Dear Hovis, I'm sorry...it's over!

In class yesterday, a discussion came up about cutting down on carbohydrates to lose weight. Some people say you shouldn't eat carbs at all, some say not in the evenings, and some say thats a load of rubbish and you should eat a balance of all food groups! I'm inclined to go with the latter, but this may be less to do with my knowledge of nutrition and more to do with my love of carbs!!


I love carbs, potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread are some of my favourite foods! I cannot even begin to imagine ho boring a life without carbs would be. Now while I'm not suggesting that binging on large amounts of mashed potato or chips every night is brilliant for you-carbs give you energy, and they also taste bloody good. 


Without carbs we wouldn't have risotto (delicious with mushrooms and a white wine sauce!) We wouldn't have pasta bake, we wouldn't have paella, we wouldn't have leeky pie topped with mash, and spaghetti bolognese would just be...bolognese. Where's the fun in that? 


I am currently tucking into a delicious slice of home-made bread with peanut butter, which is definitely one of my favourite breakfasts. But believe me, once you've tried home made bread the shop variety just doesn't taste the same. So be warned, if you don't want to be put off your hovis, don't try this at home!!! xx






Simple Baguette Recipe (makes 4)


ingredients:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast                              400-500ml warm water
550g unsifted strong white flour                        2 teaspoons salt
1 egg beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water


1. in a small bowl dissolve yeast in 100ml water. set aside for 10mins
2.combine flour and salt. add yeast mix, stir in remaining 300ml water, a bit at a time. mix until sticky enough to knead (you may need more water)
3.Knead for approx 10mins until dough is sticky but smooth
4. put sough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approx 1 hour)
5. punch down dough and divide into piece. roll each piece into a ball and then pull out into a baguette shape. Transfer to a slightly greased baking sheet and let rise until nearly doubled in size
6.brush with egg-water  mix and score diagonally across with a sharp knife
7. pour 500ml of hot water into a pan and place in preheated over (230/gas mark 8) bake the baguettes for approx 15mins, before lowering the temperature to 200(gas mark 6) and bake for a further 10mins.
8. cool on a rack before slicing

9. ENJOY! Time-consuming but so worth it!