Breakfast

Sweet tahini Easter bread

03.04.2016 by georgie // Leave a Comment

Greek Lent is almost here! I normally just give up one thing (coffee, cheese, chocolate…) but this year I’m going to do it properly, I’m going to basically be vegan for 50 days. OK, so it’s not as straight forward as that, there are some days you can eat fish, and some days you can’t eat olive oil, but I’ll turn to my yiayia for guidance. I still find it quite confusing. Anyway, I’m going to try, and I’ll share my progress with you all and hopefully find and create some exciting recipes in the process

So, the bread. The inspiration for this recipe, tahinopita, is one of my favourite things about Greek Easter. Traditionally eating during times of lent and fasting, you can buy individual ones all year round from Greek and Turkish bakers (or make it yourself of course). But growing up it was always eaten around Easter time, due to its lack of animal products, and I just love it. The soft dough, caramelised crispy edges, and gooey middle (a bit like frangipane)… insanely moreish.

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Most commonly known for its addition to houmous, savoury dishes and dressings, tahini is brilliant for baking with. Sweetened, like in this recipe, it has a peanut butter vibe, and works wonderfully with honey, maple syrup or brown sugars. (Also a little bit in a smoothie with banana, honey, milk and cinnamon is ridiculously good). The most complicated thing about this recipe is making the bread, which isn’t difficult at all, I promise. The filling and ring part is even easier, and is perfect for a rainy day at home. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Read on for recipe…

Dukkah egg and avo hash

01.16.2015 by georgie // Leave a Comment

What an intro to 2015! There have been lurgies, house hunts, port binges and last week I started back at work part-time. Its been lovely to see friendly faces, and even though it’s a bit scary/ daunting at times, I’m enjoying the routine and sociability of it. I just don’t know how I used to get anything done though! So today I stripped it back, went to the gym and made myself some nice food. Super simple day. It feels good to have time at home again and time to breathe.

I’ve genuinely missed my ‘lunches for one’ over Christmas and New Year. I feel like I’ve nourished myself over the last few months, and taken time out to make myself strong again. It feels like a crucial part of my journey, so it’s been good to get back in the kitchen.

Today for lunch I made myself a bang on trend brunch dish (eggs and dukkah) but with a more substantial base. If you ever come to stay at our house chances are I will make you a hash at some point. I love it. Anything goes and its one of our favourite weeknight dinners. And as a very wise person once told me ‘there is no meal that can’t be improved with an egg on top’ and I actually think they’re right.

DUKKAH EGG AND AVO HASH

Serves 1 (multiply as needed! Simple as that)

350g potatoes (I like to use half maris piper and half sweet potato for a lighter dish)
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few sprigs of coriander, leaves picked
1/2 a small onion (or 1/4 of a normal one) red or white, peeled
Red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon runny honey
1/2 a ripe avocado, sliced
1 large egg, free range or organic
1/2 teaspoon dukkah, homemade or store bought – see below
Squeeze of lemon juice

Start by giving you potatoes a good scrub (I leave the skins on for added nutrients and texture) and then cut into even sized chunks. Place in a pan of boiling salted water and boil for around 8 – 10 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces, until cooked through.

Whilst the potato is cooking slice the onion as finely as you can and place in a bowl. Cover with a good splash of red wine vinegar and the honey. Give it all a good stir, making sure the onion is covered in the vinegar mix and leave to one side.

When the potato is cooked drain completely and mash the potatoes in the pan (I like to keep the hash a little chunky so mash the veg enough to break them down but not completely smooth). Add most of the coriander leaves, season well and poor a lug of oil into the bottom of the pan and place it back on a medium heat. Fry the the hash for around 8 – 10 minutes, mixing it up and flipping it over now and then, till it is golden and crisp, with lovely crunchy bits throughout.

Half way through frying the hash, place a small pan of water onto boil and poach the egg to your liking – I do mine for 2.5 minutes for a runny yolk.

Plate up! Spoon the hash onto a plate, scatter over the lightly pickled onions (leaving the vinegar behind) and top with the sliced avocado. Squeeze over a little lemon juice, and finish with the poached egg and sprinkled dukkah (and an extra pinch of salt and pepper). Scatter over any remaining coriander leaves and tuck in.

EGYPTIAN DUKKAH

You’ll find dukkah in the spice aisle of most supermarkets now. However if you struggle to get hold of it, or just fancy making your own, it’s dead easy to make. It lasts ages and is fantastic sprinkled on almost anything, especially eggs.

100g sesame seeds
100g blanched almonds or hazelnuts (or a mix)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 heaped teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 180. Spread the nuts out in a tray and roast in the oven for around 4 minutes, until lightly golden. Pour onto a plate or into a bowl and leave to one side to cool.

Toast the sesame seeds into a dry frying pan until golden and again, spoon into a bowl, and leave to cool. Toast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds for a minute or so until they start to smell wonderful and remove from the heat. Once all the nuts and seeds have cooled either grind them in a pestle and mortar, or blitz in a food processor with the salt and pepper until you have a coarse blend. Et voila! Homemade dukkah.

Healthy cinnamon, fig and coconut granola

12.01.2014 by georgie // 9 Comments

Bar a vat of coffee, I was never much of a breakfast person until I started dating Pete. (Pete is one of those naturally skinny people who has to eat every few hours or becomes mute and/ or grumpy). Now however it is my favourite meal of the day. For the last few months we have started the day with a bowl of chopped seasonal fruit and yoghurt, which has been perfect but now that the days are getting colder we’re finding we need something a little more filling. Porridge has made a welcome wintery return, however you can only have porridge for so many days on the trot without feeling like you are living off wallpaper paste. And cereal is pretty much a no-no in the Hayden household now (Sugar! Sugar!), and although some are ok, a lot of my dear boys favourites have been kicked to the curb. What to do?

Cue: homemade granola. With Pete’s nut allergy it wasn’t easy finding a granola or muesli that was nut free and wasn’t full of sugar. And when I did find one that was ok, it was crazy expensive! Much cheaper and more satisfying to make your own I say. So today I set about creating a delicious and healthy nut-free granola, to pimp up our fruit and yoghurt breakfast. It is incredibly quick to make, you know exactly what goes into it and, without blowing my own trumpet, it is pretty bloomin’ good.

Cinnamon, coconut and fig granola — Healthy cinnamon, coconut and fig granola

HEALTHY CINNAMON, FIG AND COCONUT GRANOLA

Makes around 16 servings

2 tablespoons groundnut oil (or any flavourless oil – light olive oil, sunflower, veg etc)
125ml runny honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
275g rolled oats
125g mixed seeds (I use a mixture of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and poppy seeds. Around 100g of the larger seeds and then a few spoonfuls of the little ones)
50g unsweetened coconut flakes
100g dried figs, chopped
75g dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 150/ gas mark 2.

In a large bowl whisk together the oil and honey.

Crush the sea salt with your fingers into the bowl and add the oats, seeds, ground ginger and cinnamon. Mix everything together well with a large spoon and divide the mixture between two baking trays. Spread it out as much as possible and then pop into the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven a couple of times during cooking and mix everything up so it goldens nice and evenly.

After 20 minutes the granola should look pretty golden. Stir in the coconut, chopped figs and cranberries and pop the trays back into the oven for a further 6 – 8 minutes, until the coconut has toasted and you have a lovely crisp granola.

Leave to cool in the tray completely and then spoon into an airtight jar or container. It will last up to a month. Serve with milk and/ or yoghurt, with fresh fruit. Dreamy.