Go bananas!

After the birthday bowl I thought it only right that I follow with a sweet treat. Can someone explain how come I always seem to finish up with at least two or three bananas past their best even though they have come from the same bunch – it's one of the great mysteries of life.

Since the emphasis recently has been on regaining control after our holiday excesses this is the perfect recipe to use up those over-ripe bananas hanging from the tree.

You may think that bananas are too lowly in the fruit chain to qualify for a supper/dinner party dessert – I hope I'm about to change your mind.

This recipe is the epitome of versatility :

as a traditional sandwich cake, filled with whipped cream

and dusted with icing sugar – 2 x sandwich tins, greased

20.5cms/8”

as a tray bake, cut into squares and served with vanilla

custard or ice cream – or both

Today it's timbales but before we go any further I should explain, a timbale is anything you make in a dariole mould, so perfect for individual servings. If you're not sure what to look for I've included a photo in the guide that follows - here's the basic recipe:

250g/9oz self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

150g/5oz unsalted butter

250g/9oz caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3 bananas puréed, mixed with 1 tbsp

milk

Sift the dry ingredients together.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs gradually. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the bananas and milk. To make life easier I transfer the mixture to a disposable piping bag – less messy – fill the moulds half to three quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

This recipe is perfect for freezing, stating the obvious I know, but if you make the sandwich cake freeze it unfilled!

I make my timbales ahead and freeze – they take one minute to microwave (on high).

Photos coming next.

The birthday bowl photo guide

Heat the butter and the cream

together

Add the Parmesan and heaps of

black pepper

The bowl

The bowl with petit pois

I didn't have any fettuccine in my pantry but I did have spaghetti – if you're not fond of “ribbony” types of pasta just choose your favourite.

Happy Birthday to me!

The birthday bowl!

I know we've been chatting about all things sensible but I have to interrupt that train of thought since it's my birthday and I get to choose what's for supper.

The simple things in life are the best. I know the immortal words “keep it simple” aren't mine but it's true.

Here's what I cooked and a word of warning it's definitely not what you'd describe as “fat-free”!

Fettuccine Alfredo

Here are the bits of information that I always find interesting . Fettuccine Alfredo was invented by Alfredo di Lelio who had restaurants in Rome in the early to mid 20^th century. Traditionally the dish was cooked at your table. As the dish became more popular it appeared in the USA. I was in Vermont when I sampled my first bowl – it was without doubt, the finest bowl of pasta and sauce I've ever eaten and the only one I've ever finished. That was a long time ago – yikes 1997! Since that time my quest has been to find a recipe as near as I could to that bowl of magic, here it is :

1 tbsp unsalted butter

200ml double cream

50g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gently heat the butter and the cream together, stirring, until the butter has melted, then stir in the Parmesan. Slowly bring to a gentle boil, turn down the heat and simmer, stir continuously for a minute or so until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.

This sauce can be made ahead.

The above recipe would be sufficient for two servings – enough to coat 225g uncooked pasta. Traditionally there are no additions to Alfredo although I've had it served with petit pois. If you've never tried it I'd highly recommend this sauce.

The sauce is so good and tasty it lends itself to other dishes and particularly leftovers.

Photos up next.

Or is it Steak Haché? ...

Steak Haché, as you may have gathered is French – it's a posh burger without the bun and uses high quality ground beef - as fresh as you can get. I used Aberdeen Angus 5% fat minced steak for my burgers and was delighted with the result. If you're serving to people who say they don't like burgers then call it steak haché and they'll never know!

I digress - back to your Sunday cooking stash and the jacket potatoes and grated cheese. I'd like to point out the obvious, it's Friday and you're exhausted. Slicing cooked jacket potatoes into wedge shapes and placing on a baking sheet and then sprinkling with grated cheese isn't too taxing.

Your burgers and your wedges need 20 minutes although if you like your wedges crispier then pop them in for 10 minutes and then add the burgers for 20 – don't forget to set your timer. You can reduce the cooking time if you like your burger/haché medium – it depends on the size of burger. As a guide if you pan fry for 3-4 minutes each side you'll get slightly pink.

Whilst you're waiting slice an onion – a sweet variety or Spanish is good too, slice a beef tomato and place on top of the onion and add a generous drizzle of Balsamic glaze – salt and black pepper to suit.

Here are the photos :

my bowl of ingredients – it looks

positively artistic!

in the pan

on the plate

To answer my question, I think it's both – the purists may scoff but I don't care.

Enjoy your supper!

It's Friday evening ... is it a burger?

