Another breadcrumb Recipe (from Priyanka Naik's The Modern Tiffin)

When you have old bread, make bread crumbs!
Then make this recipe:

Priyanka Naik’s Tadka Mac ‘ n’ Cheese with Cajun Bread Crumbs

Actually, Priyanka Naik’s The Modern Tiffin is full of vegan deliciousness, but her twist on this classic dish has to be tried, so….
Our suggestion? …Try this recipe now, then get the book for more ideas!

Tadka Mac’n’cheese (dairy version); photo and food styling by Catherene Wilson Photography @catherenewilson

MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
8 ounces elbow macaroni (cook per instructions)
salt
1 Tbsp neutral oil
0.25 tsp cumin seeds, or 0.5 tsp cumin powder
3 curry leaves (optional)
2 Indian green chilies, minced (NB can be substituted for green arbol chili peppers or serrano chili peppers )
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 hefty tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbsp vegan butter, plus more for the pan
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened full-fat plain oat milk
0.25 cup plain nondairy cream cheese
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar
0.25 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
0.25 cup shredded vegan pepper jack
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (stems and all)

(You know what to do if you aren’t vegan)

CAJUN BREAD CRUMB TOPPING
0.5 cup plain unsalted bread crumbs (Priyanka Naik uses panko)
0.25 tsp Kasmiri red chili powder
0.5 tsp paprika
0.25 tsp garlic powder
0.25 tsp dried oregano
pinch of dried thyme
hefty pinch of salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp olive oil

MAKE THE MAC ‘N’ CHEESE; In a large heavy-bottom pan, pour in the neutral oil and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle and pop for 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves (these pop aggressively). Once the popping subsides, lower the heat to medium and add the chilies, onion and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes, until the onion looks translucent and starts to sweat. Add the turmeric and toss to coat. Lower the heat to medium-low.

Tadka mac’n’cheese (the dairy version); photo and food styling by Catherene Wilson Photography @catherenewilson

Add the 2 Tbsp vegan butter and the flour and whisk together with the onion mixture to create a roux. Once the roux has a nutty aroma and is slightly golden and clumpy, pour in the oat milk and continue to whisk. After 1 to 2 minutes, after the mixture has thickened to a bechamel consistency - a good test is dipping in a steel spoon and running your finger down the back; if the sauce doesn’t bleed into the middle of your spoon, it’s ready - add the nondairy cream cheese and whisk until completely blended. Next, add the shredded vegan cheese and whisk. Notice no salt yet. Once you have a thick cheese sauce, taste and add salt as needed, along with a pinch of pepper. Switch to a spatula, add the macaroni, and toss to coat completely. Butter a medium baking dish and pour in the macaroni and cheese.

MAKE THE BREAD CRUMB TOPPING; Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, toss together the bread crumbs with all of the seasonings and the olive oil until well coated and incorporated. Top the macaroni and cheese with the bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Broil for another 2 minutes until the bread crumbs are golden brown and the macaroni and cheese is slightly bubbling.

GARNISH AND SERVE; cool slightly and top with the cilantro and serve up to eat or into your tiffin.

(The wording is slightly tweaked, but this recipe is taken directly from Priyanka Naik The Modern Tiffin; On-the-go vegan dishes with a global flair. Tiller Press: New York 2021)

DAY 7: Breadcrumbs - some ideas

When a bread has truly staled, it is finally perfect for a dish based on breadcrumbs. Especially since flavoursome breadcrumbs are the best ingredient for meatballs, meatloaf, stuffings, coated meats and cheeses, pasta dishes, Christmas Pudding, Queen of Puddings…
Google breadcrumb recipes and USE GREAT BREAD.
NOTE: A sourdough is fully fermented so can take a good week to stale, even in Auckland’s humid climate; the richer breads like brioche and challah will stale faster. A stale bread is a stale bread, though; turn it into crumbs and enjoy!

Try Roast Chicken with Migas à Alentejana:

Heat a good splash of olive oil (20ml) in a frying pan over medium heat, add 150g chopped chorizo and 2 onions, finely chopped. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add 1tsp chilli paste (recipe next) and 300g pork loin or fillet, cut into 1cm cubes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add 150g torn old bread, drizzle with 2 Tbsp tawny port and 2 Tbsp water and cook, tossing, until bread is golden. Stir in 2 hard-boiled eggs (chopped), 75g green olives (pitted and finely chopped) and 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley. Serve with roast spatchcock (or chicken), fried potatoes and green beans. Winner.

