Earl Grey Banana Bread

This is my favourite recipe to make and coincidentally my favourite to eat. When I tell my flatmates I'm making banana bread they squeal with joy and the whole loaf is gone in a day. 

Earl Grey Banana Bread

140g butter
140g caster sugar
140g self-raising flour
2 large eggs, beaten 
3 ripe bananas, mashed 
Earl Grey tea (bags or loose leaf)
vanilla extract 

1. preheat oven to 180C. line the loaf tin with parchment paper
2. cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract together. add in a teaspoon of earl grey tea
3. add in the eggs. 
4. fold in the flour and add the bananas
5. whilst it is in the oven poke some holes in it and drizzle steeped earl grey into it
6. leave in the oven for around 40 minutes
7. let it cool down and then enjoy!



I've not tried any variations yet but you can use other teas as well!

Tomato and Quinoa Soup

I love adding quinoa, aka the super high in protein wonder grain, to my boring cans of tomato soup but today I decided I was going to go one step further and make my own tomato soup! The soup takes around twenty minutes to make, meaning it's a quick, easy and healthy dinner.

Ingredients
(serves two people)
50g of quinoa
10 decent sized tomatoes
canned tomatoes
garlic puree

olive oil
seasonings

You will also need a blender or food processor. 

Before putting the quinoa to cook I recommend you soak it in water for at least five minutes to get rid of the dirt taste and soften it. Then place in a pan with boiling water, put the heat on medium and leave to cook for fifteen minutes.

In a saucepan heat up the olive oil, I use a garlic infused oil to add more flavour, vegetable or sunflower oil can be used as a substitute. 

Whilst the oil is heating up chop the tomatoes into small chunks and add to the saucepan. After a few minutes add the canned tomatoes. Bring it to the boil and then simmer.

Once the tomatoes have boiled blend them so there are no big chunks of tomato and then return to the saucepan. Then add the garlic puree and seasonings. I used chilli powder, basil, oregano and a pinch of salt, but you can use any ones you like. Heat until it is a desirable temperature, I like mine 'scald your tongue' hot. 

The quinoa should be ready by now; drain and add to the tomatoes. I recommend using a fine sieve and putting a sheet of kitchen roll over the bottom before you drain the quinoa as it is very small and likely to fall straight into your sink! 

Stir the quinoa and tomatoes together and then serve. I served mine with garlic toast and a salad. 


I'll definitely be making this in the future and using the leftovers for lunch in the coming days. I'm also going to use quinoa in another soup recipe in the coming weeks so keep your eyes out for it!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

A more accurate name for these cookies would be 'death by diabetes' but don't let that put you off, these cookies are delicious and everyone will love them.

Ingredients 
150g softened unsalted butter or margarine
150g soft brown sugar
1 egg, beaten 
1 tsp vanilla essence
250g self-raising flour
2 tbsps cocoa powder
50g milk chocolate, chopped into small chunks
50g white chocolate, same as above
50g smarties (or similar, I used M&Ms)

Featuring 2lbs of homegrown strawberries.

 Preheat the oven to 180*c or Gas 5

Cream the butter and sugar together, I prefer to mix by hand but you can use an electric whisk to save time.

Add the egg, vanilla essence, cocoa powder and half the flour, mix until it is smooth.

Stir in both kinds of chocolate chips and the smarties.

Mix in the remaining flour until the mixture is thicker and almost dough like.

Divide the dough into two and then again from this into six small balls.

Flatten each ball and place on a greased baking tray making sure they are evenly spaced, if not you will end up with one massive cookie, which isn't a bad thing but not what we are aiming for!

Bake in the centre of your preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges are crisping.
This recipe makes roughly 12 -14 cookies. 

I am taking this batch into work to enjoy on what will most likely be a very busy day that requires cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies

In an attempt to make healthier choices but being unable to avoid sweet treats I thought I would make some healthier options of my own. These cookies are perfect paired with a warm drink or even warmed up with ice cream for dessert. 

Just a word of warning, the amounts listed make more than twenty cookies, depending on how small or large you want them. If you want to make around a dozen I would recommend halving all the amounts. 

Can you spot the flour on my top? Wear an apron!

Ingredients
230g butter or margarine
200g caster sugar
220g brown sugar
250g self-raising flour
250g oats 
2 large eggs, beaten
vanilla extract
pinch of salt
baking powder
cinnamon

Preheat oven to 190*

Mix together the butter and both sugars. Gradually add in the egg and then add one teaspoon of the vanilla essence. 

Mix the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder together. Then mix and make sure that all the flour is mixed in. Finally add in the oats. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rest.

If you want you can add fruit, nuts or anything really to the mixture. I split mine in half and added raisins to one half and more cinnamon to the other.

