Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

I have been wanting to make this soup for a while.  I love butternut squash.  Really love it.  I love the way it is just about the most patient vegetable there is.  It sits, looking pert and lovely upon my shelf until I decide to use it.  It doesn't sag or deflate in despondency.  Sometimes weeks can go by and it stays as fresh as a daisy.   As September brings that sweet smell of falling leaves and shorter evenings I am far too inclined to cook everything,  it's all about the comfort and the salads and raw foods come second best.  I try to do my utmost to stop this.  My body craves nutrients, not lost in the steam of long cooked stews.  I've wanted to make raw butternut squash soup forEVER but I didn't have a kickass blender that could whizz it up to a sweet thick cream. Well, now I have one (I'll tell you about that another time).  

It's Vegan MoFo Day 14 (my life already!). I'm plunging on.  Most other bloggers take a break at the weekends but I'm travelling again soon and am not sure I'll get chance to post.

This recipe was the very first thing I made with my new kitchen gadget.

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

1 medium butternut squash

1/2 organic kiwi (leave the skin on..this is good if it is organic

1/4 red onion

1/4 inch piece of fresh ginger

1/2 hot(ish) red chilli pepper, seeds removed

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

apple croutons

dice 1/2 a dessert apple really small, keep the skin on

dust with salt, cracked black pepper, hot chilli powder (or chipotle powder if you have it).

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash.  Chop into chunks and remove the seeds (you can dust these with seasoning and roast for  a healthy snack).  

Use a garlic press to mince the ginger (I know, isn't this a great tip..I was busy the other day and a lightbulb moment struck and I popped it in and hopped up and down at my discovery. So much easier than grating!) mince it straight into your blender. Throw all the other ingredients in along with it and blend on high speed for about 2 minutes.  In this time, the centrifugal force of the blender will transform into a warm silky soup.

Serve into bowls, placing the chilli, apple croutons in the centre. Shake over a few chilli flakes too.

The kiwi just gives it a slight edge to cut through the sweet squash.  It is also a great boost of vitamin C.  With the colder weather it is a good idea to up your intake.  Stay healthy.

I don't know, sometimes I just feel so smug that I wised up to vegan food so long ago.  To coin a phrase, 'it's the nuts'!

x

Soup Therapy. MoFo Day 7 - Smoky Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with Tempeh Croutons

Happy Day 7 - Vegan MoFo 2013.
My first MoFo recipe.  To be honest, since my recent return from Berlin, I've been a bit 'fooded out'.  I've been craving just simple and familiar flavours. I'm also a bit blue, from leaving behind a wonderful month in Germany.  I've also just moved into a house sit and besides that being another new situation, I've discovered it is not going to be as long as I thought so I'm looking for my next housesit.  I'm a bit all over the place, to say the least!  I'm going to seek somewhere where I can hunker down, be for a while, and cook until the cows come home.

Therefore, I'm presenting you with a heart warming, favourite of mine.  It has a gentle kick too, to liven things up and get you out of a funk…if that is what is needed.

Smokey Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup.   I put a new take on it by adding fried, crispy Tempeh Croutons (an idea I stole from Lucky Leek in Berlin)  

It is really simple to make (I need that, my head is bloody spinning from all the uncertainty and excitement).

This recipe makes two bowls.

6 small red peppers (I used a couple of yellow instead this time as the bargain bag was…a bargain!..it tasted just as good)
6 organic tomatoes (choose ones that have not spent all their life in a fridge and have had chance for their sugars to develop)
6 cloves of garlic (oh dear, I've just seen I've created 666 in my soup recipe..add 7 cloves if you are superstitious!)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Tempeh croutons

just use enough diced tempeh to garnish the centre of the bowl
1/4 tsp chipotle powder (if you don't have then just use smoked paprika)

chili flakes to garnish


Roast the peppers & tomatoes in a 180degree oven.  For about 25-30 mins, until the shoulders of the vegetables are becoming just slightly charred.  Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly, this will make the skin easier to peel off and discard (discard the peppers seeds too).  You can use the plastic bag trick but the idea of plastic bag chemicals on my food freaks me out a little.  If you just wait a few minutes the skin will be compliant with your wishes.  Make sure you catch all the delicious juices from the peppers.  I don't oil my peppers & toms.  i don't think they need it.  I do however make a little boat out of tin foil and pop my garlic in there and douse liberally, as the garlic needs the oil to prevent the garlic from burning to a charred and bitter crisp.  It becomes so sweet and soft this way. I could actually just eat these like candy.

