Barley salad with kale, walnuts, cranberries and an orange-maple dressing

When I bought cranberries for my cranberry and chocolate chip banana bread, I had more berries than the bread required. I used the leftovers for this barley salad. Whilst completely different to the sweet bread, I liked it just as much and have been eating it for lunches across the week.

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Cranberry and chocolate chip banana bread

On Sunday we went to a pot luck Christmas event, organised by one of the mother's I met through a local mother/baby group. Mr Bite and I are not the most sociable couple (I think it's safe to say we are both introverts!) but with moving to a new country and then a new town, I have tried to make an effort to build our social networks. Our school and university friends are back in Australia, as our are families, and I don't think it's healthy for us to be completely isolated. The pot luck event was enjoyable and a nice opportunity to socialise with other couples with babies.

I took along some hummus and vegetable sticks, as well as this cranberry and chocolate chip banana bread. I adapted it from a non-vegan cranberry banana bread, but opted to swap out the walnuts used in the original for more decadent chocolate chips. I really loved the bread and am pleased to share the recipe now.

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Vegan chocolate cranberry layer cake with a cranberry ganache icing

Last weekend was my birthday and therefore a good opportunity for cake experimentation. It is helpful when the only person you'll let down with a baking failure is yourself; it frees one up to try something new and not worry too much about what may go wrong. In my case, the 'new' was this chocolate cranberry layer cake with a cranberry ganache icing.

I surprised myself by choosing a chocolate cake, as I think of my cake tastes as more aligned with fruit and vanilla. Not this year! In saying that, there was a definite fruit component to this cake and (I think) the cranberries made it more exciting than your typical chocolate cake.

I adapted the cake from a chocolate cranberry cake on Brave Tart, which wasn't vegan but did provide gluten-free options. My cake contained gluten but omitted the eggs and used dairy substitutes. It was dense and decadent whilst also being fluffy, and chocolatey without being overpowering. The cranberries within the cake were subtle and those in the icing allowed for a tart edge that balanced the usual sweetness of ganache.

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Lani Muelrath's The Plant-Based Journey: Review, give away + recipe for cranberry sauce with dates and oranges

I am delighted to share this review and give away of Lani Muelrath's new book The Plant-Based Journey. Whilst there are many vegan-focused recipe books out there, this contribution stands out because it focuses more broadly on the whole lifestyle of plant-based eating. There is easily accessible science (reminiscent of The China Study but in summary form); helpful descriptions of plant-based food groups and how they can combine to give different meals; an actual meal plan example; and then both recipe templates (including customizable bases for burgers, soups and bowl meals...) and specific recipes.

Lani Muelrath has an impressive reputation as an author, speaker and teacher on plant-based and mindful living. She has a qualification in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University and is active in promoting a plant-based lifestyle in the US. In The Plant-Based Journey. she draws on her own 40-odd years of plant-based eating experience.

Cranberry sauce with dates and oranges

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Chocolate, hazelnut and cranberry truffle balls {London marathon fundraising}

It has been far too long between fruit and nut truffle recipes. These go some way to making up for lost time. I think they are now amongst my favourite truffles (although I have a tendency to say that with all new truffle ball recipes!). The mix of hazelnut, cocoa, dried cranberries and coconut is gorgeously balanced, and utterly delicious.

Alas, my running this week has not been quite as perfect. I discovered the meaning of "hitting the wall" last Saturday, when I had an experience at mile 17 (of an intended 21) that I hope not to repeat in a hurry. My legs didn't want to move, I felt light headed and dizzy, and I wanted to sit on the pavement and cry. Having run 20 miles the week before, it was a disconcerting experience, only offset slightly by coming down with some kind of virus since. I'm glad to have a possible reason for my Saturday experience, but being unwell means I've missed some shorter runs too. I'm trying to remember that one disrupted week of training won't make or break the marathon, but it is frustrating.

Hopefully next week will bring full health and a smoother long run. In the meantime, these aren't a bad way to top up energy levels, irrespective of physical health.

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Cranberry, chia seed and carob porridge (oatmeal)

I know I did a giant porridge post not that long ago, but it has snowed twice here this week. Snow in London isn't all that common and so it very much feels like porridge weather. This cranberry, chia seed and carob porridge is a perfect breakfast for cold mornings. 

Our first snowfall was on Saturday, when I was graced with falling snow for miles 4 to 10 of my long run. It didn't really settle, but we had another light scattering yesterday and there were a few snow topped houses and white parks. It's a beautiful aspect of winter. 

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Made over orange, cranberry and chocolate chip biscuits

I'm pleased to say that in the space of a week, I have gone from disorganised to organised with Christmas food. I've sorted our Christmas meals for the Lake District, made my annual spiced Christmas cookies, and made a healthier, orange flavoured version of my popular cranberry and dark chocolate cookies.

