), finishing by tucking the end of the strip into the middle of the spiral you have just created (fig. 3). Place on the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining strips of dough. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.
5 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Bake the knots for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/ gas 4 and continue to bake for a further 5–10 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 5–10 minutes, glazing the knots while still warm by brushing with water and dusting with icing/confectioners’ sugar through a small sieve/strainer

Smoked Chicken, Courgette, Garlic & Rosemary Casserole from FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE COOKING

Posted on April 26, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

We’re gearing up for the publication of French Countryside Cooking by Daniel Galmiche, coming your way on May 14th (pre-order your copy right here)! To celebrate, we’re sharing an *EXCLUSIVE* recipe with you, get ready to dig into Daniel’s Smoked Chicken, Courgette, Garlic & Rosemary Casserole.

Taken from French Countryside Cooking

SERVES 4
PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes, plus making the stock
COOKING TIME 50 minutes

Ingredients
100g/3½oz/½ cup basmati rice
2 tbsp green tea
2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
4 chicken legs, with thighs and drumsticks separated
20g/¾oz unsalted butter
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp olive oil
400g/14oz courgettes (zucchini), cut in half lengthways, then cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces
12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups Chicken Stock
1 rosemary sprig
1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1 Put a large piece of kitchen foil, shiny-side down, in the bottom of a steamer, then put the rice, tea and sugar on the foil, cover with a steamer insert and lid and put over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture starts smoking. Quickly lift the lid and put all the chicken inside. Put the lid back on, turn the heat down to low and smoke for 5 minutes. Lift out the chicken and put on a plate to rest, wrapping the smoking ingredients in the foil and discarding them as quickly as you can.
2 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put a flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Add the butter and sunflower oil and when the butter is foaming, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 6–8 minutes until golden brown all over, turning occasionally. Remove from the pan and put in a bowl, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to rest.
3 Discard the oil from the casserole dish and wipe the excess away with paper towel, taking care not to disturb the sediment. Return the dish to a medium-low heat, add the olive oil, courgettes (zucchini) and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes until coloured and just tender.
4 Move the courgettes (zucchini) to the sides of the pan and put the chicken pieces in the centre to reheat. Turn the heat up to medium and when you can actually hear the food starting to cook, add the sherry vinegar straight away; it should evaporate immediately. Quickly pour the stock over the top and throw in the rosemary sprig. When the stock comes to a simmer, gently wriggle the pan around a little so that nothing is stuck to the bottom, then put the lid on top without closing it completely – you just want a little gap so that condensation doesn’t create too much liquid, but not too large so that the liquid evaporates. Cook for 15 minutes.
5 Remove the lid and discard the rosemary. Turn the heat to high and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring to remove any caramelized bits stuck to the bottom, until the sauce is shiny and just thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Add the chopped rosemary leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot.

Happy cooking! Don’t forget to tag us in any of your creations, @NourishBooks.

Peach & Pistachio Tarte Tatin

Posted on March 29, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

Easter is coming up soon and boy, do we have the recipe for you! Taken from the Ultimate Gluten Free, Dairy Free Collection by Grace Cheetham, feast your eyes on this gorgeous Peach & Pistachio Tarte Tatin – sweet, fresh and oh so perfect for an Easter treat!

Taken from the Ultimate Gluten Free, Dairy Free Collection

*Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Vegan

SERVES 6
PREP 10 minutes, plus making the pastry
COOK 55 minutes

Ingredients
75g/2¾oz/5 tbsp dairy free margarine
100g/3½oz/½ cup packed light brown sugar
6 peaches, stoned and quartered
unsalted pistachios, shelled and chopped, for sprinkling

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Mix
75g/2¾oz/heaped ⅓ cup brown rice flour
40g/1½oz/scant ⅓ cup maize flour
35g/1¼oz/⅓ cup gram (chickpea) flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
50g/1¾oz/½ cup ground almonds (substitute fo 50g/1¾oz/½ cup finely ground shelled, unsalted pistachios)

Method
1 Gently heat the margarine in a 20cm/8in heavy-based oven-proof frying pan until melted. Sprinkle the sugar over, then arrange the peach quarters in the pan in one layer. Cook over a gentle heat for 20–30 minutes until the peaches are soft and golden and the liquid has caramelized. Remove from the heat.

