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Tag Archives: Baking

Categories Dine, Recipes

High-Protein Cottage Cheese Bread

High-Protein Cottage Cheese Bread

Author Shani - Lemon Tree Nutrition
Have your (cake) bread and eat it too? Absolutely! Here is a deliciously soft bread recipe that will not only proudly hold your favourite toppings but will also provide you with some extra protein. Thanks to the added cottage cheese and eggs, this high-protein bread can keep you feeling fuller for longer.
This recipe yields 3 large loaves.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Equipment

  • Blender or food processor
  • Mixer (optional)
  • 3 Loaf pans
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 16 grams dry yeast (or 50 grams fresh yeast)
  • Warm water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 500 grams whole wheat flour
  • 500 grams white flour (plus extra if needed)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 500 grams cottage cheese, 2% fat
  • 100 grams butter melted

Instructions
 

  • In a blender, place your cottage cheese and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  • In your mixer bowl place 4 cups of warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir and let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the flour and begin mixing (or kneading by hand) slowly. Add eggs, blended cottage cheese and melted butter and continue mixing. Add salt and mix for about 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, gradually add a little bit more warm water. The dough should be a bit sticky after 10 minutes of kneading.
  • Cover with saran wrap and allow to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
  • Place dough on a clean work surface and cut into 3 equal parts.
  • Roll each part and form into a loaf. Place each loaf on parchment paper and carefully place it in a loaf pan. Repeat with the other 2 parts.
  • Let all 3 loaves rise for about 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Delicately place the loaves in the middle of the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until the top is slightly golden and the pans feel light when lifted.
  • Place loaf pans on a heat-safe surface, and cool for about 15 minutes. Remove loaves from the pans and allow to cool on a cooling rack completely before slicing.

Notes

  • You can sprinkle your favourite topping on each loaf before letting it rise (Examples: Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, oats etc.)
  • Bread freezes well in an airtight ziplock bag for up to a month.
Categories Recipes, Snack

Vegan, gluten-free savoury crackers

Vegan, gluten-free savoury crackers

Author Shani - Lemon Tree Nutrition
I’m fascinated by chia seeds. These tiny little dot-size gems can absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid! Once they become gelatinous, they can act as a thickener and an egg replacement in baking. In this simple & easy crackers recipe, chia seeds star alongside 2 more seeds which are all good sources of minerals such as calcium and zinc. They also provide protein and fibre as well as a good plant-based source of omega-3.
If you prefer non-savoury crackers, please read the notes at the bottom.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Baking 40 minutes

Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Fork
  • Parchment paper
  • Large baking sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chia seeds
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon pepper freshly ground

Instructions
 

  • Heat your oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.
  • Prepare a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch edges of the parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, place the chia seeds and pour in the 2 cups of water. Stir well with a fork and let sit for 10 minutes allowing the mixture to become gelatinous.
  • Add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds as well as the spices. Stir well.
  • Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and smooth with a spatula ensuring the mixture is spread as evenly as possible, to allow consistent results.
  • Place the baking sheet at the centre of the oven and bake for about 40 minutes. The mixture should look dry and have a bit of golden colour on top. When tapping, it should feel hard to the touch and cracker-like feel.
  • When the cracker sheet is ready, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Wait about 10 minutes or until you are able to hold the cracker sheet in your hands.
  • Break the crackers with your hands to the desired sizes and allow them to cool completely.
  • Place in an air-tight container and enjoy within up to a week with your favourite dip or spread.

Notes

These crackers can be made neutral-tasting or lightly sweetened instead of savoury.
For neutral, simply omit all spices. For sweetened, omit all spices and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional).
Categories Dine, Recipes

Homemade Pizza

Homemade Pizza

Author Shani - Lemon Tree Nutrition
If I had to choose one food that I could eat quite often, it would be Pizza. I enjoy making the dough from scratch at home, choosing toppings from what I can find in the fridge. Plus it does not get fresher than that. I love the sizzly sounds as it comes out of the oven and the endless options I have for toppings. Making homemade pizza is easier than you may think and worth the effort.
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Prep Time 2 hours
Baking 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Mixer - optional
  • A large bowl
  • A cookie sheet or pizza stone - optional

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams 00 pizza flour or unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 30 grams fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1-1.5 cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ cup virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 large jar tomato/pizza/pasta sauce of choice
  • 300 grams grated Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • ½ onion very thinly sliced, layer separated
  • Good quality dried oregano

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, place 1 cup of warm water. To ensure the temperature is proper for the yeast and warm enough, you should be able to safely and comfortably dip your finger in the warm water for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and crumble the fresh yeast or sprinkle the dry yeast onto the water. Mix with a fork. Let sit until frothy (about 10 minutes).
  • In the mixer bowl with a kneading hook (or in a large bowl if you have no access to a mixer) place the flour and olive oil.
  • Once the yeast has some froth at the top, begin mixing the flour and oil at low speed, slowly pouring the yeast mixture into the flour. After about 1 minute add the salt and continue kneading until a ball is formed, which is a little sticky. If it is too wet or sticky, add a little flour. If too dry, add a bit more warm water.
  • Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer. Remove the dough hook. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a clean, slightly wet kitchen towel. Place at a warm spot and allow to rise for about 60-80 minutes until doubled in volume. If kneading by hand, place in a large bowl and cover.
  • Once the dough has doubled remove the plastic cover or towel. Prepare a surface to roll the dough on, sprinkled with flour to avoid sticking to the surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts and begin rolling each section into a thin layer.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 F. If using a pizza stone, place it in the cool oven and heat them together. If using a cookie sheet, sprinkle some flour on the cookie sheet. Place the dough on the cookie sheet or heated pizza stone.
  • Spread ¼ of the pizza sauce on the dough. Top with ¼ of the thinly sliced onion, oregano, and mozzarella. Sprinkle ¼ of the Parmesan cheese last.
  • Place in the bottom rack in the oven and bake for about 10-20 minutes until cheese is golden and the dough is cooked (time depends on the thickness of dough and if using a cookie sheet or pizza stone).
  • Repeat with the other 3 pizza doughs.
  • This pizza freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for up to a month in an air-tight container. When ready to enjoy a slice of pizza, remove the desired amount from the container and place in a preheated oven to 350 F until the pizza is hot.

Notes

Feel free to add your favourite toppings. Overloading the pizza with topping may result in soggy pizza dough. My favourite toppings are onion, sweet potato (cubed and roasted) and goat cheese in addition to the basics offered here.
You can omit the tomato sauce, replacing it with a generous coating of olive oil before placing the toppings.