Happy New Year to you!
So, as the first days of the New Year pass, are you still sticking to your resolutions?
Much as I’m fixated about the dates and diaries when it comes to new projects, I don’t really do New Year resolutions – perhaps I finally learnt over the years that they don’t last too long and can bring more disappointment than actual positive change.
Instead, over last few years I have been using last few days before the year end to look back at the year gone and plan for the coming twelve months. It’s my time to reflect about what’s really important to me, what I would like to achieve over the coming year and how I would like to feel about this year comes next December.
It might sound like just a small difference in the naming convention between resolution and the plan, but actually it makes a massive difference in my approach and it simply makes it work. So always at this time of the year, I can be found with an old-fashioned diary and set of colourful pens in hand thinking and drawing out plans in the three or five key areas of my life, breaking it down by a month and a week. Perhaps turning my plans into smaller doable chunks is the secret of getting things done.
A lot to get done this year, but I feel very positive about the twelve months ahead. Bring it on!
Back in the kitchen, here’s a multi-grain multi-seed wholemeal bread recipe. I used three types of flour to make this one: wholewheat, wholegrain spelt and wholegrain rye which gave it beautiful smell, colour and flavour. And I threw in some linseed, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, adding even more texture, crunchiness and taste to the loaf. Really pleased with the result. It tastes wonderfully served simply with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and rubbed in garlic, although for today’s brunch I served it with chargrilled tomatoes and fried egg, making it a really nutritious and filling start to the day. With simple brunches like this one, it’s all about the quality of ingredients, so make sure you use ripe and fragrant tomatoes on the vine, free range eggs and good quality extra virgin olive oil.
For the bread
Makes 1 loaf
200g spelt wholegrain flour
150g wholewheat flour
100g wholegrain rye flour
40g pumpkin seeds
40g sunflowers seeds
20g linseed
5g butter
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
1tsp quick action dried yeast
270ml warm water
For the chargrilled tomatoes and fried egg brunch
Serves 2
4 slices of multi-grain multi-seed bread
1 large tomato on the vine or two small ones
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 free-range eggs
Fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large bowl, mix the three flours, salt, sugar and yeast set aside for 15 minutes in a warm place. Add most of the linseed, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, setting a little aside for sprinkling. Add the butter and three-quarters of the water and mix with your hand. Step by step, add the remaining water, until all the flour is mixed and a rough dough has formed.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Form the dough into a smooth, oblong shape. Place the dough in a large floured bowl.
Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for at least 3-4 hours. The dough should double in size.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / gas mark 6.
When the loaf is risen, place it onto a baking tray and shape an oblong loaf. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts on the dough and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
To prepare the chargrilled tomatoes and fried egg brunch, rub the bread with garlic and brush with a little oil. Heat a little oil in a griddling pan, and grill slices of tomatoes for a few minutes until they become charred. Heat a little oil in another pan, crack the eggs into it, cover and cook undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes until the whites are set. Place the tomatoes and the egg on the bread. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Bon appétit!
Lena x
