There’s been a lot of baking going on here recently.  Usually, by this time of the year I’m all about the salads, the lighter, brighter, zestier side of cooking.  Asparagus season has started, there’s a few punnets of strawberries about, things are beginning to look, well, summery.  Everything except the weather that is.  I’m going to embrace my inner Englishman and just have a little whinge about the state of our so called spring; it’s been miserable, two whole days of sunshine and now it’s shiveringly cold again.  When it’s a freezing cold May evening there are few options – put the heating on, put another jumper on (‘that child’, as my mum was wont to say), or do some baking.  It may not be a traditional method of keeping warm but I find it helps cosy up a cold kitchen and frankly, any excuse...

Banana bread is a classic and there are so many variations: some add raisins or use oatbran or a spoonful of mixed spice, a handful of walnuts, even chunks of dark chocolate.  I’ve discovered over the years that I like my banana bread plain and simple; I want it smooth, slightly sweet and moist.  I like to eat it warm from the oven with a cup of tea and a few days later I like it for breakfast, toasted, with a scraping of dairy – free margarine.  This particular loaf is made using honey, an addition that I think really compliments the bananas and adds a not-too-sweet sweetness, if that’s possible.  I’ve also used rapeseed oil and ground flaxseeds in lieu of dairy and eggs, both of which a good omega boost and a nutty, malty note respectively.  It’s so incredibly simple to make and just right for this time of year, so go on, I urge you, keep warm with this and I promise a savoury recipe next time!

Please note, I’ve put all of the weights, including the liquids, into grams, just for ease of cooking.  I recommending weighing it all out together on the scales and then tipping the ingredients into the food processor.

HONEY BANANA BREAD

You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe

80g rapeseed oil, but you could use sunflower or coconut if you wish

3 very ripe bananas

225g Doves Farm gluten free self-raising flour

125g honey

A pinch of cinnamon

4 tbsp of ground flaxseed mixed together with 6tbsp of water

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda mixed together with 1tbsp hot water

Preheat the oven to 200c and lightly grease and line the loaf tin.

Combine the ground flaxseed and the water and set aside to thicken.  Place the bananas, flour, honey, cinnamon, oil and ground flaxseed mixture into a food processor.  Add the hot water to the bicarbonate of soda (it will foam slightly) and immediately pour over the other ingredients. 

Pulse the mixture in the food processor until smooth and glossy and then spoon into the lined loaf tin and level the top.  Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until golden and cooked through – if you think the loaf is browning too much (the honey can do this) just cover with a layer of tin foil and continue to bake.Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

First things first, don’t eat these cookies if you’re on a diet; they’re probably not going to help you out.  But, if you’re feeling good about yourself and/or fancy a treat then these little numbers are going to work out brilliantly.  Saying that, they are gluten free and refined sugar free and vegan and carbohydrate free, now I come to think of it, they’re actually pretty good for you so tuck right in!   Based on this incredibly simple recipe featured here a good few months ago (it’s become a real staple in my house) these cookies simply swap the tahini, dried fruits and seeds for a little peanut butter and some dark dark chocolate – sacrilicious, I know, but sometimes you’ve just got to do these things.

A few points to be aware of: when the cookies come out of the oven they will still be very soft so don’t attempt to move them until they have cooled down completely.  Because of the nature of their making (ie no flour whatsoever) they will have a soft crust so don’t go expecting a crunchy biscuit.  What you will get is incredibly moreish and delectable chocolate and peanut butter cookies that you don’t have to feel bad about eating, and are so simple to make and perfect for taking out and about with you – I’m thinking packed lunch, pressie for a friend or just to have in your bag so that should you choose to have a coffee or tea out then you have something to go with it.  A little first world problem solved.

CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Makes approximately 14 cookies

140g ground almonds
60ml melted coconut oil or use a vegetable oil of your choice
60ml maple syrup
40g dark chocolate – dairy free and soy free
1 tbsp peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 175c and line a baking tray with parchment.  Chop the dark chocolate into little chunks. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together until they pull together into one large ball. 

Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, lightly shape into a ball and place on the baking tray, repeat with the remaining mixture.  Lightly flatten the balls with a fork and then bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes.

The cookies should come out of the oven slightly browned around the edges but still very soft to the touch, don’t panic as they will firm up as once they’ve cooled.  Leave on the trays to cool completely before serving or storing.

I’m obsessed with collecting recipes; it’s a passion of mine.  Forget the actual cooking for a moment, though the love I have for that is equal and a little more obvious.  But what really makes me happy, what gets me all excited, are the recipes themselves.  Perhaps it’s my inner ocd pleased at the soothing order of precise weights, timings and instructions presented.  Or just as likely it’s my natural greed salivating at the idea of all that glorious food.  Maybe it’s my maternal instincts relishing the idea of feeding and nurturing lots of people.  I’d probably say I’m just a sucker for a pretty picture.  Whatever the cause, I simply adore recipes: second hand cookbooks, pages torn from magazines, cut outs from newspapers, notes scribbled on the back of an envelope from a cookery programme, a new post on a blog, half remembered instructions from somebody’s mum, brand spanking new shiny cookbooks straight from the book shop.  I love them, yet I know in my heart of hearts that I’ll never get to cook them all.  I have piles of recipes that I plan to try and that pile never diminishes as there is always something new: a new idea, a fresh combination, a twist on a classic, the classic you’ve never tried...like all good collections, it’s never ending.

But on occasion, amidst the recipe testing and the leafing through books and the mood boards (for food, yes!) something will jump out at me and I will simply have to try it, there and then.  This chickpea bread recipe is one of them.  I found it randomly on this lovely vegan blog and felt instinctively that it would lend itself to going gluten free, and it really does.  This is a great, easy and successful bread recipe, and as the author suggests, perfect for toast, though I really enjoyed it as a sandwich on the day I made it.  The gram flour does lend it a certain wholesome flavour but one that I find delicious, being the socca addict that I am.  If you’ve been looking for a gluten, dairy, egg and yeast free bread then I cannot recommend this one enough, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

One word of advice, once out of the oven leave the bread to cool completely before cutting into it.  If you cut into gluten free, yeast free, vegan bread before it’s cooled you will always find a gummy centre but once it’s cooled it should form a decent crumb.  And yes, I am using cider vinegar in this recipe as I’ve found that a little of the good stuff can be tolerated.  If you can’t have yeast (as in baker’s yeast or wine ferments) then you should be good for this, if you’re avoiding all yeasts (so that would include mushrooms and dried fruit as well as the more obvious) then swap the vinegar for a teaspoon of lemon juice.

CHICKPEA BREAD

You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe

250g gram flour

350g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp sea salt flakes

435ml water

1 tsp cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200c and generously grease your loaf tin.

Place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.  Pour over the water and cider vinegar and mix together with a wooden spoon until incorporated and then use your hands to lightly knead and pull the bread dough together for around 30 seconds. 

Place the dough into the loaf tin and level the top with the back of a spoon.  Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until lightly risen and golden brown.Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that make all of the difference...a sprinkling of sea salt on freshly sliced ripe tomatoes, a square of dark chocolate in a vat of chilli, a slice of cucumber in a gin and tonic, and, in this case, a lettuce leaf used as a pitta bread.  It’s these small attentions to detail that make your eating experience taste and feel complete.  Such a basic thing, a lettuce cup used as a wrap, and with the humblest of lettuces too – the much overlooked crisp iceberg.  Yet it really makes all the difference: chicken kebabs, lamb kofta, falafel and burgers all now a home to go to; no more faffing around with crumbly gluten free rolls or going without, just use a few conical leaves from the iceberg and stuff them full of your chosen filling and toppings.  The crispness of the leaves makes for good contrast with the filling and the leaves naturally shape round and enclose to form a perfectly decent ‘pitta’.

