Thursday 12 June 2008

Farinata, Baked beans

Breakfast

For me - left over broccoli and peanut soup
The kids - Soaked oat porridge

Soaked Porridge
Makes 3 kid portions

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp whey, vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt or other acidic soaking liquid
1 tbsp freshly ground wheat flour (optional)
Water
Milk (or cream for a real treat)
Butter

Put the oats in a bowl with the whey (or substitute) and cover with water. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave in a warm place overnight. Add the flour if you have it.
In the morning pour the contents of the bowl into a saucepan and add milk. How much depends on how thick you like you porridge. I used about half a pint this morning. Cook the oats for a few minutes, until thick. Serve with more milk, raw butter, salt or sweetener (ie honey, maple syrup etc), fruit - however you like it best.

Lunch
For the 'big' kids - packed lunches of parathas, ham, cheese and grapes.
For the baby - scrambled egg because he asked for it! So proud.
For me ....

Aubergine farinata

Serves 3

3 1/2 oz chickpea flour
1/2 pint warm water
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 tbsp salt
1 aubergine (egg plant)
1 tbsp chopped basil
Black pepper to taste

Whisk the flour into the water, trying to avoid lumps. Add the salt and lemon juice or vinegar and cover bowl with a cloth. Leave in a warm place overnight.
Preheat oven to gas mark 8.
Chop the aubergine into chunks, salt and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes.
Add 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil to chickpea batter. Put the remaining 1/2 tbsp in a cast iron skillet (oven proof) or earthenware dish or equivalent and place in oven to heat until just before smoking point. Pour the batter into the pan, add the herbs and aubergine and black pepper. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes - until golden and crispy.

This is delicious with all kinds of roasted veg. If I ever had any leftover then this would be a great way to use them up... It is also gluten and dairy free.

Dinner

Baked beans



2 cups cooked haricot beans
500ml passata
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 dessertspoonful molasses or treacle
1 cup stock (I used beef today)
6 slices streaky bacon, chopped (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 or 2 red sweet peppers, diced
1 tsp mustard powder *

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low all day. Serve with crusty bread and a big salad. It comes out more like sauce with beans than beans with sauce but that is how we like it. You can always add more beans!

* you can vary the spices according to taste. I like paprika and cayenne pepper in here too. Mixed spice might also be nice. What goes in really depends on what catches my eye in the spice cupboard!

Instead of the bacon, chorizo is also lovely. Unfortunately I have yet to find a non industrial source so I'll be sticking with bacon from happy pigs. Any other sausages would be very nice with this dish. Obviously, leave out the bacon or sausage and use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian.

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