Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Flatbreads

These simple sweet potato delights occupy a spot on the quickbread spectrum somewhere between a cracker and a rather dense flatbread, but with a wonderful flaky interior. Ideal for dipping into spreads or curries too, they were on the menu with some spicy hummus. Roasted sweet potato and a hint of Indian spices elevate these to one of my new favorite savory flatbreads. They are baked too, so no need to hover over a hot skillet cooking up each round individually. Especially if you roast the sweet potato beforehand, these are easy to make and take very little time to come together. A cross between a roti and a paratha? You decide. Toss in your favorite spices or seeds or keep it simple with minimal seasoning — either way enjoy as a side for any meal or just snack on them. They are that good.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Flatbreads

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Yogi Kitchen Published on June 29, 2013 Simple, sturdy and flaky baked flatbreads made with roasted sweet potato and a hint of Indian spicing — great for serving with hummus or chutneys Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 large sweet potato, roasted in a 425° oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender 1 cup whole wheat flour 3/4 cup spelt flour 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne Instructions: Preheat an oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the roasted sweet potato is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, transfer to a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Sift the flours, salt and spices into the bowl and stir. Gently knead the dough until it comes together, adding more flour or a few drops of water as necessary — the dough should be moist but workable to pat into small rounds. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions and form each portion into a small ball. Lightly dust a large cutting board with flour and dust your hands too. Press down each ball of dough into a circle and shape into a roughly 1/2-inch thick round about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Alternately, roll out each round with a lightly floured rolling pin. Arrange on the baking sheet with space between each round. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, or store in a sealed container for up to several days. Makes 5 six-inch flatbreads

Other flatbreads you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato
Sweet Potato Roti
Fenugreek Chapatis
Off and On the Trail Bannock

On the top of the reading stack: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Audio Accompaniment: the ceiling fan

Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Fresh Herbs

It's not often that I use store-bought sauces, preferring instead to make my own at home to ensure freshness and control over the seasonings used. In this case, I wanted a sauce to go along with quinoa goat cheese and Parmesan cakes and so I cooked up a succulent mushroom marinara sauce that included some fresh herbs from my garden. It also makes for a delicious chunky pasta sauce or pizza sauce. The possibilities are endless. An added bonus is that it's easy to make too. The sauce will keep in the fridge in a well sealed jar for roughly 4 days or freeze it in airtight containers for up to 6 months.

Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Fresh Herbs

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Italian Published on June 27, 2013 Easy-to-make zesty and robust chunky homemade marinara sauce filled with pieces of tender portobello mushroom and seasoned with fresh herbs Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 sun-dried tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, grated 14 oz (400 g) portobello mushrooms, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup red or white wine 10 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped (about 6 cups) 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped 2 tablespoon fresh basil or lemon basil, chopped 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste Instructions: Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain and chop. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Add the carrots and continue to stir for another 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the heat slightly and add the mushrooms, garlic and jalapeños, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and wine and simmer to reduce, stirring frequently — about 5 minutes. Now add the sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne, oregano, basil, sugar and salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened — about 45 minutes. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Makes 5 to 6 cups

More irresistible sauces from Lisa's Kitchen:
Gingered Tomato Sauce
Devil's Nightmare Pasta Sauce
Tomato Sauce with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

On the top of the reading stack: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Audio Accompaniment: silence

I'm sharing this with Ricki's Wellness Weekend.

Classic Greek Salad Revisited

I've been making my own Greek salad for years. The ones I have tried from most restaurants rarely satisfy. There is just no comparison to homemade versions. First, you typically only get about 4 olives, the Feta is not good quality and tends to be overly salty, and the vegetables are not as fresh as I would like, nor is iceberg lettuce of much use in terms of taste and nutritional value — it adds some crunch, but that's about it.

From my kitchen, you get a loaded up fairly classic version, with lots of good quality olives that are pitted just before being added to the salad and a decent quantity of delicious Greek sheep milk Feta. In addition to peppers, red onion and cucumber, I've added some slightly bitter endives, radicchio and some fresh leaf lettuce. For best flavor, mix your salad up ahead of time, seal tightly and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving to blend the loveliness.

This is my contribution to No Croutons Required this month. The theme is raw soups and salads.

