Vegetarian Curry Night

I am not a vegetarian, but enjoy making and eating vegetarian meals at least a couple times a week. The challenge is to find something that my hubby will enjoy and not start having meat withdrawals. I also am trying to include more whole grains in our diet, which has proved quite a challenge. So, when I find a recipe that my family enjoys, I have to document it somewhere so I can use it again.

Tonight was one of those nights. I made Curried Chick Peas with Tofu from one of my favourite cookbooks: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I added all the liquid from the tin of chickpeas and one 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for a bit longer to really let the flavours develop.

I also made Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut from The Food Matters Cookbook on Mark Bittman's site. It looked really good to me, and it was. I peeled my apples to make it easier for my boys to eat. I used a really tart Granny Smith Apple, which ended up being too tart. I really loved the flavours and nuttiness of the rice, but I would recommend using an apple that's a bit soft and not too tart. I also used an English Cox apple, which has great flavour, and I liked that one much better. I didn't have fresh cilantro, so I used about 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro leaves which I sauteed with the rice before adding the coconut milk. My hubby really like this dish, and couldn't stop eating it. It's definitely a keeper!

Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended

Baked brown rice is mostly hands-off—no fussing or checking for doneness, just a relaxing, undisturbed 45 minutes in the oven. Your reward for doing next to nothing is a pot of tender, fragrant, slightly spicy grains (if you want more heat, use up to a tablespoon more curry powder). This recipe would go perfectly with any simply seasoned pot of chickpeas or other beans.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 cup brown basmati rice

Salt and black pepper

One 14-ounce can coconut milk

1⁄4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

2 tart apples, cored and chopped

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1⁄4 cup yogurt, optional

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. A minute later, add the curry powder and ginger and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the rice and some salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the rice is glossy and translucent, just a minute or 2.

2. Measure 13⁄4 cups of the coconut milk; stir it into the rice mixture. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Bake, undisturbed, for 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the shredded coconut in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan and stirring often, until it begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the rice from the oven, uncover, and use a fork to stir in the shredded coconut, apples, and cilantro. Replace the lid and let it rest for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and fluff again. Serve immediately or at room temperature, topped with yogurt if you like.

Egg Whites

One of hubby's favourite meals to make (and eat) is Pasta Carbonara. If you've never made this before, it involves a lot of egg yolks, and we are left with a mess load of egg whites that I never remember to use for anything. Last Sunday we had "cheesy pasta with peas and bacon" (as my oldest calls it) again and I was determined to use the egg whites in something other than an omelet. I went to eatingwell.com for some inspiration, and found some really yummy recipes to try.

The first was a Red Onion and Goat Cheese Pancake. As the recipe header says, it's like a savoury German pancake (or as we called it growing up, a Popeye pancake). It was really good, especially with the balsamic honey syrup. You could probably substitute the eggs whites for one large egg instead.

We watch a lot of cooking shows here in the UK, and the professionals are always making souffles. Of course they make everything look easy, but the souffles really did look doable. I found some small ramekins and thought I'd give a souffle a try. I made the Broccoli and Goat Cheese Souffle, but instead of having 10 ounce ramekins, mine were only about 3 oz. So, I did my best to 1/4 the recipe adjusting the sauce (pre-egg white) to taste. They were actually really easy to make, and turned out great. I was surprised at how light they were (first time eating a souffle as well). I will definitely have to try another souffle soon (maybe a sweet one next time). I would recommend using larger ramekins though, as you don't get much out of a 3 oz one.

I still had some egg whites left, so I tried my hand at making meringues. I didn't use a recipe, I just whipped the egg whites until soft peaks formed, added some sugar, and then a little cream of tartar, and whipped until the egg whites were glossy and stiff peaks formed. I was being lazy, and just spread the meringue out on baking paper on a baking sheet, and baked in a warm oven until cooked through. I then turned to oven off and let them rest in the residual heat for at least an hour or overnight until they were crisp. The next day I broke up the meringue into pieces and used it in an Eton Mess. An Eton Mess is an English pudding that is traditionally served with Strawberries. I used Mango instead.

Mango Eton Mess

1 Mango, diced

Whipped Cream

Meringue pieces

Mix all the ingredients together, or layer them as you wish in a nice dish. It couldn't be simpler.