Put peppers, tomatoes and garlic into a saucepan with the seasonings.  Add about 1/2 cup water. You may need a little more, but taste and use your judgement. Use a stick blender to blend.  Pop onto the gas and bring it back up to a nice heat (don't boil it).

Meantime, dust the diced tempeh with the chipotle powder and a little salt and black pepper.  Pop into a hot, oiled skillet and fry for about 2-3 minutes.  

Serve the soup into huggable bowls.  Sprinkle the tempeh into the centre and dust with chilli flakes, if you wish.  Grind over more fresh black pepper.

Breathe for a moment. Ahh. Dip in a big soup spoon. Eat. Let the flavours play on your tongue and just see how it puts the world to rights!

What did you make today?   Let us know in the comments below.

How to make simple & satisfying, Smokey Black Bean Soup. FAT FREE

No sauteing, no frying, no fuss. Simply Soup

No fat, no dairy.

Delicious.

I love this soup.  It is rich, offers a gentle chili kick and a warming smokey spiciness from the smoked paprika.  

Have you caught onto my *TOP TIP* and pre-soaked and pre-cooked a 500g bag of dried black beans, divided into 5 freezer bags and stashed in your freezer until needed?  Yes - yey, grab a couple of bags...No? Ok either soak just enough for this recipe (serves 4) 250g or grab some cans.

VEGAN SMOKEY BLACK BEAN SOUP - FAT FREE

cook 250g dried beans or open  2 (16 oz) cans of ready cooked black beans

2 large cloves garlic minced

1 large onion diced

3 tsp  freshly roasted cumin seeds

3 tsp smoked Spanish paprika

1 tsp freshly toasted coriander/ciltrano seeds or coriander powder (I like the texture and tiny pops of flavour the seeds give)

1 tsp mixed herbs

3 large tomatoes skinned (score around the top of tom, place in boiling water for a few mins after which skin will peel off easily) and chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 dried whole chipotle chili  (or alternatively, 1 tsp chili powder)

2 medium carrots grated or 'sticked' on the mandolin (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 tbs lime juice

1 tbs chopped fresh chives or salad onions to garnish

*Optional ingredients to add close to the end (to retain colour and nibs of flavour) of cooking - cooked sweet corn - chopped roasted red pepper.  Optional garnish (its a herb that isn't every ones cup of tea)  fresh coriander/ciltrano

How to

1. place all the ingredients through to the carrots, cover with water to approximately 1 inch over the level of ingredients and bring to boil then simmer for 20 mins.  Remove the chipotle unless you want some fiery heat.

2. add the carrots and cook for further 5 mins (should you want a thicker soup then blend half of it now and add the carrots after so they do not get pureed)

3.add lime juice and serve with fresh chopped chives or green/salad onions

I am in LOVE with this ole smokey!

p.s  If you want to make a black bean chili instead of a soup then use less liquid. 

p.s.s This is lovely, reheated and eaten with crumbly cornbread the next day too.  Oh my.

p.s.s.s It is totally freezable too!

x



Halloween - Spicy Pumpkin Cauldron Soup and Spooky Skeleton crackers.

I found muse by the hundreds down in Brighton, UK last weekend at the Zombie Festival.  What a hoot...read about it here.  They inspired me to get home and do some baking.  I absolutely LOVED making these savory Halloween BITES!  I agree though, my cashew cheese piping skills have room for improvement.

The SOUP is SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH.  You can get the recipe through this wormhole (you can of course use pumpkin instead of the butternut squash.  If you want to do some piping and draw cobwebs (YES, that IS a cobweb on the soup!) then enter this darkened room and find the secret recipe here .

The mini gingerless, unbread, gluten free, savoury SKELETON biscuits were another wee invention of mine.

