Banana Muffins

These muffins are beautifully light and fluffy with a slight squidgyness inside...and perfect for using up overripe bananas! 
I haven't added any extras here but feel free to think of them as a blank bananary canvas for the addition of chocolate chips, chopped pecan nuts or jumbo golden raisins, anything you consider suitable really.  
They are also rather lovely served with runny honey or a good jam...like homemade cherry and strawberry jam in the picture below, yum...

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients

250g Plain Flour

150g Caster Sugar

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

50ml Natural Yogurt

100ml Milk

3 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Ripe Bananas

Juice of Half a Lemon

100g Butter, melted 

• Preheat the oven to 200C and fill a muffin tin with paper cases.
• In a large bowl mix the plain flour with the caster sugar and baking powder.  Set aside for a few minutes until needed.
• In a measuring jug combine the yogurt, milk, eggs and the vanilla extract.
• Mash the bananas with the lemon juice in a small bowl then add the egg mixture, the melted butter and stir to combine.
• With a wooden spoon or spatula at the ready, pour the wet ingredients into the flour bowl and quickly stir it to thoroughly combine but not over-mix.
• Spoon the mixture into the paper muffin cases and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until they are golden brown and risen.
• Let them cool for 15 minutes or so then tuck in.

Ciabatta Loaf

What a beautiful loaf the Italian ciabatta is, crunchy and rustic with a light, holey, chewy interior. 
There is a bit of a process involved in making it, requiring a pre-fermentation or 'biga', similar to a sourdough but far easier!  Don't let this put you off, homemade ciabatta is so much better than anything you can buy, you just need to bear in mind that it needs to be started the day before you want to eat it.

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

 Starter

150ml Warm Water

Half a teaspoon from a 7g sachet of Instant Dried Yeast

175g Strong White Bread Flour

For the Loaf

The remainder of the Instant Dried Yeast

400ml Warm Water

500g Strong White Bread Flour

2 teaspoons Salt

• In a small bowl mix the yeast into the water until dissolved then mix in the flour until a thick paste forms.  Give it a vigorous stir for a few minutes then cover and leave it to develop for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• In a large mixing bowl dissolve the remainder of the yeast in the water then stir in the biga.  Add the flour then the salt and stir with your hand until it is all incorporated into a sticky, wet dough.  Let this rest for about 30 minutes.
• When it has rested start to work the dough in the bowl.  It is too wet to knead so the best way is to scrape along the bottom of the bowl, stretching the dough up then slapping back into the bowl repeatedly, keep doing this for 10-15 minutes, you may need to change hands halfway through to save your arms!  This stage can be done in a mixer if you have a large one with a dough hook.
• When the dough has been thoroughly worked and beaten it should be markedly smoother and more stretchy.  This now needs to be left to rise for about 2 hours until it has tripled in volume.
• Generously flour the work surface and oil two baking trays/sheets.
• Trying not to deflate the dough, gently scrape the dough down from the sides of the bowl and slowly tip it onto the floured surface.  Cut it in half using a large knife then, with the oiled tray right next to it, scoop each 'loaf' onto the trays and shape into a vague oval.
• Leave these to rise again for 30-40 minutes and preheat the oven to 220C.
• Sprinkle the risen, bubbly dough with flour then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath, the loaves will also be quite light when you pick them up.
• Cool them on a rack then enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Pork 'Moruno' Kebabs

I have always been drawn towards Spanish cuisine, however I've been particularly gastronomically inspired over the last few months following a couple of trips to Spain.  With flavours that are quite simple but punchy, fresh with the occasional touch of spice, this is food packed with passion.
These juicy, flavourful kebabs can also be made with chicken and are known as Pinchos Morunos or Pinchitos in Spain.  They can be served on little skewers as a tapas dish or packed tightly onto long skewers and served with a salad and maybe some rice or potatoes for a main course.
They are perfect cooked on the barbecue but are also great cooked in a griddle pan or under a hot grill.  Please do try this, it is a fantastically tasty way to cook pork and the flavours will blow your socks off, I promise!

Feel free to reduce the amount of salt if you want to however it is a traditional and integral element of the marinade, so please don't leave it out completely. Do be aware that the meat requires a long marinating time, preferably overnight. 

