Five different recipes to try with your sourdough discard

As I mentioned in my sourdough tips post, you will be left with lots of sourdough discard when you start regularly baking. I'm pretty obsessed with getting the perfect sourdough loaf so I seem to have rather a lot of discard on my hands. This isn't a bad thing but it means I am constantly trying to think of ways to use it up. Here are some of my favourite recipes and ones I am using time and time again.

The Boy Who Bakes sourdough chocolate chip cookies
I'm going to be bold and say these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. Honestly I really can't rave about them enough. The sea salt and dark chocolate really is a perfect combination. They had the ideal chewy texture and I wish I had made the full batch. I won't be making that same mistake again next time I attempt them!

The Boy Who Bakes banana and chocolate sourdough muffins
I am obsessed with Ed's baking blog. I'm on a roll trying out all his recipes and they are so successful. He really knows his stuff! Not only do I seem to have an endless supply of sourdough discard I also have endless bananas! I'm not really a fan of bananas unless they're in cake so I wait until the ones from our vegetable box are overripe. I have recently become a massive fan of chopping chocolate into chunks rather than relying on chocolate chips. They help to create gorgeous puddles of melted chocolate. These were absolutely delicious and had that tasty sourdough tang.

Izy Hossack's sourdough brownies
Brownies are my arch nemesis  They're the one bake which I really can't seem to perfect, no matter how many times I make them.  These are the best ones I have attempted. The outer ones were still a bit too cakey for my liking but the middle ones had the gooey-ness I have always dreamed off. These were extremely rich and a batch goes a very long way. I'd love to try them next time with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

The Spruce Eats sourdough pancakes
I'm not usually a fan of American-style pancakes. I much prefer the thin crepe version. Usually with lots of sugar and lemon please! But I really do like these! I add blueberries to mine as they're cooking, just sprinkling a few on top. I've made these a couple of times now and they always come out really fluffy!

Bon Appétit sourdough crackers
These are one of the most addictive things I've made. Who knew crackers could be so easy?! Not me! I've tried flaked sea salt, Za'atar, sumac and garlic granules so far as toppings. Garlic ones were a bit meh but the rest were winners! My favourite are the Za'atar ones. They're great to just keep in a container in the kitchen for when hunger strikes. But keep in mind they don't last very long... My boyfriend had the salted ones with some leftover chili and said they tasted just like nachos! 

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Why cooking is so important to my mental health

It's been six weeks since I have been furloughed from work and let me tell you, I'm all over the place. I always thought I enjoyed my own company and relished in being alone. But I have discovered that whilst I do like my own company, I just don't like to be alone with my own thoughts. I am complete over-thinker of situations and a worrier by nature. This current situation has made me into a complete bundle of nervous energy and I feel utterly exhausted in my day-to-day life. So I have, like so many other people, turned to my kitchen as a coping mechanism.

I've always been a keen cook and this seems to have intensified during the restrictions. I find pouring over a recipe for an hour or two can really help to clear my mind. My mind concentrates on what is in front of me rather than whirling away like a tornado and causing me to feel on edge. For a moment, after I've made something delicious, I feel normal again and not trapped in this 'new normal' everyone seems to be banging on about.

What I put inside my body each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner seems to be the only thing in my control at the minute. I can't control anything else in the world. This is something very difficult to comprehend for someone who is an obsessive planner and control freak. But if I want to have a lasagne for dinner then I can make that lasagne!

I am cooking and baking far too much than a two-person household needs. We try to eat it all but sometimes we just can't before it goes bad. So we are doing numerous drop-offs on our daily exercise during the week. We're lucky we live within walking distance of most of our friends so we haven't felt as isolated as some people. Dropping off a slice of banana bread or a loaf of sourdough is my way of letting friends and family know I'm thinking of them. That 5 minute wave from the top of their path does all the difference to my mental health.