Home Made Vegetable Stock (among other things)

When I was at school and then working, most of my meals were ones that I could prepare quickly. Now that I am a SAHM, I have more time throughout the day, but that time is usually rationed to small amounts at a time. So, my meal preparations have changed quite a bit. Instead of finding meals I can prepare quickly, I tend to cook meals that I can prep ahead of time, little bits at time. Today was a good example of how I tend to spend my afternoon, and what I do for dinner.

12 noon, put my boy down for a nap, eat lunch and find a recipe online.

1:00 pm, little one wakes up earlier than I expected. He is a bit groggy and wants to watch t.v. I take advantage of this opportunity to get started on dinner by peeling and cutting celeriac and potatoes for a mash. I am nearly finished when little one comes in needing me. Put the celeriac and potato pieces in a pot, cover with water and leave for later.

2:00, after playing with little one for a while, I find some more time to sneak away and get more done on dinner. Slice the leeks for my main, cut off broccoli florets to steam later, and decide to make a vegetable broth using the ends of the leeks and broccoli stems among other things.

3:30, after getting my older boy from school, I get them interested in colouring in the kitchen while I prepare the rest of the meal. I decide to not only skin my chicken thighs, but actually bone them too, which I actually found quite easy to do with a pair of kitchen shears. So I put the bones into my vegetable stock, and suddenly it becomes a chicken stock. My boys have lost interest in colouring at this point, and want to watch t.v. I decide not to argue, and am able to finish boning the chicken, and get it in the pan to cook. By this time, my little one comes in needing my attention and wants to help me cook. So I let him have a butter knife to help cut up the pears for the main, when he's finished he gets distracted with something else, and I am able to finish up dinner.

5:00, dinner is served. Since the only table we have is a small one for the boys, my hubby and I end up eating on the floor, and both boys usually end up wanting to eat their Dad's food, because his plate is more interesting than their own. I usually end up sneaking their food onto Dad's plate, and they end up eating it that way.

Recipes

Vegetable/Chicken Stock

Making a vegetable stock couldn't be easier, it just may take a bit of planning. I like to use up the bits of vegetables that I don't normally use in my regular cooking. Therefore, my stock is never exactly the same. I tend to use the stalks from broccoli and cauliflower, sometimes the stems from mushrooms I may have just used, the tough ends of leeks, old celery or the tough outer stalks. I'll then supplement those veg with some staples: one or two onions peeled and quartered, one or two carrots cut into chunks, and a few cloves of garlic (no need to peel), and a couple of dried Shitake mushrooms (this really adds a depth to the broth). Then I'll add some herbs (bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, etc). Cover the veg with water, bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of hours. To make is a chicken stalk, just add a chicken carcass or some chicken bones (like from boning chicken thighs).

Let the broth cool, strain the liquid and place in the fridge overnight. Skim any fat that has risen to the top (not necessary if making just a veg stock). To store, I like to pour the stock into ice-cube trays and freeze them, then place the cubes in a freezer bag/container for later use.

Celeriac and Potato Mash

Peel and cut equal amounts of potato and celeriac, place in saucepan, cover with water and add salt. Boil the potatoes/celeriac until soft enough to mash. Add chopped roasted garlic if desired (I had some leftover from roasted veg the night before). Then add a bit of butter, milk or cream, or a combination of the three as desired, and mash. Season to taste.

Chicken Thighs with Pear and Leek Sauce

I found the recipe for the main on the Eating Well website. I had 6 chicken thighs, so I doubled the recipe for the sauce. Instead of using all olive oil, I rendered the fat from some of the pieces of chicken fat I had cut off of the thighs. It gave it a really rich buttery flavour. I also used gooseberry jam instead of the currant jelly, I only used about 3 teaspoons, and it was already pretty sweet. I'd say you definitely don't need as much jelly as the recipe calls for. I used my homemade stock, and it was yummy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 large firm ripe pear, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons currant jelly
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Place sliced leek in a colander; rinse and drain well.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Add pear and 1/4 cup broth; simmer until the pear is soft and the broth is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add currant jelly to the pan and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve sprinkled with walnuts.

Jamaican Veggie Patties and Pumpkin Ginger Soup

The time just before dinner at my house can be a crazy time. The boys are getting tired and hungry, and therefore need more attention from me. This comes just at the time I need to prepare dinner. It's really difficult for me to cook when I have a wee little one clinging to my leg, or insisting that I hold him so he can stir the hot food! So, I try to get as much done during the day. If I'm lucky enough for my boys to take long naps, I can actually have a good amount of time to prepare. Today was one of those days, and I decided to try a new recipe I found on 101 Cookbooks that was a bit more time consuming than most of my meals.

