Andy's favorite Banana & date loaf with cinnamon crumble topping

OK I think I've got a bit of an obsession with overripe bananas at the moment.


My boyfriend thinks I'm very picky because I refuse to eat a banana when it goes slightly brown and spotty. Truth be told I like them still slightly green best. Wierd I know but dont hold it against me... the over ripe bananas in our house cerainly don't go to waste. I actually love the sweetness of overripe bananas when cooked. They go in cakes, cookies, smoothies, ice creams (cant wait to try that out when I get an ice cream maker- but may have to hope for one for Christmas if I've been good!) and of course my weekend breakfast of choice, porridge.


I recently made a batch of these banana, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies. They were delicious and as usual me and my partner-in-baked-goods-crime, Andy ate far too many of them.


Then a couple of weeks ago I had a few such overripe specimens knocking around at the end of the week so used them to make a simple banana cake recipe I found at allrecipes. click here to try it. It was excellent and as usual when I bake cake, it didnt last very long. Like the cookies though it wasn't particularly healthy and was full of refined sugar and empty calories, so I started thinking about how I could give this recipe a healthy makeover by substituting some of the ingredients but hopefully none of the flavour.

I think I have achieved this. My boyfriend is my official banana cake tester and has now tried about 5 different variations of the cake and loves it! After several (all pretty nice i have to say) attempts I think I have come up with the best of both worlds. A delicious luxuriously moist and sweet cake that is healthy too! I have substituted the sugar for dates so that it is all natural sugar and none refined (apart from 1 teaspoon in the crumble topping but this is optional and the cake is still really good without it!).  I have also subbed some of the flour for wholemeal self raising flour. This combined with the dates adds tones of fiber making it full of slow release energy. At first I used all wholewheat flour but the cake turned out slightly too dense so to lighten it up again I added in some plain self-raising flour.

I toyed with the idea of using oil or peanut butter for fat instead of the butter but in the end I opted against it. I want this to taste like a deliciously more-ish teatime treat not a 'healthy snack'. Instead of substituting i have scaled back on the butter slightly and added more milk. This way it keeps its luxurious buttery taste and its still a bit lighter.

Unfortunaely the first time I made it I attempted to take it out of the tin too soon, nearly dropped it, and as I saved it ended up punching the cake in the middle so it was pretty squished but still tasted good. Even though we still ate it (of course!!!) I do recommend not punching your cake when it comes out of the oven!

Here goes...

Ingredients:

For the cake:

200g chopped dates
100g whole wheat self raising flour
100g plain self raising flour
100g butter
80mls milk
1tspn baking powder
1 tspn vanilla extract
pinch salt
2 large very ripe bananas
1 egg

For the crumble topping:

1 tablespoon wholewheat flour
pinch salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
generous pinch of cinnamon
1 tspn butter

Directions:

Grease and line a standard loaf tin and preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.

Add the butter and 150g of the dates to a small pan and melt together. Once butter is melted simmer mixture on a very low heat for about 5 minutes while you measure the other ingredients then set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, mix together the 2 flours, salt, baking powder and the rest of the chopped dates.
Blend the bananas, milk and egg and vanilla extract.The easiest way to do it is with an electric hand blender. Add this mixture to the cooled dates and butter and mix well.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix quickly. Don't over mix it or you will end up with a tough chewy cake.
Pour into the lined tin and bake for a total of 50 minutes.
While the cake is starting to bake make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the crumble to the cake after 30 mins and then continue to bake for a further 20.

Ok so this cake isn't particularly low in calories but lets be honest, cakes that are low in cals usually taste like they are! Has anyone really had a decent sized slice of cake under 150 cals that actually tasted delicious?? If so I want to hear about it but I'm pretty skeptical. Cake is meant to be nice its not meant to be low in calories. However if like me you want to make room in a balanced diet for nice things like cake then wouldn't you rather feel like it was doing you some good as well as being yummy? Surely thats a double whammy! I'm not saying I don't enjoy sugary cakes and biscuits sometimes this cake is perfect as it really doesn't compromise on flavor and isn't full of empty calories.

|Absolute perfection with a cup of tea! xx

Healthy home made 'breakfast friendly' hobnob style biscuits

I'm a firm believer that breakfast is really important. I rarely miss it but usually have something at my desk when I get to work because if I eat before leaving the house I find I'm hungry again by about 10am. This means that for my breakfasts in the week I need to have something quick and convenient as there is no toaster or cooking equipment at work. With that in mind my choices are limited. I sometimes have cereal like fruit & fiber or Dorset cereals but as I've mentioned before I'm not great at portion control. I reckon lots of people are the same because the 30-40g recommended serving of cereals is actually not that much. Before you know it you could be doubling the amount of calories it states for 1 serving on the box and not even realize it.

