Recipe: Banana & Baileys bread and butter pud!

I have some bananas sitting in my fruit bowl that need to be eaten sharpish (before they turn to the dark side...literally).

So while I could use them up by making my usual banana bread (which I love) I want to challenge myself and create a new and exciting pudding.

I have found the perfect recipe.  Jamie Oliver, oh how I love you!

Banana and baileys bread and butter pudding

Ingredients

• 75 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing, softened
• 7 to 8 slices good-quality white bread
• 100 g golden caster sugar , plus 1 heaped tablespoon for sprinkling
• 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways and seeds scraped out
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 600 ml double cream
• 600 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 4 ripe bananas
• 75 g pecan nuts
• 100 ml Baileys
• Optional - 100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas 4. Lightly butter the bread on one side, then cut each piece in half diagonally.
Whisk the sugar, vanilla seeds and eggs together in a large bowl until well combined, then pour in the cream and milk and continue whisking until smooth. Peel and roughly slice the bananas, then roughly bash up the pecans and chocolate (if using)

Rub the inside of a baking dish with a little butter, then layer up the bread (butter-side up), bananas, pecans and chocolate, if using, finishing with a final layer of bread (again butter-side up). Drizzle over the Baileys and custardy mixture, then leave to stand for around 20 minutes, or until the bread begins to soak up the liquid.

Bake in the hot oven for around 35 minutes, or until set around the edges but still wobbly in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then serve as is, or sprinkle over the caster sugar and blast with a blowtorch to caramelise the top. Delicious served with good-quality vanilla ice cream.

You can find this little gem of a recipe here.  I can't wait to give this a try!

xx 



Lentil and bacon soup

On a rainy, grey day like today there is nothing better than making some comforting soup from scratch.  I've got some lentils to use up, so when I stumbled upon this recipe below from Good Food I knew I needed to make it.  In fact, this is what I'm making tonight!


Lentil and Bacon Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 x 70g packs pancetta cubes
• 1 carrot (about 120g), finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 chilli, sliced
• 2 low-salt stock cubes
• 250g red lentils, rinsed

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, 1 pack of pancetta and the carrot. Cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft.
2. Add the cumin, turmeric, garlic and chilli and cook for a further 1 - 2 minutes
3. Pour in 1.25 litres of boiling water, crumble in the stock cubes and add the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally to ensure the lentils aren't sticking.
4. Meanwhile, fry the remaining lardons in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes until crispy.
5. Serve the soup with a sprinkle of crispy lardons on top
6. Enjoy!

xx

Wedding Wednesday: cakes

In honour of blog post number 100, I thought I would share my favourite topics when discussing weddings....the dessert of course!

I'm not really a fan of the more traditional ones such as a fruit cake, so we were looking for something a little bit different.  Thanks to Pinterest, there are many options to admire and choose from.  I'm definitely drawn a cake with a rustic or vintage feel, so here are my favourites:

~ I adore the flowers on this cake, and of course the cute cake topping!

~  Another beautiful cake with flowers, this time on a rustic wooden bark as a cake stand - great idea!

~  This vintage lace one is just beautiful...almost too good to eat!

~ As I am having a winter wedding, this one would be perfect...

~  Or we could go for something different altogether...like these cute cupcakes

~  ...or even a plateful of macaroons!

If you're married, what did you have at your wedding?  And if you're getting married and don't fancy a fruit cake, what other options are you looking at?

I'm hungry now just looking at this post!  Here's to 100 more blog posts, enjoy!

xx

My perfect birthday cake

What would you say if I told you that I have found a most delicious birthday treat, which is also gluten free?  Yes it is indeed true!

Thanks to Hemsley and Hemsley, a family run business based in London who make organic homemade foods, I have managed to find the most delicious recipe for a sticky toffee pudding.  They have eliminated all the gluten, wheat and refined sugar from the usual ingredient list for this pudding, but have also managed to replace these with equally delicious ingredients to balance things out. 

