The recipe for this banana bread is scrawled down on a scrap of paper and kept in a drawer in the kitchen along with another couple of favourite recipes and various packets of tea.  I’ve made this often over the past couple of years but never quite got round to writing it up here.  The recipe has evolved quite a bit over time.  With a demanding one year old to look after I’ve now commandeered my husband to help whenever we feel a need for cake, which is quite often.  Of course I give him all the rubbish jobs like beating the eggs and mashing the bananas.  Does anyone else share my aversion to over ripe bananas?  The smell is overwhelmingly repugnant but thankfully the magic of baking transforms the bananas once in cake form.  I always find banana bread comforting but this version with its bursts of melted chocolate mixed with the bright notes of lemon has become my favourite.  Yesterday we headed out to the park with warm banana cake stashed in my pocket and I snapped a couple of photos of the beautiful colourful autumnal leaves before they disappear. 

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Notes: The original recipe uses a glaze made with icing sugar.  This looks so delicious but since we rarely have icing sugar on hand I tend not to go to the effort.

Cake

200g rice flour

65g ground almonds

125g Demerara sugar

¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

115g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) cut into chunks

80ml extra virgin olive oil

2 eggs lightly beaten

3 ripe bananas mashed

60ml plain natural yoghurt, full fat

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon Demerara sugar

Directions for the cake:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt and chocolate.

In another bowl combine beaten eggs, olive oil, mashed bananas, yoghurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until no flour is present.  Pour into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out on a rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:

Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan.  Heat on low until the sugar has dissolved.  Once cooled prick holes in the top of the cake and trickle the glaze over.

Snow Rants and Orange Bread

I feel I should have some sort of soup or stew to share today as we woke up to a blanket of snow this morning.  Not enough to be useful, eg. give my husband a day off work, but enough to be inconvenient.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for snow under the right circumstances when it’s pretty and fluffy and we have no commitments other than going out to enjoy it.  But being realistic, mostly I find it a pain.  There were many times on my commute to work in London when I dreaded snow.  It always seems to me that if this country had a transport system that coped with snow then issues such as how to get in to work would “melt” away.  Instead everything grinds to a halt quite literally and you are forced to embark on a journey which will result in freezing toes and hours of wasted time, trudging through snow in your wellington boots or whatever snow worthy attire you have chosen at 6am, getting to the train station packed full of other weary commuters, looking at display boards that make no sense and tell blatant lies about trains that aren’t running.  I once spent two hours crouched on the floor of a train which travelled four miles before spewing its tired and cold bewildered commuters out and then spent another two hours trying to get a train that would get me back to where I’d started.

Anyway to this orange bread! If you are lucky enough to have a snow day then you should make this.  It’s a good reason to light the oven for a little extra warmth while being rewarded for your endeavours by creating something that tastes like sunshine.  I’ve posted about this cake before.  It was a lemon version.  I’m being a total cheat by using oranges this time instead.  Both are incredible.  Follow the recipe and use whatever citrus you have.  You can find the recipe here.

Randoms

We are awaiting a big event around here at the moment. Part of the reason for the silence on this here little blog.  Cooking and taking photos hasn't been much on my mind lately.  So all I can offer is a few random photos to share with you from this summer.

The only cake I've made this summer and I burnt it!  Blackberry and buckwheat adapted from this recipe. 

Eating a lot of ragù.

Preparations...

Eggs for breakfast.

Re-learning how to knit.  I don’t know what it is at the moment.

Smoothie: frozen banana, blueberries, peaches, chia seeds, almond milk, sheep yoghurt.

Afternoon jaunt to Watts Gallery.

Cooking millet on the stove for my lunch.

Eating millet with roasted veggies.

Shots of a derelict farm on a favourite walk.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s A to Z of summer recipes from the Guardian. Inspired by lunch at my brother’s house.  The flavours going on here are out of this world.

Summer toastie: goats cheese, peach and avocado on gluten free bread. Also favourite napkin.  About the only thing I could afford in the Anthropologie sale.

Obsessed with columns at Polesden Lacey.

Cherries, can’t get enough.

Breakfast: peaches, blueberries, sheep yoghurt, quinoa pops, toasted almonds.

Sticky Chocolate Orange and Prune Loaf

Things that are happening lately...

I’ve started a new job!  After 7 plus years in the same company it’s scary being the new girl again.  I’m two weeks in and surviving so far.

I no longer have a huge commute.  This is absolute bliss, quite literally.

I get an hour extra in bed.  Again, bliss.

I’ve hardly had a moment to get to grips with cooking/baking/blogging.  Things should balance out soon.  After all just think of all that time I’m saving not commuting.

I’m stuck in a lunch rut of either avocado or baked beans on toast, not together...ok sometimes together (this appals my husband).

