Rustic Mashed Potato with Swiss Chard.

This dish has taken a little turn from what i had imagined ...

Inspired from the new hip vegetable 'kale' which everyone seems to be consuming, as i cant seem to get my little hands around it at my local organic stall. :(

So, yesterday i decided it was time to give up and reach for some 'Swiss Chard'

I honestly could not remember the last time i used this beautiful veiny green vegetable and whats not to love ...

Swiss Chard ranks second to spinach in being the most nutritious veg around. 

Just one cup of chard contains over 300% of your daily requirements of Vitamin K which allows your blood to clot normally preventing from osteoporosis & cell damage. Chard is a unique source of Phytonutrients called Betalains.  Many of the betalain pigments in chard have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support

So, move over Kale & say hello to 'Swiss Chard' the new green superfood.

A beautiful vegetable makes a beautiful mind & body.

  

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- Please note i have used a vegan friendly recipe - feel free to use butter over almond milk -

INGREDIANTS

3 dutch potatoes (large)

2 carrots (medium)

1/2 bunch swiss chard

3 garlic cloves

1 shallot

3 stems fresh Rosemary  

1/2 cup almond milk 

2 tbls olive oil

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Preheat oven 220

Wash and roughly chop your potatoes & carrot, set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan heat 4 cups of water until boiling point., add the potatoes. 

Put your carrots into a colander and place on top of the saucepan with the lid on. Let your veges boil until soft but not mushy. In a large bowl, pour in your potato, carrot & crushed garlic. 

Using a potato masher, roughly crush into a chunky texture.

I like to add some almond milk to cream up the potato & add a nutty flavour.  

Chop up some rosemary and mix through. Scoop out ingrediants into an oven safe dish, & place in the middle of the oven. Cook until the top layer is golden & crispy. 

Meanwhile, wash the swiss chard and cut finely. 

Heat oil in a saucepan & fry off your shallots until crisp. 

Once the potato & carrots look crispy, place on a cooling rack. Scoop into a serving bowl, add your desired amount of raw swiss chard, mix through, sprinkle fried shallots & add a little more rosemary. 

Cooking time - 20mins

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Hearty, comfort food without the calories.

xOx

6-Seed Soda Bread

Two things come to mind when winter starts to settle in. Soup, and ofcourse, BREAD. 

I'm not one to eat a lot of bread, and if i do i always opt for one packed with grains, wholemeal flour and/or Spelt. 

Spelt is a wonderfully nutritious whole-grain with a deep nutty flavour & doesn't seem to cause sensitivities in many people who are intolerant of wheat, so if you suffer from bloating and nasty digestive discomfort - spelt is a positive solution for your tummy. 

:)

This recipe was inspired by 101 Cookbooks  Soda Bread Recipe. 

I decided to make mine vegan friendly by modifying a few ingredients. I used half part almond milk and half part water to bind the ingredients. It's packed with flaxseeds, seasmeme seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fennel seeds and chai seeds. 

Wholesome, quick, easy & absolutely delicious, this bread is the perfect condiment dipped into a hearty soup and oh so scrumptious with a generous smear of Vegemite. 

- Happy Baking -

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Six-seed soda Bread Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons EACH sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chai seeds, flax seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 3/4 cup organic spelt flour
2 cups  organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup organic almond milk
3/4 cup filtered water

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Preheat your oven to 400F / 205C and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Organize a tray with baking paper and lightly flour the surface.
In a small bowl combine all the seeds and set aside.
Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the seeds. Make a well in the flour, pour in the almond milk & fiiltered water, and stir until the dough just comes together. If your dough is looking a little dry, don't hesitate to add an extra splash of almond milk. Lightly flour a clean surface on your bench and place the dough into the surface gently kneading it until it feels loose, work quickly (around a minute) as you need to get it in the oven whilst the baking soda is working.
Place the dough on your lightly floured baking sheet and with a serrated knife mark it with a deep cross across the top, cutting two-thirds of the way through the loaf. Brush with almond milk and sprinkle with the remaining seeds make sure you really stuff the cracks!
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden crusted on top and bottom . Cool on a wire rack.
Makes a single loaf.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 40 min

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Feel free to experiment with different seeds and flour. Be inspired!
Create & Bake. 

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xOx