Short and Tweet Challenge 14: Lentil-stuffed flatbreads; North-South cornbread; Superwraps
This week’s #shortandtweet challenge from Dan Lepard’s Short & Sweet was for Lentil-stuffed flatbreads pg 73; Superwraps pg 72 or North-South cornbread pg 53. [I’ve opened with @north_19’s photograph of her cornbread as it seems particularly comforting in the present weather and I’m feeling a trifle nesh and in need of even vicarious comfort.]
Although she name-checks Little House on the Prairie, @north_19 of North_19 has woven together a day that sounds like a grown-up version of A.A. Milne, it’s only an outdoor hum for snowy weather that is missing from Wintry Weather, Cornbread & Spicy Beans. In default of the hum, there is a quick overview of varieties of cornbread and a recipe for the spicy beans (featured in the following photograph) which is well worth a look in addition to photographs of her snowy garden (including footprints but neither Wizzles nor Woozles).
It’s my week for vicarious enjoyment. @underthebluegum of Under the Blue Gum Tree has fond memories of cornbread: “I love cornbread. It reminds me of road trips across the US and the guilty pleasure of an American diner I used to visit in London for a pulled pork sandwich and a side of cornbread all washed down with a Long Island iced tea”. I found Claire’s notes helpful when making this recipe and will adapt some of her tweaks (such as adding spring onions and sweetcorn) next time: Short and Tweet: North-South Cornbread.
The cornbread was soothingly simple to put together and I intend to make up bags of the dry-mix to pull out mid-week to make up a fast accompaniment to stews or soups. My Best Beloved would happily have eaten the entire quantity at one sitting had I not insisted that I needed to know if it would re-heat well (it does - even in a microwave). I didn’t have room for a skillet in the oven so resorted to a somewhat too shallow roasting tray (I reduced the bicarbonate of soda slightly to compensate for the faster cooking time) but the crumb was still light and tender.
I was delighted that several people made up the superwraps (they’re still on my schedule but keep being bumped). @jerronimmissus of Jerronimissus had tried out the Superwraps with oatmeal the first time and although they were OK, decided to re-do them using quinoa. The second time was the charm although I haven’t been able to locate a photograph for them.
@BakerHay tweeted a picture of her enticing superwraps as part of an elegant brunch and table-setting. This photograph contributes to the realisation that we all have very different understandings of the same word. In my household, brunch is the term for what is plonked in front of people when they are too late for breakfast and threats of wholly-disproportionate retribution are scarcely sufficient to bring them shuffling to the table under threat of having nothing until the evening.
Misky of Misk Cooks brought a smile to my heart with the shapes and faces she created while dry-toasting the quinoa for Dan Lepard’s Superwraps. In amongst musings about the nutritional profile of quinoa and its change in appearance as it was processed during the recipe, there are Misky’s level-headed interpretations of the recipe instructions: “Knowing from experience that when Dan says ‘”thin” he means “thinner than you’d believe possible” … I just kept rolling and rotating and flipping each 70 grams of dough until doing so any further seemed obsessive.”. Misky enjoyed the wraps and, importantly, “Mr Misk liked them, too. That’s always an important consideration in whether I’ll make something again or not. I’ll be making these again”.
A number of us cooked up the lentil-stuffed flatbreads with extra notes and guidance from the very helpful Franka Philip (@trinifood of Can Cook Must Cook) who was kind enough to share a gallery of photographs that illustrate how she and Dan Lepard made these.
@Zeb_Bakes of Zeb Bakes advises us to Try A Little Tenderness in her characteristically well-documented manner. There are some helpful, close-up illustrations of the roti making (including enviously thin rolling and superb colouration) alongside stray thoughts about why the lentil filling changed to red from the original yellow-orange (I think it has something to do with the interaction of the turmeric in the lentils and the acid of the dough/alkali of the baking soda). I was completely smitten by the image of the breakfast roti, served with egg and bacon in glorious sunshine.
@Zeb_Bakes mentioned rolling pins in her post and @tomasi_carla posted a photograph of some of her varied collection of them.
Carla had also prepared the stuffed flatbreads with some of her own tweaks (she included potato and leeks and prepared the breads in a chargrill pan) and I’ve collected her tweeted notes with Storify: @tomasi_carla’s #shortandtweet flatbreads. Her conclusion? “That is one bread I will [definitely] make again.”
A warm welcome to @Leavened_Heaven of Leavened Heaven who has embraced his need for “clandestine midnight baking” and joined us with, Lentil-Stuffed Flatbreads; My Inaugural #ShortandTweet Adventure. There are lively notes and a reminder as to the need to be methodical: “Towards the end of the batch, when the family were getting cranky re the lack of dinner on the table, I made the mistake of rushing one and not using enough flour, and stretching the dough too thinly at the join. The results were a selection of tears in the flatbread, which produced the only runt of the litter. Overall, I rate the whole thing a success”.
Mitchdafish of Mitchadafish blog had had rather a trying time prior to attempting these which may explain the declaration: Lentil-stuffed Flatbreads - the stuff of nightmares. Apparently, the previous irritation meant that “these flatbreads did not have the benefit of much in the way of patient bakers ju-ju. It was the stuffing and rolling that challenged my patience”. Fortunately, @ernyberny stepped up to cook them which possibly averted something dire.
This is where I confess that I knew in advance that the stuffing and rolling of the flatbreads would completely sap my small store of tolerance so I delegated these tasks to my Best Beloved (I find it best to be realistic about what I can/not do). We enjoyed them with both cauliflower and egg curries: however, I’m also considering them for a hearty snack in the near future after seeing @Zeb_Bakes’s breakfast version.
@jerronimissus of Jerronimissus was pleased to announce, “Another success in the Short and Tweet kitchen”: Lentil stuffed flatbreads officially “yummy yummy”. This is the official verdict of 4year-old Little E and should therefore be accorded great weight. “Little E is really keen on flatbreads and these and the Superwraps are a brilliant way to give them a bit of a nutritional boost.”
It’s apparent that #shortandtweet search doesn’t always show everyone’s tweets so I apologise if I missed any notifications - please let me know and I’ll update this compilation.
Next week’s challenge recipes are batter-based. Crêpe Suzette Tour d’Argent pg 280 looks like an extravagant dish but might just be an excellent way to use up small amounts of Cointreau or Grand Marnier left over from recent festivities. Less frivolous, but just as delightful for those of us with fond memories of similar drop scones, is Betsy’s Scotch pancakes pg 279. When you read the cooking notes, you can hear the friendly admonition. Another option is the Beer batter for fish that Dan details pg 285 (note the helpful suggestion to make onion rings from any leftover batter: “frozen ones on sale at the supermarket are just so dismal”). If you blog about your experience with a recipe, please post links in the comments or tweet pictures or links to @foodcraftspace or @evidencematters using the hashtag #shortandtweet - Thank you. It’s the same procedure if you don’t blog but just post a photograph of your work. Please send the links by 8pm 12 February or as soon thereafter as practical.
Schedule for the #shortandtweet February 2012 challenge.
Outline for #shortandtweet challenge and its conditions. Thank you to everyone for taking part. I look forward to seeing next week’s crêpes, drop scones or battered fish and/or onions.
