Two fun recipes for those who would like to celebrate their significant other with breakfast in bed on Women's Day.
Soft, fluffy Banana Cinnamon Toasties are a delightful morning wake up.
Tomato Olive Focaccia Bread tastes great and can be topped with whatever herbs you have at home.
Photographs: Kind courtesy Sangita Agrawal
Banana Cinnamon Toasties
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 2 slices of brown or white bread
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 tsp butter
- Pinch dalchini or cinnamon powder
- Pinch black pepper powder, optional
- Pinch salt, optional
- Butter for frying
Method
- Slice the banana.
- Spread butter on both bread slices.
Arrange a layer of banana slices on one of the buttered side.
Sprinkle the salt, cinnamon, pepper.
Cover with the second buttered slice.
- Melt a little butter in a frying pan over low-medium heat and toast the sandwich.
Flip after a few minutes so the sandwich is a nice golden-brown colour on both sides.
Take off heat and cut the sandwich diagonally and serve warm.
Note: For vegan toasties, opt to fry in a little vegetable oil and lather the bread with cashew butter, available online or make your own [external link]
For gluten-free toasties, use a ragi loaf.
Weightwatchers may also opt for ragi bread and no butter, but a dash of oil.
Banana has more sugar than other fruits. You may consider replacing the banana with slices of apples or kiwi.
Easy Tomato Olive Focaccia Bread
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water (not too warm)
- 2 tsp yeast
- 2 tsp honey
- 4 cups maida or all-purpose flour + 2 tbsp for dusting
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp sliced garlic, optional
- 2+2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped spring onions greens
- 1 tbsp sliced black olives
- Fresh herbs, like rosemary or thyme or parsley or basil, for garnish before baking, optional
- Extra virgin olive oil for greasing the dough and the baking tray
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water, honey, yeast and mix well.
Cover and rest for 10 minutes or until frothy.
Stir in the flour, minced garlic, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, salt.
Gently mix.
- Transfer the dough on to a flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into a round ball and coat with a little olive oil.
Cover.
Let it rise in a warm place for an hour or until double in size.
- Take out the risen dough from the bowl and press it into a lightly-oiled 9 x 13 inch baking sheet pan until it touches the edges.
Cover with a damp cloth and rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 40-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450°F or 200°C.
Drizzle a tbsp olive oil on the dough.
Using your fingers, poke holes all over the dough.
Top the dough with the tomato slices, olives, spring onion greens and the sliced garlic.
Sprinkle sparingly with a little fresh rosemary or any other fresh herb on hand.
Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil all over.
Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Cool on a rack.
Cut into pieces and serve warm.
Note: Make sure the yeast is fresh.
For a crunchier taste, reduce the salt in the dough and sprinkle sea salt on the focaccia dough before baking.
Instead of slices of fresh tomato, opt for pieces of roasted sundried tomatoes.
You may like to serve the warm focaccia with a thimble of extra virgin olive oil mixed with chilly flakes, a pinch of dried oregano, a pinch of dried garlic and a little fresh rosemary.
For gluten-free focaccia, use oat flour.
Hold the oil and dilute the maida with oats, quinoa for a less calorific focaccia.
Skip the salt for sodium-free focaccia.
Sangita Agrawal lives in Mumbai and publishes the food blog Bliss of Cooking.