Chilli paste: process 12 cloves garlic, 8 bay leaves (centre vein cut out, torn), 1.25 Tbsp smoked sweet Spanish paprika, 2 bird’s-eye chillies (finely chopped) and 2 tsp salt in a food processor until a paste forms, then add 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil and vinegar.

(recipe taken from the ‘Portugal’ section of Vogue’s Food From Our Travels: A collection of recipes from across the globe. p61. News Magazines PTY Ltd, Alexandria NSW 2010)

OR

Pasta with Ricotta White Sauce and Garlic Breadcrumbs 

Pasta with Ricotta White Sauce and Garlic Breadcrumbs. Photo and food styling: Catherene Wilson Photography @catherenewilson

Using “pasta of your choice with ricotta and milk, plus a topping of bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, butter, and Parmigiano” (or another hard cheese), this is a crazy fast go-to use of good breadcrumbs.
Note that the spread below is based on a Food52 recipe, with spinach replacing parsley. You do you!

OR

Here’s another suggestion: Tadka Mac ‘ n’ Cheese with Cajun Bread Crumbs (from Priyanka Naik’s The Modern Tiffin). We’ll post on that soon….

DAY 6: Croutons - some ideas...

We all love great croutons on our soups. Just the right amount of crispy flavour to complement the perfect broth gives you everything you need to flourish during soupy weather. (Is there a soup that doesn’t improve with croutons???).

But… don’t forget how amazing croutons are in salads, too. Again with the perfect crispiness, of course.

You just have to decide on hand-torn vs cubed vs sliced; sourdough vs brioche vs challah vs baguette. Every bread can be made into croutons. Old bread is easiest. Fry it in a little olive oil or ghee. Season it with salt (or dukkah or chicken stock or any other dry spice mix that appeals). Eat it straight away is best, but they keep in an airtight jar too.

Classic Panzanella Salad 

This salad is how you say It’s Summer, without saying It’s Summer.
NOTE: Every recipe that ever mentioned anchovies is a recipe that should probably say “quality” anchovies, and “(optional)”.
(Pictured below, based on a Serious Eats recipe)

Panzanella. Photo and food styling: Catherene Wilson Photography @catherenewilson

Alternatively go spicy: https://www.chefpriyanka.com/spicy-dijon-panzanella-salad-vegan/

Do it how you like!

DAY 5: Puddings or crisp breads

Maybe boarding school puddings killed it for your parents, but look again! Bread and Butter Pudding is actually delicious (and more so with quality aged bread or pastries). It’s a case of “you have to try it” (with chocolate) and then decide.

Pear and Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding

Pear and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding; food styling and photo by Catherene Wilson @catherenewilson

DAY 4: Bruschetta

Oh there’s just no end here… Grill the staled bread slices with a sprinkling of olive oil and a twist of good salt, then top with ANYTHING.

Snow Pea & Burrata Bruschetta  
(Here sliced radishes replace the chillies in the original BBC Good Food recipe)

Bruschetta. Photo and food styling: Catherene Wilson Photography @catherenewilson

Maybe try:

Spice roasted grapes and Brie cheese (add chicken if you want to make a meal!).
Best spice roasted grapes we found so far are in James Briscione’s Flavour Matrix.
2Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 6-8 branches fresh, 1 shallot (thinly sliced), 3 cups red or green grapes (cut in half), 1tsp fennel seeds, salt and pepper or sichuan pepper, 1tsp coriander seeds, 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar, 3 pods cardamom, 1 dried chile (arbol or Thai) or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.

Preheat the oven to 220 deg C.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and saute for 1 minute, until just softened.
Add the fennel and coriander seeds, cardamom, chile, and thyme and cook 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
Add the grapes, season well with salt and pepper, and toss well.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and place over medium heat on the stovetop.
Add the vinegar and cook just until it is lightly reduced and syrupy.
Toss well and serve warm.
Serve with sauteed fish, on a cheese plate, or with roasted root veges… and then remember all those leftovers make for perfect bruschetta the next day!!!!

OR think about these ideas from Mindfood magazine 150 (March 2022):

• cottage cheese, oranges and blueberries

• peanut butter, quark and green apple slices

• breaded chicken strips, Chilli Mayo, & marinated onions

• Siroloin steak, coriander cream & pistachios

• Egg salad, bacon & curry onions

• Chicken breast, herb quark & cucumber

• Feta, olives & Harissa mayonnaise

• Marinaded beetroot, quark and Jerusalem artichoke (finely sliced and fried)

• Meatballs, Curry Cream & Sweetcorn Salsa (recipe from p97)
  1 onion, 1/2 bunch coriander, 1 small chilli, 1 Tbsp breadcrumbs, 1/2 Tbsp tomato puree, 300g minced beef, 100g creme fraiche, 250g cream cheese, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/3 tsp ground cumin, 1/3 tsp ground coriander, 4 iceberg lettuce leaves.
  SWEETCORN SALSA: 1 small tin of sweetcorn, 1 small onion, 1 small clove of garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp sunflower oil, 4 slices sourdough, 8 stems Italian parsley.

