My First Cookery Course

Bodnant Cookery School

I'm just days away from teaching my very first cookery course!  Whilst I've been getting everything ready for next Saturday, I've been looking back to where my love of cooking started and remembering the day I gave up eating dairy for ever!

When I was 20 and in my third year at college in Leeds, I decided that, instead of sharing digs with friends, I would rent my own bed-sit.  It was just one room on the top floor of a large house, very small and compact but well designed and wonderfully light.  It was great having my own space at last and what I loved most was having my own kitchen! 

It may have been tiny but it was here in this neat little kitchenette that my love for cooking was born. Every Friday I'd go to Leeds market and come home on the bus laden with bags of fresh produce ready to try out a new recipe. My boyfriend Eric worked in Manchester and came over most weekends.  He remembers arriving on a Friday evening, climbing the stairs and being met by delicious aromas permeating from the top floor!

Yoga had already become part of my life at college and for two years I was secretary of the yoga club.  Our wonderful teacher Doreen Musgrove inspired us all with her healthy approach to life and her love of eating natural foods.

When I moved back to the South East close to London in 1978, it wasn't long before I was eating regularly at vegetarian cafes and restaurants and going to Health Shows like the Festival for Mind and Body which were just beginning at Olympia then.  Cutting out meat seemed an easy choice to make when the alternatives tasted that good and certainly, being an animal lover, I felt more at peace with myself not eating it.  I remember the decision to stop eating meat was made one evening, after a particularly good meal at my local vegetarian restaurant in Wimbledon Village!

Unlike many vegetarians, who substitute cheese and eggs in place of meat, Eric and I were both naturally drawn to a more plant based diet and also still chose to eat fish.  Nearby, Kingston upon Thames held a thriving daily market and it's superb fish and fruit and vegetable stalls supplied most of our requirements! 

Eric shared my interest and together we came across many new pioneering books on health. One in particular described a new way of eating that made complete sense - a totally animal-free diet, cutting out all meat, eggs and dairy produce. Reading how a group of people in Wales had overcome illnesses such as cancer and arthritis by not eating anything from an animal made a huge impression on us both. Even though such a diet was pretty radical back in 1980, I immediately cleared out my fridge and cupboards of all animal products!  This proved to be a defining moment and one that would herald the way for a complete change in lifestyle for us both from then on. 

Making the decision to change your diet or lifestyle is a very personal one. Firstly, it needs to be combined with a healthy approach to all aspects of your life to create balance and lasting well-being. Secondly, it's important to make the decision based on your own thoughts and feelings. When you do that, the decision is easy because you are simply expressing yourself and your individuality.

"When you are clear on who you are and what you stand for .... nothing is difficult.       It's just your life."    Sarah Kramer   La Dolce Vegan

Next Saturday, 19 October 2013, I'm thrilled to be teaching a dairy-free baking course at the Bodnant Cookery School in the Conwy Valley, North Wales.  

Click here for all the details and watch out for new courses in 2014!

Pear and Apple Tart

Now's the time to be making the most of this year's bumper crop of apples and pears and here's a special autumn treat. This traditional French fruit tart looks and tastes so good.  It's really easy to make and, because it's made with eating apples and ripe pears, it's sweet enough without adding sugar!

As well as being sugar free, it's also free from eggs and dairy too.  The shortcrust pastry is made with flour and equal quantities of vegetable fat and dairy free margarine with a hint of cinnamon for added flavour.  The fruit is cooked to make a rich, smooth filling without losing the lovely fresh flavour of an autumn harvest!

A French pâtisserie recipe that's healthy and simple?  Must be too good to be true, surely?  Why not make it for yourself and see!

Ingredients              

225g plain white flour
55g  vegetable fat (Trex)
55g  dairy free sunflower margarine (Pure)
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

About 700g sweet eating apples
About 700g ripe pears
1 large orange
50g dairyfree margarine




Start by preparing the fruit.  Peel the apples and pears and leave whole.  Then using a coarse grater, grate each piece of fruit into a large bowl, discarding the core and seeds.

Using a fine grater,  remove the zest of the orange and add to the bowl with 3 tbsp of the freshly squeezed orange juice.

In a large non-stick frying pan,  gently heat 50g dairy free margarine.

When it's melted, add all the grated fruit and stir well.