Spiced Christmas cookies

Yesterday, we also had an early Christmas dinner with my UK family, making another day trip to my grandparent's home in Sussex. There were nine of us in total and it was great to be able to join in on celebrations with family here. We went out for the meal and I enjoyed a nut roast that may have been the best I've had (although I'll concede I haven't had all that many). The setting in a Tudor building was great too - quite different to Australian Christmas!

Christmas dinner, plant style -
nut roast with a sweet potato and coriander sauce, and vegetable trimmings

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Pumpkin apple and cranberry muffins

It's taken a while, but I am finally grasping the implications of having a whole, full size freezer in our garage. All those months and years I bemoaned my inability to make things in bulk and freeze snacks and meals for later? I can finally make up for lost time.

(Or at least, I can make up for lost time within the bounds of planning to move countries in 6 months.)

On the weekend, I embraced this realisation with two batches of muffins. These vegan pumpkin, apple and cranberry muffins were one batch. They are adapted from the vegan pumpkin apple muffins on Minimalist Baker. They are full of goodness, easy to make, and completely delicious.

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Christmas food ideas: Cranberry rolls

According to Wikipedia, cranberries are a source of several vitamins, micronutrients and antioxidants, and may have benefits for cardiovascular health, immune functioning, kidney functioning, and as anti-cancer agents.

I suspect these benefits are most potent in raw, unsweetened cranberries, but I think we could argue they extend to these cranberry rolls too.

Or at least, I'm going to argue that because I have eaten rather a lot of these and I'm looking forward to eating more.

Like a cranberry version of a fruit bun, these are slightly sweet without being too sweet, and have a bready texture that is worth the kneading and rising time. I think they would be a perfect addition to Christmas breakfast or brunch, or at Christmas themed picnics.

The fact that I recommend these after making a complete mess of our kitchen, and getting dough irretrievably stuck in the bottom of my KitchenAid dough blade, probably says a lot too. They were worth the mess!

Cranberry rolls

Makes approximately 20 rolls

Adapted from cranberry nut rolls at Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Print this recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup bread flour

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups soy milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)

2 tbsp oil

Egg replacer to the equivalent of 1 egg (or 1 egg)

2 cups dried cranberries (~170g) (mine were sweetened but unsweetened would work well if you can find them and want a lower sugar option)
~1 tsp brown sugar, extra, optional

Instructions

Combine the 3 1/2 cups bread flour, brown sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl, a food processor with dough blade attached, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Beat the dry ingredients together briefly, to combine, either using your food processor / mixer or by hand.

[I used a food processor with dough blade.]

Warm the milk to 35'C, if you have a thermometer, or for ~30 seconds on medium power in the microwave, until warm to the touch, if you don't. 

[I did the latter. I'm grateful these still worked out.]

Whisk the warmed milk and oil together. Prepare the egg replacer (or egg) and whisk this in with the milk and oil.

Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, beating on low speed. Continue beating for approximately 1 minute, until a wet dough comes together.

Add the cranberries to the dough mixture.

If you are using the dough blade in a food processor, continue beating with the dough blade to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

If you are using a stand mixer, swap the paddle attachment for the dough hook and beat on low speed to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 - 6 minutes.

If you are working by hand, knead your dough manually until smooth and elastic. 

Whilst kneading, add the extra 1/2 cup flour gradually.

When the dough is well-kneaded and smooth and elastic, transfer to a large bowl sprayed with cooking oil spray. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 2 hours.

[I actually left my dough to rise for 4 hours in this step, because I started this before we went out to run errands. Not brilliant planning. Again, I'm grateful these still worked out. I think they're resilient rolls.]

Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

When the dough has risen, roll into 20 small balls. Place these on the lined baking trays and spray with cooking oil spray. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 1 1/2 hours. 

[Because of my 4 hour rising time earlier, I skipped the 1 1/2 hour rising here and went straight to the next step. Feel free to follow the original steps or take my haphazard approach.]

 Pre-heat the oven to 220'C. Sprinkle the rolls with extra brown sugar, if desired, and allow to rise for another 15 minutes.

Place the rolls in the oven and reduce the heat to 200'C. 

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, until slightly golden.

I checked my rolls at 15 minutes, thought they could do with a little longer, went back at 18 minutes and found them just a little too golden. Check regularly after 15 minutes!

This recipe sounds complicated, but it really isn't. The hardest part is kneading the dough / cleaning up after the kneading, and allowing time for the rolls to rise. As I noted, the result is definitely worth the time required.

I found that the rolls were quite fluffy and light on the day they were baked, and didn't seem that different to baked goods made without yeast. However, by the second day they were more like rolls, with a chewier and doughier texture.

Quite delicious!

Tracey's original recipe had 1 cup of cranberries and 1 cup walnuts, and that would be a less sweet alternative if you like nuts in baked goods. I think adding some orange juice would be a nice flavour combination too.

Do you have any favourite uses for cranberries?

Expect more Christmas themed recipes over the next few weeks :)

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