Banana Bread

I had a few bananas and eggs that needed using up, so decided banana bread was on the days agenda. The smell when it's baking is amazing! Really easy to make, give it a go.

Ingredients:

140g Butter , softened, plus extra to grease  
140g Self Raising Flour                                        
140g caster sugar                                                                                               
2 large eggs , beaten
1tsp Baking Powder  
2 Ripe Bananas - mashed
2tbsp Golden Syrup (optional)

This time around I added a handful of white chocolate chips because they were lying around. Milk and dark ones would work too. Or leave plain!                                        

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160/180/ Gas 4. Grease and line a loaf tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy.
3. Fold in eggs and flour.
4. Add golden syrup and baking powder. Combine.
5. Tip in mashed bananas and chocolate if using. Combine.
6. Pour into tin and bake for about an hour. But check after 45mins as it will depend on the tin you're using. A skewer or knife should come out clean.
7. Serve warm with butter or maybe some vanilla ice cream - yummy!

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

I used to have a habit of throwing away a fair bit of food, but as prices have gone up I’m a bit more conscious of how much I waste. One of the worst areas I noticed was after a Sunday lunch. With chicken I was not a fan of the legs so just ended up binning them – bad I know! Since I changed my mindset one of my favourite ways to use up leftovers is in a pie. Really easy to make and just as good the next day to take to work for lunch.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Serves 4 – 6 (depending on how hungry you are!)

Ingredients:

Leftover Chicken – chopped

1 Onion – chopped

8 Mushrooms – sliced

1tbsp Dried Sage

2 Bay Leaves

25g Butter

25g Plain Flour

600ml Milk

Salt and Pepper

250g Readymade Pastry (Puff or Shortcrust)

1 egg – whisked

1. Preheat oven to 180/ Gas 4 – 5.
2. Gently heat the milk in a small pan with the bay leaves and chopped onion to infuse. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
3. In a seperate pan melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook stirring continuously for 1 – 2 minutes to cook off the flour.
4. Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk and onion until smooth. Return to the heat and bring tothe boil – stirring all the time.
5. Add the chicken, mushroom and sage. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes till thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to about 0.5cm thickness.
7. Tip the chicken mixture into your chosen pie dish. Lay your pastry over the mixture. Trim to about 1cm over your dish. Push the edges down arond the sides to seal. Put a few slits into the pastry to let the steam out.
8. Brush pastry all over with egg. If you don’t like egg use some milk. Bake for approx 25 minutes until golden.