As mentioned, there are many choices regards fillings – after all, barbeque season is so nearly upon us – but I wanted to show you these delicious and simple lamb kofta; mildly spiced with cumin and bound with tahini and mint they make a delicious spring suppertime dish.  Serve with the Tahini Maple Dressing (glossy, sweet and sharp) and some finely chopped tomato and avocado.  Beetroot would also be a welcome edition (cooked or grated raw) as would a handful of sweet potato wedges – making a pleasingly vibrant and infinitely healthier take on ‘burger and chips’.

LAMB KOFTA WITH LETTUCE ‘PITTA’ & TAHINI MAPLE DRESSING

For the kofta

500g lean minced lamb

1 onion

½ tsp cumin

A small bunch of mint

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing

2 tbsp tahini

The juice of ½ a lemon

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp garlic oil

1 whole head of iceberg lettuce to serve

Begin by preparing the dressing: add the tahini paste to a bowl and stir in the maple syrup until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice and garlic oil and then season to taste – you can add more lemon or maple if you feel it needs it. 

Next, peel the onion and very finely dice.  Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan and soften the onion gently until completely tender and translucent.  Season and set aside to cool slightly.

Combine the lamb, cumin, mint, tahini and cooked onion, season well, and mix together with your hands.  Shape the mixture into small balls approximately 1 inch in diameter, rolling each ball between your palms to ensure a full and round shape.  Place evenly in a large roasting dish and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through and browned. 

Trim the end from the iceberg lettuce and then carefully, peel away the whole leaves, two at a time, and trying to keep them in one piece so that they form a ‘cup’ or ‘pitta’.Pile kofta inside of the lettuce ‘pittas’, add a little chopped tomato and avocado or any other salad edition and drizzle over the maple tahini dressing.

With it being all cold and wintry outside I can’ t think of anything nicer than a nice lamb roast for the weekend, but with that, you’ll need a pudding and these tarts are a real celebration.  I’ve made twelve small tartlets but you could just as easily make one large, either way I promise you they are absolutely worth making.  Crisp, lemon zest infused pastry with a sweet sharp lemon curd filling, perfect for an afternoon treat or as a pudding after a long lazy Sunday lunch (I’d serve them with vanilla ice cream, booja booja being the best).  You could even serve the curd minus the pastry, spoon it over ice cream or use it as a filling for a lemon sponge cake, the options are many.

LITTLE LEMON TARTS

Makes 15 tarts

You will need a 3 inch round cutter and two 12 holed tart tins for this recipe

For the pastry

230g/8oz Doves Farm gluten free plain flour

60g/2oz dairy-free margarine – I recommend Pure Sunflower Spread

60g/2oz vegetable shortening

½ tsp xanthan gum

2  tbsp lemon juice

The zest of 1 lemon

For the lemon curd

The juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 ½  tsp cornflour
85g golden caster sugar
70g dairy free margarine

First make the lemon curd.  Place the cornflour in a small bowl and mix together with a little of the lemon juice until smooth.  Place the remaining ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until over a low flame until the sugar has dissolved, whisking every now and then to help it along.  Add the cornflour into the liquid and whisk together.

Heat the mixture until it comes to a gentle boil, whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes until the curd has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon.  Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool down.  Once cool, cover and place in the fridge, if stored like this it will keep for up to 1 week.

Preheat the oven to 180c.  Place the flour, xanthan gum, lemon zest, margarine and vegetable fat in a food processor and blitz until the mixture is of a breadcrumb like consistency.  Tip in the lemon juice and pulse until the mixture begins to pull together.  Turn the mixture in to a large mixing bowl and, using the tips of your fingers, pull together into a ball of dough.  Knead for around 2 minutes, until smooth and elastic to your touch. 

