Cinnamon Banana Courgette Bread

It's been a long time since I've picked up Harry Eastwood's red velvet chocolate heartache. The last time was when i baked the aubergine brownie, an odd ingredient one might think but believe me it's actually really good! :)


So when it was time to show some #squashlove, that first place i turned to was of course this book! I was intending to post this recipe at the beginning of this month but as i made an impromptu trip home, i had to put it on hold for a bit. So here it is, on the last day in nov... a banana bread that's also filled with the goodness of courgettes or zucchini and nuts! The texture is a wee bit spongy but it tasted much better than when first made a banana courgette bread using another recipe.

Adapted from Harry Eastwood Red Velvet Chocolate Heatache
Ingredients

140g banana (peeled weight)
2 medium free-range eggs
100g golden caster sugar
150g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgettes/zucchinis
150g plain flour 
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp mixed spice
25g finely chopped brazil nuts
25g finely chopped pecans


Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Brush the inside of a loaf tin with a little vegetable oil
2) Mash the banana thoroughly with a fork
3) Whisk the eggs and sugar for a full 3 mins until pale and light. Whisk in the mashed-up banana until completely incorporated. Add the courgette and beat again.
4) Add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon and mixed spice, and whisk again until completely blended.
5) Mix in most of the brazil nuts and pecans and pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 mins.
6) Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

Apple Blog Hop: Apple and Gingerbread Pecan loaf cake

October is the month to show some #applelove, a month when bloggers from all around the world gather to share all our yummy apple recipes so here's mine! 

It comes a little late in the month but I haven't been able to find a nice apple recipe until now and guess where i saw this recipe??! In the delicious magazine I read when I was getting a haircut, of all places!! haha I reduced the amount of sugar and golden syrup, used olive oil instead of butter but it still came out really moist so I'm pretty happy about it.

Here's the original recipe taken from delicious magazine.
Ingredients
150g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
150g soft dark brown sugar
150g golden syrup
200ml milk
250g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tsp baking powder
2 large free rage eggs, beaten
75g pecans, roughly chopped
3 pieces stem ginger, chopped
2 crisp eating apples, such as braeburn, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks (245g peeled and cored)


Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 2 litre loaf tin. Melt butter, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir through the milk and set aside to cool.
2. Sift the flour with the dry spices and baking powder into the bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cool syrup mixture. With a wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the flour mixture using a circular motion. Fold through the beaten eggs, pecans, stem ginger and apples.
3. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes away clean. Cool for 5 mins in the tin, then remove to a wire rack.

Mango and Banana Yogurt Gelato and an award

You must be thinking that I'm must be little mad to post up a Gelato recipe when just a few posts ago, I mentioned that autumn was officially here and it was getting chilly. Well, the crazy weather in the UK decided that it wanted to feel like summer for just a few more days so we had lovely sunshine last weekend and it was hot! high of 27 deg hot! Hence I took the opportunity to quickly make a 3 ingredient gelato I saw in one of Donny Hay's cooking show. Didn't really believe that it was possible but it was! Healthy, light and refreshing, perfect for summer!


However, before I move on to the recipe, i would like extend my heartfelt thanks to MJ of MJ's kitchen and Shannon of Just as delish for passing on to me the Versatile Blogger award! My very first award!!! As I'm still quite new to the world of blogging, I'm happy to know that there are others out there who enjoy my blog so thank you very much for thinking of me! :)
Be sure to pay these lovely ladies a visit on their blog for loads of very interesting recipes!

To receive this award, I'm to share 7 things about myself and to pass on this award to 15 other new bloggers. So here I go!
1) I'm a software engineer by profession. Not the most exciting of jobs but not only has it allowed me to work in Singapore, I've also had the chance to work in Shanghai, Beijing and now UK so for that I'm thankful.
2) I've always loved watching cooking shows since I was quite young but it's only since I moved to the UK that I've started to enjoy cooking/baking.
3) I think that i'm quite adventurous when it comes to food and even when someone tells me that something tastes bad, I'll still have to try it and decide for myself whether I like it or not. Of course, I draw a line for certain stuff like eating dogs etc. That's a big no no!!!
4) I'm always try to look out for a funny side to things especially when I'm in a 'not so nice' kinda  situation. Good to make the most of a situation isn't it?
5) My motto is 'Don't worry, be happy!!' :)
6) I use to drink up to 4 cups of coffee a day but now, I'm done to 1 or 2 cups a week! so for those who are trying to cut down..... believe me It can be done!
7) Once we've decided on a holiday destination, the very 1st thing I'll do is to do research on restaurants to visit before moving on to the attractions of the place. :P