2 Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Liberally dust a chopping board with sweet shortcrust pastry mix and, using a rolling pin, gently roll out the pastry to a round that is slightly larger than the frying pan. Be careful as the pastry will still be slightly sticky. Trim the pastry neatly into a circle with a sharp knife, then carefully lift or ease the pastry with a spatula and place it on top of the frying pan, completely covering the peaches and tucking the excess down the side of the peaches, if you need to.

3 Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 2 minutes. Place a serving plate, upside down, over the top of the pan, then, holding the pan and plate together, turn them over so that the tart turns out onto the serving plate with the caramelized peaches on top. (Be very careful and use oven gloves as the pan will still be very hot.) Liberally sprinkle over the chopped pistachios. Serve warm or cold.

Very happy baking! Tag us @NourishBooks so we can see your creations!

Quinoa and Borlotti Burgers from The Part-Time Vegetarian

Posted on March 24, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

The #midweekmeal veggie burger recipe you’ve been after! Taken from The Part-Time Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes, this plant-based burger takes less than 45 minutes to prep and cook, it’s full of flavour and a firm family favourite. Read on for the full recipe!

Taken from The Part-Time Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
90g/31⁄4oz/generous 1⁄2 cup red quinoa
400g/14oz can borlotti beans, drained
2 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
5 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1⁄2 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp dried oregano flour, for dusting
sunflower oil, for frying
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
rocket/arugula, watercress and spinach
salad, to serve

To finish
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp mayonnaise
4 ciabatta rolls or sesame seed buns,
split in half and lightly toasted
3 tomatoes, sliced into rounds
2 handfuls of salad leaves
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Method
1 Put the quinoa in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, covered, until very tender (it should be softer in texture than normal), then drain.
2 Meanwhile, mix together the sweet chilli sauce and mayonnaise.
3 Tip the cooked quinoa into a food processor with the borlotti beans and process to a coarse paste, leaving some of the beans almost whole. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and stir in the spring onions/scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper, smoked paprika, soy sauce and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4 Quarter the mixture and shape each portion into a large burger with floured hands, then lightly dust each burger in flour. Heat enough oil to coat the base of a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the burgers for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. (Alternatively, brush with oil and cook on a baking sheet in the oven preheated to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 25 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.)
5 To serve, spread each half of the toasted ciabatta rolls with the sweet chilli mayonnaise. Top one half of each roll with the tomato, salad leaves, burger and avocado and then the ciabatta lid. Serve with salad.

Happy cooking! Don’t forget to tag @NourishBooks when you post your creations online.

Meg’s Noodle Stir-Fry from Rose Elliot’s Complete Vegan

Posted on March 16, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

There’s not much that can’t be fixed by a generous helping noodles, except maybe a snappy recipe to match. Chilli, garlic and a whole lot of seasonal veg makes this vegan dish ideal for a punchy midweek meal, perfect for a Tuesday night! Taken from Rose Elliot’s Complete Vegan, you can use straight-to-wok noodles or dried ones, remember to follow the instructions on the packet.

From Rose: ‘Meg is my middle daughter, a busy doctor and mother of three, and this is one of her fast after-work recipes. Meg uses ready-to-use or ‘straight-to-wok’ noodles; if you prefer to use dried ones, prepare according to the packet instructions.’

Taken from Rose Elliot’s Complete Vegan

Serves 2–3

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
125g (41/2oz) slim broccoli stalks
3 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3cm (1in) piece of fresh root ginger, grated
1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
125g (41/2oz) button mushrooms
125g (41/2oz) sugar snap peas
125g (41/2oz) baby sweetcorn, sliced lengthways
300g (101/2oz) straight-to-wok noodles
soy sauce, to taste
handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped, to garnish
roasted cashew nuts, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the broccoli along with a splash of cold water, cover the pan and increase the heat to high. Steam the broccoli for 5 minutes, until the stems begin to soften and the water has evaporated.