Peel one onion. Pluck coriander leaves and chop coarsely together with the chilli. Mix thoroughly with breadcrumbs, tomato puree and minced beef. Season well with salt and pepper. Form 4 meatballs from the mixture and slightly flatten. Cover and leave to stand in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix creme fraiche and cream cheese with curry powder, cumin and coriander.
Wash the lettuce, dry and cut into thin strips.
To make the salsa, drain the sweetcorn. Peel the onion and garlic and chop very finely. Heat oil in a pan. Fry everything together over high heat for about 3 minutes. Season with chilli flakes, then stir in the vinegar. Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan. Saute the meatballs on medium to high heat for about 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Cool a little and then cut into thickish slices.
Spread the bread slices with curry cream. Top with iceberg, meatball slices, sweetcorn relish and chopped parsley. Season well and serve immediately.

French Toast (as bread starts staling!)

Grilled Banana French Toast 
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-banana-honey-french-toast 
You can use yoghurt instead of cream, like Catherene did below.

French Toast: Photo and food styling by Catherene Wilson @catherenewilson

Otherwise, try the Banana, Bacon & Blueberry French Toast recipe from (p167) Posh Sandwiches, by Rosie Reynolds.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry bacon until perfectly crispy.
Spread 2 slices of bread with peanut butter and sandwich slices of banana in between them (make 2).
Crack 4 medium eggs into a large, shallow dish; add 100ml milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp maple syrup. Whisk until combined.
Soak the sandwiches in the egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning them a few times.
Meanwhile, make a blueberry sauce, by heating 100g blueberries with 2 Tbsp maple syrup in a small saucepan until the berries start to pop. Allow the sauce to bubble for about 1 minute to reduce the sauce, keeping some berries intact. Set aside.
Heat a knob of butter and a little olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once bubbling, fry the sandwiches for 2-3 minutes, then turn (add a little more butter and oil and baste as needed).
Serve it all together.

(Recipe reworded but taken from (p167) Posh Sandwiches; Over 70 recipes, from Reubens to banh mi, by Rosie Reynolds. Quadrille Publishing, London 2018)

KID-FRIENDLY EASTER TIRAMISU

Kid-friendly Easter Tiramisu

This is Nessie Sharpe’s non-alcoholic, no caffeine and no raw eggs version of that beautiful Hot Cross Bun Tiramisu you spotted here yesterday. It’s another great way to celebrate Easter with your family. It’s also another clever way of re-using this classic fruit bread!

7-9 hot cross buns
1/2 cup boiling water
2 TBSP unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2-3 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg
3 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP custard powder
1 cup milk
1 cup mascarpone
1 cup whipping cream
2 TBSP icing sugar
Chocolate Easter egg to grate

* In a cup mix hot water, cocoa powder and sugar. Set aside to cool.
* In a double boiler, whisk the egg, sugar and custard powder till smooth, whisk in the milk slowly and then continue whisking over heat until thickened. Take off heat and allow to cool.
* When egg mixture is cooled, whisk in mascarpone.
* In a separate bowl whisk whipping cream wit icing sugar until soft peaks.
* Fold into mascarpone mixture.
* Cut hot cross buns in half.
* In a baking dish, layer:
Mascarpone mixture, Grated chocolate egg, Bottom half of hot cross buns, Half the cocoa mixture, the rest of the mascarpone mixture, more grated chocolate, the top of the hot cross bun dunked in cocoa mixture
* Extra grated chocolate egg to finish

📸 & recipe by Nessie Sharpe @bakingequalslove (check her out for more food inspo and deliciousness tips)

Look around the #7daysofbread here or on Instagram for more tips on how to use bread to its full potential and save yourself both money and time during the week.