Makes about 40 mini skeletons

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup potato flour

*if gluten free is not a concern use 1 3/4 cup plain flour

3 tbs cold vegan butter

1 tbs mango chutney

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup cold vegan milk (I used Kara Coconut milk)

Experiments in the lab

1. sift the flours, salt, chili powder, all spice and baking powder into a bowl

2. add the 'butter' and mango chutney and lightly use fingertips to mix to a crumb

3. add the 'milk' and form into a ball (add more if necessary) - you are looking for a pastry consistency that holds together

4. chill for minimum of 10 minutes

5. roll out onto a board to about 1/8 inch or 2-3 mm thick (I use baking parchment on top and underneath the pastry and roll out between the sheets as is a great way to save on cleaning up and it also prevents sticking to the surface)

6. use your cutter to cut out the shapes and place on a parchment covered baking sheet

7.bake for 12-15minutes until just turning a golden colour and nice and crisp when turned out onto a rack and cooled.

8. use the cashew cream to decorate in a far more arty way than I managed.

Happy Halloweeen! x



A week of VEGAN - Meal Plan - Day 4 - Mexican comfort food

Hello!  Day 4 of my meal plan.  What a day of food!

You know, even though I'd made Tamales once before I was feeling a bit anxious about it (what a silly thing to worry about..its not as though anyone is even reading this..oh, of course..except for you, wonderful you. I hope you are having a lovely day!).  I was excited though too, 'tasting' the filing I was going to experiment with in my mind.  God, should I experiment when I'm going to post it on the wobblyweb?  what if the tamales were a culinary horror?!  da da DAA!  I got a grip and remembered I had to eat lunch first.  Focus on the task in hand you obsessive vegan I childed myself.  One step at a time...so right.

After another grey skied day in East Sussex I decided I needed to have colour and comfort.  Sorry to those of you sitting in bikinis sipping icy cocktails being little sun beams but it is a bit nippy here today (I'm plotting to make some salads in next few days).  I wanted soup. I love soup.  Especially this one. 

Spicy butternut squash  & coconut soup

To serve 4-6

1 large butternut squash (approx 1.5kg)

2 med-large onions

1 tbs grated ginger

liquid * For a light low-fat version I used roughly 6 cups - 4 x water & 2x coconut milk (carton stuff and not the thick stuff in a can).  If you want to have a more coconut flavour use a can of lite coconut.

1 vegan stock cube (I used yeast free)

1-2 tsp chili powder

1 tbs oil

salt & pepper to taste

*optional...to garnish use roasted squash seeds and toasted coconut shreds

1.saute the onions in oil

2.chop the squash.  I wash it well and keep the skin on.

3.put squash and grated ginger in with the onions and fry for a 2-3 mins

4.add liquid, chili powder and stock cube, bring to boil and simmer until squash is soft (approx 25-30mins)

5.blend

6.salt & pepper to taste.

I LOVE this soup. It is thick, spicy I acutally danced around the kitchen with the bowl in my hand thus was the extent of my happiness.  This soup, to me, is SO satisfying I love it.  I would marry it.  I'd even sign a pre-nup.

I failed to get very creative with the pics as I was SO hungry and I just wanted to sit and savour a bowl full.  I did and then repeated with another bowl....don't judge me reader, it's bloody good soup!

4pm rolled around and I started to draw out ingredients from drawers and cupboards.  Tamale time!  I decided on my filling.

Cheezly, Chorizo & chili tomato Tamales

Makes approx 8-10

250g masa harina

3 cups water - this may vary according to your flour and humidity etc so add slowly to make a dough

1 1/2tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tbs vegan butter

corn husks or baking parchment

I have only discovered tamale flour (masa) in a London market so far.  It's a rare beast here. Why?...it's so good.  Even though I'd made them before I followed the complicated instructions on the back..cream the vegan marg, with salt, make dough with water..then a whole load of shenanigans to put it all together.  They came out no better than my through it all in a bowl was so this is what I will tell you.

Cream 'butter' with the salt, then add the other ingredients (not the water yet) and then mix.  Slowly add in the water to form a dough.

For the filling

50g vegan chorizo

60g cheezly or if you were blessed at birth to be American, you have Daiya. Use Daiya (oh God I wish I had Daiya..)

2 tbs capers

Chili sauce - 1 mild red chili boiled in a cup of water with chopped onion and 2 tbs tomato paste.  Boil 20mins then blend.

Soak enough corn husks until soft or use baking parchment

spread the masa as above and place in your filling.  Fold the husks to bring the masa together and seal the filling, use your finger to seal and square off the ends and fold over the top and bottom.  Place in the steaming pan.  Repeat until you've used all the filling.

