I have always been the biggest fan of cinnamon rolls for special occasions, but my general cravings are usually for cheese-y salty, garlicky decadence. and bread is a forever love affair. so this recipe is adapted from one of my original cinnamon roll recipes, but a tad bit sturdier to hold the heavier wet filling these will fly off the cooling rack faster than you can say kitchen therapy!

Sandwiches,Savoury There is garlic bread, and then there is this beauty that I call flower bread! It’s delightful delicious bread rolls, rolled in layers of delicious fresh herbed and garlic butter, pink peppercorns and joined together to make gorgeous bread flower, brushed lovingly with more butter, and baked to glorious perfection! You can easily roll this into monkey bread format too, but really, isn’t life so much better with flowers? This recipe is simple and straightforward, without any fuss, a wait period of 40-45 minutes, labour for all of 10-15 minutes, and bake time of 15 minutes – this means, if you have an hour and half left for dinner, you can very effortlessly do this! The Recipe Serves 12-18 rolls Ingredients 3 cups flour – 375 g 1 cup water, warm 1 tbsp instant yeast 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp castor sugar 3 tbsp olive oil flavoured butter: 150g butter, soft 1 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp crushed pink peppercorns 1/2 tsp salt if butter is unsalted Instructions Mix the flour with yeast, sugar and salt Then add warm water slowly and form a smooth dough Apply olive oil to the dough and place in a bowl and cover and set aside for 40 minutes Flavoured butter: Mix the butter with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs and set aside Preheat oven to 180C After 40 minutes, punch the dough and knead for 2 minutes Divide dough into 14 or 18 mini equal balls Roll and flatten out, brush the herbed butter and roll into a log Join the ends together and pinch together Flip the folded roll over to show the crease pinch up Join 4 or 5 of these flower petals together at the pinched edge and place on greased pan Brush the top with some more of the butter - this helps it brown well Bake 15-17 minutes at 180C Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving

Sandwiches,Savoury Focaccia – is definitely one of my most favourite kinds of breads. There are so many interpretations and ideas of focaccia around the country and of what it should be like; this recipe is as close to the focaccia I was served throughout my childhood in italian restaurants around the world. Closer to home, the local bakeries make a thicker version, and more of a loaf-bread texture. For me focaccia has a crisp top, bread-y inside, and lot’s of flavourful toppings. A good focaccia does not need dipping condiments. I’ve tried countless recipes to recreate but none justified my memory. But this one finally did – most of focaccia I found previously had a portion of olive oil in the dough – but this one is as simple as it comes – flour, salt, yeast and water. Olive oil poured on top along with toppings. For me, a simple brush of olive oil, garlic, and sea salt is perfect – to be devoured with a wonderful bottle of wine. This is that focaccia. To humour the rest of the family, I added sliced onions, dried sage and rosemary with garlic – it’s delicious! When you start kneading this dough, you may feel is sticky and wet – that’s the signature of a focaccia – don’t worry. Have faith. You prove it twice, and then straight into the oven. You wash just 1 mixing bowl, 2 pans and the surface area you knead on. That’s all you need! Enjoy! The RecipeServes Total time: 3 hours Need: 2 cake tins (8” by 8”) Ingredients 10 g of instant dried yeast 465 g of flour 12 g of salt 320 ml of warm water 1 medium onion, sliced 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp dried herbs (sage, basil, rosemary) 1 tsp sea salt oil extra – for greasing Instructions Whisk the flour, salt and dried yeast in a large wide bowl Slowly pour the warm water into the mix, while bring the dough together – knead for 5 minutes Then tip the dough onto a greased surface and knead well for 5 minutes, stretching out the dough to arms-length on the work surface, tucking the sides into the middle as you go – the dough will be slightly wet – don’t worry. If the dough sticks to your fingers and doesn’t come off quickly, add some more flour – but be careful not to add too much dough. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a bread cloth and leave for around an hour to prove Grease the two pans with olive oil Once the dough has doubled in size gently flatten and stretch to fit into the two greased pans, pushing and stretching the dough to the corners Cover the two pans and place in a warm place to prove again for 1 hour Preheat the oven to 220°C Whisk the olive oil with garlic and herbs and set aside Using the tips of your fingers, dimple the surface of the dough all over. Place the onions over the dough, and the olive oil mixture, followed by sea salt Bake for approximately 20 minutes Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool Serve warm Storage: once completely cool, you can store in a bread box at room temperature Best consumed on the same day, like the Italians