Greek Salad

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Greek Published on March 12, 2013 A dressed-up modern-style Greek salad with an assortment of leaf vegetables and plenty of Feta cheese and Kalamata olives Print this recipe Salad: a few handfuls of leaf lettuce, torn into pieces 4 Belgian endives, trimmed and chopped 1 small radicchio, trimmed and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 banana pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 small red onion, cut into half rings 1/2 English cucumber, sliced few handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved 1 1/2 cups Feta cheese, crumbled + extra for garnish 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted Dressing: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 to 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar juice from 1 fresh lemon 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried basil fresh cracked black pepper to taste pinch or two of dried red chili flakes Instructions: Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and gently toss to coat. Garnish with extra crumbled Feta cheese. Makes 6 servings

More Greek creations you are sure to enjoy:
Leek and Rye Berry Salad with Halloumi Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives
Quinoa Dolmadakia (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Skewered Greek-Style Salad

Audio Accompaniment: Erot

Fenugreek Chapatis

Most cooks and diners with even a rudimentary knowledge of Indian cuisine are familiar with chapatis, a soft whole wheat, slightly puffy unleavened flatbread that is pan fried in a dry skillet or griddle. A staple for many meals served throughout the day in Indian households, chapatis pretty much go with any sort of Indian — or non-traditional Indian for that matter — meal that you can imagine. I adore them … the accompaniment possibilities are endless and they are an ideal way to fill out and dress up your meals. Here I have spiced up the basic batter with some fenugreek and seasoning for some extra flair.

Needless to say, these chapatis go well with any soup or dal curry, may be served much the same way you would a corn or wheat tortilla stuffed with your choice of fillings, are great for scooping up your favorite dips and chutneys, and are an excellent choice as a mini flatbread to showcase a mouthwatering array of toppings.

You may wish to mix in some yogurt to replace some of the water for a slightly softer bread and, if you like, brush the cooked breads with some melted ghee, butter or oil. I recently enjoyed these with some avocado chickpea hummus, then the leftovers with tarka dal. They do keep for a few days if well-sealed and wrapped, so make up a larger batch because they also freeze well if you find yourself with a few too many, though I didn't have that problem. There is a reason that these delightful breads are a staple on so many tables and I'm tempted to make another batch, just now, as I am about to publish this recipe.

Fenugreek Chapatis

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on March 7, 2013 Soft, delicious and seasoned griddle-fried Indian whole wheat flatbreads — a staple in Indian households Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup spelt flour or unbleached soft white flour 1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled dried fenugreek leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin pinch of chili powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt fresh cracked black pepper, to taste 2/3 to 1 cup warm water (or yogurt and warm water) Instructions: Begin by sifting the flours into a large bowl. Mix in the fenugreek leaves, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour in the water or yogurt and water, stirring as you add it. Add just enough liquid to get a kneadable dough. Knead for about 5 minutes with lightly floured hands, adding more water or flour as necessary to form a smooth ball. Leave in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours. When ready to cook the chapatis, knead the dough for another 30 seconds or so. Divide into 12 rounded balls, transfer to a plate, and cover with a damp towel. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat until hot. At the same time, heat an element over high heat and have a wire cooling rack ready and a towel-lined basket or plate on hand for the cooked breads. (Note: the heated element and wire rack are not necessary, but toasting the breads on the wire rack above the element helps to puff out the breads even further after frying.) Dust a work surface with some flour, flatten out a ball of dough into a small disc, dust each side with a bit of flour, and roll out into a roughly 6-inch round. If you are rolling them out a few at a time, take care to keep them covered with the damp towel until you are ready to fry them so they don't dry out. Slap a rolled out disc into the heated skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the bottom begins to lift from the pan and small bubbles begin to form. Flip, and cook for another minute or so. Transfer to the wire rack and hold about 3 inches above the pre-heated element until the chapati begins to puff out and brown specks appear — this should only take 15 to 30 seconds. Turn the bread, hold over the heat for another 15 seconds, and transfer to the towel-lined basket or plate. Repeat with the remaining dough. Keep the cooked chapatis covered with the towel so they stay moist and warm. Serve hot or warm and brushed with melted ghee, butter or oil if desired. They will keep for a few days if well-wrapped. Reheat in foil wrap on a low temperature in the oven to refresh the breads. Makes 10 to 12 chapatis

More prized Indian flatbreads recommended from Lisa's Kitchen:
Besan Roti
Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato
Rice Flour Pancakes
Savory Rice and Urad Dal Pancakes

On the top of the reading stack: Food and Drink magazine - Spring edition