Makes 5-6 Long Kebabs



Ingredients

1 Pork Tenderloin/Fillet, approx. 500g

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Pimenton de la Vera Dulce (Smoked Sweet Paprika)

2 teaspoons Salt

Several generous grindings of Black Pepper

Half a teaspoon of Ground Cumin

Half a teaspoon of Ground Coriander

Juice of 1 Large Lemon

4-5 Cloves of Garlic, minced

Approx. 1 tablespoon of chopped Fresh Thyme leaves

Approx. 1 tablespoon of chopped Fresh Parsley

• Cut the pork fillet into cubes approximately 1 inch square.
• Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl then tip in the cubes of pork.  Stir it and mix it around to thoroughly coat the pork then cover and chill in the fridge for (ideally) 8 or more hours.
• When you are ready to cook the pork, thread the cubes of meat onto metal or wooden skewers (if you are using wooden skewers make sure you soak them in warm water first), packing them together.
• Cook the kebabs for 15 to 20 minutes on a hot barbecue, griddle pan or under a hot grill, turning them regularly.  If you are doing smaller skewers as a starter or tapa/canapé they will not take as long.
• Serve as soon as they are cooked, eaten deliciously straight from the skewer.

 

 



Banana Crumble Cake

This beautifully moreish cake is reminiscent of an American crumb cake which, in turn originates from the German kuchen. 
My version is a soft banana cake which has a layer of brown sugar crumble halfway through then a crunchy finish on the top.
This cake is really good for using up over-ripe bananas (or those poor rejected ones that are left uneaten in a lunch box and have gone black and a bit soft by the time they are discovered...happens way too often in our house).

Ingredients

3 Ripe Bananas

Juice of half a Lemon

2 Large Eggs

50g Caster Sugar

50g Light Brown Muscovado Sugar

150g Soft Butter

200g Self Raising Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Crumble

50g Light Brown Muscovado Sugar

50g Soft Butter

75g Self Raising Flour

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan) and fully line a loaf tin with greaseproof/baking paper.
• In a small bowl, mash the bananas then add the lemon juice and the two eggs and mix thoroughly.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugars together until fluffy and paler in colour.  Slowly whisk in the banana mixture then add the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
• To make the crumble, simply combine the muscovado sugar, butter and flour together into a clumpy crumble.
• Spoon half of the banana mixture into the lined tin then evenly sprinkle over half of the crumble.  Spoon the remaining cake mixture in, smooth it out then sprinkle the rest of the crumble over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until risen and golden brown with an inserted skewer coming out clean.
• Leave to cool completely before slicing.

Creamy Chicken Soup

There are those days when nothing will soothe your soul quite like a steaming bowl of thick, creamy chicken soup.  Today, for me, is one of those days.

This is one of my staples to make when I've got leftover roast chicken.  I pick all the meat I can off the carcass then make stock by boiling up all the bones and bits for a good few hours.  Sometimes I will add bay leaves, carrots, celery, onion and maybe some other fresh herbs to the stock for extra flavour but most often I just go for pure chicken goodness.  Top tip - make the stock the day before you want to use it, strain and chill it overnight, then in the morning you can scrape the solidified fat off the top.

This soup is completely open to variations with the addition of other vegetables or herbs, I have suggested a few below.  On this occasion however, I'm going old-school, no messing around, I'm feeling traditional...

 

Ingredients

2 Large Brown Onions, roughly chopped

3-4 Sticks of Celery (if you have it in, it's not essential)), roughly chopped

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

50g Butter

4 tablespoons Plain Flour

100ml White Wine

2 pints (approx. 1 litre) Good Flavourful Chicken Stock

150-200g Cooked Chicken (breast, thigh or leg meat), cut into chunky pieces

150ml Double Cream

Lemon Juice

Salt and Black Pepper 

• Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat then tip in the onions and celery (if using), cook slowly for a few minutes then add the garlic and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper.  Continue to cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• Turn the heat up slightly then add the flour to the pan, stir vigorously for about 20 seconds to incorporate it and cook the flour slightly, then pour in the white wine.  Let this bubble for a minute or two then pour in the chicken stock and stir well.
• Bring to the boil then cook on a medium heat for around 15 minutes until the vegetables are completely tender and the stock has reduced a little.
• Let the soup cool a little then blend until smooth with either a hand (stick) blender or a jug blender, if you have neither you can push it through a sieve.
• Pour the cream into the soup and add the chicken, then slowly bring back up to the boil.
• At this point if the soup is not as thick as you would like, mix a few tablespoons of plain flour with some double cream, milk or water into a smooth paste then stir it into the soup.
• When the thickness of the soup is to your liking stir in the juice of half a lemon then taste.  It will probably need more salt and pepper and maybe another squeeze of lemon.
• Bring back to the boil then serve steaming hot...and relax.

 

Variations

-Chicken and Leek - Use 2-3 leeks as well as the onions then only blend half the soup for a chunkier texture.
-Chicken and Mushroom - Add loads of mushrooms to the onions and cook down until all the liquid evaporates before adding the flour and continuing as above.  Also lovely with the addition of some chopped fresh sage or thyme.
-Chicken and Tarragon - Add a handful of chopped fresh tarragon leaves to the onions and add a dollop of Dijon mustard to the soup.  This is also very good with crème fraiche instead of double cream.