Sandwiches,Savoury This baguette recipe comes to you after months and months of practice. Every time I got to come home for a few days from my last project, I went straight to the kitchen to give this one a shot. The beauty of this bread is the minimal ingredients, and a fairly straight forward procedure – although the first time I made it, it did not seem so. By the third time, this recipe and method became ingrained in my head that even after weeks of break, I still did not require to look at the notes or measurements again!This baguette is free of gluten and bread improver – although I have tried this recipe with adding some of it, I found these came out better without the added interference.Once you get the hang of this one, I assure you, you will never buy baguette from the stores again! The RecipeServes 6-7 mini baguettes Ingredients 50 ml warm water 1 ½ tsp instant dry yeast 1 pinch sugar 450g flour maida 2 tsp salt 285 ml cold water additional flour for dusting oil for greasing lots of ice for the oven Instructions Measure the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside.

 Measure the bread flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt.

 Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, and stir in the dissolved yeast.

 Add the cold water, a little at a time, while stirring, just until a shaggy dough has formed.
 Cover the bowl with damp cloth and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

 Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and gently press it into a rectangle and fold into thirds. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. 

 Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, and cover with damp cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 ½ to 2 hours).

 Divide the dough into 6-7 equal portions, and shape each one into a long loaf Place the loaves on a floured towel, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size for 45 minutes.

 Preheat the oven to 250 C, and place a pan of water with lots of ice on the bottom rack.

 Uncover the baguettes and transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.

 Sprinkle with flour, and make 4 elongated slashes down each one with a lame, razor, or sharp knife. 

 Bake the breads until crusty and brown for approximately 20 minutes The baguettes should give a hollow sound when tapped

This is a delightful sandwich loaf bread that uses ragi flour ( I use coarse flour) with whole wheat flour to make a bread loaf – and for required binding, I had to add some all purpose flour as well. I have done this recipe without maida, and I do not recommend it – this was my only option. You can surely sub the sugar with honey, and I use instant dry yeast. It is quite a delight to make, simple and easy, non fussy, and yields a very big loaf that is soft and tastes perfect with a pat of butter. Almond milk was my choice of milk, because I always have that laying around and need to use up, but regular dairy milk works also. This does not compare to white sandwich bread and the comfort that comes with it, but works for those looking for a healthier alternative. If you do not have an issue with regular white flour,  by all means, replace the entire amount of wholewheat flour with white flour, and you’ll achieve the consistency you will fall in love with. The RecipeServes Ingredients 3 cups ragi flour 1 cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 tbsp sugar 3 tsp instant dry yeast 2 tsp salt ¼ cup almond milk (or regular milk) 2 cups warm water ¼ cup olive oil some extra milk and oats for top Instructions In a bowl combine the three flours, sugar and yeast and mix well Then stir in the salt Make a well in the center and add the milk Take a big fork to the center well and stir slowly, whilst pouring in the warm water, to slowly incorporate the dough together Then tip the dough out onto a greased surface and knead for 5 to 8 minutes Then place the dough into a greased large and deep bowl and cover with a cloth Place the bowl in a warm place to rest for 2 hours After the two hours check the bowl and the dough should have doubled. Punch back the dough – it will not be very airy, but it should be smooth and easy to knead Knead for 5 minutes on a greased surface Prepare an 11-inch loaf tin by greasing it Gently coax and fold the dough into a log the same size as tin and place inside the tin Cover and let it rest for 30-40 more minutes – it should have risen well once again Brush some almond milk on top gently, and sprinkle oats on top (optional) Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 25-28 minutes Remove from oven and allow to cool within the tin on a cooling rack Once completely cooled, turn out and slice and eat!