Ready made so called 'breakfast' products like cereal bars, muffins or breakfast biscuits are actually really high in sugar. Now I do think a bit of sugar is OK in the morning especially if you have worked out but these processed snacks always leave me with a sickly sweet taste in the mouth and set me up with sugar cravings for the rest of the day. I must confess I do actually really enjoy a few biscuits with my coffee for breakfast and I have been known to eat 4 or 5 hobnobs to set me up for the day. Hobnobs are actually made with wholewheat flour and oats so have a decent amount of fiber and at 72 cals each, 5 biscuits actually makes for a decent sized breakfast BUT they are made with a high percentage of corn syrup which gives them that super sweet golden syrup flavor and immediately makes you crave more.

I decided to try and make my own version of this crunchy oaty biscuit that would be much less sweet and therefore suitable for the first meal of the day. For sweetness I used honey which is a natural source of sugar so much better for us that sickly uber-refined corn syrup and also gives them a really nice delicate flavor. They are packed full of fiber so they should keep me full for at least a good chunk of the morning and the fat I used is olive oil which is low in saturates. In short they are about as breakfast friendly as any biscuit is likely to get although there is no protein so I would recommend adding another element alongside the biscuits for a really balanced breakfast. Perhaps a yogurt, some cottage cheese or peanut butter.

They are also a great afternoon/ pre-gym snack with dark chocolate on top. If you use good quality dark chocolate and spread it sparingly it only alters the nutrition content slightly.

Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

180g wholewheat pastry flour
60g oats
60g olive oil
60g honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt.
Optional: 60g dark chocolate

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a flat baking tray with baking paper.

Mix flour, oats, salt and baking powder in one bowl and in another whisk the oil, honey and vanilla extract together with a fork until combined. Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients and mix into a dough with hands. Carefully make small balls about the size of a 2p coin and place onto the baking sheet. One by one flatten the balls on the sheet into flat, round biscuit shapes about 2-3mm thick. The biscuits will hold the same shape once cooked so get them exactly how you want them now. Bake in batches of 12 for about 7-8 minutes until just starting to brown at the edges.

Once cool you can add the chocolate topping if you want by melting the chocolate over a bowl of hot water and then spreading a thin layer on each biscuit and setting in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Nutritionally the plain biscuits have 63 calories compared with 72 for a bought hobnob and tonnes less sugar and additives.

The chocolate variety have 70 calories compared with 95 for a dark chocolate Mcvities hobnob. (Calories calculated at spark people.)

I'm not saying they taste exactly the same. They are much less sweet so don't expect an exact replica but I think they are much nicer and a really convenient brekkie delicious with coffee.  Not to mention the satisfaction of actually making something yourself!

Enjoy! xx

Chocanana Chocolate ripple porridge

I've been feeling a little under the weather the last few days. I've had a bit of a stomach bug (there's lots of it going around at the moment I'm told) and been almost completely off my food for the last 3 days. I say almost because I'm never completely off my food but even I have been able to eat little more than a piece of toast. It so very rarely happens to me that it really took me by surprise. Being unable to eat is so depressing, I was really looking forward to feeling hungry again so I can make up for my malnutrition and pig out!

So I've woken up today and feel a little better and slightly hungry. Apparently you should eat only plain foods when your a little off colour and no dairy. I was so bored of toast and was dying for something with a little flavour. I decided to make some porridge with a banana and water instead of milk to cut out the dairy. Also bananas are supposed to be great for soothing the stomach. I got a bit carried away and added one or two other ingredients and here's my choctastic, choconana porridge with chocolate ripple. With absolutely no fat, refined sugar or dairy.

Ingredients:

1 banana
30g porridge oats
300 mls water
Pinch salt
2 Teaspoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons dark agarve nectar

Directions:

Mash the banana and put in a pan with the oats, water, salt, I teaspoon of the cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of the agarve nectar and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl mix the remaining agarve and cocoa into a smooth chocolate sauce consistency.

When the porridge is cooked take off the heat, pour into a bowl and swirl in the chocolate sauce to make a ripple effect.

Enjoy the chocolatiness and the soothing effect on your tummy with no guilt and no sugary insulin spike and slump! Perfection!

This breakfast has around 300 calories.

Using leftovers- Stuffed Chicken

One thing I really hate is wasting food. I guess I've had it drummed into mefrom a really young age as while I was growing up there was always enough foodbut we were taught not to be greedy and serving sizes were usually modest inour house.