I’ve made this apple cake but with pears 4 times since Christmas. It’s too good.

I’m desperate for warm sunny days.  Oh winter how I loathe you. 

This sticky chocolate orange and prune loaf cake over at London Bakes is a rich and decadent treat while still being on the lighter side.  I used brown rice flour to make it gluten free and skipped the liqueur as we never have anything so sophisticated to drink around here. 

Recipe here.

I hope you have a good weekend. x

Man Flu Is Pretty Bad After All and Lemons in the form of Cake to the Rescue!

The last couple of weeks our house has been under the weather.  First my husband had it so I naturally dismissed it as a case of man flu...then I was felled too.  Runny noses, aches and shivers, coughs and a throat that felt like I swallowed a bag of razor blades.  I feel like all I’ve been eating is soup and the different flavours started to become indistinguishable.  Now I’m emerging the other side my taste buds and appetite are both making a small come back.  So even though I have many excellent soup recipes in my arsenal I don’t want to think about soup for a bit.  I’d much rather talk about this cake instead.

I mentioned this cake a while back and I’ve made it often this year.  For some reason I’ve never quite gotten round to posting the recipe which comes from the ever inspiring blog Sprouted Kitchen.  It’s moist, has a wonderful kick of lemon and lasts for several days if you can resist eating it all in one go.  Please don’t skip the lemon glaze.  It is a very easy extra step and really gives the cake a strong zap of lemon flavour and adds a nice crunch to the outside. 

I’m writing the recipe up here even though I didn’t change much so that you have the flours by weight should you choose to bake that way.  Enjoy.  It will brighten up the greyest of winter days!

Recipe adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook via Sprouted Kitchen

2 large eggs

120ml olive oil

60ml plain natural yoghurt

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

120g total demerara sugar

120g ground almonds

100g brown rice flour

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Line a 9” loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl mix together the eggs, oil, yoghurt, lemon zest and juice. 

In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds, sugar, ground flaxseed, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet and mix well.  Pour the mixture in to your prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes.

While the cake is baking make the glaze.  Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  When the cake is ready remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before inverting the cake on to a cooling rack.  Prick holes in the top of the cake and pour over the lemon glaze.  Allow the cake to continue to cool completely as it absorbs the lemon glaze.

The Dining Room, The Cauliflower and The Grain Free Pizza.

I’m sitting in my dining room, which has just been painted white by our landlord after years of peeling paint and strange patches on the walls.  I feel like I have a blank canvas to play with, full of potential.  Our living room on the other hand is packed full of our dining room furniture and pretty much resembles Steptoe’s Yard.  But I get to start again in this room.  This weekend we’ll start to drag stuff back.  I’ll put my vintage plates lovingly away in the dresser.  My husband will enjoy reorganising our music collection far more than a person should.  We’ll argue over how the books should be arranged and in what order.  Pretty soon it will look much as it ever did, a thoroughly lived in room with all the tapestry of our lives strewn about.  But for now it’s a blank canvas and how often do we get one of those?

I was going to make a tenuous link about pizza bases being a blank canvas but I won’t do that (except I just did). This is a pizza base with a difference since it is made from cauliflower.  I’d seen quite a few recipes for grain free pizza bases made from cauliflower around the internet and the idea intrigued me.  When I saw this recipe on Green Kitchen Stories the simplicity of the recipe appealed to my sometimes lazy attitude towards cooking and so I took the plunge and gave it a try.  It was a great success and my husband declared it the best “gluten free” pizza he’d had.  Notice he said “gluten free” because quite frankly if you are looking for this base to taste like real pizza you will be disappointed.  Personally I’ve forgotten what pizza tastes like but I know this isn’t going to replicate.  It does stand out on its own as a delicious alternative with a slightly nutty, sweet taste and softer texture. 

Since my husband can’t eat tomatoes these days I went for a goat’s cheese topping with roasted fennel and pear.  The result was delicious.  The sweetness from the caramelised fennel and pears complimented the tang of the goat’s cheese perfectly.  We’ll definitely be making this again many times in the future.

Pizza base recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Stories:  Serves 2-3

1 cauliflower (how much you use will depend on the size of the cauliflower)

80g ground almonds

1 tablespoon of dried rosemary (or whatever dried herb you like)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs beaten

Preheat the oven Gas Mark 6, 200°C, 400°F

Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Chop the cauliflower in to florets and process in a food processor to make a fine, rice like texture.  You should end up with about 700ml of cauliflower rice.  I started off in batches and stopped once I had reached 700ml.

