Bread.

Ingredients:

• 275ml water
• 100ml milk
• 45g butter
• 30g honey
• 150g wholemeal flour
• 450g plain flour
• 1 tsp yeast
  

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to the bread maker. Cook on basic setting for a medium crust.

Artisan Bread

This recipe has been adapted from The Italian Dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon granulated fast acting (instant) yeast
• 2 cups wholemeal flour
• 4 1/2 cups plain flour
  

Directions:

1. Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 38 degrees C. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours.


2. Add yeast to the water in a bowl or a plastic container.


3. Mix in the flour - kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, measuring the flour by scooping it and levelling it off with a knife. Mix with a wooden spoon - do not knead. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes. The dough should be wet and loose.


4. Allow to rise. Cover with a lid or cling wrap (not airtight). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on top), about two hours. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So, it's best to refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours before shaping a loaf.


5. Shape your loaf. Place a piece of baking paper on a baking tray. Sprinkle the surface of your dough in the container with flour. Pull up and cut off about a piece of dough about the size of a grapefruit. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball as you go, so that you have a smooth, tight top. Place the dough onto the baking paper.


6. Let the loaf rise for about 30 - 40 minutes (it does not need to be covered).
   


7. Preheat a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven for at least 20 minutes at 230 degrees C. Place an empty rimmed baking pan on a rack below the baking stone. This pan is for holding water for steam in the baking step. (If you don't have a baking stone, you can use a baking tray, but you will not get the crisp crust on the bottom.)


8. Dust the loaf with a little flour and slash the top with a knife just before baking. This slashing is necessary to release some of the trapped gas, which can deform your bread. You need a very sharp knife or a razor blade - you don't want the blade to drag across the dough and pull it.


9. Bake. Set a cup of water next to your oven. Slide the bread (including the baking paper) right onto the hot baking stone. Quickly pour the water right into the pan underneath the baking stone and close the oven door. This creates the necessary steam to make a nice crisp crust on the bread. Bake at 230 C for about 30 - 35 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf. Make sure the crust is a deep golden brown.


10. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator, covered but not airtight, and use for up to 14 days.

Apple Pancakes

This recipe is from Taste.com.au, but I have altered it to be low sodium.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt Skip Potassium Bicarbonate
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, grated
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 25g butter, melted

Directions:

1. Whisk milk, egg and vanilla together in a jug. Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Make a well in centre. Add milk mixture. Whisk until just combined.
2. Stir in cinnamon, apple and sugar.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush pan with butter. Using 1/4 cup mixture per pancake, cook 2 pancakes for 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. Turn and cook for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining mixture, brushing pan with butter between batches. Serve.

Slow Cooked Lamb and Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is from Taste.com.au, but I have altered it to be low sodium.

This was a quick, easy, delicious soup to make. Next time I might try adding some diced carrots and/or potato as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp Moroccan spice mix (I used the Pureblends brand)
  
• 6 (about 1.5kg) lamb shanks
• 500g Butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 1cm pieces
• 500ml (2 cups) salt skip chicken stock
• 500ml (2 cups) water
• 250ml (1 cup) passata (tomato pasta sauce)
• 1 x 400g can no added salt chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 200g (1 cup) basmati rice
• Greek-style natural yoghurt, to serve

Directions:

1. Place spice mix on a plate. Add the lamb shanks and toss to lightly coat.
2. Add the lamb, pumpkin, stock, water and passata to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the lamb falls off the bone. Use tongs to remove bones and discard.
3. Add the chickpeas and rice. Cook for 30 minutes or until rice is tender.
4. Ladle among serving bowls and top with the coriander. Serve with yoghurt.

Ethiopian-Style Chickpea Stew

This recipe is from The Daily Dish, but I have altered it to Australian measurements.

When I made this stew I also added a cup of peas.

This is a delicious and easy to make recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 x 420 g cans no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 tbs olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 (2 1/2 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 4 cups salt skip vegetable stock
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil and set aside.
2. Measure the paprika, allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cayenne, and ginger into a small bowl; mix well and set aside.
3. Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tbs olive oil and toss well to coat. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in the oven and roast 17 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tbs olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and chopped ginger and cook, stirring, until very soft, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the spice mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until spices are toasted and very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cook 2 minutes more.
5. Add the stock, potatoes, carrots and roasted chickpeas and bring to a boil (you can add other vegetables to your liking). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes and carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer until stew is thickened and potatoes and carrots are very tender, about 10 minutes more. Ladle stew into bowls and serve immediately.

Easy Chocolate Brownies.

This is a quick, easy, delicious recipe to make that is low in sodium but not low in calories.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cocoa
• 1 cup chocplate chips (white dark or milk)

Directions:

1. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add butter and mix through.
2. Add flour and cocoa and beat until mixed through. Add chocolate chips and stir through mixture.
3. Microwave for 5-7 mins depnding on your microwave.

Thai Green Curry

This recipe is from Junior Masterchef Australia: Official Recipe Collection but I've altered it to be low salt.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 8 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
• 270ml coconut cream
• 175g green beans, trimmed, halved
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tsp caster sugar

       Curry Paste

• 3 or 4 long green chillies, seeded, chopped
• 3cm piece of ginger, grated
• 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 eschalots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Thai basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 2 tbs + 1/4 tsp water

Directions:

1. Make curry paste by placing all ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a smooth paste.
   Chef's Tip: The quantity of ingredients for the paste should fit in a small food-processing barrel-attachment for a food-processing wand.  The straight sides will do a better job than the concave sides of a full-size food-processor.
2. Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until chicken is browned and almost cooked through.
4. Add coconut cream, beans and lime leaves and stir to combine. Simmer, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through. Add sugar and stir to combine. Serve with rice.