So, I'm not going to stop cooking up a storm any time soon. Even when I have to load up the dishwasher for the fourth time that day. It's bringing me so much joy and I have never eaten so well in my life. Long may it continue!

Have you been cooking or baking as a coping mechanism too?

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What I've been cooking #13: East by Meera Sodha

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Meera Sodha. I have all her cookbooks and religiously read her vegan column in the Guardian each week. I'm not sure why it took me so long to order her newest offering East but I finally did a week before the UK went into lockdown. What a great purchase it turned out to be! I'm lucky that I have a well-stocked larder so have most of the cupboard essentials listed in the book. I just need to order in fresh food. Thank the lord for veg box deliveries eh? The cookbook is all vegetarian or vegan with lots of recipes coming from her Guardian column. They aren't the most authentic recipes but rather a riff on recipes from all over East Asia. Meera just has a knack for writing recipes for the home cook. They always work so unbelievably well and she really does know what flavours go together. I know this is a cookbook I'm going to pull out time and time again. The pages are already well loved!

Honey, soy and ginger braised tofu
Up until we went to Malaysia last February I always avoided Tofu like the plague. I was convinced it wasn't for me. Then I had it fried and suddenly everything changed. Smother it in cornflour, fry it in batches and you'll be greeted with something incredibly addictive. I added the extra step of coating it in cornflour in this recipe and it made all the difference. The sauce was sweet and spicy thanks to addition of gochujang, fast becoming one of my favourite things to add to a dish. I served it with roasted purple sprouting broccoli and some brown rice. As soon as I took my first bite, I vowed to make it again.

Paneer, tomato and kale saag
Admittedly I kept things fairly traditional and used spinach instead of kale. I had loads in the freezer and didn't want to make an unnecessary trip to the shops to buy kale. I love cooking curry, eating curry and the smell of curry. It just feels so homely to me and proper comfort food. I'd have it everyday for dinner. I've only recently been cooking with paneer at home but I'm addicted to the cheese. I served this with some pilau rice and it was delicious. I halved the recipe for two people but kept the same qualities for four with the sauce. I like my curries to be very saucy! I'd love to try it with kale to see how it differs.

Sun House chilli eggs
Wow this had a kick to them! I love any type of baked eggs and as soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it out. I loved the fact it wasn't as saucy as other baked egg dishes and the addition of cheddar cheese was a game changer.

Mushroom bao
I made bao. I can't quite believe it! Five years ago I didn't even know how to boil pasta, I started baking then moved into teaching myself to cook a few years later. It still blows my mind when I manage to create something edible and delicious! These turned out to be quite fat and in hindsight I should have rolled them a bit thinner and made the recommended 10 rather than eight. But I am so happy with out they turned out and it was fab to use the bamboo steamer I treated myself to in lockdown. I couldn't believe how simple these bao were to make. Meera's instructions were flawless!

Black-eyed bean and chickpea usal
I added extra broth to this so that I had more to dip my bread into. This didn't wow me at all and I think it's the recipe I enjoyed the least. It just didn't spark any joy and I didn't immediately think I wanted to make it again after I had finished. To me, that is always a good sign of any recipe.  It's great to use up those tins at the back of your cupboard and it does make a quick, simple lunch.

Sodha family masala omelette
I made this for lunch to eat alongside a simple mixed, green salad. As always I do the full recipe and we eat it over two days.  I subbed in Kasmiri chili powder for the green finger chilli and dried coriander leaf for fresh as that is what I had in the house. We've got to work with what we've got! I preferred the Sun House chilli eggs and would suggest you make that one instead.

Kimchi fried rice
Kimchi is one of those ingredients that I always pick up if I see it in our local Asian supermarket. It's such a great store cupboard essential and you can make so many different types of dishes with it. I love the tang of the fermented cabbage. Fried rice is pure comfort food isn't it? This version lives up the expectations I gave it. I loved it! I imagine it'll be even better as leftovers the next day. Definitely do not skip the fried egg on top!

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