Braided Pesto Bread

Delicious bread baked with pesto swirls inside and topped with mozzarella cheese for a golden crust.

  

Hello!

I made this braided pesto bread yesterday and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you.

This is not a complicated recipe. For the dough I used the same recipe as I did for my Nutty Cinnamon Buns, I just halved the quantity as I am baking this in a loaf pan.

To get the shape, you just have to roll out the dough after it has risen into a large rectangle. Spread pesto over it and roll it up into a long cylinder. Then, you cut it almost in half lengthways, leaving it just joined at one end (like a pair of legs). Twist the 2 dough lengths together and place the dough into a loaf pan.

The bread tastes so good. Crusty on the outside and soft and pillowy inside. The pesto swirls makes this taste and smell even better. It is also delicious toasted with butter or more pesto. You can pair it with a soup or salad for a nice fresh summer meal.

Vegetarian Hummus Sandwich

Delicious, healthy sandwich that takes all of 5 minutes to prepare!

Hello! How have you been? 

Oh my, I have been having some major ups and downs in the past days! Positives were that I had such a great time when my friends came to visit. On the downside, my husband and I were taking turns to be ill. All in we still managed to have a pretty darn good time with our guests.

Sundried Tomatoes & Mozzarella Bread

This bread has a delicious Mediterranean taste of sundried tomatoes and herbs. It is just as tasty eaten on its own or with some soup.

Hello everyone! How was your weekend? I hope you had a great weekend and that you are all ready to start this week with vigour.

As for me, I ran for nearly 3 hours on Sunday. This is all part of my training for the Berlin Marathon. Even though I have been doing that for most Sundays now, yesterday was a real ordeal. I think I was not looking forward to the run and was mentally defeated before I even began. Never mind, I am sure this Sunday’s run will be better.

Savoury Carrot and Spinach Muffins (vegetarian)

Savoury Carrot & Spinach Muffins

Happy Monday folks! What did you get up to over the weekend? As for me, my long run on Sunday was for 2 hours 45 minutes. It was brutal. My legs were so heavy and I felt so lethargic (and hungry) throughout the run. After the run all I wanted to do was plonk myself down and watch a movie, so that was exactly what I did.

I was also doing some research on recipes for a savoury muffin. I wanted something that I could eat on meatless Monday, specifically a bread/muffin that could be paired nicely with soup. After much searching I decided on a carrot and spinach muffin. This muffin does not contain any cheese, which was part of the reason I decided on it.

Moist Banana Walnut Chocolate Bread

Moist Banana Walnut Chocolate Bread with desiccated coconut for a soft texture and intense flavour

Hello and how have we all been keeping?

Well, my schedule has been a bit out of whack. I had it all planned but then an unscheduled road trip for 2 days seems to have side tracked my best laid plans. In any event, I am looking forward to the road trip! Will rather work extra harder these few days and enjoy! Hey, I am learning how to embrace change better and not get so cranky if things don’t go as planned. That is one of my goals for 2014 and beyond, learning to embrace things. Of course I reserve the right to be cranky every now and then. There, caveat entered!

So, where was I, ah – yes, I wanted to share a recipe for a moist banana walnut chocolate bread. Oh I know there are thousands of banana bread recipes, but I really did enjoy this recipe and it takes 2 minutes to make. Well, you got me there, it takes 10 minutes of prep time, but that is short and easy enough. This banana bread is really quite filling and it worked really well for several brunches and lunches for me. The desiccated coconut gives body to the texture. As for the chocolate chips, well, most things are better with chocolate and this is definitely the case here. As a side note, I have reduced the sugar content so if you want it sweeter, go ahead and increase the amount of sugar by 50gm.

Cranberries, Sultanas & Walnut Bread

Freshly Baked Cranberries, Sultanas and Walnut Bread

Let me start off by saying that this bread recipe is something well worth having in your recipe index. I have made this many a time and it is a firm favourite in my house. Each bite of soft bread is accompanied by juicy fruits and nuts. It tastes lovely as it is, but it tastes even better if you warm it up.

It is not at all difficult to make. The baking process is very similar to that of cinnamon buns except that instead of cutting the rolled up dough into pieces, you have to cut down the length it and twist it to form a "couronne" or crown. This recipe was adapted from Paul Hollywood's book "How to Bake", originally made using apricots, I found that I personally preferred using cranberries. In addition, I have also removed marzipan from the recipe. It is a matter of personal preference but you can of course stick to the original recipe and use apricots and marzipan.

Basic White Bread

Basic White Bread

A Happy Wednesday shout out to you :)

I cannot believe that it is Wednesday! This time next week I will be back in Kuala Lumpur. Obviously I have not packed. I am really excited about my trip and have planned catch up sessions with friends and family already. Strangely enough, I have not planned what I would like to eat yet. It has to be mama's cooking first up right?

Friends often ask me what is a good recipe to try for bread. I guess for a first try, you can't go wrong with a basic everyday white bread. It is so easy to make and so versatile. I shaped mine into an easy round cob but you can easily adapt it to make rolls or plaits. I also used milk in this recipe as I find that it makes a very soft and light texture. Equally good eaten as toast or slightly warm to mop up a rich beef stew.

Chapatis and Malaysian Chicken Curry

Chapatis and Malaysian Chicken Curry

Happy Thursday to you! I do hope your week has been good or as good as it can be.

I am currently enjoying the sunshine and heat we have been receiving in the North East of England. I even went to the beach! Whereupon I discovered to my dismay that I am not swimsuit ready. Sigh.

On to happier things - the good weather means al fresco dining! Must make the most of it while it lasts.

Nutty Cinnamon Buns

I first fell in love with cinnamon buns half a lifetime ago when Saint Cinnamon came to Kuala Lumpur. The queues were infamously long. I myself had not the patience to queue for them but I would always cling on to the hope that one of my family members had more patience than I.

Since moving to the UK, I have been smitten by the silver fox that is Paul Hollywood (is it those blue eyes mixed with that sexy bit of grey hair?) and have been influenced to bake bread. Paul, oh Paul made me fall in love with baking bread.  

That being said, I was not one for trying my hand at sweet breads as I found them intimidating. For that, I have my fellow Malaysian friend Sharon to thank. She first suggested we bake some cinnamon buns when I visited her in Leeds. Yes, us Malaysians, it is a continuous cycle of cooking and eating all the time! 

Needless to say, these buns have become a staple in my kitchen. 

These buns are delicious and soft with a delicious crunchy candied nut topping. They are a fantastic tea time treat and are best consumed when warm with a hot cup of black coffee. 

A word of caution, please make them when you have the time to fit in a 10km run or at least 2 spinning classes after. Don't blame me for the state of your behind. 

Oven Roasted "Sun-dried" Tomatoes

Hey hey hey. Yes, that Robin Thicke song ("Blurred Lines") is stuck in my head.

After a morning selecting colour themes for this little blog of mine I got hungry. I wanted something to eat like now, now NOW. I made some sun-dried tomatoes and pesto last week and they were sitting in the fridge for a moment such as this! ;) Huge thanks to my friend Cheryl for introducing me to this fabulous way of cooking tomatoes.

Here we go - home made bread, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. The vegetables are from Asda. ;) I don't think I am quite ready for a vegetable patch in the garden just yet.

Hey hey hey!