2 Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, (bell) pepper, mushrooms, sugar snap peas and sweetcorn, and cook for 1–2 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Stir in the noodles and warm over a low heat until the noodles are heated through. Add soy sauce, to taste.

3 Serve, garnished with the chopped coriander (cilantro) and roasted cashew nuts.

Happy cooking! Don’t forget to tag @NourishBooks in your social posts, we’d love to see your creations!

Raspberry Tart with Creme Patisserie & Rosemary

Posted on March 9, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

We can’t quite contain our excitement for French Countryside Cooking by Daniel Galmiche, published on May 11th! So, to tickle your tastebuds, we’re sharing an *EXCLUSIVE* recipe from the book: Raspberry Tart with Creme Patisserie & Rosemary. Daniel’s book works in time with the seasons, in an effort to be more sustainable and also fill your shopping lists with ingredients at their peak.

From Daniel: ‘ I have included a few recipes with raspberries in this chapter, and with herbs too, but I can assure you they are totally different. Here, for example, the touch of grated lime, the crème fraîche and the rosemary bring a unique balance to the dessert with its crunchy Breton sablé pastry.’

Taken from French Countryside Cooking

SERVES 4
PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes, plus 20 minutes infusing
COOKING TIME 30 minutes

Ingredients
300g/10½oz/heaped 2⅓ cups raspberries
icing (confectioners’) sugar, to decorate
grated zest of ½ lime
1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
2 tbsp crème fraîche

FOR THE SABLÉ PASTRY
90g/3¼oz/¾ cup plain (all purpose) flour
1 tsp baking powder
70g/2½oz/heaped ½ cup icing (confectioners’) sugar
60g/2.oz unsalted butter, softened
a pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
grated zest of ½ lime

FOR THE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE
250ml/9fl oz/1 cup full-fat milk
½ vanilla pod, split lengthways
3 egg yolks
50g/1¾oz/scant ¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
25g/1oz/scant ¼ cup cornflour (corn starch)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
juice of ½ lime

Method
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°C/gas 3. To make the sablé pastry, sift together the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk together the sugar, butter, salt and egg yolks, using an electric whisk, until light and flu!y. Fold in the flour mixture and lime zest to make a soft dough. Flatten between two sheets of baking paper to about 1cm/½in thick, then transfer to a baking sheet, lifting off the top sheet of baking paper. Bake for 12–18 minutes until light golden. Remove from the oven and cut immediately into an 18cm/7in square while it is still soft and pliable, but then leave it to cool before lifting o! the tray.

2 To make the crème pâtissière, put the milk in a saucepan over a low heat. Use a sharp knife to scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, whisk the milk, then add the vanilla pod as well. Heat the milk until it is almost simmering, then remove from the heat, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk, rinse and dry on paper towel as you can use it again.

3 Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light, thick and creamy. Gradually add the cornflour (corn starch), a spoonful at a time, whisking well after each addition to avoid any lumps forming. Slowly pour half the infused milk into the egg mixture, beating as you pour, then transfer the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Put over a medium-low heat and stir continuously and quickly for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter and lime juice and continue to stir until the mixture has cooled down and is lovely and smooth, thick and slightly trembling.

4 Spread the crème pâtissière about 5mm/¼in thick over the pastry, leaving a small margin clear around the edge. Put the raspberries in lines over the top of the crème pâtissière to cover it completely. Dust with a shake of sifted icing (confectioners’) sugar, and sprinkle with the lime zest and a little of the chopped rosemary. Mix the remaining rosemary with the crème fraîche and spoon into a piping bag, then pipe a small dot of crème fraîche on the top of every other raspberry all over the tart. Add a tiny piece of rosemary to each crème fraîche dot.

Happy baking! Don’t forget to tag us, @NourishBooks, on social media – we’d love to see how you get on.

Home-Style Aubergine from Mowgli!

Posted on March 1, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

Taken from Mowgli: Street Food by Nisha Katona, this staple dish is a firm favourite in South Asian households! Full vegan and definitely delicious, read ahead for some words of wisdom from Nisha herself.