My mum, although she can sometimes turn out delicious meals and cakes, hasnot got the love for food that I have and I always felt that cooking was something of a chore for her. Its not surprising really when having to cater for 3 fussy,ungrateful children and my dad who shall we say is not the most adventurouseater. He likes traditional meat and two veg, he dislikes pasta, rice, curry,lentils, anything with chilli in etc. etc... the list could go on. That said mydad will eat just about anything you put in front of him. He just doesn'talways receive it in the most gracious fashion if its not to his taste. (He is often quoted in our family from one particular occasion when after a meal of some sort of pasta bake withchilli that my brother had made, as saying he "manfully chomped throughit!" It was said in such a fashion as to imply that my brother should be gratefulthat he suffered through such a terrible meal.)

Anyway I digress, the point being that while I was growing up food was not apassion or a love in my family. While we had nice meals and the usual treatsthat children have on special occasions, mealtimes were there for a functionrather than something to get excited about. I often wonder where my obsessionwith food came from and if it was a reaction to the way we ate as a family.

Needless to say, my portions are not always (or ever) as modest as my mumswere. I suppose I'm a bit of a feeder but I love the satisfaction of giving people anice meal and the option of seconds (or thirds). I find big dishes of food verycomforting even if you dont eat it all there and then. I love to be over generouswith food and give people as much as they want and let them indulge. For memealtimes are something to look forward to. I often start planning what I willhave for dinner that evening while I'm having my morning coffee. That mightseem a bit strange but your either a foodie (a term my sister hates- it remindsher of snobbish, pretentious people on Come Dine With Me who look down theirnose at the other contestants lowly efforts as "not dinner partyfood" and namedrop having been to Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant over 20times) or your not and I think we can safely establish that I am.(Sorry sis!)

So on Sunday night I made a very big roast chicken dinner. There was onlythe two of us eating but I made enough food to sink a battleship with the viewthat we could eat the leftovers during the week. I made roast chicken (basted inlow fat olive oil spread, garlic and fresh herbs from the garden), roastedgarlic and rosemary sweet potatoes, asparagus and spring greens, gravy (madefrom homemade chicken stock and roasted veg) and a big tray off stuffing (madefrom grated carrots and onions, fresh herbs, nuts, breadcrumbs and an egg). Aspredicted we managed to eat quite a lot of it anyway but there were chicken andsweet potatoes left which I have been taking in my packed lunch to work thisweek along with chopped raw vegetables for a healthy, interesting and frugalpacked lunch. There was also over half of the stuffing. I had an idea for whatto do with it yesterday morning (over coffee again). I made it last night andit was every bit as good as I thought it would be. You don't have to make itwith stuffing, it would be good with leftover veg, sweet potatoes or evensausages but I havn't tried any of these I'm just guessing.

Here’s my Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Leftovers and Parmesan

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
100g leftovers (stuffing/ vegetables/ sausages etc.)
50g low fat soft cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 packet Parma ham/ Serrano ham etc.

Directions:

First slice the chicken breasts so that they are butterflied and have twiceas much surface area but still in one piece. place between 2 pieces of clingfilm and pound with a rolling pin to flatten out as much as possible.

In a bowl, mix the chosen leftovers (chopped or crumbled finely) with thelow fat cheese and the parmesan. Place half the mixture in the middle of eachchicken breast and roll the chicken around it so that there are no gaps.

Wrap each stuffed breast tightly in cling film and leave in the fridge foran hour or longer. You don’t have to do this but I find it helps keep thefilling inside the chicken when it comes to cooking.

After an hour, take the chicken out and wrap it neatly in the Parma ham.Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I served this with sweet potato and wholegrain mustard mash. The mustardspeeds up metabolism and adds plenty of flavour so you don’t need to add butteror salt and sweet potato is lower GI than normal potato and fewer calories.Plus its packed full of anti-oxidants.

The chicken has around 400 cals/ serving so add in the sweet potato and somegreens and your looking at around 600 cals for a REALLY tasty and nutritiousmeal. Also worth remembering that parmesan cheese is actually a great cheesefor keeping calories down. The flavour you get from it is so strong that youhardly need any. The calories from the parmesan in this recipe amount to about10-15 per serving but the flavour you get from it is really intense so a much better choicethan a milder cheese.

Sorry no pictures just yet as I forgot to take any but I'm planning on making the same again tonight so will add them asap!

