Happy Friday!
I assume by now the concentration levels have waned, urgent requirements were tackled this morning and anything that can wait has been shunted onto Monday. And outside must be looking incredibly tempting. It is Friday afternoon in the middle of August after all. Try to stay awake for the next few hours!
Gaylord has these socks with the days of the week printed on them, combined with an appropriate adjective, ‘Terrible Tuesday’ for instance, or ‘Merveilleux Friday’, you get the picture. Not sure why they’re written in Franglais. His work week is all over the place though, so it would be nice if he could coordinate them according to the suitable adjective. Sadly, he does not. Not sure if that is his problem or mine.
For self-employed people, it can often feel like every day is a work day, and Friday brings with it a completely unexpected sense of doom because where did the week go already and how has nothing been achieved??!
So, I’m sure we all know those highs and lows of a working week. I’ve started to notice patterns in my energy levels and have already written an recipe e-book about the need for elevenses should a mid-morning meeting run over and my stomach starts doing its mating call (get your free download here).
But the other great big yawning chasm in the day when I lack all motivation is around 3pm. (I actually mean 2pm. Less than an hour after eating lunch. Not sure how it’s possible). It’s the post-lunch need for a snooze and my brain is being dragged kicking and screaming into a desk chair before being forced by the work-police to think.
This is when I know I need sugar. One temptation is to high-tail it into town and gorge myself on Toulouse’s obscenely indulgent and highly distracting displays of cake, the other is to eat a bowl of Rice Krispies that are kicking around in my cupboard. The best option though is to make my own healthy snacks. And they’ve turned out to be great substitutes for French patisserie and cereal.
So, here are my 4 favourite recipes for snacks to get you through that endless workday.
Cheese Scones
I swear I’m not falling at the first hurdle, as yes I agree, cheese scones don’t really seem to be in the same league as a pile of apple slices. They are not what I would call virtuous, but they are considerably better for my insides than a slice of chocolate and caramel cake from Flower’s Café that I would otherwise be fantasising about.
These cheese scones were made daily in enormous batches at the café I worked at in New Zealand. My head chef, Scott, came up with the recipe. He prepared enormous quantities, producing nearly fifty scones a day at weekends. This is because these cheese scones are unapologetically delicious and sold out every single morning. You had to be quick if you wanted one. The crumb is buttery soft and when sliced in half there a pockets of cheese crystals waiting to be melted on the grill. The surface has a thatch of grated cheese, baked until gold and crackly to touch. Gaylord and I have learnt the hard way that resistance is futile. Reward yourself with a cheese scone.
Cheese Scones
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Adapted from Scott Barrett's recipe
Ingredients
450 g self-raising flour
3 tsp baking powder
15 g sugar
1 tsp salt
115 g cold unsalted butter
125 g grated sharp Cheddar - plus extra for the tops
150 ml cream
165 ml milk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Weigh the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.
Chop the butter into cubes and rub into the flour mixture until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheese.
Mix the cream and milk in a jug and pour it into the bowl, bringing the dough together with a wooden spoon. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and quickly but gently knead it together then flatten it into a thick rectangle with a rolling pin. Cut the dough in half lengthwise then cut each half into four. Line them on the baking tray and top with extra grated cheese.
Put the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown, the scones are well-risen and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Best eaten warm with a little butter.
Sweet Potato and Za’atar Hummus
I’m currently going through a hummus phase. There’s been rather a lot of it you see. It’s not problematic yet, but maybe it was a good thing that we forgot to buy chickpeas at the supermarket the other day. This sweet potato and za’atar hummus was one batch that was a little more avant garde, and when I added some cinnamon I thought, well that’s completely ruined, stop experimenting with hummus woman, but it actually turned out to be incredible.
Hummus is usually intensely savoury with its layers of garlic, cumin, paprika, and tahini, if you have any. Sweet it is not. Throw a sweet potato into the mix and it’s like a baby swan encircled by a group of ducklings, not asked for and unwanted. But I beg to differ - the sweet potato balances the flavours, mellowing the astringency of the lemon and garlic and olive oil. And then you add za’atar, a fabulous mix of sesame seeds, thyme and sumac, which I swear we use for every single marinade at the moment, and the mouthful of hummus starts sweet, then as you chew/gulp, it melds into savoury on your tongue. And that cinnamon, well, it was risky. I thought it was a goner. But after a chill-out period in the fridge, the flavours mellowed and harmonised. Honestly, alchemy was at work. A soft tumble of warming sweetness is followed by a bold swoop from the hummus regulars. All you need it some pita bread, and you have yourself a second lunch.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Adapted from Donna Hay’s recipe
Ingredients
200g peeled and grated sweet potato
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp cumin
200g ready-cooked tinned or jarred chickpeas
1-2 tsp za’atar
30ml lemon juice
30ml water
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of cinnamon
40ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/430°F.
In a baking dish, combine the grated sweet potato with the crushed garlic and the cumin along with some salt. Cover with a sheet of foil. Once the oven is hot, slide the dish in to cook for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potato is steaming and tender. Leave to cool slightly.
Either in the bowl of a food processor, or in a vessel that you can use with your stick blender, add the chickpeas, za’atar, lemon juice, water, paprika, cinnamon, and the cooked sweet potato. Start blending and, once smooth, start pouring in the olive oil so it emulsifies.
Generously season the hummus with salt and pepper. Leave to rest in the fridge for an hour or so for the flavours to meld, then toast a pita and get dipping.