  

Cook over a high heat, stirring constantly!

After about 10 minutes or so, the moisture from the fruit will have evaporated and the mixture will have thickened, so much so that when you run the spoon across the pan, there is no juice remaining!

 

Set aside the fruit mixture whilst you make the pastry (or you can always make it the day before and keep in the fridge).

For quickness, I often make pastry in a food processor.  Measure the flour, vegetable fat and margarine and place in the processor with the salt and cinnamon. Process briefly until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  

Add 3 tbsp water slowly through the funnel at the top whilst the machine is running.  As soon as you see the pastry coming together to form a ball, switch off.  It's best not to overwork the pastry.  

(If you prefer to make the pastry by hand,  sift the flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt.  Place the vegetable fat and margarine in the bowl and chop into small pieces with a knife. Then using your fingers, rub the fat into the flour until it becomes crumbly and resembles breadcrumbs.  Add about 3 tbsp water and, using the knife again, mix together to form a soft dough.) 

Dust your work surface with a little flour, then roll out the pastry thinly into a rough circle shape approximately 2 - 3cm larger than the greased shallow 24 cm loose-bottomed flan tin.  

Carefully transfer the pastry to the tin.  I find the best way to do this is to roll the pastry loosely round a rolling pin and then lift it into the prepared tin.

Ease the pastry into position and make sure no air is trapped underneath.  Gently strengthen the sides to avoid it shrinking down when baked and trim away the excess pastry with a knife. 

Either cover and leave in the fridge until needed or bake straightaway.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 6 and put in a baking sheet to heat through.

Prick the base of the flan all over with a fork, place a piece of foil or greaseproof paper on top and fill with baking beans (any dried beans) to stop the pastry base from puffing up whilst baking.

Place on a heated baking sheet in the oven at 200C (G.M. 6)  and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and foil and place the flan base back uncovered in the oven for 5 more minutes or till completely cooked through but not brown.

Fill the pre-baked pastry base with the cooked fruit mixture and level the top neatly with a knife. 

 

If you like, you can make lattice strips to decorate the top.  Roll out the pastry trimmings and cut into even strips with a pastry cutter or knife.  

 

Lay 5 parallel strips vertically over the filling, then fold two alternate strips away from you.  

Place the first strip horizontally across the middle, then replace the two verticals.

 

Fold the other three vertical strips towards you and place a second one horizontally. Replace the vertical pieces.

 

Fold the three vertical strips away from you and place a third strip horizontally.  Then replace the vertical ones.  Continue with the two remaining strips to form the lattice.

Here it is completed!  Don't worry about the rough ends. You can tidy them up later.

Brush the pastry strips with a little cold water and return the tart to the oven.  Bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve on it's own, with natural soya yogurt or Swedish Glace non-dairy icecream.

Let me know what you think!

Roasted Pepper Rolls

Eating pastry may not be everybody's idea of healthy living but these delicious Roasted Pepper Rolls are packed full of fresh vegetables and, unlike sausage rolls, contain no meat, dairy or animal fat.

When you eat as much fresh produce as I do, most of which is organic and freshly picked from my garden, having the occasional pastry treat is not such a bad thing in my book!   Eaten together with a generous plateful of salad,  these Italian style "sausage" rolls make a wonderful lunch and always seem to go down well with everyone I know!

The combination of red, yellow and green peppers looks really attractive too. You could also substitute an aubergine for a couple of the peppers, cooked the same way just cut into 1cm cubes before baking.

Whilst I always make my own shortcrust pastry, I do buy puff pastry as long as it's dairy and animal free, such as Jus-Rol pastry. 

Ingredients                Makes about 12

4 peppers, any colour
3 red onions
3 tbsp olive oil
500g Jus-Rol Puff pastry
Salt and Pepper


Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7.

Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.  Cut into pieces and spread out on a very large baking sheet (or 2 smaller ones) 

Peel the onions and cut each one into about 8 wedges. Place on the tray with the peppers and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes until soft but not brown.

When the cooked vegetables have cooled down a little, transfer to a chopping board, season with salt and pepper and chop finely.

Roll the pastry out fairly thin on a lightly floured surface to form an oblong shape.  Cut in half lengthways.

Spoon the chopped vegetables equally along each strip, slightly off centre. Then, using a knife or your fingers, pile into a rounded sausage shape.