**bread hacks = solutions to food waste = money saving meal planning. Everybody wins

HOT CROSS BUN TIRAMISU

Another #7daysofbread suggestion from @bakingequalslove
This is ideal for an Easter dessert. It offers you a delicious way to use up your hot cross buns and spare Easter eggs:

Hot Cross Bun Tiramisu (photo and recipe by @bakingequalslove)

1 hot cross bun
~30mL espresso / strong coffee
~30mL Marsala / coffee favoured liqueur
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 TBSP icing sugar
Chocolate Easter egg to grate

* Fold whipped cream, mascarpone together with icing sugar.
* Add sugar to hot coffee and let cool. Add Marsala and stir.
* Cut hot cross bun in half.
* In a glass, layer:
Mascarpone mixture, grated chocolate egg, bottom half of hot cross bun, a couple of Tablespoons of coffee mixture, the rest of the mascarpone mixture, more grated chocolate, the top of the hot cross bun dunked in coffee mixture
* Grated chocolate to finish

For the reel version, go to our Instagram April ‘23 page:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq111DCpglU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

📷💭🙏 For more beautiful photos and food inspo, check out: Nessie Sharpe @bakingequalslove

For other #7daysofbread ideas, have a hunt around for the hashtag on our site or Instagram. We’ll keep adding to it!

Bread care

First few days: Not in the fridge! Unsliced is best.

Keep it on the counter wrapped in a cloth (clean teatowel works!). You can use a slightly damp one if you want to overnight, then pop it in a hot oven for five minutes or so to refresh it. You’ll find what works for you with your oven quick enough.

Avoid keeping it next to windows or in direct sunlight.

After days 1-3 ish: Sliced into the freezer works great!

As do toast and croutons (soups and salads!),
bruschetta (where do I even start and do you seriously have enough bread left over to feast out properly?!),
breadcrumbs (amazing meatballs and crumbed fish and chicken or schnitzel and all the other delicious crumbed dishes…)

You can freeze bread fresh and whole (even better). Then just refresh it in a standard oven 10-15 minutes (you know your oven and how crispy you like it!). This works so well, you might not even notice the difference! Only thing is… how much freezer space do you have???

Note: sourdough lasts longer than unfermented bread because the acidity of the starter inhibits bacteria and molds.
(The exception being those packaged ‘breads’ you buy that don’t go moldy after two years forgotten in the back of your cupboard; what the heck are those things made with???? Nothing grows on them!!!!)

As for croissants, pastries and baguettes: eat immediately if possible! There’s a reason French bakeries usually do small batches of these throughout the day.

To refresh these, though, just pop them in the oven for a few minutes (not too long!).

Want to know more? Try: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/the-best-way-to-store-bread/

The 7 Days of Bread

“The seven days of bread” is a concept Andrew Whitley talks about in his book Do Sourdough: Slow Bread for Busy Lives. I am fully in tune with this idea. Yup. That is the life. He explains :

“As soon as it is baked and cooled, the process of ‘staling’ begins. Slowly, the starches harden and the moist crumb dries out. In sourdough breads, the flavour becomes more pronounced and ‘mature’. With each change comes a new adaptation to what the bread can offer.” (p.129 Do Sourdough: Slow Bread )

“Without time, sourdough fermentation has no meaning. And I would argue that our pleasure in baked bread is one-dimensional (if not illusory) if it excludes any part of a loaf’s passage from newly baked to stale.” (p.128 Do Sourdough: Slow Bread )

His seven days of bread are explained like this:

Day 1 : Fresh
Just out of the oven. No butter (but some self-control) needed. Perfect

Day 2 : Sandwich
Still soft, but firm enough to hold a filling.

Day 3 : Toast
Drying out. Toasting both crisps the outside of the bread and softens the starches of the inner layer of the slice (unless you go on too long). Best eaten just warm, not hot.

Day 4 : Bruschetta
Getting quite dry but not ‘stale’. Toast lightly, top with peppers, onions, olives, goat’s cheese, etc. and finish under the grill.

Day 5 : Crisp breads
Drier still. Slice very thickly with a good bread knife, lay out on a baking tray and dry out in a very low oven until completely crisp.

Day 6 : Croutons
Hard tack. Slice into 1.5cm cubes, fry in a little olive oil (they’ll try to soak up a lot) until they are taking a little colour. Cool, bag up and use later or simply toss into a green salad.

Day 7 : Breadcrumbs
Probably beginning to crack a little as the interior dries and shrinks. Grate or use a food processor. Bag and freeze. Or stir a little olive oil through the crumbs with your fingers and use to top a vegetable casserole.
[Ref: pp. 130-133 Do Sourdough: Slow Bread ]

…So there you have it. Man may not be able to live off bread alone (for long), but this is how you make your bread live for you. I reckon, if you’re not making your own sourdough like Andrew Whitley teaches (worth a try!!!), then:

Day 8 : Buy More Bread

Do Sourdough: Slow Bread for Busy Lives by Andrew Whitley

Visit https://www.breadmatters.com/ for more from Andrew Whitley