From Nisha: “Many Indians are vegan. Aubergine/eggplant is India’s best-loved vegetable and the reason for this, my Maa and I reckon, is because it is the closest many Indians get to that meat texture. We always fry the aubergine before we add our curry spices, unlike in Thai cuisine. This adds a caramelised sweetness to the flesh that does much of the legwork in creating the massive flavours in this dish.”

Taken from Mowgli: Street Food

PREP: 10 MINUTES
COOK: 30 MINUTES
SERVES 4

Ingredients
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp panch phoron
1 large dried red chilli
2 large aubergines/eggplants, cut into long, thin 5cm/2 inch slices
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster/granulated sugar
juice of ¼ lemon
250g/9oz canned chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped coriander/ cilantro leaves

Method
1 Put the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan set over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the panch phoron and fry until they start to crackle, then add the red chilli and aubergines and, turning the heat down to low, partially cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the aubergines are golden brown and tender.
2 Stir the ground turmeric, chilli powder, salt, sugar, lemon juice and the canned tomatoes into the aubergine mix and fry for a further 6 minutes until the oil has started to split out of the tomatoes. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve.

Happy cooking!
Don’t forget to tag us in your cooking Instas, #NourishBooks!

Sourdough Pretzels from Slow Dough: Real Bread

Posted on February 23, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

We’re sharing some bread you’ll just loaf for #RealBreadWeek!

This recipe is included in Slow Dough: Real Bread by Chris Young, it was contributed by Ursi Widemann. Here’s what she said: “I love pretzels! I could eat them every single day . . . maybe it’s because I’m Bavarian”.

Pretzels are usually dipped in a solution of sodium hydroxide (lye) prior to baking, which gives them their characteristic taste and shiny brown skin. As food-grade sodium hydroxide can be hard to obtain and is hazardous to handle, this recipe uses bicarbonate of soda/baking soda instead, which gets you safely toward a similar result.

Taken from Slow Dough: Real Bread

Makes: 12
From mixing to oven: 12–16 hours
Baking time: 15–20 minutes

Ingredients
For the pre-ferment:
125g/4½oz/¾ cup plus 2 tbsp wholemeal/wholewheat bread flour
20g/1½ tbsp rye sourdough starter
100g/3½oz/½ cup minus 1 tbsp water
For the dough:
375g/13oz/2²⁄₃ cups white bread flour
25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter
8g/1½ tsp fine/table salt
160g/5¾oz/²⁄₃ cup water
For dipping:
1kg/2lb 4oz/4¼ cups water
20g/heaping 1½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
For the topping:
coarse sea salt flakes or crystals, or you could use sesame seeds, poppy seeds or caraway seeds

Method
1 Mix the pre-ferment ingredients together, cover and leave at room temperature for 8–12 hours until bubbly.
2 Mix the dough ingredients with the pre-ferment, and knead until you have a firm but supple dough: tighter than usual, but if it really is too stiff to work, add a little more water. Put the dough into a bowl, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for a further 3 hours, giving the dough a single fold halfway through this time.
3 Divide the dough into 12 equal-size pieces (65g/2¼oz), roll into balls, cover and leave for 20 minutes, then roll each piece into a strand about 25cm/10in long that tapers at the ends with a little belly in the middle. Bend each strand into a “U” shape, cross one side over the other about halfway up, give it a twist where they cross, then fold the ends up to meet the bend of the U and press down gently to fix in place. Cover the dough and leave to prove for 45–60 minutes.
4 Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment and heat the oven to 230°C/210°C fan/450°F/gas 8. Meanwhile, bring the water to the boil in a large pan and add the bicarbonate of soda/baking soda. Drop the pretzels into the boiling liquid 2 or 3 at a time for 20 seconds, lift out with a slotted spoon and place onto the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the topping of your choice while the dough is still tacky. Slash the dough at its fattest part and bake for 15–20 minutes until deep brown.

Happy baking! Don’t forget to tag us in your posts – #NourishBooks AND #RealBreadWeek!

Duck & Black Bean Tostadas

Posted on February 18, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

If you’re on the lookout for recipes to add to your go-to meals repertoire, look no further than these (35-minute prep time!) Tostadas! The recipe is taken from the hottest cookbook around, Fire and Spiceby John Gregory-Smith.