Shape the pastry into a ball and lay between two large layers of clingfilm.  Roll the pastry out– aim to get roll to about 5mm thickness- peel off the uppermost layer of clingfilm and use your cutter to cut out the tart bases, balling up any remaining dough and  rolling out again if necessary.  Gently press the pastry circles into the tart tin, filling in any cracks or gaps that may appear with extra pastry, patted flat with your fingertips.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until very lightly golden.  Remove from the oven and transfer the tart cases to a wire rack to cool.  When cool, place a heaped teaspoon of the lemon curd into the base of each tart and then chill until ready to serve.

Please note, I’ve used butter beans here as they’re my favourite (other than Puy Lentils) for salads, being both hearty and creamy and prone to soak up flavour very nicely.  Nonetheless, you could easily use cannellini or even chickpeas in their place, all would work well.

SMOKED CHICKEN, BUTTERBEAN AND CARAMELISED FENNEL SALAD

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 x 400g tin butter beans

71 white onion

2 fennel bulbs

The juice of ½ a lemon

50g sundried tomatoes

A small bunch of dill

For the dressing

2 tbsp tahini

The zest and juice of ½ a lemon

½ garlic clove

1 tbsp olive oil

50ml water

Begin by making the dressing.  Place the tahini into a bowl, add the zest and juice of the lemon, the crushed garlic and olive and stir together to form a paste. Add the water, bit by bit, stirring as you go until you have the desired consistency, season to taste.

Peel and finely slice the onion and fennel into thin rounds.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot and then fry the onion and fennel over a low heat until soft and slightly caramelised – about 25 minutes.  Season to taste and then add the lemon juice.

Drain and rinse the beans.  Finely slice the sundried tomatoes and chop the chicken into bite size pieces.  Finely chop the dill and mix all of the ingredients together.  Pour over the dressing and toss together before serving.

I’ve spoken about my recent foray into marmalade making and I’m still enjoying the fruits of my labour, my experiments with it have progressed from the use of it in sweet things to that of the savoury.  Now I’m sure marmalade isn’t the first thing to spring to mind when you think of roast meats or curries, but actually, it’s often a popular choice as part of a baste or a marinade, working brilliantly well on chicken drumsticks and oven roasted sausages.  It was suggested to me by a certain someone that marmalade curry was worth a crack, and why not?  We often stir through a generous dollop of sweet sour chutney into a curry at the end of cooking, it works much as a handful of chopped fresh herbs or grating of ginger would do – it adds zing.  Here, the marmalade’s sweet sharp citrus blends really well with the mellow spice and though I haven’t tried it myself, I would bet it would add the same benefits to a tagine.

This curry is wonderfully mild, sweet and aromatic; it’s essentially a korma, though you could add a scattering of chilli flakes to give the whole thing a bit more oomph.  Personally, I think the mildness rather suits the whole tone of the dish, the flavour coming more from the marmalade, creamy coconut and tangy coriander.  I know some will feel that using a curry powder is cheating but really, you can get some very good quality blends and it’s incredibly handy too.  Plus, this is a simple and easy dish to make, with no real faff or effort, ideal for a quick and satisfying weeknight supper.  I served it with white basmati rice and a very simple tomato, onion and coriander chutney – soul food.

MARMALADE CHICKEN CURRY

Serves 4

4 skinless chicken breasts or 8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs

2 white onions

2 tbsp olive or groundnut oil

3 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of root ginger

2 tsp good quality curry powder

1 x 400g tin full fat coconut milk

2 heaped tbsp marmalade

A small bunch of coriander

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.  Peel and finely slice the onions into half moons. 

Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan until hot, add the onions and a pinch of sea salt, lower the heat and fry gently until just softened – a good 20 minutes.  Peel the ginger and garlic and then grate into the pan with the onions, fry for a further minute. 

Add the chicken to the pan – turn the heat up a little – and fry until the meat is sealed and just beginning to colour – 5 minutes. 

Pour in the coconut milk and spoon in the marmalade, simmer gently for 10 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.  Finely chop the coriander, scatter over the top of the curry and serve.

