Banana Bread

Bananas

There were two foods Barbados was not in shortage of this summer, seaweed and bananas.  Masses of seaweed had washed up on the shores and it was annoying because I didn’t get to feel the sand between the toes of my workout beach.    I saw people collecting the seaweed as fertilizer,  I personally think Barbados should have sold it for fertilizer or food but as it was rotting I am not sure it wouldn’t have tasted good fried or in sushi.  The bananas however were wonderfully cheap but didn’t last long in the heat, so when over ripe what better way to make the most of it all by making banana bread.

This recipe was taken from Caribbean Cooking Secrets (Right Way, 2013).

Ingredients:

225g flour, 2 tsps baking powder, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 100g butter, 170g sugar, 2 eggs (beaten), 450g ripe bananas, 1 tp lime juice, 1 cup milk.

Method:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and nutmeg together.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together.
3. Add the beaten eggs gradually to the creamed mixture.
4. Peel and mash or slice the bananas and add them to the mixture together with the lime juice.
5. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
6. Fold in the flour alternatively with the milk.  Put in a greased 8 inch square tin.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for around an hour.
8. The cake is cooked when firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Tomato and Bread

Uncreative much

This is the worst name for a recipe I have ever seen.  Yes it is literally tomato and bread but Silvana Franco couldn’t have come up with a more interesting name.  This food is good to keep people waiting for the main event,  and it’s also romantic.  Imagine your date is sitting at the table waiting for their meal and nibbling on their appetizer as the parfait sets and the rice fluffs up.

This recipe was taken with not much effort from Sivana Franco’s The Really Useful Ultimate Cookbook (Murdoch Books, 2007).

Ingredients:

1 ripe tomato, a thick slice of rustic country style bread, 2 fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, corse sea salt.

Method:

1. Cut the tomato in slices and place on the slices of bread.
2. Crush the bread slices down a little so the juice seeps into the bread.
3. Roughly tear the basil leaves and scatter over the top.
4. Drizzle over a tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

White Loaf

White loaf

I have never used honey in a loaf before and although I was skeptical at first I was very happy with the outcome.  I love this bread recipe, nothing nicer than a warm soft dough made from fresh milk and good strong flour.  Reward yourself as often as you can with a fresh loaf of white bread.

This recipe was adapted from Lorraine Pascale’s Baking Made Easy (BBC Books, Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

560g strong white bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 7g fast – action dried yeast, 380ml warm milk, 1 tbsp honey, vegetable oil, 1 egg.

Method:

1. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Make a hole in the centre and pour in the milk and honey.
3. Mix well to combine, then knead for 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured work surface.
4. The dough may seem quite damp, but do not be tempted to add more flour.  The wetter the dough the lighter the loaf, so keep kneading and it will become less sticky.
5. Place the dough in a loaf tin and cover loosely with oiled clingfilm.
6. Leave to rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Once the dough is well risen carefully slash the top with a sharp serrated knife and preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
8. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the bread is well risen.
9. When ready leave to cool on a wire rack.

Low-Fat Cornbread

Strange Bake 

This bake is a bit of a strange one.  The texture is all funny and mushy.  It is possibly the strangest cornbread recipe I have ever come across. Did I like it?  Yes I did.  Did it taste great with a thick pumpkin soup?  Bingo!

This recipe was taken from The Good Housekeeping Magazine (January 2013).

Ingredients:

100g plain flour, 100g quick cook polenta, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 medium egg, 175g low – fat natural yoghurt.

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
3. Measure the flour, polenta, sugar and soda into a large bowl.
4. Add the salt.
5. In a separate jug whisk together the egg and yoghurt.
6. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
7. Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

White Cottage Loaf

The Elephant and The Duckling

Based on a real conversation…
My Darling: “Your bread reminds me of a duckling.”
Saffy: “Why my love?”
My Darling: “Because the design of your bread looks cute and sweet and it makes me want to hug you.”
Saffy: “That is lovely my darling.  I thought my loaf was an elephant.”
My Darling: “But it is small.”
Saffy: “Ah yes my love but it took a might effort to make and mould, the outside is hollow but the inside is soft and fluffy.”
My Darling: “Do you mean a real elephant or one of your teddy bears?”
Saffy: What is the difference?”

This wonderful bread recipe was taken from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

450g strong white flour, 2 tsps fast action yeast, 1 tsp salt, 300ml warm water, 1 large egg (beaten).

Method:

1. Measure all of the ingredients except the egg into a bowl.
2. Work until it makes a soft dough.
3. If it becomes too sticky add more flour, and too dry add more water.  A little at a time.
4. Transfer to a large lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with cling film.
5. Wait for 1 1/2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
6. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and work with your hands until smooth.
7. Cut a quarter of the dough and shape into a ball.
8. Roll the rest of the dough into a bigger ball.
9. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
10. Place the big dough ball on the parchment and the small dough ball on top of the big one.
11. Flour the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula then make a cross shape by hitting the bottom of the tray with the utensil through the dough.
12. Cover the tray with cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for 45 minutes.
13. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
14. Remove the cling film and brush the bread with a beaten egg.
15. Bake for 25 minutes until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when the base is tapped.

