Quick to make, dairy-free and utterly rich, dark and delicious, this pound-cake style banana cake uses stoneground wholemeal rye flour and roasted barley malt flour to give a hearty texture and flavour. You can swap the walnuts for pecans if you like, or leave them out. Keeps very well, and freezes perfectly either as a whole cake or sliced. I've baked this in our BakeryBits Traditional 2lb or ... Read more
Slightly more complex than grilled cheese on toast but in its own way equally delicious. There used to be many different sorts of rarebits, you sometimes see them spelled as "rabbits" – an English rarebit would be made with good red wine – and they somewhat grew out of the traditions of 19th century gentleman’s clubs.
Wales was renowned back then for toasted cheese on toast ... Read more
This is essentially a great delicious hummus (though the word hummus strictly means chick pea), reminiscent of the flavoured varieties I’ve eaten in Beirut. Here I’ve used beetroot but I’ve also tasted it with pumpkin, sweet potato, and even one made with sorrel-like leaves known as fresh Lebanese Za’atar (the same name but different to the popular dry seed mixture). The ... Read more
These crisp vegetable cakes are flavoured with dill, lemon and onion are a great substitute if you’re looking for an alternative to crab or fishcakes. The texture is light and delicate, with a crisp outside. Roll them in some breadcrumbs so they shallow-fry without sticking: perhaps even your own home-made breadcrumbs from your baking. Serve these with a dollop of tartar sauce on our soft ... Read more
The golden layer of onion and almond mix adds a squishy delicious creaminess to the centre and melds together the crisp roasted vegetables with the fried bread. Yes, the title is deceiving, it does say it’s a grilled sandwich but in truth it’s a fried one, and all the better for it.
The other twist to this recipe is that it uses a wholegrain bread, and it boosts the flavour tenfold. ... Read more
A rich, vibrant vegan tomato soup to suit those cold days when you need a hearty bowl of something comforting but not complicated. Here I’ve used one of the ancient grains available from BakeryBits, Einkorn, much as you would use pearl barley in a soup, but with a flavour that’s much more nutty and delicious.Makes 2 large servings, or 4 smaller bowls
Method
Place the Einkorn or ... Read more
This dish sits somewhere between a caponata, with cooked aubergine and a gentle sweet and sour (what’s known as agrodolce in Italy) flavour, the very comforting dish called peperonata made with roasted peppers and onions. Together with one of our great pasta - like Mulino Marino's Giant Spiral Pasta, or South Devon Pasta Co Hand-made Einkorn Fusilli - it makes a delicious lunch or supper ... Read more
This is the basic pizza dough that I use when I want a good thin crust. And to get an extra-crisp base I bake them on a Welsh Baking Stone, place on a rack in the oven, and just shovel the pizza onto it with a pizza peel.
Personally, I add a little more water than the recipe uses here to make the dough extra soft and easy to shape and toss, but try this wetter approach later when you’ve got the ... Read more
Back in 2003 when I was writing my sourdough book "The Handmade Loaf”, I travelled to Sweden to understand rye crispbreads better, making my way to the organic Roslagsbröd bakery. There, huge dimpled rollers were part of a wheel-and-belt old school apparatus – fascinating in its complex Heath Robinson ingenuity – which squished and extruded the sticky grey rye dough into pitted sheets that ... Read more
A simple but flavour packed seafood sauce to serve with pasta, easy to make in advance: just add the fish at the last minute. Here I’ve served it with our South Devon Pasta Company's Casarecce pasta as it holds its shape very well. If you want to add capers, anchovies or a dash of white vermouth to enhance the flavour of the fish, then do, so... it’s a recipe that is endlessly tweakable, and a ... Read more
In Italy you’d call these ‘zucchine ripiene al pesto’ but - whatever you call them - they’re delicious and one of those mainstays of Italian home-style cooking. I use the very fine Hand-made Einkorn Capellini from the South Devon Pasta Company, and find the delicacy of it swirls and fills the courgettes without any heaviness. They can be made in advance and baked in just 20-30 minutes when ... Read more
An utterly light-textured but intensely-flavoured sauce, perfect when you have beautiful, ripe tomatoes and want to show them at their best in a pasta dish where they’ll be the star, paired here with our South Devon Pasta Company handmade Einkorn Sedano ... Read more
Pretty much the standard recipe for traditional Ragù alla Bolognese, though there may be a few ingredients here, or not here, that surprise you. No garlic or herbs, though do add them if you like. Milk is added to help tenderise the meat, more useful if you’re using cubed beef rather than minced. You can use half pork and beef for the meat. And everything is cooked separately before combining ... Read more
This is one utterly rich swirl of pasta coated in an intensely garlic Stilton sauce with ribbons of blanched green cabbage stirred through before serving. It’s like a posh mac’n’cheese, and great on its own or as an accompaniment for grilled vegetables or meats. A perfect way to serve our Emmer Bucatini pasta from South Devon Pasta Company, and easy to make, as much of it can be done ahead ... Read more