Here is the sticky toffee pudding cake in all it's perfection!

Ingredients (use organic ingredients where possible)
Serves 8-12 people

Pudding250g Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1¼ teaspoon baking soda
200ml boiling water
100g butter (room temperature/soft)
200g ground almonds
3 medium eggs
20g coconut flour
Optional: pinch of ground cloves

Sauce50g butter
100g dates
300-400ml boiling water

Instructions

• Use butter to grease a ceramic baking dish or line with parchment paper
• Soak the dates in the hot water and baking soda and leave to soften for 10 minutes
• Place the dates and their liquid into a food processor with the butter and ground almonds, and process until smooth
• Add the eggs and ground cloves and sieve in the coconut flour. Process again until creamy
• Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 45 minutes at 170C or until cooked through. You might need to cover the top with parchment paper if it starts to look too brown after 35 minutes. The pudding will slump slightly when it comes out of the oven
• To make the sauce, don't bother rinsing the food processor. Again, soak the dates in the boiling water before blending with the butter. Process just the dates and butter and then slowly add the soak water until your sauce is as smooth as possible. You can thin it with a touch more water and leave it warm or heat in a saucepan
• Blend the wet ingredients into the dry. Chop the dates as best you can for a lovely chunky texture to the pudding. For the sauce use a good quality maple syrup like Vertmont instead of the dates
  
  To serve: Dish up the hot pudding and pour over the sauce and, for extra extravagance, add some organic crème fraiche.

I can't wait to try this!  Sticky toffee pudding is one of my favourite puddings, so to find an organic one like this one is a bonus.

xx

Recipe: tuna melt pizza baguette

I spotted this recipe from an old Good Food magazine I had lying around, so I decided to make this on the weekend.  It's a perfect 'throw it together' lazy Sunday snack.

On the downside...it did get messy with all the cheese falling off and refusing to stay on the baguette before baking it...but it was delicious in the end so worth the mess!

I adapted it slightly from the original recipe, because I didn't have sweetcorn, and I added mozzarella as well as cheddar cheese. 

Ingredients (for 2 people)

Baguettes

1 red pepper (I used a sweet pepper)

A can of tuna

100g cheddar, grated

Mozzarella, chopped

Tomato purée 

Method:

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Halve the 2 part-baked baguettes lengthways and cook directly on the oven shelf for 8 minutes. Meanwhile mix the diced peppers, tuna, and 75g of the grated cheddar and mozzarella. 

Transfer the baguettes to a baking tray, spread each with 1 tbsp tomato purée, divide the tuna mix over, then sprinkle with the remaining grated cheddar. Bake for 12 minutes or until melting and golden.  Mine cooked in about 5 minutes!

Then, relax and enjoy!

xx

recipe: grilled peach salad

After having a delicious peach salad at my friend's wedding last Friday, I've been inspired to try and replicate this...and I was so excited when I stumbled upon this recipe by Jamie Oliver

It's a perfect combination for a summer salad.  And perfect for those nights when you want to sit and relax in your garden with a BBQ and a good book!

Grilled peach salad with parma ham and a creamy dressing

Ingredients:

• 4 just-ripe peaches
• a few fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper optional
• rosemary or thyme
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon natural yoghurt or crème fraîche
• 16 slices of Parma ham
• a few sprigs of fresh tarragon, leaves picked
• 2 handfuls of rocket, washed and spun dry
• 100g goat’s cheese, crumbled

Preheat a barbecue or griddle pan until hot.
Cut the peaches in half (remove the stones) toss them in a bowl with the chopped rosemary, a splash of olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  
Grill the peaches for a couple of minutes on each side until nicely charred, but not burnt!

Pour the vinegar into a bowl and add three times as much extra virgin olive oil. Add the yoghurt or crème fraîche and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk or shake until mixed together well.

Drape the parma ham over the plates, pinching it up here and there so it’s not lying flat. Place the peaches over the parma ham. Toss the tarragon leaves and rocket in the creamy dressing and pile the salad on top of the peaches. Drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil, scatter with the crumbled goat’s cheese and tuck in!