After half an hour the mixture is ready to cook. Grease an oven tray and use a teaspoon to create small balls of the mixture. Place, well spaced apart, on the tray and push down slightly on the top with a fork dipped in milk

I kept mine on for around nine minutes and they are the perfect mixture of chewy and crunch. If you're looking for super chewy, melt in your mouth cookies then leave them in for eight minutes and for eleven if you're wanting crunchy ones. 

As I said before this recipe makes a lot of cookies! I plan on giving some to friends and colleagues, and if there's any left having them as a tasty snack. I'm giving up chocolate and sweets for lent and fully intended to last the full forty days!

Microwave Chocolate Brownie

A super quick, super easy recipe for when you're needing a chocolate fix! This recipe is measured in spoonfuls to make it even easier and quicker to make!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter/margarine
2 tablespoons milk (roughly 50ml)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
a dash of vanilla essence 

Melt the butter or leave until it is room temperature. Then add the milk and vanilla essence. 

Add the cocoa powder and mix. 

Add the sugar and mix. The mixture will look a bit grainy but don't worry!

Add the flour and, you guessed it, mix! 

Put the mixture into the microwave at the highest setting (900W)  for 70 seconds. If your microwave doesn't go that high then adjust accordingly. Important!; make sure you're using a microwave safe bowl or you could end up with an interesting science experiment in your kitchen! 

Be careful when taking it out as the bowl and brownie will be very hot. However, it is best served hot with ice cream to enjoy whilst watching trashy tv. 

Eggless Banana Bread

A good recipe if you're vegan, allergic to eggs or ran out of eggs! (Which was me!)

Ingredients
4 ripe bananas, mashed
120g of butter or margarine, softened
175g of brown sugar
120ml of milk or milk substitute (soya, almond etc)
200g of self-raising flour
vanilla essence
cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 180*c

In a large bowl mix together the mashed bananas and butter, then add the milk and vanilla essence. 

Add brown sugar and mix.

Then sieve the flour and cinnamon into the bowl. Make sure to mix thoroughly so the mixture is even and there are no pockets of flour. 
Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin (or normal cake tin) and place in oven for 1 - 1.5 hours. 

Allow to cool before enjoying!

Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

These cake bars have the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Plus because of their relatively small size they make a great and not too indulgent snack!

Ingredients;
4oz caster sugar
4oz margarine (at room temperature)
4oz self-raising flour
3 medium eggs
lemon juice

    Preheat oven to 200^. Beat eggs together.

     Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

                                                                              
Add the egg to the mixture and mix together. Repeat with 3-4 teaspoons of lemon juice,               depending on how lemon-y you want your cakes.

 Pour mixture into a square or rectangular tray and place in oven for around 20 minutes. Whilst    that's baking you can make the 'drizzle' part of the title.

Lemon Syrup;
200g of caster sugar
50ml of water
lemon juice

Boil the sugar and water in a pan until the syrup is clear. Let cool for ten minutes and then add   two teaspoons of lemon juice. Once cooled pour over cake and once it's absorbed cut the cake into rectangles.

Arrange on plate in however fashion you want, I went for the traditional jenga!

Macaroni Cheese

A particular favourite of mine. Easy to make and even easier to eat.

Ingredients 

For the sauce;

1oz Butter, 1oz plain flour, 250ml milk, cheddar cheese and seasonings.

Fusili pasta, breadcrumbs and even more cheese.

1. Boil the pasta and put the grill onto high. Then melt the butter over a medium heat.

2. Add the flour, it will form a weird looking paste but don't worry it's meant to! Keep over the hob and stir for a 3-4 minutes.

3. Take off the heat and gradually add the milk. The mixture will form a creamy sauce. You can go from here and use this basic sauce as a white sauce if you'd like.  

4. Add the grated cheese and season. I added some mozzarella to make it more luxurious but the cheddar is good on its own as well.

5. Mix the pasta with the sauce and spoon into a heat proof dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese and breadcrumbs. Place under the grill for five minutes or until the top is crunchy. 

6. Enjoy your delicious macaroni with vegetables or garlic bread.

Chorizo and Pepperoni Pasta

This past week I decided to start eating meat again, after more than six years of being a strict vegetarian. My way of easing myself back into eating meat is by creating healthy and delicious meals. 

Ingredients

For the sauce;

Pasata, garlic, olive oil, tabasco, tomatoes, basil, oregano and a pinch of salt.

Fusili pasta, chorizo and pepperoni.

Chop the tomatoes into chunks and fry in the olive oil with the garlic. Put grill onto high and put the pasta onto boil.

Add the pasata, tabasco, herbs and seasonings. Heat on medium for 2-3 minutes. 

Slice the chorizo and pepperoni into bitesize pieces and add to the sauce. Continue to heat the sauce for 2 minutes. 

Spoon into heat-proof dish and top with cheese and breadcrumbs. Pop under grill for a few minutes until the top is crusty. 

And there you go!, a delicious and easy pasta. I had mine with garlic bread but it would go well with a salad.