RECIPES BY MARIA GORETTI ON ‘I WANT TO BAKE FREE’ ON LIVING FOODZ

Lentil Bread

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups urad dal (split and skinned black gram )
• 3 Tbsp corn starch or tapioca starch
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp flaxmeal or psyllium husk
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp oil

Method

• Soak the urad dal overnight. Drain and add to a food processor. Process the dal until it is just slightly gritty. Process for 30 to 45 seconds then move the dal with a spatula. It will take 3 to 4 minutes to break the lentils down into a batter type consistency. Add just a little water (3 to 6 Tablespoons) to help with the processing. Add the rest of the ingredients and process for a minute to combine. Check the batter for aeration. (drop a half tsp of batter in a cup of water. The batter should float on the top). If not aerated well , transfer the thick batter to a bowl and whip with a large spoon a few times, then check again. the batter should be thick and pasty but also slightly bubbly.
• Drop batter into parchment lined bread pan. Spray oil on top and even it out using a light hand so the air in the batter is not pressed out.
• Preheat the oven to 395 degrees F. Bake for 45 minutes. Cover the bread with another parchment after first 15 to 20 minutes by placing the parchment on the loaf pan. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F after 45 minutes, remove parchment and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.
• Cool completely before slicing. (about an hour). The bread slices more easily the next day. Refrigerate the bread for upto 5 days in an airtight container. The bread crust is crusty the first day and gets softer as it sits because of moisture. Moisture in the storage container after a day is normal. I like to use to bread with chutney toppings or simple sandwiches.

Mini Veggie pizza

Ingredients

For the pizza dough

• 150g wholemeal spelt flour
• 350g strong white flour
• 1 ½ tsp dried fast action yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbspolive oil

For the tomato sauce

• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 small garlic clove
• pinch of dried thyme

For the toppings

• 160g grated cheddar  and mozzarella cheese
• 1 red pepper cut into strips
• 1 yellow pepper  cut into strips
• 1 courgette  cut into rounds or spiralized
• 1 small pack cherry tomatoes  halved
• handful pitted olives
• 1 can salt-free sweetcorn drained

Method

• To make the dough, put both flours into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 400ml warm water and the olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Bring together with a light knead in the bowl then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. Leave the dough to rise if you have time but it’s not essential for a thin crust.
• To make the sauce, blitz the tomatoes, garlic and thyme and a little seasoning, either in a food processor or using a hand blender.
• Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 8. Get the toppings ready in bowls so that your children can decorate their own.
• If the dough has had time to rise, give it a little knead in the bowl, then split into four balls. On a floured surface, roll out two of the balls into wide circles using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift these onto two floured baking sheets or pizza trays.
• Smooth sauce over bases with a spoon. Scatter with cheese, then start making the faces. Courgette rounds make great eyes or cheeks, halved courgette rounds can be used for ears and spiralized courgette for hair. Strips of pepper are good for eyebrows and mouths while olives and halved cherry tomatoes make great eyes or earrings. Sweetcorn can be used for teeth or freckles. Let their imagination go wild.
• Cook for around 10-15 mins until crisp. You’ll want to swap the pizzas to a lower shelf halfway through the cooking time.
• Repeat for the second two pizzas or freeze the balls of dough in two separate freezer bags, plus any remaining sauce in a sealed container.

Ghost Cake (strawberry buttercream frosting) (fondant)

Ingredients

For the sponges

• 450g/1lb butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
• 450g /1lb caster sugar
• 8 medium free-range eggs
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 450g/1lb self-rising flour
• milk, to loosen
• For the buttercream
• 280g/10oz butter, softened
• 560g/1lb 4oz icing sugar
• 2-4 tbsp milk

To decorate

• 1.2kg/2lb 12oz white fondant icing
• apricot jam, sieved
• black fondant icing
• Hersheys strawberry flavoured syrup

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and flour the hemisphere cake tin or bowl. Grease 3 x 18cm/7in cake tins and line with baking paper.
• Cream the butter and the sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and stir in the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour, adding a little extra milk if necessary, to create a batter with a soft dropping consistency. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and gently spread with a spatula.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and peel off the paper. Place onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile for the buttercream, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in more milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.
• When the sponges have cooled assemble the cake. Place one of the regular sponges on a round cake board and spoon buttercream on top, top with another sponge and continue with layers of buttercream and the remaining sponges, finishing with the hemisphere sponge. Then carefully smooth the remaining buttercream over the whole cake (the white fondant will be draped over the cake so the buttercream does not have to look perfect!).
• Roll the white fondant into a large circle that is wide enough to drape over the whole cake. Place the white fondant over the cake, making sure it covers the cake evenly. Then press down on the fondant to hold it in place.
• Use the black fondant to make eyes and a mouth and stick them on the cake with a little apricot jam.

RECIPES BY CHEF PANKAJ BHADOURIA ON ‘THE DREAM KITCHEN’ ON LIVING FOODZ

Soya Egg Roll Wrap

Ingredients

• Oil: 2 tbsp           
• Soya Granules: 1 cup
• Salt to taste       
• Red Chilli Powder: ½ tsp
• All Ground Spice: ½ tsp
• Tomato Puree: 2 cups
• Eggs: 2 nos
• Tortilla Sheets: 2nos
• Grated Cheese: 2 tbsp

Method

• In a pan, heat oil and add soya granules, salt, red chilli powder, all ground spice, tomato puree and  beaten eggs
• Press the tortilla sheet on the mixture
• Heat the tortilla sheet on another side
• Remove the tortilla sheet from pan and add grated cheese in between
• Roll the tortilla sheet from both ends
• And take the bottom up and push it back
• Roll it in a tight fold
• Now, take and tissue paper and fold it in a triangular shape
• Keep the tortilla roll in centre
• Fold the bottom up and fold from both sides and tuck the open end

Spaghetti in Mason Jar

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: 5-6 nos
• Oil: to Drizzle
• Salt to taste       

For Sauce

• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Onion: 1 no
• Salt to taste       
• Fine Chopped Garlic: 1 tsp
• Tomato Puree: 1 cup
• Fresh crushed Black Pepper
• Red Chilli Flakes: 1 tsp
• Oregano: 1 tsp
• Sugar: ½  tbsp
• Boiled Red Kidney Beans: 1 cup
• Chopped Green – Yellow Zucchini: 1 cup
• Chopped Carrots: 1 cup
• Chopped French Beans: 1 cup
• Steamed Corns: 2-3 tbsp
• Grated Cheese: 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli Flakes to sprinkle
• Oregano to sprinkle

Method

• Make a small cross shaped cut on tomatoes
• Blanch tomatoes for 15-20 secs
• Put them in cold water
• Peel off the skin and cut them
• Squeeze and remove seeds
• Blend into a puree form
• In a pan, boil water add salt, spaghetti and little oil
• Strain excess water and pour room temperature water on it
• Drizzle oil
• In a pan, heat oil and add chopped onion, salt, fine chopped garlic, tomato puree, crushed black pepper, chilli flakes, oregano and sugar
• Cook till it thickens
• In another pan, drizzle oil and add boiled red kidney beans, prepared sauce and cook it
• Remove the mixture in a bowl
• In same pan, sauté chopped green – yellow zucchini, chopped bell peppers, chopped carrots, chopped french beans
• Now in a mason jar, put a layer of spaghetti , cooked red kidney beans, sautéed veggies, grated cheese, layer of sauce,  steamed corns, red chilli flakes and oregano
• Close with a tissue paper

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