Taken from Fire and Spice

From John: ‘My tostadas were inspired by the wonderful giant tostadas of the Central Market in the city of Oaxaca in Mexico. They are completely delicious – you taste hot and cold, crunchy and smooth, spicy and mild, salty and sour in every bite…a real midweek lifesaver.’

Serves 4
Ready in 35 minutes

Ingredients
4 duck breasts (about 150g/5½oz each)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli powder
4 tbsp olive oil
400g/14oz/2 cups tinned black beans
1½ tsp ground cumin
juice of ½ lime
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 lettuce, finely sliced, to serve
2 large handfuls of coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
4 large tortillas, to serve

For the salsa
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
115g/4oz/heaped ¾ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 tsp smoked paprika juice of ½ lime

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Trim and score the skin on the duck breasts, and put them in a small roasting tin. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, chilli powder, two tablespoons of the oil and a good pinch of salt. Mix well so that the duck is completely coated. Turn the duck skin-side up, then roast for 25–30 minutes until golden on the outside and juicy and pink in the centre.

2 Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and tip them into a saucepan over a medium heat. Mash the beans, using a potato masher, until fairly smooth, then add 55ml/1¾fl oz/ scant ¼ cup water, the rest of the olive oil and the cumin. Add the lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through and thick. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to one side.

3 To make the salsa, put the onion sun-dried tomatoes, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Add the lime juice, blend until smooth, then pour into a serving bowl.

4 Finely slice the lettuce and coriander (cilantro), then put them on to a serving plate. Put the tortillas on four serving plates and cover each one with the beans. Slice up the duck and put on top of the beans. Serve with the salad and salsa.

Remember to tag us @NourishBooks on Instagram and Twitter if you use our recipes!

Potions, Elixirs & Brews: ???? Hate Blocker ????

Posted on February 7, 2021March 23, 2022 by Fizza Nayyer

Nourish Books is here to amp up your Valentine’s/Galentine’s plans with some *EXCLUSIVE* recipes from Potions, Elixirs & Brews by Anais Alexandre! See the potion brewing in action on the book’s Tik Tok page, plus so. many. more recipes!

Why not pair this coffee brewed goodness with a slice (or two…) of Nisha Katona’s cardamom custard tart? Sugar, spice and everything nice, the perfect V-Day combo!

From Anais: ‘Your drinkable ally in arms. Walk with your head held high, grasping your favourite reusable traveling cup filled to the brim with a healthy dose of “get the hell out my face!” and just keep on walking. Oh, how the haters love to stare.’

Ingredients:

4 tbsp whipping cream (or non-dairy alternative)

Black lava sea salt (or regular salt; you may also use the collective salt from your haters)

240ml/8fl oz/1 cup strong black coffee with 6 star anise steeped within

2 tbsp sweetener of your choice

Magickal Garnish

Sea salt

METHOD:

Whip the cream until slightly thickened, then stir in the sea salt and set aside.

Sweeten the coffee with your preferred sweetener.

Strain the anise-steeped coffee into your traveler cup and top with the salted whipped cream.

Sprinkle over a little extra sea salt and enjoy!

Note on drink preference: This coffee-based potion should be made to suit your taste. If you prefer your coffee hot, ice, blended or turned into a latte with milk, it is up to you. It will not interfere with the potency of the potion. As long as you ensure the key correspondence and salt remains, it will remain magickally potent.

???? RITUAL ????

CARVE INTO A CANDLE: “ALL HARMFUL ENERGY CAST UNTO ME, RETURN IT TO ITS SOURCE, SO MOTE IT BE!”, THEN LIGHT IT. HOLD A CUP IN BOTH HANDS, CONCENTRATING FOR 3 MINS ON IMBUING REFLECTIVE ENERGY, AND REPELLING ANY NEGATIVE ENERGIES. LEAVE YOUR CUP NEXT TO THE CANDLE, UNTIL IT BURNS DOWN.

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Use the hashtag #Potions to share your brews on social media! Happy celebrating!

Author: Fizza Nayyer