Adventures in baking

This story is also published on the new app Steller, click here to have a look.

Better beans on toast…

900g broad beans in their pods, shelled, boiled for 5 minutes and skinned

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp light tahini

2 slices sourdough rye bread, toasted 

Tofu "cream cheese" or your preferred alternative

Once you have boiled the beans and taken the thick outer skins off you should have around 5 to 6 tablespoons of beautiful vivid beans.

Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan and place on a medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle but  not colour. 

Add the beans to the pan and stir to incorporate the garlic.  Keep stirring for a could of minutes, the beans only need warming through rather than frying.

While the beans are heating through toast the rye bread and spread with a layer of cream cheese.

Add the lemon juice and mint to the pan and remove from the heat.  Stir in the tahini and carefully spoon the beans onto the toast.

Perfect as a light lunch or to accompany a beer or a glass of white wine on a sunny summer evening.

A better breakfast

2lbs ripe black cherries

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Stone and halve the cherries, place in a heavy bottomed pan and stir in the sugar.

Leave for half an hour to let the sugar draw the juices.

Add the vanilla extract and place the pan on a medium heat, stir from time to time.  When the fruit has softened take off the heat and leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup Alpro chocolate soya milk

1 tsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp maple syrup

Before you go to bed mix all the ingredients together in a nice big jar (I use a Kilner jar as these have plenty of space for fruit and seal well). 

Pop the jar into the fridge and leave it to do its thing while you get your beauty sleep.

In the morning layer up your beautiful dark cherry compote and your favourite yogurt (I used cherry Alpro) on top of the oats.  If you are short of time pop the lid back on your jar and run for the bus or take your time and enjoy with a cup of good coffee.

Practice and Perfect….

I have spent some time over the last couple of weeks testing and tweaking a few recipes I have been developing for a new little project.  All will be revealed in good time but for now here are a few test shots to get your appetite going!

Oven Ready feature

My Oven Ready Project was featured in the latest issue of True Loaf, the magazine from The Real Bread Campaign.  It makes me so happy that there is interest in the project, phase two is slowly starting to take shape now so hopefully more to share on the Oven Ready Blog very soon.

Spring is here...

Spring is here!  The means the count down to asparagus season has begun.  I am anxiously watching Twitter for the first indication that the little green spears are being sighted.  In the meantime I have been satisfying my creative side in the kitchen with some wonderful rhubarb and experimenting with Hot Cross Buns.  The recipe I used started life as a Dan Lepard recipe in The Guardian but has been tweaked and tweezed into a vegan delight!  One more test batch and I will share my adaptation.

Holroyd and Pickles SS14 shoot

One of the greatest pleasures in my work (other than eating vast quantities of cake) is building friendships with some amazing creative people.  As I have posted several times before I am very lucky to shoot for Holroyd and Pickles, an independent ethical fashion label.  A few weeks ago on a glorious sunny afternoon we shot their 2014 Spring/Summer collection, here is a teeny taste.  For more of the collection and more about Holroyd and Pickles visit their website here.