Things to do with over ripe bananas!

This recipe comes from the website Love Food Hate Waste. Though it really isn't 'ice cream' because there isn't any cream in it, it is a good frozen dessert.

1. Peel 8 ripe bananas, wrap in cling film and freeze overnight.
2. Allow to soften for 20 minutes then put into a food processor and whiz until thick and creamy. Serve immediately or refreeze.

You could also make banana muffins:

3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister, so I use 4)

1/2 cup white sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I don’t like them too sweet) (I used 3/4 of a cup and it was still a bit sweet)

1 slightly beaten egg

1/3 cup melted margarine or butter (I used sunflower oil)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine/butter/oil together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together, being careful not to over-stir! Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 F degrees *180 C) oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

*These are much more flavourful the next day, and they freeze very nicely too!

*Also, if you like walnuts, you can throw a handful of those in there as well for some added flavour and texture, or try adding chocolate chips, or better yet, both.

If you need a metric recipe, here it is:

Banana Muffins - metric version

3 or 4 large bananas, mashed (the more bananas and the riper they are the moister, so I use 4)

125 g white sugar

1 slightly beaten egg

75 ml melted butter/margarine or sunflower oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

225g plain flour

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine/butter/oil together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together, being careful not to over-stir! Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 180 C oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Muffins for the Christmas Kitchen

In Egham where I live, the local churches run a Community Kitchen every Wednesday and in the week or so leading up to Christmas.  It is run by church members and the food provided by the congregation and members of the public.  This year, Naomi and I are going to make muffins.  I have just finished baking one of the recipes for blueberry muffins.  Tomorrow I'm going to make Christmas Cranberry Muffins.  However, thanks to a trip to Canada recently, I discovered muffin tops and so, instead of baking the muffins in tins, I am going to make them on cookie sheets.  I think they look far more appealing!

Christmas Cranberry Muffins

(Though this recipe is in American measurements, it is easy to convert by remembering that American cups are 8 oz.  Just use a regular measuring cup for the dry ingredients as well as the wet.)


Ingredients
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon orange rind
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup nuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Coarsely chop cranberries, sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar & set aside. Preheat oven to 375 F, prepare pans.

Combine flour, 2nd measure sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & allspice. In another bowl combine egg, orange rind & juice and melted butter. Add dry mix to wet mix & stir to moisten. Fold in cranberry mixture & nuts.

Spoon into pans & bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Blueberry Muffins (These have just come out of the oven!)

Ingredients

2 cups (approx 280 grams) self raising flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup (approx. 67 grams) sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
4 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup (175 ml) milk
2 cups (approx. 300 grams?!?) blueberries, well-dried
optional: 1 tsp grated orange or lemon rind muffin pan lined with muffin papers (i use one 12 cup and one 6 cup pan)

Method

1. Wash the blueberries and drain. Sprinkle a tea towel with flour and roll the blueberries in it. Wrap the now lightly floured berries and leave for a good 30 minutes or so to dry completely.
2. Preheat oven to 425F/210C/Gas Mark 7.
3. Sift the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the melted butter and then the milk.

5. Quickly stir the liquid ingredients into the dry, confining yourself to only 10-15 strokes. Leave the lumps as too much handling will result in tough muffins.

6. Add the floured blueberries and the optional rind if you are using. Briefly fold in the berries. Spoon into the prepared muffin pans, allowing the mixture to fill about 2/3 of the cup. Bake in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Muffins will be a light golden colour when fully cooked.

7. Remove at once from their tins. Serve with plenty of butter. To really make this a meal, scramble some eggs to eat with the muffins!

Pickled Beets Recipe INGREDIENTS 1 bunch (4 or 5) beets 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard Salt and pepper METHOD 1 Remove greens from beets, save for future use (see beet greens recipe). Cut beets to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly. Steam or boil around 30 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast them by wrapping them whole in foil and cooking them in a 350°F oven for about an hour.) A fork easily inserted into the beet will tell you if the beets are done or not. 2 Drain the beets, rinsing them in cold water. Use your fingers to slip the peels off of the beets. The peels should come off easily. Discard the peels. Slice the beets. 3 Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a half hour at room temperature. Serves four.

Pumpkin Muffins

Easy
Ready in 45 mins

Ingredients
Serves: 12
1 small sugar pumpkin, seeded
375g plain flour
400g caster sugar
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
160ml vegetable oil
3 eggs

Preparation method

Prep: 20 mins |Cook: 25 mins
1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin cases.

2. Split pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and strings. Place on baking tray, cut side down. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven until tender, about 90 minutes. Scoop out pumpkin and puree in blender. Weigh out 500g of pumpkin puree; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, bicarb, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the 500g pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Scoop muffin mixture into prepared muffin cups.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Clean out the cupboards and fridge weekend!

This is the cook out the cupboards and fridge weekend. I am determined to only eat what we already have in hand and most especially anything that has lingered too long. At the moment Of writing I am defrosting some mystery berries, which may be blueberries and which came from my friend Nina's freezer when I cleared it out for her. I shall be making a pie with that. I also have duck breasts from the same clear out. I have no idea how to cook them but I will figure it out! First thing this morning I made bread and corn muffins, the recipe for which is below:

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3.Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted
into a muffin comes out clean.

Blueberry muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

2/3 cup (135g) sugar

1/2 tsp (3g) salt

2 1/2 cups (300g) all–purpose flour

1 Tbsp (15g) baking powder

1 large egg

1/3 cup (80mL) vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups (300mL) reduced–fat (2%) milk

1 tsp (5mL) vanilla extract

1 cup (150g) fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C)

Combine the sugar, salt, flour, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine the liquid ingredients. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients and blueberries. Mix with a fork until it forms a loose batter.

Lightly coat a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the pan until the cups are 3/4 filled. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the centres are firm.

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 227
Protein: 4g
Fat: 7g
Carbohydrates: 37g
Sodium: 193mg
Cholesterol: 19mg
Fibre: 2g