On a different note I have discovered another blog that I absolutely LOVE! Check out SugarHero. Its awsome! Elizabeth who writes it reminds me a little of me because she is totally obsessed with baking and all things sweet but she is also really active and loves running and working out which she says balances out the amount of sugar she eats. I've not had a look at the whole site yet but the recipes I have seen look amazing and I cant wait to try some of them out. Elizabeth, unlike me does not seem to be particularly interested in making healthier alternatives but thats her perogative and I really enjoy her style of writing and like her outlook on life. The only problem is that being an American site her recipes all use 'cups' as measurements. That said I am going over there in October for a week in Chicago so hopefully I will be able pick up a 'cup' measure while I'm accross the pond!

Laters! xxx

Craving compromiser cookies

I came home from work today with an insatiable craving for something sweet. What can I say it had been one of those days!

With no goodies in the fridge and not having worked out in 2 days, it was time for a compromise. A quick sweep of ingredients in the cupboard and I had an idea for my craving compromise cookies. So called because they aren't exactly good for you but they aren't too bad, and they taste like a really yummy toffee treat! They definitely hit the spot!

Ingredients:

2oz dark brown muscavado sugar

2oz olive oil based spread

6oz flour (plain or self raising for a really light texture)

Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Half a teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

8 dates

Here's what I did:

Mix the spread, sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Pit and chop the dates and then mix the rest of the ingredients until all combined into a dough like texture. Roll into balls and press lightly with a fork to add texture and flatten and bake on a greased baking tray for 15 minutes at 170 degrees C.

I was really pleased with the way these turned out. They tasted like toffee fudge cookies. The olive spread instead of butter meant they weren't too high in fat and most of the fat was low in saturates. The dates added natural sweetness so they were really sweet without having to add too much sugar. All in all a slightly naughty snack that was much nicer than a bar of chocolate and not as bad for you! That's what I call a compromise!

The recipe made 8 cookies. Approx 150 cals/cookie

Real figgy fig rolls!

Feeling very proud of myself at the moment (if a little old before my time) because I spent yesterday afternoon gardening! Sounds a bit sad I know but actually it was very satisfying and the gardens looking great now!

We came back from holiday last weekend and because of all the rain while we had been away the garden had gone from looking slightly overgrown to looking like noone lives there. We had to do something but didn't know where to start. Luckily Andys parents are quite handy with a trowel and they came over to help so between the four of us we managed to get it looking presentable again.

With the in laws descending at short notice I had to think fast for a tasty snack to offer them with a cup of tea and because there was a diabetic amongst us it has to be very low sugar. I eventually came across some dried figs and some ready made pastry and hoped that my idea would work. It did! My fig rolls were much tastier than shop bought ones and had a much better ratio of pastry to filling. I wouldn't normally use ready made pastry because I like making things from scratch and also because I would usually choose whole meal flour for extra fibre but these were so quick and easy using the shop bought I would probably do the same again.

Heres what I did...

Ingredients:

150g dried figs
Juice half a lemon
100 mls water
I sheet just roll short crust pastry
1 teaspoon Demerara sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Simmer figs, water, lemon juice and salt in a pan until figs are soft and most of the water has been absorbed then mash the mixture with a fork.

Next roll out the pastry into a rectangle About the size of an A4 piece of paper and cut into 2 smaller rectangles (A5 size)

Spoon the fig mixture along one edge of each peace and roll them over into a sausage roll shape with the fold facing down.

Cut each sausage into small pieces about an inch and a half thick. You should get about 6 from each sausage.

Sprinkle the tips of the fig rolls with he sugar and bake on a greased baking tray at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.

These are a great snack for someone wanting to cut down on refined sugar because most of the sweetness comes from the figs themselves. They are also packed with fibre and slow release energy. I know the pastry isn't really that good for you but it should be quite thin and compared to high sugar shop bought alternatives this is tonnes better for you!

I reckon 1 piece is about 120 calls which is twice as much as a shop bought one but 10 times as nice and also triple the amount of fibre! So get stuck in!

Xx

Homemade tapas in the garden

Wow not posted for ages!

Things have been pretty hectic at work and not been cooking for a few weeks. We have been very naughty and just living on takeaways and bar snacks for a few weeks.

And more recently just got back from 2 and a half weeks in Spain which I LOVED! I so needed a holiday and it was perfect and I spent my days getting up at around 9.30 and going for a 3 mile run on the seafront before it got too hot, then just chilling by the pool, swimming, reading 50 shades of Grey on my kindle (soooo crap but wierdly addictive, definately a guilty pleasure) and of course EATING!

We didn't hold back! We stuffed ourselves on bread, cheese, chorizo, cured meats and olives. Not to mention copius amounts of beer and wine! Thankfully my early morning running seemed to stave off the weight gain so I didn't seem to come back too much heavier.