My boys love getting Vegetable Pasties from the bakeries here in England, and these Jamaican Veggie Patties looked like something they would enjoy, and they make a perfect pack lunch too. Although the patties can take quite a while you can prepare most of it ahead of time. I made the dough and the filling while my little one was sleeping, and then they helped me roll out the crust and cut the circles out for the patties. They had a lot of fun playing with the dough, and I kept my sanity while finishing up dinner. The Veg patties are supposed to be vegan, but since I didn't have any coconut oil, I just used butter instead, and they turned out fine. I also used a 4 1/2" round cookie cutter to get smaller patties, perfect size for little hands. My boys ate them right up, and my husband said they were even good enough to buy. I think I'll try whipping up a double or triple batch this weekend and freezing them for future lunches or a quick meal.

I also threw together a soup using one of the Halloween pumpkins I had. Most people think they're just for carving, but you get a lot of good squash from one of those. I cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and placed in a 9x13" pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. I roasted the pumpkin at about 350 *F for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked through and very soft. Once it's cooled you can scoop out the flesh and use it for all kinds of yummy things. Tonight I made a pumpkin ginger soup. Maybe next I'll try a pumpkin pie or a cheesecake. Yum!

I didn't add any cream or milk to my soup this time, and I thought it was still very good. Not only does the cream/milk make the soup more creamy though, it also helps to cut the acidity from the apples. I also roasted the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin with a bit of oil and salt. They make a great garnish for this soup.

Pumpkin Ginger Soup

2 Tbs veg oil/butter

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

1/2-1 cup apple juice

1-2 cups water or chicken stock

2 cups roasted pumpkin

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

cream or milk (optional)

salt and pepper

roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

1. Heat the oil or medium heat, and sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes. Add the apple and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the ginger and sauté for another minute, then add the apple juice, cover, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until veg is very soft.

2. Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of water/stock and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove soup from heat, and blend the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. You may need to add more water/stock to adjust the consistency. If you are using cream, leave the purée a little thicker than you want the soup, then mix in the cream to a desired consistency. Add the nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Slowly reheat the soup if necessary. Serve garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Warm Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

My youngest boy has eczema, and I've been trying to find what might things set it off. There's the heat (especially the dry heat in the winter); it also seems to flare up when he's teething or ill. I think he may also have a sensitivity or allergy to peanuts, and I've been wondering if he may have any other food allergies. Since allergies or sensitivities to food can cause a flare-up in eczema, as well as other things, I have been reading up on food allergies.

In Allergy-Free Cooking for Kids by Antoinette Savill, Karen Sullivan does a great job explaining food allergies and sensitivities and what may contribute to them. One thing I have learned is that the most common allergens are foods that we eat the most of; milk, wheat, and eggs are some of the most common. If you think about it, most people drink a lot of milk, eggs are in a ton of things, and on some days we have wheat at every meal, and snack time as well. On some days, my boys might have toast for breakfast, cheese sandwich on wheat bread for lunch and pasta for dinner; not to mention all their snacks.

Even though I don't think my boy has a wheat allergy, I have realized that it's good to have a variety of grains and other carbs in our diet. Therefore, I've been trying to incorporated new grains into my family's diet. They're okay with rice, sometimes they'll eat potatoes. When they're in the right mood they love my oatmeal for breakfast. However, I want to get them used to other grains: barley, millet, and quinoa for example.

Tonight I cooked with quinoa. Quinoa is a great grain; it is (I believe) the only grain that is a complete protein (containing all of the essential amino acids). I found a recipe on Mark Bittman's website that looked really tasty; Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad. I wanted to try that for dinner tonight, but made a few changes.

Instead of a cold salad, I wanted a warm one. Also, my boys have a hard time eating raw peppers. So, I roasted the red bell pepper under the grill/boiler, and removed the skin after letting it cool in a foil pouch. I seasoned the sweet potatoes and roasted them in the oven with a bit of oil and some water until soft. After mixing the pepper and minced onion with the cooked quinoa, I mixed the sweet potato and the dressing, then put it back in the roasting pan and put it back in the oven to warm everything through.

I thought it was delicious. My boys wouldn't eat it. Well, it's something new, so hopefully after exposing them to this grain a few more times, (and when they're not quite so tired), they'll be more apt to try it. That's the tricky bit about cooking for kids, they don't always like trying new things.

