Bill Granger.
Bill Granger and breakfast are two things that just go together. Thinking of Granger's creamy scrambled eggs or dreamy ricotta hotcakes could just about get you through any of life's tight and/or hungry spots.
Granger has teamed up with Jordan's Cereals to promote the cereal company's Eat Real campaign which focuses on whole foods. Granger spoke to us about the campaign, and how we can all eat more real, whole food. Hotcakes count, right?
Why did you get involved with the Jordan's Eat Real campaign?
I’m passionate about good fresh food –the Jordan's eat real campaign is all about understanding where food comes from and best of all its good for you and tastes so much better. Bill Jordan’s mirrors my passion for making people enjoy, simple fresh food."
Bill Granger's plum tart from Bill's Italian Food.
How can we use more whole foods in our cooking/diets (and make it delicious?)
I think the most important thing to do is to keep food as close to its natural state as possible. So whether it’s some simple oats for breakfast, fresh fruits and yogurt or a simple quinoa salad with tuna with salad, or a chickpea salad tossed with cucumber tomato and fresh herbs and served with a piece of grilled fish. Simple and healthy food doesn’t need to be complicated
What is the most versatile whole food, and the one you should always have in the pantry?
Oats – you can use them porridge, you can mix them into bread dough, bake them make a fruit crumble or dabble on the top of a cake.
What do you hope that the Eat Real campaign achieves, in tangible results?
I want people to join together as communities; whether it’s 2, 4, 10, 20, to create something great, bond together and learn about the importance of fresh ingredients in your meals.
Find out more about the Eat Real campaign, including the app they have developed on their Facebook page here.
Bill Granger's Plum, vanilla and almond tart
If making a tart for a super-quick dessert sounds like a crazy idea, think again. This
is the simplest of dishes, using a rough butter pastry pressed into the tin. If you’ve already made the plum and vanilla compote (page 50), just spoon it in and dollop with yoghurt.
for the base
140g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
115g (½ cup) caster sugar
200g (1 1/3 cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
3 tablespoons ground almonds
for the filling
plum and vanilla compote (see page 50)
60g (1/3 cup) roasted almonds, roughly chopped
260g (1 cup) Greek yoghurt
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a square 20cm tart tin. Mix the butter and sugar together then stir in the flour and almonds. Patch the pastry over the base and up the sides of the tart tin, pressing with your fingers to get an even case. Chill for 15 minutes.
Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and use it to line the pastry case. Add baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, tip out the baking beans and paper and return to the oven for a further 5–10 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Allow to cool.
To serve, spoon the compote into the tart case, scatter with the almonds and dollops of yoghurt. Serves 6
Plum and vanilla compote
This is just the thing to make when stone fruit are in season and you’ve gone wild at the farmers’ market. Peaches and nectarines will work equally beautifully here. Serve with ice-cream or yoghurt, or on bread with mascarpone and an espresso chaser for an oh-so-stylish Italian breakfast. Or make a simple pastry and bake a teatime plum, vanilla and almond tart .
1kg ripe plums, halved and stones removed
pared zest and juice 2 oranges
80g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out and reserved
Place the plums and 125ml (½ cup) water in a large saucepan and simmer over medium–low heat until the plums start to break down. Add the orange zest and juice, sugar and vanilla pod and seeds, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before spooning into sterilised jars. The compote will keep in the fridge for 1 week. Makes 2 x 450g jars
