So I’ve done a handful of baking projects recently and find it quite dissimilar to cooking. That sounds odd, but it’s definitely its own art. I feel like an alchemist weighing out each ingredient and adding it at the exact right moment. It’s really not my usual kitchen style – I’m a bit rough and ready. So, I just can’t help myself when it comes to playing around with a recipe.

I found a recipe, but didn’t have half the ingredients! So I winged it, and added other things instead. It turned out perfectly! The people at work thought it was pretty good too – they’re my baking guinea pigs! Mwah Ha ha ha! I’m sure they don’t mind – and it stops me from eating a whole kilo’s worth of cake in less than a day if I share it!

We seem to go through dozens of bananas a week these days – Josie is a fruit fanatic and it’s great to have them in a bowl in the middle of the house where we can grab a piece of fruit when we’re hungry – fruit is a really cheap snack too! So, when I get any sad, brown bananas I’ve been simply popping them straight into the freezer and letting them build up until I had enough for this recipe.

Ingredients and Method

Mix all these together in the biggest bowl:

1 cup flour
3/4 tsp bi-carb soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp psyllium husk (if you want to be a hippy like me, if not, just omit this and add a little less milk)

And then in another bowl chuck this together:
All chopped:
40g crystallised ginger
35g walnuts
20g almonds
40g choc chips

And in another bowl, whisk this together:

3/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup olive oil

And yet another bowl mash:
3 very ripe bananas.

Now, into the first and biggest bowl mix together gently all the other mixtures one by one. Pour it into a greased and floured baking tin and chuck it in a moderate oven (180 degrees) to bake for about 60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

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I posted on porridge a little while back and I thought I’d found the secret formula. But alas I was wrong. THIS is the best way to eat porridge!

LEMON BUTTER AND STRAWBERRIES!! It is SO tasty!

I add a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of vanilla to the oats, then spread a tablespoon of lemon butter over the top, add strawberries and some dry pan roasted almonds on top. A bit of banana is good too.

WOW.

I bought this lemon butter from the Kelvin Grove Markets. It’s made by Ken and Dot Windolf, out at Laidley. They’re number is 07 5465 1899. It’s lovely and fresh and tangy.

Kitchen Garden update!  I would love to say that the strawberries atop my porridge were from my garden, but sadly no… but! We have one lovely glossy red strawberry in our garden that will hopefully be ready tomorrow! I hope we get to eat it before the possums do!

“Oh, it’s not very nice, you wouldn’t like it.”

“But Dad likes it, please can you make it?”

“Ok. How about I make it a bit fun?”

“Oh Yay! Thanks Mum”

10 minutes later after slaving away in the kitchen she hands me and my sister a bowl each of piping hot porridge. Gooey green-tinted porridge. Mum had put a few drops of blue food colouring in – you know, to make it fun, unfortunately it turned a vile shade of khaki. We were horrified. Years later I found out she was secretly very happy we never asked her to make it again. 

I can understand her porridge aversion. It can be pretty foul. But I think mum was on the right track to making it good. Porridge really needs additions. I think I may have found the secret formula to making pretty tasty porridge.

1 cup quick oats

1 cup milk (or Vanilla Soy Milk)

1 & a bit cups of water

a handful of currants

Pop all into a saucepan and start stirring. bring it to the boil and stir for a minute or so on a simmer.

While that’s happening chop up some raw almonds and pop them into a dry frypan with a handful of shredded coconut. Heat until nice and brown.

Slice up a banana.

Put the porridge into a bowl, add a tablespoon of brown sugar, the banana, the coconut and almonds.

YUM! This really fills you up for the whole morning and babies like it too (without the coconut and almonds of course!), it’s been really nice to cook this up and share it with my little one in our wintery house.

SOAK THE RICE OVERNIGHT!!!!!

Right… now that’s out of the way, I can continue with the rest of the recipe. There is nothing worse than thinking “Hmm, I might make some sticky rice for dessert tonight…. Damn it! Soak it? Overnight?!… GRRR!” 

 This recipe came about after I didn’t read a recipe right, and not realising what I had in the cupboard…. again. I’m beginning to find out that this is a very bad habit of mine, but hey, we end up with something delicious anyway!

This can be served cold, or warmed. To heat, just place a serve of rice into the microwave for 40 seconds, then add the fruit and icecream. Also, because the rice does not have any sugar added, you could serve the rice with savoury dishes too.

Ingredients

Sticky Rice

1 cup of Glutinous Rice – SOAKED OVERNIGHT in LOTS OF WATER

165ml can coconut milk

165ml can coconut cream

pinch of Salt

Palm Sugar Syrup

5tbsp Palm Sugar, Chopped

3tbsp Raw Sugar

1 cup Water

Mango and Bananas, or Strawberries, and Icecream to serve.

Method

1. Soak the Rice Overnight in water

2. Drain the rice, and add the cream, milk and salt.

3. Line a steamer basket with baking paper and steam (with lid on) over rapidly boiling water for 30 minutes. Top up water if neccessary.

4. Meanwhile, Place the sugars and water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil it for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes syrupy.

5. Let both rice and syrup cool.

6. Scoop out a serve of rice, pour over a tablespoon of syrup. Heat if you wish and serve with Bananas and Mango, or strawberries and icecream.

In the mean time, here is one I prepared earlier – before the temperature epiphany. This is prepared similarly to the Strawberry one. I think next time I’ll use a lot more brown sugar for the sauce, the bananas soak up the extra moisture, unlike Strawberries, which release their juices to create a lovely syrup.  I’ll continue playing around.

2 Bananas, sliced diagonally

1 sheet puff pastry, cut into a round to fit your oven-proof frypan

4tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Vanilla Extract

Yoghourt or Cream and Golden Syrup to Serve.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

2. In a frypan, add the brown sugar and heat until dissolved

3. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and vanilla extract, arrange the the bananas over the sugar and turn over to coat on both sides.

4. Place the puff pastry over the top and brush with egg wash

5. Place in oven until golden and crispy.

6. Let it rest on the bench for about 10 – 15 minutes. With a teatowel to protect your hands, put a plate on top of the frypan, and in one swift motion, flip the tart over.

7. Serve with Yoghourt and a drizzle of golden syrup.