Sandwiches,Savoury What’s in an egg sandwich? Does it require a recipe post? I’ve often asked myself that and I have come to the conclusion that I cannot possibly NOT share the one sandwich that is my dinner, at least three times a week. These three nights a week, I strive to come home earlier from work to go on the treadmill, and go down to the kitchen to make this sandwich and eat it in front of the TV in the family room. Thereafter I light some candles, apply a face mask, read a book and switch my phones off. It’s a very required downtime I need in my life. So, this sandwich – what’s it all about? Firstly, the bread – is of utter importance – because it has to taste good untoasted. I love the multigrain bread, but this also does good on sourdough and to be brutally honest, it’s best on classic white sandwich bread – but after an hour on the treadmill, even I gain a conscience! Then, there is a smear of mayonnaise – that does not bode well with trainers, but I feel it’s absolutely necessary and hence to reduce the amount I also spread a generous layer of Dijon mustard. Lettuce and cheese, but of course. And last but not least the eggs. I scramble my eggs differently to how I learnt it as a kid. Grease the pan well with olive oil or butter, keep the heat on low. Crack the eggs directly onto the warm pan, careful to not break the yolk just yet. Let the white cook and then gently tap the yolks with the rubber spatula, with which you will imitate the letter 8 until you achieve the desired consistency. Halfway between, add a tablespoon of butter to make very creamy scrambled eggs. I like soft scrambled eggs and this is exactly it. Switch off the heat just before you think you’re done as the heat from the pan will continue to cook the eggs. Note: this will not come close to the classic egg bhurji Each time I make the eggs, I scrounge the fridge for something to add – spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers… this time I found red chilies and I always like a bit of heat. I like to add them in when the olive oil is heating in the pan to give it a bit of roast and when the eggs go in, they simply merge into it. Also, to ensure a smoother unity, chop the veggies as finely as possible. I also never add extra salt into my eggs as mentioned in the recipe below – because I am okay with the condiments and cheese adding the saltiness – but again, this is upto you. The addition of the butter makes for amazingly creamy eggs, but it is something I also forgo for the sake of my love handles! Life is about balance, so I choose mayo over the butter in this particular sandwich.

Sandwiches,Savoury Le Artisan Boulangerie × Kitchen Therapy × The Kitchen Trail The Bread Series   I’ve been complaining a heck of a lot recently about my lack of time management skills and being incredibly busy. But I assure you, I sleep every night with a smile on my face – yes I’m tired, but it’s the sweet pain of labour that is epitome of happiness. We all have dreams, and sometimes mine are rather far out there, but I have every belief that I’ll be getting there soon enough. Plus, with cups of coffee next to me, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time! Now to this glorious sandwich; mushrooms are notorious for making ridiculously easy look difficult, and I must admit, I relish on this fact. It makes me look like a far greater genius than I really am – that’s the beauty about cooking! These mushrooms are quickly sautéed with garlic, rosemary and a bit of balsamic. Team this with melting brie cheese and fresh rosemary – a delight! This can be served as an open toast or grilled – upto you! This is perfect with Le Artisan Boulangerie’s oat bread! Photo Credits: The Kitchen Trail The Recipe Serves 2 Ingredients 4 oat bread slices 100g mushrooms, chopped 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp dried rosemary 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar slices of brie cheese fresh rosemary Instructions In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil with garlic. Once the garlic are fragrant, add the mushrooms and turn the heat on high. After a few minutes add the chilli flakes, rosemary and salt. Let the mushrooms cook, stirring frequently before adding the balsamic and pepper. Let them cook through for another 5 minutes before switching off the heat. Place the mushrooms on one slice of the bread. Add 2-3 slices of brie cheese, and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Fasten with another slice and grill on a non stick pan or toasted oven for 5 minutes or so. Serve immediately.

