Oaty Banana and Choc Chip Muffins

Henry wanted to "help" bake today so we had some very unhappy looking bananas so we decided to make some yummy muffins.

Oaty Banana and Choc Chip Muffins

Makes 12 - 15

Ingredients: 

300g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g unrefined caster sugar

50g porridge oats

2 ripe bananas (mashed)

200ml Greek Yoghurt (or thereabouts)

75ml sunflower oil

2 medium eggs, beaten

75g Choc Chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4.

2.  In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugar, stir in the oats. 

3. In a measuring jug add the mashed bananas add the oil, yogurt beat in the eggs with a fork to the 400 ml mark.  Add the wet mix to the flour bowl and stir lightly, don't worry about the lumps!

3 Divide the mix between 12-15 muffin cases.

Carrot and courgette fritters

I have to say these were fabby and will be doing them again.  

My recipe is as follows:-

2 medium carrots

1 largish courgette

Grate them and then squeeze as much juice out as poss (I did mine in a muslin)

Grate 65 g of cheese (I think next time I'd be tempted to go to 100g), your choice on cheese I used strong cheddar.

110 g of flour

Salt and Pepper

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp of cumin seeds (crushed)

7g baking powder

Add the carrots to dry mix.

Beat and add two eggs.

I left this in fridge all day as was busy, but you could use straight away.

I then fried in olive oil and served with salad and sausages.

Was really yummy and may add some garlic to the mix next time and maybe some onions.

Last Few Days

The last few days have been hot and busy, so food has been anything for ease. At the weekend we had some lovely hot smoked salmon from Dunkeld, which we'd had in the freezer. I made a lime dressing and added the salmon and the dressing to a salad with a tomato salad and new potatoes. It was truly scrummy.

Tonight's dinner was a slow cooker special, sling it all in and leave as I was meeting the girls of a cream tea lunch!

Tomorrow, I think will be meatballs and pasta.

Turkey Bhuna - hairy dieters style

I sort of followed the hairy dieters recipe for a chicken bhuna:-

I didn't have any chicken so I used diced turkey instead. I also didn't thicken my sauce as I didn't think it was necessary, I also added some mushrooms as I had some to use up.  It was very tasty.

Ribtastic Time

Rummaging in the reduced section of Tesco (cos I love a bargain) I got some cheap ribs. What to do with them? Well I have some leftover tomato sauce I made for a meatloaf we had yesterday and half a bottle of BBQ sauce and some port, so I've mixed them altogether and voila a marinade. So my racks are presently in the fridge in their sauce ready to be cooked with tomorrow's dinner. 

Here is the finished meal, which if I do say so myself was very yummy (cooked low and slow for about 41/2 hours at 130c):-

Normandy Pork

Tonight's dinner is in the slow cooker already, I'm doing my take on Normandy pork.  I got some pork shoulder steaks out of the freezer last night and I did wonder whether to do an easy steak new potatoes option but thought come on Claire you can do better than that!  

So I've fried off smoky bacon (bought by mistake) and onions and two apples, I've added a few sliced new potatoes and two large carrots. 

I sliced three cloves of garlic (just cos I love garlic) and added that.  

Thrown in some fresh thyme.

Season with salt and pepper.

Added about 400 ml of homemade cider (a practice last year, not sure if it's any good!!!).

Added a bit of apple juice for some sweetness.

I browned the meat a little and place on top of everything above.  Leaving in the slow cooker till I need it about 5.30 pm.

I may add some cream at the end once I've tasted.

Turkey meatballs in tomato (soup) sauce and pasta

Well, I am all for making life easier where everyday meals are concerned.  So the tomato soup that was made the other day has had some more veg added to it and it is now reinvented as a tomato sauce.  I'm making turkey meatballs, mine are all turkey with 2 fried shallots and one grated apple and seasoning.  I will fry them off till browned, add them to the sauce and then bake in the oven till cooked through.  I will serve with pasta.

Lamb and beans from the freezer

I didn't get home from last nights meeting till nearly 11 o'clock and I now have a report to write up and a sick child to contend with, so today is a rummage in the freezer!  I found something marked as lamb and beans, I am assuming it's a sort of stew/casserole thing and I think I will serve it with a savoury rice and some veg.  Hopefully this should cut the stress down a little and give me more time to nurse and work!!!

Healthy Breakfast!

Well, I need to lose weight but I've tried crazy diets before and they don't work long term so I'm going for a more balanced approach. I'm trying to eat whole and healthy foods, I don't want to lose the joy of cooking and eating.

Today's breakfast was oats left to soak up a yoghurt yesterday and the this morn you beat in two eggs. You then cook in a non stick pan to make a oaty pancake.  I used a bit of coconut oil to fry mine adds a little bit of flavour too. Served it with a banana, so I should be full for a while cos the mix made four scotch pancake size rounds. 

Poached Egg Pan Killer!

I love poached eggs, but I have to say I have a shaky past where the poaching pan is concerned.  Let's just say two have gone to a better place!  I keep melting the plastic pots - as I keep letting the water boil down so I have decided enough is enough and I have purchased this baby:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Aluminium-Coated-Poacher/dp/B000YJ7K1E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401803165&sr=8-3&keywords=egg+poacher+pan

I shall let you know if the poor things survives with me shortly ... watch this space!

Homemade Tomato Soup

Well I have a sick six year old and he requested tomato soup, so I quickly threw this together.

Claire's Homemade Tomato Soup

Fry off 11/2 red onions in some coconut oil and butter

Add a cut up red pepper and fry

Add 2 cloves of garlic

Add a mix of fresh herbs

When onions and pepper are softened add I tin of tomatoes

Add some balsamic vinegar

Add some sugar to taste

Season with salt and pepper

Cook

Then blitz with hand blender

For my lunch I had a prawn salad.

Ham, coleslaw & minted potatoes

Well, the weather is getting sunnier (for Britain) and I felt I needed to pep up the cooking as we've all had the lurgy, so today is all about fresh flavours.  Last night I cooked and baked a ham joint and I am going to serve it with minted new potatoes, a yoghurty mustardy dressed coleslaw, fresher and healthier than one stuffed full of mayo.