Cranberry Nut Loaf

Cranberry Sauce

Sometimes I think supermarkets just use Christmas as an excuse to get rid of the foods that are unappealing.  I have never really been a fan of cranberry sauce.  I find it quite sharp and I do not think it actually goes well with turkey.  If I do eat cranberry sauce it is only because I have juiced my meat with citrus first first so it actually compliments the cranberry flavour.  I am very happy that I found a lovely recipe which allows me to use up the cranberry sauce left over from Christmas.  It is such a waste to let condiments spoil.  I wish  others understood the value of food as much as I do.  You would think that everybody who wasted food was rich and gave it away to those less fortunate, but they don’t.  This loaf therefore makes me think about being thankful and making the most of what you have.  This loaf can be made for many occasions.  It should be treated like a sweet bread and served for afternoon tea.  Perhaps with a selection of cheeses, chutneys and fruit.

This recipe was adapted from The Best of Sainsbury’s Vegetarian Cooking (Reed Consumers Ltd, 1992).

Ingredients:

250g plain flour, 1 1/2 tsps baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp salt, 50g butter, 125g caster sugar, 75g chopped cashew nuts, grated rind and juice from 1 large orange, 1 egg, 100g cranberry sauce.

Method:

1. Prepare a loaf tin.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.
3. Rub in the butter to make fine breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the sugar and cashew nuts.
5. Whisk the orange rind, juice, egg and cranberry sauce.
6. Stir this into the dry ingredients and mix well.
7. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for an hour.

Sweet Potato & Coconut Cream Loaf Topped with Sesame Seeds

Beautiful Mind

When I was a little girl I had an abundance of creative energy.  Unfortunately at during my early years in Primary School my teachers never believed in my abilities and so often shut me down.  But i always knew that deep down inside I had a beautiful mind, meaning that I could dream of the loveliest things and work out how I could turn these joys into a reality.  Expressed through dance, rapping, narrative and now cooking.  I had some left over sweet potato and coconut cream from Christmas and thought it would be wonderful to make a unique bake out of the ingredients.  There is never a dull moment in my mind.  The bread was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  Served warm it tastes sweet and divine.  A perfect treat for the end of a festive week.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Sweet Potato (Peeled, boiled and mashed), 1/2 cup coconut cream, 1/2 cup olive oil,  200g wholemeal flour, 75g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tbsps sunflower seeds.

Method:

1. Mix the potato with the coconut cream in a large bowl.
2. Add the oil and mix well.
3. Sieve in the flours.
4. Add the soda, salt and baking powder.
5. Mix everything well.
6. Add the sugar and mix everything well.
7. Prepare a loaf tin.
8. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
9. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.
10. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and slightly press down into the bread.
11. Bake for an hour.
12. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and firm up.  The loaf will be done when the skewer is clean when inserted into the middle.

Poppyseed Wholemeal Buns

“If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail”

This was one of the quotes that help me to succeed at University.  Preparing your food, planning your meals, social life and study time  may seem a  little over obsessive to some but it is very necessary when you want to be at the top.  Making bread in advance is the perfect example of this.  It is so easy and cheap to make so there is no excuse not to make it.  Another plus point is that you get a great sense of achievement after making your own bread, you have to wait at least three years before you get your 1st degree so why not get in as many achievements to keep yourself motivated.  The wholemeal buns are healthy and the poppy seeds add a real nice twist.

This recipe was adapted from Lorraine Pascale’s ‘Home Cooking Made Easy’ (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).

Ingredients:

300g strong wholemeal flour, 1tsp salt, 1 x7g satchet fast action dried yeast, 1tsp brown sugar, 200ml warm water, 2 tbsps sesame seeds, 1 egg (lightly beaten for eggwash).

Method:

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl and add the yeast, salt and sugar.
2. Stir the ingredients together.
3. Make a well in the centre of the mix and add the warm water.
4. Using your hands to combine everything and make into a dough ball.
5. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
6. The dough should be soft. If it is too dry and water, too wet and flour.  Do this a little bit at a time.
7. Make the dough into a ball and put into a clean bowl.
8. Oil a little cling film and place over the bowl.
9. Leave to rise in a dry place.
10. After an hour the dough should have risen.  Knead for 5 minutes and divide into wholemeal bun shapes.
11. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
12. Put a baking sheet on a baking tray. Put the wholemeal buns on the tray and make sure there is enough room in between them.
13. Brush liberally with the eggwash and then sprinkle on the poppy seeds.

Saffy’s Top Tip:

You can swap the poppy seeds for chia seeds or sesame seeds.

Wholemeal Buns

Love in the kitchen

A house smelling of freshly baked bread is a house smelling of love, joy and sunshine as far as I’m concerned.  I hope that when I own my own house my house will smell of beautiful cooking everyday, well with the occasional Thai takeaway from now and again.

Ingredients:

500g strong wholemeal flour, 275ml of warm water, 2 1/2 tsps salt, 1tsp caster sugar, 1 satchet 7g dried yeast, 1tsp butter.

Method:

1. Put the yeast, sugar and water in a bowl until a froth has formed on top.
2. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl and rub in the butter.
3. Make a well in the centre and put the yeast mix in it.
4. Mix the bread mix until you have made a soft dough.
5. Knead for 10 minutes onto a floured work surface.
6. Divide into bread rolls on a baking sheet on a baking tray.
7. Leave these to rise for an hour.
8. When the rolls have doubled in size pre heat oven to 200 degrees C/ Gas Mark 6.
9. Bake for 20 minutes until the rolls are brown and hollow on the outside.