Steam for one hour.  To test if done, remove one tamale and leave to cool for 5 mins.  It is mushy, pop it back and check again every 5 mins until done.  A hour should be ample though to steam the tamales in to a aromatic sponge.

Oh my gosh, they were fabulous..'punch the air' good.  So FULL of yummy flavour.  How happy am I?!  AND, in my freezer sat some                  salted caramel & choc chip banana ice cream!

This picture does not do this ball of frosty magic justice.  I used the basic recipe I'd posted previously but added soft, gooey chopped organic apricots (for caramel taste) and bashed a couple of tbs of vegan choc chips with 1 and a quarter tsp of pink salt and mixed that in also. H E A V E N!

See you tomorrow for Day 5 of the meal plan. x

A week of VEGAN - Meal Plan - DAY 3 - Porchini. Pie. Peaches

Day 3 of my Week of Vegan - meal planning and I thought I spent far too much time thinking of food before!  OMG.  Obsessed AND consumed!  I'm getting frustrated though, flicking through all my books and notes and vegan blogs flinging their recipes at me all day!  There are so many recipes out there...thousands and thousands...ahh!  I want to be cooking them all and sharing them with the interweb AND creating more.  So much VEGAN food the question 'what does a vegan eat' should really be obsolete by now.  It's equivalent to saying what's a computer, well ALMOST.  So girl (me) stop your rambling and get on with it! Ok, OK!

For my lunch (are you wondering what I had for breakfast?....today was stewed apple and peach blended with cardamon, gogi berries, fresh ground flax and a spoon of coconut flour...no pics)

Lunch was soup...YES, I DO eat a lot of soup.  It's easy - good, filling - yum, inexpensive - bonus, AND I can make batches to freeze. 

WILD mushroom soup with a wee chipotle kick (kick entirely optional!) & socca bread

I experimented before following recipes using flour but I think the flavour and intensity of the mushrooms is diminished...lost in a black hole somewhere in the galaxy.  This is the best I've come up with so far...


100g dried mushrooms (re hydrated..retain the water..approx 1 cup)
100g chestnut mushrooms
1 leek
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp onion granules
water..approx 5 cups + the mushroom soak water/broth
a few shavings of nutmeg
handful of parsley (you can also use 1 tsp thyme or tarragon...I am going to try dill next time)
Ms Salt & Mr Pepper to your liking

oh and oil for frying..OO or Canola.  say...1 tbs or, for those of use who don't measure... a decent splash.

Do you want the kick?!...a inch slice of chipotle (or more?) if you desire.   Don't use the seeds unless you want your socks blown off.


1.fry the onions, leeks and garlic
2. in a separate pan (mushrooms like space) fry the mushrooms with a shaking of ground black pepper
3.combine all ingredients in a saucepan and gently simmer for 15 mins. 
4. blend to smooth
5.optional....grace with a squeeze of lemon


I served it up with socca

1 cup besan/chickpea/garbanzo flour sifted

1 tsp onion granules

1 tsp dill (or whatever herb you like...mixed/tarragon/fenugreek leaves are good if you are eating Indian food)

1/4 tsp black salt or asofeteda (this adds a pungent slightly sulphuric flavour, granted not for everyones palate but I like)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

water to blend to a batter consistency

All in a bowl, whisk and then add to a  hot, lightly oiled fry pan.  Then do like a pancake.  Flip and cook through.

After lunch, walk to shops to go say hi to new cafe owners then home for emails, littering my floor with cookbooks and study.  Before I knew it it was time to make dinner!

Ladies and gentlemen I give you......SAUSAGE, CARAMELIZED ONION AND TOMATO TART

I've not had this tart for ages.  I was going to make a leek pie but didn't want to use leek again, in case you got bored!  I'll share that one another time as it is utterly happy making.  I opted for sausage, caramelised onion & tomato tart instead.

I'd made some pastry in the afternoon and it was chilling out in the fridge.

For pie pastry you will need to have the following ingredients;

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1/2 cup spelt (I can tolerate this ok in small quantities but me and wheat are not bedfellows, if you want GF then use sorghum, amaranth...would potato flour work?  I've never used it as I once read potato was the sporn of the devil)

1 tbs vegan butter

1/4 tsp salt

sift, add cold vegan butter and then lightly knead.  Add water..I think it was about 1/2 cup but sorry cannot remember but you know what pastry feels like right?  Roll out into the shape you need for your pie dish.  Mine was square.

preheat your oven to 190

roll to about a 1/4inch thickness and then gently line your dish (ooh, grease the dish with a bit of vegan butter first). pop it in the oven for about 6 - 7 mins so you don't get a soggy bottom.  Put aside.

