JAMIE OLIVER'S SODA BREAD

Jamie Oliver’s Soda Bread using his tin can method is so easy, children could definitely manage it and it’s delicious!

INGREDIENTS 

Use an old baked bean tin as a measure.

1 tin of wholemeal flour.
1 tin of plain white flour.
A handful of oats.

1 teaspoon of honey or sugar (optional).
1 teaspoon of salt.
2 teaspoons of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda

(or omit and use self raising flour). 
1 tin of milk or buttermilk

(or add a squeeze of lemon to plain milk; or alternatively yoghurt, or a mix of milk and yoghurt). 
Workarounds are as per Jamie’s suggestions

METHOD

Mix dry ingredients then add milk, mix using the handle end of a wooden spoon then use your hands to bring together. The dough will be quite wet and sticky.  

Knead briefly on a floured surface, shape into a round, place on a floured baking tray, glaze with a little olive oil, butter or beaten egg, cut a cross nearly all the way through the dough and dust with porridge oats.

Bake at 200c for about 20 minutes until golden. When cooked it should sound hollow when tapped on the base. 

The dough can be stored covered overnight in the refrigerator to be baked the following day. 

You can also use the tin to cut out individual scone type rolls but they won’t take as long to bake. 

Jamie's son Buddy helped him on the live streamed video. On this video Jamie also shows some other things you can make with the same dough. 

https://www.facebook.com/jamieoliver/videos/2836723173049568

NANA SHIRLEY’S OAT BISCUITS

My mother in law’s biscuit tin was never empty, it was always full of these delicious sweet oat biscuits. She used to spread them with butter for the children and they’re a perfect accompaniment to cheese, but they’re just as good on their own. Although they contain sugar they’re not as sweet as commercially made biscuits and so are a healthier option to have with your morning cuppa. They make a great breakfast biscuit too if you’re in a rush and they’re surprisingly filling. I don’t roll these out too thickly and so I get about 40 biscuits from this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

8oz Self Raising Flour

8oz Oats (Quick Quaker Oats)

6-8oz Cooking Fat

4oz Sugar

1 level teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

1 tablespoon of Milk

1 tablespoon of Vinegar

Pinch of Salt

Nana Shirley used to make these with a 50/50 mix of Flora Margarine and White Flora as Gaga (her husband) had high cholesterol. I’ve made them with butter and also made them successfully with light olive oil, so use a fat of your choice. If replacing the fat with oil use about three-quarters of the amount of fat in the recipe.

Nana Shirley used Quick Quaker Oats but I quite like to use Jumbo Oats for a rougher texture. Both work well.

To make a gluten free version replace the self raising flour with home made oat flour. Simply blitz oats until you have 8oz of a fine oat flour and then add 2 teaspoons of baking powder as a leavening agent.

METHOD

Rub the fat into the flour and oats, add the sugar and salt. Mix the bicarbonate with the milk and vinegar and add to mixture. Bind together, roll out and cut into rounds. Bake on the top shelf, at 200c, until lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

In memory of Shirley Allen

12 October 1930 - 23 July 2020

QUICK & HEALTHY BREAKFAST / GRANOLA BARS

I've tried many different recipes for Breakfast / Granola Bars but have never found one that I've been completely happy with, probably because I like to switch ingredients.  Finally I've found a way to do it that's simple, it takes a few minutes to prepare,  no weighing scales are needed and you can switch the ingredients as much as you like. You just need to stick to the same ratio of wet and dry ingredients. 2 cups of dry ingredients and 2 cups of wet. 1 cup of the dry ingredients must be porridge oats.

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 Cup of Porridge Oats
1 Cup of Nuts/Seeds/Dried Fruit of your choice

WET INGREDIENTS
1 Cup of Honey (Or a mix of Honey and Maple Syrup)
1 Cup of Nut Butter (Peanut/Almond/Cashew)

FLAVOURINGS
1 Large Tablespoon of Coconut Oil (measured cold)
Half Teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon (optional)

NOTES
Accuracy isn't key.  Once you've done it a few times you'll soon get to know if it's a bit too wet or a bit too dry and adjust the ingredients accordingly.  Just don't add too much fat or they will be greasy.

I tend to add a bit more of the dried fruit and nuts.  Only because the mix that I buy comes in a 175g bag, a bit more than 1 cup so I just add the whole thing, I don't even bother to chop the nuts but that's up to you.  I also add a couple of tablespoons of Milled Linseed that has Goji Berries and Seeds (Aldi) or you could add some Wheatgerm. I tend to use Coconut Oil but you could also use Olive Oil or Butter if you prefer their taste.  You can use any type of nut butter but I prefer Peanut Butter. If you've not got enough honey you can always add a few spoons of brown sugar but try not to add too much as the idea is to keep these bars as healthy as possible and without refined sugar. If you've got some honey in the cupboard that's crystallised this is a great way to use it up. You could also use Agave Syrup.  You can omit the Cinnamon if you like but it is good for you!  You can also add a little Vanilla Extract. 

METHOD

Start by melting the Nut Butter, Honey and Coconut Oil together so that it's easy to mix into the dry ingredients. I do it in the microwave for a few seconds. Use a bowl big enough to mix all the ingredients so that you don't lose any by having to transfer it. You could also melt it in a pan and use the pan as a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the melted wet ingredients and mix well.

Line a baking or roasting tray with greaseproof paper.  Then they won't stick and it's easy to lift them out and cut into bars.  To make the greaseproof paper easier to handle run it under the tap, wring it out to get rid of the water and then smooth it out and line the tray.  It works, try it!

Tip out the mixture into the tray and spread it out with your hands until it's even.  Wet your hands first so that they don't stick to the mixture and press it down into the tray getting into the corners.  If your tray is too big just use a knife to push up the mixture and make a neat edge and pull up the greaseproof paper to the edge.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180c for about 30 minutes for a chewy bar but keep an eye on them. If you want a crunchy bar they need to be baked until the edges are a nice golden brown but they can go from golden to burnt in minutes.  If you can smell them it's time to take them out!

When you take them out of the oven they will be soft which can make you think they're not cooked but they will harden up as they cool. Leave them to completely cool then lift them out of the tray using the greaseproof paper and cut into squares or bars.

STORAGE
Cut bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 7 to 10 days but I doubt they'll be around that long!  If you want to make a big batch they can also be frozen for up to four months.