Croutons

Aug 18, 2013 | 0 comments

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Croutons are incredibly useful little things. They can shoosh up many a dish.

a dish of croutons.

 

Try using the end of a loaf, or something that’s gone a bit stale to eat as bread to make some. You could freeze them, or the un-croutoned bread (my preference), so you can have some at a moments notice.

You can make a meal out of them in a Panzanella with some very ripe tomatoes, sprinkle them on an inexpensive soup to make it a little special, keep a few in a dish and nibble on them as a snack, sprinkle some on any salad as an additional layer of flavour/texture, use them as a savoury snack instead of crisps. Oh, and lots of other things too, make some and see what you can come up with!

What changes can I make to croutons?

Having made some recently, I think I will experiment with flavouring them.

  • Some garlic paste
  • or ginger and garlic paste,
  • or some tandoori spice powder,
  • or any of many other curry spice powders, perhaps with a teeny pinch of dried chilli, or a fine chopped fresh one.
  • Or having had cinammon toast this morning, I think I’ll try cinammon, mixed spice or nutmeg, with a dusting of sugar.
  • They would go well sprinkled on a breakfast of fuit and yogort don’t you think? Yum! I really fancy some of the tandoori spice and some mixed spice ones to snack on now instead of crisps (not that I eat crisps!)
  • Oh yes, and what about herbs? Some fine chopped rosemary mixed into the oil before tossing, or sprigs of it to go all crispy in the oven.
  • Or thyme, or sage.
  • Not sure about basil, but worth a try.
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper,
  • a teeny bit of anchovy paste,
  • maybe a few drops of balsamic
  • or lemon juice………

The basic recipe would be something like this

What Do I Need To Make Croutons

For a decent sized batch

  • 250g stale bread, cut into rough cubes
  • 40ml veg oil

summer tomatoes in a vegan panzanella

How To Make Croutons

  • Toss the bread with the oil and some salt and pepper
  • blast in the oven until browning and crispy
  • Or toast the croutons in a frying pan rather than using the oven

These feature in Meal Plan 1, a complete 7 day plan for 2 adults. Contains 3 meals a day, plus snacks , all recipes and a shopping list

What Can I Use Croutons For

 

Soufflé Croûton Slice

An Autumn Panzanella

 

Panzanella with lovely sun ripened tomatoes.

 

These feature in Meal Plan 1, a complete 7 day plan for 2 adults. Contains 3 meals a day, plus snacks , all recipes and a shopping list

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  1. Cauliflower and chick pea soup with little dumplings, 40p a servingThrifty Lesley – 1 person, 1 day, £1 - […] could use croutons instead of […]
  2. Week Two Meal Plan, 7 Days of meals for 2, total cost £12.70 | Thrifty Lesley - 1 person, 1 day, £1Thrifty Lesley – 1 person, 1 day, £1 - […] 2 slices of Cinnamon ToastIf you have bought Mixed Spice, use that here. Lunch. Lentil Soup & Croutons, use…
  3. Broccoli and Lentil Soup, 20p a portion | Thrifty Lesley - 1 person, 1 day, £1Thrifty Lesley – 1 person, 1 day, £1 - […] in a pretty bowl, maybe with a swirl of yogort or a sprinkle of croutons on […]

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