Add the ground almonds, rosemary, seasoning and mix together with your hands.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs.  Mix together until a dough is formed, you will probably need to use your hands for this so be prepared to get messy.  Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.  It will be quite loose and sticky.  Push the dough out towards the edges of the baking sheet and flatten with your hands until a flat base is formed.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden.

Topping:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 fennel bulb finely sliced using a mandolin

1 pear finely sliced.

Hard goat’s cheese sliced

While the pizza is baking in the oven, place the fennel on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for about 15-20 minutes until the edges are beginning to caramelise and the fennel is slightly softer. 

When the pizza base is ready remove from the oven and top with the fennel, sliced pear and finally the goat’s cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Apple, Cinnamon and Almond Layer Cake

There are few combinations that work better than apples and cinnamon so this cake is already a win without even really trying.  It’s a pretty rustic looking cake, a bit rough around the edges.  I like it that way, minimum effort in cake decoration but maximum taste is always my preference.  It’s not overly sweet but then I did reduce the sugar as is my way.  With a bit of yoghurt on top it makes a good winter pudding.  After a stomp across the downs in a tonne of mud it’s perfect with a cup of tea.  This is the third time I’ve made this cake.  That’s how good it is.  The recipe is adapted from Jamie Magazine.  I’ve started buying it recently and my purse isn’t going to thank me for these purchases.  A few years ago I gave up buying magazines.  The price and the fact that they were half full of advertising put me off.  This current little slip is mainly due to the fact I find recipes like this.  If you can use a mandolin to slice the apples it makes for a prettier end result but if not just slice with a sharp knife.  It will add to the overall rustic effect.

Adapted from Jamie Magazine Autumn edition.

100g (4oz) rice flour (or plain flour if you don’t need it to be gluten free)

100g (4oz) ground almonds

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

180g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened or if you want to make it dairy free use 180ml olive oil

100g (4oz) demerara sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling *recipe calls for 180g so I reduced the amount.

3 eggs

1-2 eating apples finely sliced

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.  In a large bowl mix together the butter and the sugar and then beat in the eggs.  Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet until well combined.  Pour half the batter in to the prepared cake tin then top with a layer of apple.  Pour over the remaining batter and finish with a layer of apple on top.  Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

Banana Bread Granola Bars

These granola bars have been giving my work day snacks a real lift over the last couple of weeks.  I’ve made two batches so far using a mix of different nuts, seeds and dried fruit and both were equally delicious.  By Thursday we’ve always run out.  I have a bad habit of getting home from work ravenous and these bars have been far too easy to reach in to the fridge for and start nibbling.  They are the perfect texture, slightly chewy but with bite.  It’s no surprise that nuts and dried fruit are made to work together, the chocolate takes them up a level.  For banana haters, you can’t really taste the banana but it works as a great binder along with the almond butter. 

The recipe comes from the beautifully photographed blog The First Mess which is packed full of tasty and healthy recipes.  Pop over there for the recipe and to see how chocolate drizzling can be accomplished neatly.  My first effort looked like the work of a small child not yet in control of their motor skills.  The second batch, photographed is only marginally better.

I used maple syrup instead of brown rice syrup because I didn’t have any.  You can choose your own combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruits/chocolate.  I used brazil nuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, raisins, cranberries and cacao nibs.  Make them, your lunch box will thank you!

Find the recipe here.

Figs with Everything!

I was going to call this Figs for Friday, an equally cringe making title but I guess I missed the opportunity there now that’s its Saturday.  Instead last night after I spent some quality time with the M25 on my way home from work I made a version of this chicken and coconut korma, then watched a few episodes of 30 Rock until I nodded off in the chair and my husband declared I should go to bed.  Sadly a fairly average Friday evening around here at the moment.  I don’t know if it’s the change in weather but I have been feeling monumentally tired this week.  I think blaming the weather is generally considered a reasonable conclusion for most things.  Anyway, figs have been featuring a lot in our diet lately.  I love fig season, my husband’s not so keen...which just means more for me.

A couple of things I’ve enjoyed.  This salad is a riff on the super seed kale one I posted a few weeks ago.  This time I cooked up some lentils with the rice, used toasted pistachios instead of the seeds, chopped up fresh figs instead of the dried cherries and used a few drops of balsamic vinegar in the dressing in place of the cider vinegar.  Figs, pistachios and goat cheese work so well together.  Sticking with that theme I also used figs on top of my favourite gluten free pizza crust with goat cheese, toasted pistachios, basil and some lambs lettuce.  The sweet figs made a delicious pizza topping and cooked up perfectly under the grill.

I hope you find some delicious ways to enjoy figs before they disappear.  Here are a couple more ideas from the archives!  Have a good weekend x

Sweet Roasted Figs on Porridge

Gluten-Free Orange, Fig and Olive Oil Cake