Smothered Burritos

I do like trying new recipes and when I do, I usually follow the measurements. However, most of the dishes I make are ones that I have made up, or have tweaked from recipes that I have made a lot. Therefore, I don’t really measure things out. Most of my cooking is done by eye and palate. I usually add a little bit of this and that. I guess that’s why I haven’t posted many of my own recipes; I just don’t have time to figure out specific measurements. So, I’ve made a decision to post them anyway, and do my best to put measurements to them. Just keep in mind that most of these recipes are not exact, and feel free to change the amounts of just about anything according to what you have on hand, and your own palate.

Baked beans are practically a staple in the English household. They are basically white beans in a slightly sweet tomato sauce. When looking for the tinned beans in the supermarket, you’ll find half an aisle full of baked beans, and one small section devoted to all the other types of beans. You’ll see baked beans with an English breakfast, beans on toast, beans over a baked potato (jacket potatoes), among other things. I have tried to branch out a bit, and Smothered Burritos is just one of several uses I have found for these culinary gems. If you can’t find baked beans, you could use pork and beans, or any other tinned beans plus extra tomato sauce.

Smothered Burritos is a recipe that I have made quite a lot, and my boys love it! They are similar to Enchiladas, but the sauce I use is a simple tomato sauce and not a proper red chilli sauce. I usually make extra burritos and freeze them; which make a great quick lunch and easy to send to work with my hubby. Just pop them in the microwave for a few minutes, and you’ve got a healthy filling lunch. It’s also a great use for leftover rice.

Smothered Burritos

Filling

~1/2 pound lean beef mince/ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 400g/14 oz tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 400 g tin baked beans

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp dried oregano

Chili powder to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

~1 to 1 ½ cups cooked rice

1/3 cup natural/plain yogurt

Tomato sauce

1 Tbs oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 chili pepper, minced (deseeded for less heat)

1 400g/16 oz can diced tomatoes

500 g sieved tomatoes/tomato sauce

1 handful chopped fresh coriander leaves/cilantro (or 1-2 tsp dried cilantro)

Tortillas

Grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. In a large frying pan, brown the beef, remove from the pan. Add a little oil if necessary, and sauté the onions and bell pepper until soft. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the beans, cumin, coriander, oregano and chili powder, and cook on medium, stirring occasionally until warmed through (about 5 minutes).

2. For the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan on medium heat. Sauté the garlic and chili for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes , tomato sauce, and coriander/cilantro. Continue to cook until heat through. Season to taste.

3. In a large bowl (or in the frying pan if you have room), combine the meat mixture with the rice and yogurt. Add a bit of the red sauce for extra moisture.

4. Warm the tortillas to prevent them cracking when folding. Fill the tortillas and wrap them up. Place in a greased baking dish. Smother the burritos with the red sauce, and cover with grated cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.

Simple Friday Night Meal

I try to give my kids a variety of foods, lots of vegetables and different flavours. I don't want them to grow up being picky eaters. But, they're still kids, and sometimes don't want to try a new curry, or a different looking stew. They can sometimes be a bit picky, and still enjoy the kid friendly fare. One of my boys' favourite things to eat is chicken nuggets (with BBQ sauce). I on the other hand am not a fan of the store bought pre-processed chicken nuggets. Who knows exactly what they contain? Most have added salt, and other unhealthy preservatives. I like making my own chicken nuggets. It is so easy and so quick, and I know exactly what's in them. My boys love them too! When I make the chicken nuggets, I also make some sort of vegetable side dish to accompany it.

Chicken nuggets

1-2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

~1/2 cup plain/natural yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

Other herbs and seasonings of choice to taste: i.e. paprika, minced garlic, dried herbs with

dried or fresh bread crumbs seasoned with salt & pepper.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/170 C. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper. Pound the breasts flat to about 1/2 inch thickness (you could use a rolling pin, the flat side of a meat tenderizer, a rubber mallet, or the bottom of a glass). Cut the chicken into pieces of desired size, about 2 inches, and set aside.

2. In a bowl or bag, mix together the yogurt salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice. Place the chicken pieces in the bag and marinate for at least one hour if possible.

3. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, cover each piece of chicken in the bread crumbs, and place on a greased baking sheet (or covered with baking paper). Place in oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Minted Carrots: slice a couple of peeled carrots, place in saucepan, cover with water, cook with some chopped fresh mint until water evaporates and carrots are soft. Add salt and pepper, and honey to taste. You could also add a little knob of butter if desired.