Orange, Pistachio and Almond Cake

I'm not sure I'm going to get away with describing this beautiful, Greek-inspired cake without using the 'm' word.  In fact I'm not even going to try...there is no getting away from the fact that this luxurious, orange scented cake is so very MOIST!  A rich, moist interior with a crunchy topping of toasty pistachios, such a great combination.
It is more of a torte than a cake really so makes a wonderful dessert served with a blob of cream.

As an aside, I always use my microplane grater for zesting oranges and lemons, it's a great little kitchen tool (I use it for garlic too) and removes the zest in tiny bits.  It's also worth saying that you need to remove the zest before cutting and juicing the orange.

Makes a small cake which will serve 6 people generously

 

Ingredients

2 Large Eggs, separated

150g Caster Sugar, plus a bit more for sprinkling

100g Soft Butter

Zest and Juice of an Orange

150g Ground Almonds
a few handfuls of shelled pistachios

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan) and fully line a small sandwich tin (approx. 20cm in diameter) with baking/greaseproof paper.
• Put the egg yolks into a mixing bowl then add the caster sugar, butter, zest and juice of the orange.
• Beat these ingredients together then add the ground almonds and mix thoroughly, it will be quite a stiff mixture.
• In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they are white, voluminous and holding their shape.
• Take a large spoonful of the egg whites and mix it into the almond mixture to lighten it slightly.  Then spoon the rest of the egg whites into the mixture and carefully fold it in until thoroughly combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the lined tin, smooth it around then sprinkle the pistachios evenly over the top.  Sprinkle a few pinches of caster sugar over the top then bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes.  When the cake is done it will be a mid to deep golden brown and have a dry, shiny appearance.  I like to sprinkle it again with some caster sugar at this point, it finishes it off perfectly.
• Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely, then be careful when transferring it to a plate or cake stand.  It is has a crumbly, almost fluffy texture which does make it a bit tricky to move without it cracking, it doesn't affect the taste though!
• I serve this with a big dollop of softly whipped cream, delicious.



Garlic and Cheese Dough Balls

You can't go wrong with these plump little balls of garlic bready pleasure.  Made from my simple pizza dough recipe, they are easy to make, children love them (and love helping to make them!) and there are lots of variations that you can try.
Here I have used a combination of mature cheddar and Spanish Manchego, however many cheeses will work beautifully as long as they melt well.  Instead of garlic butter you can brush the balls with pesto then sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino at the end.  Try chopping sundried tomatoes with mozzarella, then strewing over the dough balls at the last stage before popping back in the oven for a few minutes to melt, yum.

Makes 32 Balls

Ingredients

350g Strong White Bread Flour (plus more for dusting)

1 teaspoon Salt

250ml Warm Water

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 sachet (7g) Instant Dried Yeast

75g Butter

2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced (I use a microplane grater)

A few generous handfuls of a good melting cheese

• Weigh the flour into a large mixing bowl then add the salt, stir to combine.
• In a measuring jug, measure the warm water then add the olive oil, sugar and yeast and give it a good stir.
• Pour the liquid into the flour bowl and mix vigorously with a fork to bring it together into a dough.
• Generously flour your work surface then tip the dough onto it.  Knead the dough by stretching it away from you then folding it back repeatedly.  Keep doing this, adding more flour if needed, for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch (it should spring back out when prodded with your finger).
• Sprinkle a little flour into your bowl then put the ball of dough into it, cover then leave for 1-2 hours until the dough has more than doubled in size.  Oil a large baking tray.
• Using your fist, knock the dough down then tip it out onto the work surface again.  Knead it for a few minutes to incorporate any flour that has stuck on then cut the dough in half.  Shape these two pieces into balls then cut them in half.  Keep doing this until you have 32 pieces of dough.
• Roll each piece of dough between your hands (lightly oil your hands first) until you have a smooth ball, then place each one onto the oiled baking tray.  Make sure you leave a few centimetres between each dough ball to allow for expansion. 
• Leave the dough balls for 30 minutes to an hour to rise.  Preheat the oven to 200C (fan).
• Make the garlic butter by softening the butter (I pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds, you want it soft not completely melted) then mix in the minced garlic.
• Once the dough balls are risen, brush (I use a silicon pastry brush) half of the garlic butter onto each ball.
• Bake the dough balls in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown.  Take the baking tray out of the oven then brush the remaining garlic butter over the dough balls and sprinkle with the cheese.  Pop them back into the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
• Serve them after they have had a few minutes to cool...if you can wait that long!