Fill me up -

1 can of tomatoes (I used 4 large fresh toms peeled and chopped - its a bit more subtle and I didn't have any tins)

2 onions cut into rings

2 cloves garlic

2 cooked vegan sausages - this is for two people..adjust to suit.  I popped them in the oven earlier to keep the pastry company

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tbs fresh chopped basil and a few leaves for dressing

*mushrooms are nice in this dish too but I'd used them in the soup so didn't want to overload you with fungal

electricity mark 190

1.saute onions in oil until caramelised.  I add the sliced garlic just before the onions are done so as not to burn

2.add the tomatoes, herbs and s&P and cook for about 10 mins. 

3. chop the sausages (if you are cooking a larger pie then they look great left whole) and add to the sauce.

4. pour into your pastry

5. decorate top with fresh tomatoes and grind over some black pepper

6. bake for 30mins

7. garnish with basil before serving

and then she ate dessert...PUDDING!

Roasted peaches and lemon tofu cream

Now, I must tell you I get a kick out of planning stuff to save time and money, so whilst the oven was baking my tart I also popped whole peaches into a kind of bag thing I made out of foil and put them in the oven.  They roasted to sweet perfection, collapsed and soft.

I had some tofu in the fridge that needs to be used so I made a citrus tofu cream.  Ice cream would be a very happy 'holding hands' kind of partner to Miss Peach too.

100g silken, firm tofu - if you don't do tofu use avocado
juice of 1/2 large lemon
2 tablespoons sweetner - agave or maple etc.
pinch of salt

topped with almond flakes I was too impatient to toast...TOAST them!

All you do is blend and chill for at least an hour unless your tofu is fresh and was sitting patiently in the fridge.

I served the cream up as a syllabub in a glass with a layer of fruit sweetened apricot jam.  I hummed happily as I ate this.  Do you get fits of giggles when you eat lovely food..and hum too?  I have also been known to dance because I just can't contain it.....or is it just me?

Scrummy diddly umptious!

A week of VEGAN - Meal plan - DAY 1

So what does a vegan eat?  Well, that is like asking Londoners what  does a Londoner eat and expecting the answer to be the same.  What  I am going to tell you is what this vegan eats or, to be more precise, what she is eating this week.

Ta da!  My 7 day window into whats cooking in my kitchen.  I've chosen this week because a) I just thought of it , and b) I'm not planning on eating out this week.

So, day 1 - I started without you...sorry.  Yesterday was day one but I was busy cooking/eating it so I didn't post it on my blog. 

For lunch I prepared a bowl of Cauliflower & lime pickle soup.

 This recipe is so simple ANYONE could make it.  You basically CHOP & POP it all into a pot. 

This recipe is for 2.   To make it for 4 just double the ingredients.

1/2 Cauliflower
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup white beans
1/2 onion ( I used a large shallot)
2 sticks celery
1 clove garlic
1 tsp roasted and ground cumin (fresh is best)
3 cups water (this will differ depending on size of cauliflower, make sure you add just enough to cover ingredients)

salt & pepper to your liking

CHOP & POP into the pan.  Boil until soft....approx 20mins.  Blend.  Serve with 1 tsp of lime pickle per bowl.  If you swirl it in you get lovely ripples of tart flavour and a backward kick!

True to form I was thinking about dinner whilst eating lunch (Should I serve some therapy with that?) and I decided on mushroom risotto.

I like to use carnaroli rice.  I think it 'creams' really well.


To make the risotto I used

200g carnaroli rice
150g sliced mushrooms
1000ml (approx) vegan stock
50 ml white wine or apple cider vinegar (I used acv as I like the acidity and it is supposed to be great for you)
1 finely chopped shallot
2 finely chopped cloves garlic
2 tbs fresh chopped parsley
2 tbs fresh  chopped thyme or tarragon (remove leaves from stalks)
1/2 tbs olive oil for mushrooms
1 tbs olive oil for scallions

I LOVE making risotto.  I turn on the radio and listen to some great music or a play and then happily get chopping and stirring.  Cooking for the soul...