Fold the pastry edge nearest to you over the top of the vegetables.  Brush the other edge with a little cold water and roll the sausage away from you to overlap and seal the pastry.

With the sealed edge underneath, cut diagonally into 5 or 6 individual rolls.  Make 2 or 3 diagonal cuts on the top of each roll either with scissors or a knife and place on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of each roll with water then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until well-risen and golden.

Delicious served hot straight from the oven. 

Store the pepper rolls in the fridge and, if possible, reheat slightly before serving.

Pissaladière

This is a classic French Provencal dish that never fails to please and impress! Whenever I've made one of these for a workshop or party,  someone has always asked me for the recipe!

As it's name suggests, a pissaladière is similar to an Italian pizza but with no cheese in sight!  It's traditionally filled with onions, tomatoes and herbs with a lattice of anchovy fillets and black olives on top. The filling can be cooked on a bread base or on a pre-cooked shortcrust pastry base, like I've done here, which has a much lighter texture.  What's good about this recipe is that it tastes fabulous cold so it's ideal for a party as you can make it well in advance and keep it in the fridge till needed.

The pastry is entirely dairy free and made with Trex vegetable fat and Pure margarine. I usually use white flour as it makes the tart lighter though I do use wholemeal flour to dust my work surface before rolling it out.  I usually make the pissaladiere in a round flan tin but it looks just as good in a large square or oblong tin.

Ingredients        Serves 6 - 8

Pastry:
180g plain flour
60g Trex vegetable fat
30g Pure sunflower margarine
pinch of salt
1 level tsp cinnamon
About 3 tbsp cold water

Filling:
5 large onions (about 900g)
3 cloves garlic
5 tbsp olive oil
400g tin of tomatoes
1 tbsp sundried tomato paste
3 or 4 fresh sprigs of thyme and oregano
About 15 black olives
Small jar/tin of anchovy fillets in olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 5. 

Place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.

To make the pastry, sift the flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt.  Place the vegetable fat and margarine in the bowl and chop into small pieces with a knife. Using your fingers, rub the fat into the flour until it becomes crumbly and resembles breadcrumbs.  

Add the water a little at a time and, using the knife again, mix together to form a soft dough.   (Alternatively, make your pastry in a food processor if you like)

Bring the pastry dough together with your hands and place on a clean, lightly floured work surface.   Roll out the pastry to about 1/4" thick and transfer to a greased 23 - 25 cm (9 -10") flan tin.  (The best way to do this is to roll the pastry loosely round a rolling pin and then lift it onto the prepared tin)

Ease the pastry into position and make sure no air is trapped underneath.  Gently strengthen the sides with any excess pastry to avoid it shrinking down when baked.  Either cover and leave in the fridge until needed or use straightaway.

Prick the base of the flan all over with a fork, place a piece of foil or greaseproof paper on top and fill with baking beans, dried soya beans or rice to stop the pastry base from puffing up whilst baking.

Place in the oven on the pre-heated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans ands foil and place the flan base back uncovered in the oven for 5 more minutes or till completely cooked through but not brown.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Peel and thinly slice the onions. (Done in moments in a food processor and without shedding a tear!)

Peel and finely chop the garlic.  Place the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan (I use a 28cm Le Creuset casserole with a lid) and cook the onions and garlic over a low heat for about 40 minutes until they become soft, stirring occasionally. Don't rush this process. The onions need gentle cooking so they stew slowly rather than fry in the olive oil.

Meanwhile, place the tinned tomatoes in a small saucepan with the sundried tomato puree, thyme and oregano. 

Cook the mixture over a medium to high heat stirring frequently until thick and well reduced. 

Stir the tomato mixture into the cooked onions and season with freshly ground pepper and a little salt.  (anchovies are already salty so don't overdo the seasoning.)

Fill the pre-baked pastry base with the cooked tomato and onion mixture.  Drain the anchovy fillets (reserving the oil for another day e.g. for making a homemade tomato sauce)  Using scissors, cut the thickest anchovies in half lengthways and place in a lattice pattern over the filing. Dot the middle of the squares with the olives and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. 

Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes at 200C/Gas Mark 5.

Serve the pissaladière straightaway, if you wish, though I think it tastes better at room temperature.  Delicious with salad, as a main course or starter.