Overnight refrigerator bread

This bread recipe has revolutionized my bread-making routine. You make the dough at night, pop it in the fridge, and then bake it in the morning while you get ready for work. Perfect.

As a side-note, another thing that recently revolutionized my baking world is the dough whisk. It stops the dough from glomming together in a big ball on the end of the wooden spoon. King Arthur Flour sells them.

Allow 1.5 hours for first part

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine

2 packets yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar

2. Stand for 5 min

3. Stir in:

1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour **
2 tablespoons gluten
2 cups white flour
1/8 cup flax seeds
1/8 cup cracked wheat

4. Beat well

5. Gradually add:

2 1/2 cups plain flour

6. Knead for 10 minutes, by hand or in bread maker, then place it on the bench, covered with a teatowel for 30-40 minutes.

7. Grease a smallish baking tray or two large loaf pans, sprinkle the bottom with corn meal.

8. Divide the dough in half and shape into two oval loaves. Place side-by-side in the baking tray or one in each of the loaf pans. Brush the top with oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

9. Place in the fridge overnight.

10. In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and preheat the oven to 375oF. When the oven is warm, put the bread in for 30-40 minutes.

11. Cool on wire rack.

** For white bread, just replace the whole wheat flour and the flax seeds/cracked wheat with plain flour.

Home made yoghurt

I recently learnt to make yoghurt, and I am so inspired by how easy it is that I have to share! Make it in the evening, when you have a spare 20 minutes or so, and it will be ready to eat the next day.

You need:
4 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)
2 tablespoons of your favourite plain yoghurt (make sure it has active cultures)
An instant-read cooking thermometer
A glass jar with a screw-on lid

Heat the milk in a medium sized heavy saucepan until it is foamy and steaming, but not boiling (about 180oF/80oC). Remove from heat and allow to cool to about 115oF/45oC. Briskly whisk in the yoghurt. Pour into the jar and wrap it in a teatowel or cover it with a tea cosy to keep it warm. Leave undisturbed for 5 hours or overnight. Refrigerate. Will keep for up to a week.

Amazing!

Note: you can use your home made yoghurt as the starter culture for the next batch, but every now and then you should get a fresh starter to keep it working well.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Dieting in style - this chicken salad is tangy and delicious but gentle on the hips. For an even gentler recipe, it's also very nice if you steam or poach the chicken instead of frying it.

Serves 6: 190 calories per serve

1 small Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
500g (1lb) chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and cut into strips
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2/3 cup chopped mint
2/3 cup chopped coriander (cilantro)

Cook the chicken and onion in the oil at high heat in a wok in two batches. Cool. Combine the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt and mix well until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Toss together the cabbage, chicken and onion, dressing, mint and coriander.

This is nice with some cashews tossed through as well.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

This is part of my new effort to cut down on calories (ha!). This stew is delicious and hearty - perfect for the winter months, and low calorie to boot.

Serves 4, 1 cup per serving: 254 calories per serve

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Large can crushed tomatoes
8 oz potatoes, cubed
1 cup stock
½ cup lentils (red lentils cook the fastest)
1 medium carrot, chopped
½ cup green peas
¼ cup parsley, chopped

Cook the onion in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes, until translucent.
Increase heat to medium high and stir in spices, cooking for 30 seconds to release flavour. Stir in tomatoes, potatoes, stock, lentils and carrots. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-40 min, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more stock or water if needed. Stir in the peas, simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

I like to add a small can of chickpeas (garbanzos) at the same time as the lentils and serve with couscous.