1. heat oil in a pan and add sliced mushrooms along with herbs and fry until soft.

2. remove from pan.  Finely chop half of them and leave the rest as they are.
3. heat oil in a pan and saute scallion and garlic until soft.
4. add rice and fry for about 2 minutes
5. add wine or ACV and cook until absorbed (this helps to open the grain and for it to release its starches to make your risotto creamy)
6. add a ladle of stock (ensure the stock is kept on a low heat so it is hot when added) and the fine chopped mushrooms and stir until liquid is absorbed

7. keep adding a ladle of stock at a time and gently stirring.
8. when all the stock is absorbed and the rice is soft (but not mushy) add the remaining mushrooms and heat through.
9. Serve.  You can add an extra smattering of chopped parsley to lift the flavour if you wish.

There are some many tasty combos you can use for risotto...another fave is butternut squash and fried sage risotto...What is your favourite?

Sorry the pics are a bit dark..one of those large unwieldy silver disc things is on the wish list....

For pudding/dessert/sweet  call it what you will I had vegan yogurt and banana.  I didn't photograph it as I was sure you wouldn't be interested in that!

Hmm, now what shall I do for DAY 2?.....

5 minute SPRING-TIME SOUP - nettle, pea & watercress soup with OLIVE BREAD -

 I seem to be having the urge to eat lots of green things.  Like I don't have enough green in my life right now, surrounded by fields and trees! 

Last summer I frequently made this soup, its very simple to make and it is light and has lots of layers of flavour.  The sun is making everything grow at a rapid rate and the nettles were calling.  I was happy to get reacquainted with this tasty soup.

This serves 4 ..

Pick the top, freshest part of wild nettle,(use gloves or hold the stem firmly to prevent the needle like hairs 'stinging' you) about 20 plants should do it.  Carefully remove the leaves and wash to add to other ingredients...

• 500g frozen garden peas.
• 250g watercress/spinach.
• 1 med onion (or a bunch of scallion/salad onions).
• 1 vegan, yeast-free stock cube.
• 1 garlic clove.
• 1 - 2 tsp whole grain mustard (I make my own..1:2 fresh ground mustard seeds/tbs apple cider vinegar.
• 1 tsp ground black pepper.
• pink salt to taste  - I use about 3 generous pinches.

The beauty of this soup is that it literally takes minutes and is such an eye popping vivid green, it impresses easily AND tastes fantastic.  It is also really light and exciting with fresh mint.

The quickest method is to boil a kettle full of water (about 2- 2 1/2  pints)  roughly cut up the scallions, pop in the whole garlic clove with the frozen peas, the nettles, watercress/spinach, mustard and stock/seasonings, pour on the boiling water, bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  I use a hand blender to blend to a soup..add more water if needed (not too much as will dilute the flavour).  (If you want to use onions, instead of scallions then you will need to chop and fry them first in oil until golden, this will add 5-8mins to the time) That's it your done...serve and slurp noisily from your spoon!

Do you want to make the olive bread too?...yey!  I made the BASIC RECIPE first and then, after poking around in the fridge, elected to add olives.

Basic Recipe

Equal amounts of any of the following;  brown rice flour, coconut flour (low carb), quinoa flour (high protein), kamut/ spelt flour (some find more easily digested than wheat..me for one).  Choose 2 plus 1/2 cup ground flax For this recipe I used

1 cup coconut /brown rice/quinoa flours

1/2 cup freshly milled flax

1 tbs mixed herbs

2 tsp ACV

1 tsp Himalayan salt

A little something extra...2 tbs chopped black olives.   *instead of the olives you could use sun dried tomatoes infused with garlic in oil. 

Sift flours into a bowl, add other ingredients then enough water to create a batter like consistency (you do not have to be too precise as the cooking process will absorb or evaporate the water...)  Mix well then pour into lightly oiled tins (aim for approx 3/4 inch deep...note, it doesn't rise) and pop it into a hot over @ 175 degrees for approx 20 mins.  Poke the centre with a knife to see if it comes clean (it may stick a little if you use the brown rice flour due the starch).  Remove to a cooling rack...or if you are like me, don't wait and rub a garlic clove on it and slather with vegan 'butter'.   

I love this bread, it has no yeast, its vegan and low fat and has a good level of low GI.  If you use the coconut flour then it is low in carbs too.  What you put on top of it is up to you!