LAZY SUNDAY: BANANA PANCAKES

28 SEPTEMBER 2014

Now that we live together and we have to do our own shopping, I never seem to know how much fruit to buy each week. I hate waste, so if we have any leftovers I try to use them at the weekend. This week we had two overripe bananas left so I thought I'd use them up by making some banana pancakes this morning. A naughty start to the day, but who cares - it's Sunday!

INGREDIENTS:

150g plain flour

100ml milk

2 ripe bananas

1 egg

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp runny honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Butter for frying

METHOD:

Mash the bananas with a fork and combine in a mixing bowl with the flour, milk, egg, honey, bicarb and cinnamon. Mix together until you have a lumpy batter.

Melt a knob of butter in your frying pan and spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into the centre (if your pan is big enough you can do two at a time). Cook on one side until golden brown and then flip onto the other side, again cooking until golden brown. Repeat until all your batter is used up - this should make 6 - 8 pancakes.

When cooked serve warm and drizzle with maple syrup.

EASTER TIME: HOT CROSS BUNS

13 APRIL 2014


Apologies for the long hiatus everyone - been very busy again, but that's a story for another blog post!


This post is dedicated to that Easter favourite, hot cross buns! I know I've done this recipe before, but it's so good I couldn't resist doing it again. It's a Paul Hollywood recipe from his book (my baking Bible) How To Bake, so if you've got the time, or you're looking for something to do to entertain the kids this Easter, give these babies a go - you will not be disappointed!  

INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 buns)

for the buns...

500g strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)

10g fast action yeast

10g salt

75g caster sugar

40g unsalted butter, softened

2 medium eggs, beaten

120ml warm milk

120ml cool water

80g chopped mixed peel

150g sultanas

1 apple, cored and diced

2 tsp cinnamon

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

for the crosses...

75g plain flour

75ml water

for the glaze...

1 - 2 tsp apricot jam

A splash of water


METHOD:

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, adding the salt and sugar to one side and the yeast to the other. Add the butter, eggs, milk and half of the water and mix together with your hands until your mixture forms a clumpy dough. Gradually add the remaining water until all the flour is picked up off the bottom of the bowl (you may need all of the water, but you might need only a little or none at all). Your dough should be soft and sticky, but not wet.


When the mixture has formed a dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. You will need to work through the initial wet stage and after about 5 - 10 minutes your dough should have formed a soft, silky skin.

When your dough is silky-soft, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and leave for 1 - 2 hours, or until the dough has at least doubled in size.

In the meantime, weigh out your peel, sultanas and cinnamon, grate the zest of your oranges and core and dice your apple. Scatter half of this mixture on your work surface and wait for your dough to finish proving.

Once proved, turn your dough out onto your fruit-laden surface and cover with the rest of the fruit mixture. Knead together until all of the fruit is incorporated into the dough. Return to the bowl and leave to prove for a further hour.

Turn your twice-proved dough out onto your work surface and beat it repeatedly to knock all of the air out of it. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Place close together on a baking tray lined with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

Cover in cling film and leave to prove for one final hour until the buns have doubled in size. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius, 200 degrees if you have a fan oven. Mix together the flour and water for your crosses and pipe in lines over your proved buns using a narrow nozzle. 

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Whilst your buns are baking, gently heat your apricot jam with a splash of water in a saucepan. When your buns are ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Whilst your buns are still warm, brush with your apricot glaze and leave to cool completely before eating. 

These beauties are best served toasted and slathered with butter, oh and of course a steaming hot cup of tea!

MAPLE SYRUP AND DARK CHOCOLATE GRANOLA

1 MARCH 2014

Happy March everyone! The sun is shining in Birmingham and it finally feels like Spring has arrived.    As the weather warms up it's time to ditch the porridge that's been warming you up on the frosty winter mornings and try something a little more summery. How about my recipe for homemade crunchy nut, maple syrup and dark chocolate granola?

Using only natural sugars, this recipe is wholesome and sweet, and a little more guilt free than your shop-bought alternatives. Win-win!

To make, simply combine the ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) below in a mixing bowl and spread out on a baking tray. Bake in the oven at 165 degrees Celsius, stirring occasionally, for around 30 - 40 minutes until golden brown in colour. Leave to cool completely and then add the chocolate. Store in an airtight container and serve with natural or greek yogurt.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup pecans/walnuts
1/4 cup almonds, halved
1/4 cup hazelnuts, halved
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup runny honey
1/2 - 1tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1 tbsp good quality dark chocolate chips, chopped

LAZY SUNDAY: BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

23 JANUARY 2014

A few days ago I stumbled across this gorgeous recipe from Smitten Kitchen, and thought it would be perfect for my Sunday breakfast. These little American classics are light and buttery, sort of like traditional English scones. You can make them sweet like these ones, or omit the sugar and have them with savoury toppings like eggs and bacon, or cheese - be adventurous and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 small biscuits)

280g plain flour
125g chilled unsalted butter
175ml buttermilk
1-2 tbsp caster sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp baking powder

METHOD:

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder) into a large bowl and mix. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

Add the buttermilk and bring together with your hands. The mixture will form sticky clumps before holding its shape. Knead gently until the mixture has formed a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat down until the dough is roughly 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2 inch cutter, cut out 12 rounds and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.

If you don't want to bake all of your biscuits straight away, you can freeze them. Just wrap them individually in cling film once cut, and pop them in the freezer until you need them. They can be baked from frozen, but might just need a couple of extra minutes baking time.