Sandwiches,Savoury Le Artisan Boulangerie × Kitchen Therapy × The Kitchen Trail The Bread Series   I’m not going to be humble today and say it outright – I make the meanest apple chutney. I consider this my lucky dish – a surprisingly easy chutney with very basic ingredients. It is one of the first recipes I put up on this blog, it’s the chutney that got me a restaurant consultancy contract, and it’s also a dish that’s coming soon in another restaurant. And coincidentally enough, it’s the first episode that released in my association with India Food Network! So, yes, let’s just say, I’m quite attached to this one and for this collaboration, I think we reached a new level – grilled cheese in beetroot bread by Le Artisan Boulangerie, crisped up in a waffle machine! This beetroot sliced bread is delicious on it’s own with just a slather of butter for a fancy maska bun, but in this sandwich, it outdoes itself! Pairing this gorgeous apple chutney, with Red Leicester cheese lending it’s slight spiciness, creates fireworks in the mouth! If you want to serve sandwiches to a bunch of fancy people – this one’s it! Video tutorial for the Apple Chutney: Photo Credits: The Kitchen Trail The Recipe Serves Ingredients 2 beetroot bread slices red Leicester cheese, grated olive oil to brush 1 1/2 cups diced or grated apples 1 onions, finely chopped 2 tsp mustard seeds 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp hing 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp red chili flakes 1/2 cinnamon stick 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp vegetable oil Instructions Heat the oil with mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add the hing, bay leaf, red chilli flakes, cinnamon stick and stir. Then add the turmeric, sugar and apples. Stir until coated with masala. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir a few times and let cook for at least 15 minutes, until softened and resembles a chutney. Spread the apple chutney on one slice of bread, followed by a generous amount of cheese. Cover with the second slice. Heat the waffle machine. Brush some olive oil on the waffle plates and place the sandwich and let heat for around 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese have melted and the waffle print has occurred. Remove, slice and serve.

Sandwiches,Savoury Le Artisan Boulangerie × Kitchen Therapy × The Kitchen Trail The Bread Series   I grew up in a time when ‘vegetarian’ was met with confusion and we were often served fish. Whenever I was invited for dinner, I knew I would be served an eggplant without a doubt. I’d have to specify that anchovies were not okay, nor was fish sauce or prawn crackers – how times have changed in the last decade. So eggplants and Portobello mushrooms were whipped up in innovative ways for me. And a common sandwich served was the eggplant parm – the vegetarian version for the chicken. The eggplant parm sandwich is one of the more substantial ones you can offer and get away without serving any sides. This is a huge meal in itself thanks to meatiness the eggplant provides, along with the garlicky marinara and melting mozzarella and parmesan! The lovely baguette is ideal from Le Artisan Boulangerie that soaks up the juices, yet maintains shape with the heavy eggplant slices. Photo Credits: The Kitchen Trail The Recipe Serves 1 Ingredients 1 baguette 7-8 slices eggplant slices, soaked in salt water 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/8 cup milk 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp dried herbs 2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup marinara sauce 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan fresh basil leaves Instructions In a flat bowl stir the breadcrumbs, salt and herbs together. Place a flat pan on medium heat with the olive oil. Dry the eggplants completely and dip in milk and then into the plate of breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Place the eggplant slices to fry on the pan until they are cooked through. Set aside and dab excess oil off with a paper napkin. Slice the baguette lengthwise from the side and spread a generous amount of marinara sauce on both sides. Place the eggplant slices on one side, followed with basil leaves. Sprinkle cheeses on top and place the breads, open facing, on a baking tray and bake for at least around 6-8 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C, or until the cheese have melted. Remove from oven and fasten the open half of the bread on top of the eggplants. Serve hot.