Handy Tip #1: Storing Fresh Ginger

I love having fresh ginger around to put in curries, stir-fries, or even my rustic pear tart. The only problem is that I don't use it often enough to go through a big piece of it before it starts to shrivel up and dry out. I can't take credit for this tip, but I can't remember where I first heard it.

Now I can buy ginger in bulk and can have fresh ginger all year round. Just peel the ginger and cut it into smaller pieces and freeze it. When you need some fresh ginger, just pull out a piece and grate using the small holes or a micro-grater. It works great!

Rustic Pear Tart

It's been a while since I've gone food shopping in the States, but I don't remember there being quite the selection of sugars as they have in England. When you step into the baking aisle at Tesco or ASDA the sugars you will find include: granulated, caster, icing, fondant icing, royal icing, natural golden granulated, natural golden caster, Demerara, light and dark Muscovado, light and dark brown soft, natural molasses, jam and preserving sugar. For the following recipe I used Demerara sugar, also known as unrefined cane sugar.

I had some leftover whole wheat short crust pastry dough in the freezer that I needed to use up, and some pears that were going soft and not getting eaten. So I thawed the dough one Monday evening, and quickly threw together this easy dessert. My oldest boy scarfed it down, and my hubby said it was delicious (and that's with a ww crust!)

I don't have the specific recipe for the pie crust. I made this a while ago, and can't remember what I did exactly. I'm pretty sure I used a normal pie-crust recipe, but used 1/2 whole wheat flour and half all-purpose (plain) flour. Then I think I actually used a mixture lard and butter for the fat.

If you are looking for a simple yet delicious dessert, this tart, also known as a Gallete, is the one for you. If you have ready made short-crust pastry, it only takes about 5 minutes to assemble, and you don't have to measure anything. This truly is a little-of-this-and-that kind of recipe. There are no measurements, because it all depends on your taste, as well as the size you want to make the tart. I made some very small ones for my boys, and medium sized personal ones for myself and my hubby. You could make one large one and cut it into slice if you'd like.

Rustic Pear Tart

Short-crust Pastry (ready made or your own recipe)

Pears, peeled and sliced

Demerara Sugar (unrefined cane sugar)

Cinnamon

Grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degree F/190 C. For each tart, roll a circle out to desired size, sprinkle with sugar. Leaving 1 to 2 inches around the edge, Place the pear slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with more sugar, cinnamon and a bit of fresh grated ginger. Add another layer of pears followed by sugar, cinnamon and ginger according to taste. Fold the edges of the pie-crust over the filling, and sprinkle the edges with sugar.

Place tarts on a baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is browned and the filling is bubbly.

Variations: You could try this with any fruit, apple, plums, etc. I also made a pear and plum tart which was very good.

Have Your Cake. . .

We celebrated my boy's birthday a while back. He loves cars, and we had a car party, so I made a racetrack cake. It's actually really similar to the one I did last year. I tried a chocolate zucchini (courgette) cake, which went over pretty well, but I wasn't pleased with it. I felt it came out a little too dry. I will stick with plain zucchini cake from now on.

The recipe was meant for a 9x13 inch pan. I made two batches, and split them between four 8" round cake pans. I cut the edge off one side of each cake, so they would sit together nicely. I made a frosting of cream (soft) cheese, yogurt, and icing sugar, which turned out quite nice. This was used between the cakes and on the outside. It didn't need to look pretty, because I then covered the cake with the grass and track. The track was laid first using crushed Oreo cookies (without the cream filling). Then I covered the rest of the cake with green coloured coconut. The cars are foil wrapped chocolate.

Since I wouldn't recommend the chocolate zucchini cake recipe I used, I thought I would include a couple of cake recipes that I really do like.

The first is a banana cake recipe I got from Eating Well. When I make the cake, I don't ever make the frosting that goes with it. This is such a moist cake that I don't think it needs a frosting. I did try the frosting recipe for a cake last year, and it didn't quite turn out. So here is the recipe for the cake alone. It calls to put it into 2 9" round cake tins, but I just use one 9x13" pan, and it turns out fine. You may need to adjust the cooking time a bit.