                                                                Delicious!

                                                                     xx

my instagram life...

Morning!

My weekend mostly consisted of good food...good films...shopping and a lunch date with my fiance!  So a very lovely, relaxing weekend. 

I'll be sharing my purchases in a separate haul post this week...but for now...here's a few pics of my weekend...

                                                   (instagram name: angie_peanuts_pearls)

~ treating myself to a sushi

~ my new lovely coffee table book (I just love Audrey)

~ lunch date at The Corner House

~ i went for a chicken satay salad...it was delicious!

~ trying to choose a new revlon lipstick

~ homemade curry to finish off the weekend!

                                           
                                                    Did everyone else have a nice weekend?

                                                                         xx   
 



recipe: buckwheat blinis for brunch!

I adore going out for brunch with my friends or family.  I usually stick to my two favourite options - either pancakes with fruit or smoked salmon with a muffin topped with hollandaise sauce (yum!) 

So when I discovered this simple recipe by Sophie Dahl, combining two of favourite options I knew I just had to attempt this at home!

Buckwheat blinis with scrambled egg and smoked salmon

Ingredients

For the blinis

• 85g/3oz buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 70g/2½oz cheddar cheese, grated
• small handful chopped fresh chives
• 2 free-range egg whites
• pinch salt
• knob of unsalted butter

For the scrambled eggs

• 4 free range or organic eggs (plus 2 free-range egg yolks)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• knob of unsalted butter

To serve

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 250g/9oz smoked salmon
• 1 lemon cut into wedges

Preparation method

1. For the blinis, mix together the buckwheat flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and the milk to make a smooth batter.
2. Add the mustard powder, cheddar and chives and mix until well combined.
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
   
   Gradually fold the whisked egg whites into the batter mixture using a metal spoon.
4. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium high heat, and spoon large tablespoons of the batter into the pan to make medium sized pancakes, about 10cm/4in in diameter.
5. Fry the blinis, in batches, for 2-3 minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface and the underside looks cooked. Turn the blinis over and cook on the other side for a further 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown. Keep warm.
6. Repeat until all of the mixture is used up.
7. For the scrambled eggs, whisk the eggs in a bowl, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then pour in the eggs, stirring a little to break the eggs up slightly as they set. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and set the eggs aside to finish cooking for a further 1-2 minutes.
9. To serve, place two blinis onto each of four serving plates, spoon on the scrambled eggs, and sprinkle over the chopped chives. Arrange the smoked salmon on the side, and finish with the lemon wedges

                                                                 and enjoy with fresh juice!

                                                       What do you love having for brunch?

                                                                               xx

Recipe - Wild mushroom and mozzarella risotto cake

I went out for food last night in a lovely local pub and had the most delicious meal - it was a mozzarella and sundried tomato risotto cake, with a salad and jacket potato.

I've been researching recipes this morning in order to try and replicate this....I haven't had any luck yet but I did stumble upon a similar recipe on the Channel 4 website, called wild mushroom and mozzarella risotto cake

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 200g assorted wild or chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 300g arborio rice
• 75ml white wine
• 800ml vegetable stock, hot
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 125g buffalo mozzarella ball, cut into 12 pieces
• 4 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil

How to make wild mushroom and mozzarella risotto cakes

1. Heat 20g of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, until foaming. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and set the mushrooms aside.

2. Return the pan to the heat, add the onion, garlic and remaining butter and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until reduced to almost nothing. Add a ladleful of stock and simmer until nearly absorbed. Keep adding the stock in this way, until the rice is al dente - about 20 minutes. Fold in the thyme and mushrooms. Season, cool slightly, then chill until cold.

3. Shape the risotto into 12 cakes. Make a hole in the centre of each and press in a piece of cheese. Cover by squeezing the sides together.

4. Roll the risotto cakes in the flour. Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan and fry the cakes, in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest.