Burgers

Makes 5 x 100g/4oz burgers

500g minced beef

*salt and black pepper

*garlic – either 2 tsps of paste or 2 cloves, crushed

*mixed herbs or garlic italian seasoning – a generous sprinkle

*half a tsp of chilli or smoked paprika

*heaped tbsp of tomato paste

*1 egg

sprinkle of plain flour plus extra to flour

a tray for shaping the burgers

gloves or damp hands!

Rapeseed or vegetable oil for shallow frying

Place the mince in a large mixing bowl then add the remaining ingredients marked *, mix well. At this point your mixture may be too wet. If it is, sprinkle a little plain flour over the mixture and fold in gently.

The easiest way of making uniform burgers is to weigh whatever amount you wish – in this case 100g/4 oz and then shape using gloves or damp hands. The least messy way is to place an amount of minced beef onto a sheet of cling film and add or subtract to the correct weight required. You can then use the cling film to bring the burger into a ball and then transfer to the floured tray, pat it down and form into a circle. Heat the oil gently and seal the burgers on both sides.

At this point you have a choice, you can continue to cook the burgers in the pan on a low heat turning regularly for 15 minutes and then serve or if you're cooking ahead, cool, cover and fridge in an oven-proof dish and pop into a pre-heated oven on 170fan/190c/Gas 5 for 20 minutes when required.

It's up to you what you do

The burgers don't take long to prep and seal, ready to freeze or to cook and serve immediately. If you don't have time to cook and freeze on Sunday you could make them in the early part of the week – don't forget you've given yourself time with all the stuff you prepped on Sunday. If you are freezing a batch seal them in the pan then transfer onto sheets of kitchen roll to cool then bag and freeze as you wish – they are an excellent addition to your treasure chest!

Hmm, or is it Steak Haché?

Veggie or not – take 2! … the “not” element, the notes… and the dumplings

the “not” element

Turn your veggie soup into “not” if you prefer. Remember the bag of chicken bits stripped from your Sunday slow cooked chicken? Add the bits of chicken to your soup after you've blitzed and thickened.

the notes

Without being too ridiculous try and keep your carrot, onion and potato a similar size so that they cook evenly.

Don't put potatoes in with the carrots, onion and oil – the starch that is released from the potatoes means that they will cement themselves to the bottom of your saucepan!

If you want to shuck your chickpeas i.e. remove the outer husk, have a look at the blog for Sunday 18thMarch 2018 – Veggie Rendang – the shucking and the photos – The shucking stuff which gives you chapter, verse and photos.

If your soup is to include the bits of chicken you could use your chicken stock from slow cooking your chicken on Sunday instead of vegetable stock.

The savoury equivalent to the “cherry on the top of the cake” is a dumpling. Vegetarian suet is out there!

the dumplings

100g/4oz self raising flour

50g/2oz vegetarian suet

pinch of salt – mixed together

Add 100ml cold water, gradually to mix

and form into balls – 4 large or 8 small

Bring your soup to a simmer then add the dumplings, cover and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

What you do is up to you

weigh your dumpling ingredients ahead and

set aside, covered in your mixing bowl

Make the stock base for the soup on Sunday – take it as far

as you've time or inclination and all that's left

is the blitzing, forming the dumplings and then

simmering for 20 minutes

Here's your bowl of comfort!

Finally – if you don't fancy adding the chicken to your soup you could always dip into your box of bacon bits and throw in a handful or two after you've blitzed and thickened – just a thought!

Veggie or not – take 2!

It's Thursday evening and soup's up.

Carrot, Coriander and Chickpea Soup

1lb/500g Charlotte potatoes, peeled and diced

l large onion, finely chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 stockpots, vegetable or chicken

1 litre of water

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 heaped tsp coriander

Salt and black pepper

Rapeseed oil

1 can 400g/240g drained weight can of chickpeas -

(14oz/8½oz) drained and shucked

(optional – see notes to follow)

with veggie dumplings

Soften onion and carrot in drop of rapeseed oil for approx 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add curry powder, coriander and black pepper, cook the spices with the onion and carrot for 2 minutes so that the flavours are released.

Add the stockpots, plus 500ml water and simmer until the pots have melted.

Add the diced potatoes and the remaining 500ml of water, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes until the carrot and potatoes are cooked. Taste, then add salt to personal taste.

At this point you can set aside the soup until you are ready to serve.

Before serving pop 3 ladles of soup into a food processor/liquidiser and blitz. Tip the thickened soup back into your remaining soup, add the chickpeas, heat and serve.

By blitzing a portion of the soup no artificial thickening is required. The potato is your thickener and the joy of using a variety like Charlotte is that those left in the soup retain their shape - together with the other veggies and the chickpeas it is definitely a soup of substance!

Stand by for the “not” element, the notes and the dumplings.