Banana Cake

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas, (about 3), plus 2 whole bananas, divided
• 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper.
2. Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar and oil in a large bowl. Stir in mashed bananas, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the banana mixture and fold in just until blended. Divide the batter between the pans.
3. Bake the cake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Apple Cinnamon Harvest Muffins

We've had a beautiful, warm September, almost like an Indian Summer, as they say in the States. Last week the weather turned a bit colder, and Saturday was a beautiful sunny autumn day. We were having a service project with our church, rolling hay bales, building a hay rick, painting and clearing. It was a perfect day for a muffin that reminded me of autumn.

I don't like my muffins very sweet, so this recipe doesn't call for a lot of sugar. I also used a combination of cooking (tart) and dessert (sweet) apples. You may want to add more sugar if you like your muffins sweet, or you are using very tart apples.

(The picture doesn't really do these muffins justice, it was taken with my mobile phone.)

Apple Cinnamon Harvest Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain/all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups wholemeal/whole-wheat flour

2 cups oats (porridge, quick or old fashioned rolled oats will do)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

2 cups apples, grated

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz) milk

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup (1/4 pint) vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C, grease two muffin tins. In a medium bowl, mix together the grated apple and dark brown sugar, set aside.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar.

3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the apple and sugar mixture, until well blended.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients in the center. Mix the two together, just until blended. (Do not over mix, or the muffins will be tough).

5. Divide the batter evenly between the 24 muffin cases, and bake for 20-30 minutes. Muffins should be golden brown, and a knife/toothpick, when inserted should come out clean.

Another Take on tuna

I wrote this recipe up a while ago on my other blog, but wanted it to be in here:

When I was younger, we would have open faced tuna sandwiches quite often for dinner or lunch. Very cheap, and very easy. Paul never really liked them, and said it was not fit for dinner food. Well, yesterday I tweaked the recipe, and Paul's opinion changed. We had it for lunch, and he wanted it again for dinner, and then again for lunch today.

He is not usually a fan of the common tuna and pickles. Another complaint was that the bread would get soggy. We didn't have any pickles or sweetcorn (a very British thing), so I used canned pineapple instead.

Here's my recipe:

Tropical tuna sandwiches
Mix together:
1 can tuna in water, drained
3 pineapple rings, chopped into small pieces
about 3 Tbs mayo (or to desired consistency)
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Toast 4 slices of bread in toaster till lightly browned. Spread tuna mix evenly on bread, top with grated Cheddar cheese. Place sandwiches in broiler/grill on Medium heat until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

It may sound a little strange, but it's actually really good. By toasting the bread before hand, it stays crisp under the moist tuna mixture. The pineapple and cayenne really complement the tuna well. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Breakfast Burritos

Despite the name, I usually make these for dinner. Eggs are a good inexpensive protein, and this dish is not only delicious, but really easy to make. I like to roast my own bell pepper, but you could use one from a jar if you want.

2-3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large potato, petite diced

3 roasted red or yellow bell peppers, chopped

1/2 head savoy cabbage, finely chopped (see note)

1/2 tsp cumin (or to taste)

1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)

5-6 large eggs

salt and pepper to taste

tortillas

grated cheddar cheese

yogurt or sour cream

salsa

In a large frying pan, sauté the onions in the oil for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the potatoes and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and bell pepper, cumin and chili powder and sauté until potatoes and cabbage are soft. Remove potato mixture from pan.

Add a little more oil to the pan, and add the eggs to scramble them (I add eggs straight to the pan and scramble in the pan. You could whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl before cooking if desired).

Heat tortillas, add desired amounts of potato mixture and eggs, and any other condiments of choice.

Note: Savoy Cabbage is a variety of cabbage in the UK. The leave are more tender than regular white cabbage (sort of a mix between nappa and white cabbage). Regular white cabbage would probably work, but might not be as tender as the savoy cabbage. You could also try spinach or kale.

Twice Baked Potatoes

This is a simple dish, and a good way to use canned tuna.

4 Large baking potatoes

1 can tuna, drained

1 large celery stalk, finely chopped

1 onion, minced

1 Tbs capers, rinsed and chopped (optional)

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Italian/Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup natural/plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Wrap potatoes in foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Let cool, and then cut a slit across the top, leaving about 3/4" at each end. Push the ends together to open the potato.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh of the potato and place in a large bowl. Leave some flesh in the potato to help keep its shape. Repeat with all potatoes.

Mash the potato in the bowl and combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Season to taste. Stuff each potato with the filling, and sprinkle more grate cheese on top. Place in a baking dish, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly and brown.