Sandwiches,Savoury Kitchen Therapy × Le Artisan Boulangerie The Bread Series   Back in boarding school, there used to be a little café close by that we visited on weekends for lunch. It was almost mandatory with my friends. Their range of sandwiches had has confused for the initial few weeks, by which we had sampled almost all of them. Window casings of the lovingly stuffed sandwiches, paninis and of course, desserts. Almost always I settled with a roasted vegetable filling and played with the bread with each order. Vegetables that are well grilled seasoned simply with some olive, garlic, salt and pepper taste just so delicious, and armed with good bread, makes the meal just perfect. Le Artisan Boulangerie’s Ciabatta bread works very well with this filling along with a layer of beetroot pesto to add colour and of course, extra garlicky flavour. For this pesto, I combine it with some cream cheese to help add volume and creaminess. This is a good way to use up the leftover beetroot paste from the Spaghetti Cake and Pasta for a Princess. The vegetables are nicely grilled on a non-stick pan with, and just slightly charred for maximum flavour. This sandwich travels well – simply wrap in a cling film and carry into your lunch box. However, I would reduce the amount of garlic so as to not to affect your co-workers     

Sandwiches,Savoury Le Artisan Boulangerie × Kitchen Therapy × The Kitchen Trail The Bread Series   The food world is a delicious place to be in. There is something profoundly true about people who genuinely love and are passionate about food are also wonderful people. Sure, there are diverse opinions and styles but when it comes down to it, the joy of eating and sharing a meal overcomes everything. As a cook, you can always taste the purity of love in someone’s cooking. So when I met Riddhi of Le Artisan Boulangerie, it was very easy ‘breaking bread’ with her. Her gifted hands make the most delicious croissants, sourdough and ciabatta – and my personal favourite so far, the garlic and cheese bread. When she asked to collaborate, the bread-glutton in me said YES, YES, YES! So we came up with two series – The Bread Series and The Dipping Series – a range of recipes to give her customers creative ideas on what they can do with her breads and lavash. For this we have also roped in the fabulous photographer – Krishna Lalbhai of The Kitchen Trail, and needless to say, we three women tend to enjoy our shoot days far more than necessary (I write while chewing on a sinful chocolate croissant!). This sandwich is with Quinoa Sourdough – a healthy and wholesome loaf with spiced pear chutney and slices of paneer – so quick and easy. This chutney has previously featured in Cheese Platter on a Budget. The Recipe Serves 1 Ingredients 2 slices Quinoa Sourdough 50 g paneer slices 1/4 cup spiced pear chutney mustard Instructions Spread a thick layer of the spiced pear chutney on one slice of the bread. Layer paneer slices on top. Spread some mustard on the other slice of bread and place on top of the paneer. Fasten with a toothpick if required.

Sandwiches,Savoury The past few weeks has my darling mother obsessing over baking bread. We have gone through kilos of flour and packets of yeast, and our burgeoning love handles are proof of their successes. While a loaf bakes, another batch is set to rise, and so on. My house centres around the dining table, a haven for conversation, laughter and many debates – and since the arrival of these breads have taken over the table while we silently chew and relish each bite… most of the times. And I didn’t want to be left behind – my mother and I usually have some sort of healthy competition around the house! These bread rolls are gorgeous, ridiculously easy and knead in warm milk; there is something very 50s about them when freshly baked dinner rolls were the standard in every American home. As I had a ton of fresh herbs and these power-packed Thai red chillies, I threw them into the dough. You can use fresh coriander and mint leaves in replacement. The original recipe had less milk, more water, less rising time, but I frayed far, left these to rise overnight for maximum effect, and I also added olive oil for depth and well, it’s olive oil. I imagine it’d be all right to declare these foolproof bread rolls. Enjoy!  The Recipe Serves 8 Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 2 tsp active dry yeast 3/4 cup milk 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp fresh herbs and sliced red chillies extra olive oil to brush Instructions Warm the milk slightly, just enough that your finger doesn’t burn. Add the yeast and sugar and set aside for 15 minutes to activate. With a fork stir the flour and salt together and make a well in the center. Add the milk mixture, herbs and olive oil and knead for 15 minutes to form a soft dough. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a bread cloth and place in a warm place for at least 2 hours or until it doubles. Punch down the dough and knead for a few more minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal sized balls. Place in a greased baking tin. Cover with the bread cloth and set aside for an hour, in a warm place. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the tin in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Open the oven and brush some olive oil on top of the buns. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.