LAZY SUNDAY: BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

9 FEBRUARY 2014

It's the last day of the weekend again, boo! What better day then to have some pancakes for breakfast? Once again, Elise Bauer from Simply Recipes has been my saviour, providing this delicious recipe for wonderfully fluffy, American buttermilk pancakes. Thanks, Elise! 

To show you just how simple they are to make, here's the ones I made this morning, mmmm. Enjoy your sunday, everyone!

LAZY MONDAY: FRENCH TOAST

27 JANUARY 2013

I skipped lazy Sunday this week and decided to do lazy Monday instead. A very much spontaneous use of my remaining annual leave had me sleeping soundly rather than dragging myself out of bed at 6am this morning. With the extra time on my hands I thought I'd have something a bit different for breakfast. It's been a long time since I've had French toast - cinnamony and indulgent, this recipe for French toast is the perfect lazy morning treat. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

4 slices of white bread (crusty bread works best)

1 large egg

2-3 tablespoons of full fat milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Maple syrup to taste

1 banana (optional)

METHOD:

Whisk together the egg, milk and cinnamon in a shallow bowl until fully combined. Coat either side of each slice of bread by dipping it in the mixture. 

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan or griddle pan. Fry your bread until golden brown on both sides. Serve with fresh sliced banana and a drizzle of maple syrup.

LOVE | Hannah

LAZY SUNDAY: CROISSANTS

19 JANUARY 2013

Fruit and veg and healthy grains might do you good, but so does a little bit of what you fancy, and after the week I've had I fancy some croissants. Warm, buttery, homemade croissants. Plain or filled with chocolate or jam, these traditional french breakfast pastries are divine. So, if you're feeling like a little treat, why not have a go at making some of these beauties. 

This recipe is from Paul Hollywood's, How to Bake.

INGREDIENTS:

500g strong white bread flour
300g chilled unsalted butter
300ml cool water
10g salt
10g fast action yeast
80g caster sugar
1 medium egg

METHOD:

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook attached. Add the sugar and salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Pour in the water and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes, and then on a medium speed for approximately 6 minutes.

Pour the thick, sticky dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Put into a clean plastic bag and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle roughly 20cm x 60cm. Flour the butter on both sides and bash with a rolling pin until big enough to cover two thirds of the dough. Fold over the uncovered third of the dough leaving half of the butter exposed. Trim off the exposed half of the butter without cutting the dough underneath and place on top of the folded dough. Fold the newly exposed dough over the butter. You should now have a little dough and butter tower - dough, butter, dough, butter, dough. Pinch the sides to seal the butter. Lightly flour and place back in the plastic bag to chill in the fridge for another hour.

Remove the dough from the bag and place on a lightly floured surface with the narrower end facing you. Roll out into a long rectangle and fold the top third of the dough down towards the centre. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the throe you just folded - this is called one turn. Place bag in the bag and chill in the fridge for a further hour. Repeat this process twice more and leave the dough in the fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly a 30cm x 42cm rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthways (you should have 2 rectangles 42cm x 15cm). Now cut 6 triangles from each rectangle - each needs to be roughly 12cm across the base and15cm high from base to tip.

Roll each triangle tightly from base to tip. If you want to add a filling, place it on the triangle of dough before rolling. Put you rolled croissants onto prepared baking trays, cover with cling film or a clean plastic bag, and leave to prove at room temperature until doubled in size. This should take 2 to 3 hours.

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees celsius. Make an egg wash with an egg and a pinch of salt and brush over the croissants. Bake int he oven for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm and enjoy!

NOTE: Chocolate croissants are wonderful glazed with apricot jam and spindled with flaked almonds. Otherwise, these are beautiful filled with cheese and tomato and cracked black pepper.

LOVE | Hannah

LAZY SUNDAY BREAKFAST

12 JANUARY 2014

If you fancy a little indulgence on this frosty Sunday morning, why not try the classic breakfast combination of a poached egg and smoked salmon? New years diet-friendly, this delicious combo is high in protein and vitamin B12, essential for absorbing iron and preventing conditions like anaemia that are common in pregnancy and those suffering from Crohn's disease. 

HOW TO...
Add a tablespoon of vinegar to simmering watering and swirl with a teaspoon before cracking in your egg. The vinegar should help to bind the yolk and create a beautiful round shaped egg. Simmer gently for 3 minutes for a perfectly runny yolk. Serve on a bed of smoked salmon and top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sprinkling of cracked black pepper. 

LOVE | Hannah

HOMEMADE MUESLI

2 JANUARY 2013

Happy new year everybody! I hope you had indulgent celebrations wherever you were - it's good to treat yourself from time to time!

For many, a new year signals a new beginning and the chance to make changes for the better. For me, 2014 is my chance to develop my interest in cooking and food, experimenting with recipes I know and finding healthy alternatives to some of my more guilty pleasures.

Some of you may already know that I suffer from Crohn's disease, an immune disorder affecting the functioning of the digestive system, often leading to the need for complex surgeries and gruelling drugs regimes. Many sufferers find certain foods can trigger flare-ups in their illness, and so find it easier and safer to avoid certain food groups altogether.

I've had Crohn's disease for 16 years now, and I am yet to find any consistency between sufferers in either their symptoms or the foods that they have an aversion to. Thus, it is difficult to generalise when recommending diet regimes for Crohn's sufferers. All I know is that eliminating 'junk' or heavily processed foods seems to have helped me over the past year or so. This is the inspiration behind my homemade muesli. It is made from entirely natural ingredients, no added sugar or preservatives, just the natural sweetness from the fruits and nuts that make up this yummy breakfast.

Click here to see how you can make some for yourself and get your 2014 off to a naturally healthy start! Don't be afraid to comment, let me know you get on an what you think.

LOVE | Hannah