I haven't yet found 15 new bloggers to pass the award to but the following are pretty new I hope and are some of the blogs I love visiting. Please pay them a visit too!
1) Jenelle of One Apron
2) Chandler of Sweet Cupcaker
3) Shannon of Just as delish (Shannon was already on my list before I received the award from her so I shall still include her)
4) Ha Nguyen of No Butter
5) Kelly of Inspired Edibles
6) Lavieenfribourg
7) Amanda of Scattered Cook
8) Suzi of Cooking's good
9) Ruth of Bread and Milk and Blackberries


So without further ado, here's the recipe. :)

Taken from Donna Hay: Fast, fresh and simple
Ingredients
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
3 mangos, peeled and chopped
280g thick natural or vanilla yogurt


Method
1) Place banana and mango in a sealed container. Freeze for 4-5 hours or until frozen.
2) Place frozen fruit and yogurt in a blender or fruit processor and blend until smooth.
3) Serve immediately or place in a sealed container and freeze. After freezing, allow to soften for 5 mins before serving.

Wholemeal blueberry & banana muffins

Cupcakes...Muffins.....what's the difference? I've asked this question and some say that they are the same, same say they are not. So who's correct?

Are cupcakes usually lighter in texture, topped with frostings, look very pretty and tastes so good??

Are muffins usually heavier in texture, looks rustic, is more of a breakfast food and also tastes good?

What do you think??

This is my first time making muffins with wholemeal flour and was very pleased with the texture as it's very moist so this is definitely a healthy, yummy muffin that's filled with goodness!!

Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite

Ingredients (Makes 12)

2 very ripe bananas

300g wholemeal flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of fine sea salt

100g light brown sugar

284 carton of buttermilk

(I used soy milk and lemon juice to replace this. Mix 1 cup(250ml) of soy milk with 1 tbsp of while vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 10 mins. This method can be used with cow's milk too if you can't find buttermilk)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

75g light olive oil

200g blueberries

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 180 deg C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases. 

Peel the bananas and mash in a bowl.

Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the centre and add the soy milk. egg, olive oil and bananas.

Quickly fold the ingredients together until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix.

Tip in the blueberries and give the batter one or two stirs.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle with demerara sugar. The cases will be quite full.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 mins until well risen and golden brown on top. A skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin emerges clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana Oatflakes Loaf

I've made this countless times but I thought of changing it a little this time round by adding oat flakes to it, just for the fun of it. Nuts are usually added so why not cornflakes or oatflakes right? ;) The results was that it was just as good though the oat flakes mixed into the cake didn't really add much to it since they became soft due to the moisture of the other ingredients however, the oat flakes and crumbled over the top added a nice crunch to the cake so that's something I'll definitely add to the recipe when i next make it!

Here's the recipe that was adapted from Hummingbird Bakery. The main changes I made was to half the amount of sugar, replace butter with light olive oil and included oatflakes to the recipe. 

Ingredients

• 135g soft light brown sugar (original recipe called for 270g)
• 2 eggs
• 200g peeled bananas, mashed
• 280g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 140 Light olive oil (original recipe called for melted unsalted butter)
• 80g oatflakes

Method

Grease a 23x13cm loaf tin and dust with flour. Preheat the oven to 170C / 325F / GM3
Put the sugar and eggs in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until well incorporated. Beat in the mashed bananas.

Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix it thoroughly until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the egg mixture. Pour in the melted butter and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed.  Stir in 60g of oatflakes.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth over with a palette knife. Crush remaining oatflakes and sprinkle it on top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning out to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.