Check out this study I'm living proof that training first thing can put the body into fat burning mode and offset even a very high calorie diet!

The following meal is a post that I have tried posting twice already but my computer crashed on me at the last minute. Fingers crossed it will be third time lucky. This is from a couple of months ago when we had a rare but precious sunny weekend.

So here's what I made...

My healthy(ish) homemade tapas feast!!!

Heres what I made:

• Chicken in white wine, garlic and lemon juice
• Sweet potato chips with red chilli
• Chickpeas and chorizo
• Stuffed peppers with feta and pine nuts
• roasted courgette and manchego bites
• Roasted asparagus salad

Sounds good huh? Sounds like a lot of hassel and a lot of calories??

Wrong and wrong again. I knocked this little lot together in less than an hour (although the kitchen did look like a bomb had hit it by the time I'd finished) and it contains low fat cheeses to cut down on fat and only good for you, complex carbs. No stodgy white bread or potatoes and definately nothing deep fried! I made double what we needed with the intention of packing the rest up and going for a picnic the next day but guess what... we ate nearly all of it! It was just too nice... if i do say so myself!

Heres what I did...

Chicken in white wine, garlic and lemon juice

Cut 2 large or 3 small chicken breasts into thin strips and spread out in an oven proof dish. Drizzle over 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Crush 2 cloves of garlic over the chicken and rub into the meat. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon and pour 100ml of white wine and mix it all together. Leave to marinate for as long as possible while your preparing the rest of the tapas dishes and then bake at 170 degrees for about 20 minutes

Roasted Asparagus salad

Roast Asparagus tips in olive oil, oregano, salt and black pepper at 170 degrees for about 12-14 minutes.

serve on a bed of baby gem lettuce and shaved reduced fat parmesan cheese. Drizzel over the roasting juices from the asparagus to dress the salad.

Stuffed Peppers with feta cheese and pine nuts

Fry finely diced peppers, mushrooms, onions and a crushed clove of garlic and sweat down until soft. While that is cooking roast 2 halved peppers in a little olive oil and put 50g brown rice on to cook. The rice should take about 20 minutes and the peppers about 15. While the peppers cool mix the cooked rice into the veg mixture and add 30g pine nuts and 50g crumbled feta cheese. Spoon the rice mixture into the cooked pepper halves and top with a little cheese that will melt (i used manchego) and return to the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is browned on top.

Sweet potato chips with red chilli

Cut 1 sweet potato into 1cm cubes and fry in a little olive oil. When they are nearly cooked add 1 finly diced red chilli and cook for a further few minutes then season with a little salt. (As you can see from the picture I forgot about mine and burned them slightly but they still tasted really good. Might be an idea to make them first and then just bung in the oven to heat through at the last minute as they do need a lot of attention.)

Chickpeas and chorizo

Fry finely cubed vegetables in olive oil unitl soft. I used the same vegetable mix as for the stuffed peppers and used half for this and half for the peppers.

When vegetables are soft remove from the pan and fry sliced chorizo for 3-4 minutes. I used about half of a horseshoe shaped chorizo for 2 people but the amount it made could easily have fed four.

When the chorizo is cooked return the softened veg to the pan and add 1 can of drained chickpeas. Cook together for a few minutes until it is all warmed through.

                                                                                        Roasted courgette and manchego bites

                                                                                           Very easy! Slice a large courgette into lengthways slices, you should get about 6. Roast them in a little olive oil until soft and then take out and roll each slice up with a a slice of manchego cheese. (Andy's favourite can you guess). Put back into the oven for another few minutes until cheese has melted slightly and the top of the courgette has browned.

We washed it all down with a bottle of Albarino from the wine shop in West Didsbury. I dont usually drink white but this was delicious and went perfectly with the food and the weather. It was very dry and light but still fruity and fresh. I am realiably informed it had a slightly salty aftertaste due to the vineyard being close to the sea. I cant say i noticed it but it was a really nice wine nonetheless. Definately a 9/10!

It cost about £12.

Needless to say I'm not going to even try to calculate the calorie content in this because we ate LOADS! Far more than 2 people needed but as I mentioned before, there was loads of good stuff in there and not too many bad fats. If your going to indulge then this is definatly the way to do it!

So anyway I am back on the wagon now of healthy food and for the next few weeks I am going to attempt no booze!

I will update on how I get on but I'm hoping to get my cook/bake on and have some tasty offerings to write about.

Would be lovely to think that someone might read this but even if I'm just rambling to myself... Ciao for now!

xx