5. I would serve this with a little side salad, with some new potatoes or a baked sweet potato!

This would make a perfect summer meal!

xx

Monthly favourites

Can you believe it's the last day of March already?  This year is just flying by...and I still have so much I need to do before my wedding in November!

As it's the last day of March, I thought I would do a little round up of my favourite things...

* Food:
Almond milk - now I know this might not be classed as a 'food' item but I really have been loving this on my cereals so thought it made sense to include it!  It really is nutritious and has so many health benefits.  I cut out cow's milk from my diet a few year's ago and made the switch to soy milk, but now that I found this delicious milk I'll definitely be buying it more often.  I even made my own almond milk after seeing the recipe on Linda Wagner's blog, where she definitely inspired me to branch out and be more adventurous with milk!

                                                                          image via here
* Skincare:
Johnson's Daily Essential Hydrating Day Cream.  First off, I really like the packaging of this product - simple and cute, with the bonus of having SPF 15 already in the moisturiser also. It doesn't appear to have a scent (I'm not really a fan of cream's with scents!).  It really feels refreshing on the skin and does not feel heavy at all. It also lasts quite a while, bonus!

                                                                    Johnson's 

Fashion:
Coloured denim was huge this month!  I really like this trend though, and think it's perfect for spring.  I've got my eye on these coral skinny ones from Dorothy Perkins, now only £20.00

If anyone is doing a monthly favourites let me know, I'd love to read them.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

xx

my weekend...

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

The weather was glorious in Wales (quite rare, the weather has been so dull and foggy lately), so needless to say I made the most of the sunshine!

Here are a few pics of my weekend...

my first creme egg of the year - bring on Easter!

this is my view from my office - a beautiful blossom tree

me and my mother enjoying the sunshine

a nice sunday pub lunch

new purchases for my kitchen

a delicious coffee cake and a cup of tea to end the day!

 

xx

Chickpea, tomato and spinach curry

I’m always on the lookout for a way to include more vegetables and pulses in my food. I’m not claiming to be a vegetarian – I eat chicken, turkey and pork – but I do try to avoid red meat when I can (although I do love a good spag bol now and again!)

Even though I do eat meat, I always prefer eating fish really and also tend to go for the vegetarian or fish option when I’m out at a restaurant. When it comes to a good curry, I love finding vegetarian ones I can try out – so when I found this recipe through Good Food magazine, I couldn’t wait to try it! 

Here's what mine turned out like! Please excuse the slightly chipped bowl...

Here’s the list of ingredients you will need:

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped (although I used 3!)
3cm piece ginger, chopped
6 ripe tomatoes (I used 4 because the ones I bought were massive)
½ tbsp oil
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 tsp yeast extract e.g. marmite
4 tbsp red lentils
6 tbsp coconut cream
1 broccoli head, broken into pieces
400g chickpeas, drained
100g spinach
1 lemon, halved
1tbsp toasted sesame seeds mixed with 1 tbsp chopped cashew nuts

Ok, after getting all those ingredients ready, here’s how to cook your curry:

1) Put the onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes in a food processor and whizz into a puree
2) Put oil in a pan. Fry the spices for a few seconds, then add the puree and yeast extract and let it simmer for about 2 minutes
3) Add the lentils and coconut cream, cook lentils until tender
4) Add broccoli and simmer for about 4 mins. Stir in chickpeas and spinach and let simmer again for a few minutes
5) Squeeze in a bit of lemon juice, then sprinkle the sesame and cashew mixture on top
6) Serve with rice and enjoy!

Does anyone else prefer vegetarian curries to meat ones?

xx

Tuesday treat!

I love pasta

I could eat it every single day if I could! 

I also love goat's cheese...

 So when I stumbled upon this asparagus, goat cheese and lemon pasta dish from Smitten Kitchen I jumped with joy!  It looks so delicious and I can't wait to try it this week

Mmmm...tasty...

Serves 6
1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)
Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)
Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season genersously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick.

xx