Eats/Reads

So fast and easy. Nice to serve fresh with soups. This makes 4 small loaves, so you can halve or quarter it, depending on how much you want to make. 4 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup bread flour 1/3 cup rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups buttermilk (or plain yogurt) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark each loaf with an 'X' and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes.

This is an easy version of potatoes au gratin. I made them in a large cake pan so it was just a thin layer of potatoes and they were very crispy. Yum. 4 large potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices 1 onion, sliced into rings salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

This is a recipe from the Katie Morag books - I recently read all of them to my 3-year-old. This is a great recipe to make with kids as it's easy and not too messy, and no eggs so they can taste it all. These are really yummy and more-ish - they are essentially flapjacks or chewy oatmeal squares. In the back of my mind I want to try to make a slightly healthier version... when I get the time. 100g / 4oz butter 75g / 3oz soft brown sugar 30ml / 2 tablespoons golden syrup (or light corn syrup) 200g / 8oz rolled oats (porridge oats) pinch of salt Melt butter in a large pan over a low heat. Add sugar and syrup and salt. Mix well. Stir in rolled oats. Mix very well. Spread mixture evenly in tray with palette knife. Bake at 160C fan for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown. Take out of oven. Let cool. Cut into squares and store in airtight container.

My family got really sick of grilled trout so this is what I did with it last night. Yum. Easier than I thought fish pie would be. Can use onions or shallots instead of leeks, and garlic is always welcome in that mixture. 600g trout skinless and boneless 400ml milk 1 bay leaf A few black peppercorns 3 leeks finely sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 5 large potatoes Milk and butter for mashed potatoes Flat leaf parsley 50g Butter 50g Flour 4 tbsp parmesan 1. Lightly poach 600g of skinless and boneless trout fillet in 400ml of milk (can add 1 bay leaf and some peppercorns, then strain before making sauce). 2. Meanwhile saute chopped leeks (or onion and/or garlic) in 1 tbsp of olive oil 3. Drain the trout and use the poaching milk to make a white sauce with 50g butter and 50g flour 4.Combine the flaked fish with the leeks, white sauce and 2 tbsp of chopped parsley and season 5. Place in an ovenproof dish and cover with potatoes, mashed with butter and milk. 6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cook...

This is a nice moist loaf and healthy-ish too. I have never whizzed the oatmeal and it's turned out fine, but I should probably try that at least once for comparison. 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup milk Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C/200C fan). Grind oatmeal in a food processor or blender. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve honey in vegetable oil then stir in the milk. Combine both mixtures and stir until a soft dough is formed. Form the dough into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. (Or place in an oiled loaf pan - but it will be a small loaf). Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

This is a great, simple recipe which can also serve as the basis for just about any veg soup - instead of broccoli, use cauliflower, or a mix of both, or even butternut squash. I usually use Philly cream cheese instead of mascarpone cause that's what I have around. Also usually use onion instead of shallots, and sometimes garlic too. Cayenne pepper and chives also optional, or can use some italian seasonings (basil, thyme etc). 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups sliced shallots (about 6 large) 1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces 6 cups low-salt chicken broth 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese), divided 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add broccoli; sauté 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to blende...

I recently made a Maida Heatter Longchamps' cheesecake (next time: less crust and cook for less time) but the topping was fab. Also really good over yogurt. 2/3 cup tawny port or other sweet red wine (can be replaced with a couple Tbsp water) 1/2 cup sugar 2 (10-ounce) bags frozen pitted dark sweet cherries 1 vanilla bean split in two (can be omitted or replaced with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 teaspoons cornstarch 4 teaspoons water To prepare topping, combine port, 1/2 cup sugar, cherries, and vanilla bean halves in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until cherries are thawed and mixture is syrupy. Remove vanilla bean halves; discard. Combine juice, cornstarch, and 4 teaspoons water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into cherry mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and shiny. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Cover and chill. ...