Seville Orange season has been and gone by a sliver and I, for the first time ever, have finally made my own marmalade.  I’m hooked.  Truly and properly hooked on the process of ‘making your own’; nothing in the kitchen has pleased me so much than seeing my six jars of amber coloured, jewel studded marmalade sitting atop the counter.  The need to run out and buy forced rhubarb to make chutney was so strong I had to talk myself down - who knew that making your own foodstuffs in jars would be quite so satisfying, but it really is.  From this moment on I’ve sworn to make one item a month and with the summer heading our way I see a future filled with Elderflower Champagne, Apricot Jam and Bread and Butter Pickles and I can’t wait!

Anything in a jar makes a wonderful gift, if you turned up at mine with a bottle of something nice and a jar of something homemade you would be a welcome guest indeed.  It also raises a few issues, like what to do with a year’s supply of marmalade!  So I thought I would do a little experimenting and one of the results was this Ginger and Marmalade Cake.  I’ve heard people recommend adding a spoonful of marmalade to fruit cakes or puddings, but in this particular version the marmalade really makes itself known, the ginger, despite its quantity, almost a back note in the proceedings.  The cake itself is moist and mellow, you could even make a little lemon or orange icing to go on top though I think a dusting of icing sugar suffices.  It’s particularly delicious with a cup of earl grey tea and the kind of thing springtime afternoon’s were made for.

GINGER AND MARMALADE CAKE

Makes 12 squares

275g Doves Farm gluten free self-raising flour

200g light soft brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

100ml sunflower or other vegetable oil

170ml cold water

1 tbsp ground ginger

3 heaped tbsp marmalade

Preheat the oven to 200c and lightly grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.

Place the flour, ginger, baking powder and sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir together until combined.  Pour in the oil, marmalade and water and stir together until you have a smooth cake batter. 

Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, level the top with the back of a spoon and bake for 35 – 40 minutes until golden and cooked through – if you think the cake is browning too much on top then cover with tin foil .  Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  When ready cut into squares and serve.

Spring is definitely approaching.  A recent walk in the woods with a gallivanting dog heralded the new season for me; the sun sent shards of light through the trees, creating eldritch patterns on the floor of the woods.  Snowdrops are clustering amongst barren patches of earth and the first hints of crocus bulbs are tentatively starting to show.  It’s truly glorious and though I love the winter months dearly it’s exhilarating to start to feel fresher and brighter, warmed by the sun and given a boost of renewed energy by the new life around.  Food, as ever, follows nature’s patterns; we eat what we crave (as a general rule) and if we are in sync with the outside (not to get too hippy on you all) then we crave the kind of food that fuels and energises us.  With the advent of spring, a fresh lightness in the air, our food can afford to lighten up a little too.  This salad (though it feels much more than that, I promise) combines some of my favourite ingredients and flavours: smoked fish, bright citrus, aniseed dill and mellow roasted caraway.  I’m fairly smitten with it and it’s the perfect lunch or supper for a springtime day.  I like to serve it with the Rye Bread from my book and an avocado ‘butter’ made simply by blitzing ripe avocado with a dash of good quality olive oil, lemon juice and a generous seasoning of sea salt and black pepper, it makes a brilliant alternative to butter and is delicious spread on anything from rice cakes to savoury muffins.

CITRUS AND CARAWAY SALMON QUINOA

Serves 4

400g hot smoked salmon fillets

The juice and zest of 1 lemon

The juice and zest of 1 orange

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 clove of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

175g quinoa

500ml water

A small bunch of dill

A small bunch of parsley

25g pumpkin seeds

Place the quinoa into a saucepan.  Squeeze the juice of the orange and one of the lemons into a measuring jug and top up with enough water to reach 500ml.  Pour the liquid over the quinoa, cover and bring to the boil.  Once boiling reduce to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid.  Fluff up with a fork and then set aside to cool down.

Next, place the caraway seeds in a dry frying pan and heat over medium flame until lightly toasted and fragrant – literally a couple of minutes.  Place the caraway seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.  Meanwhile, add the pumpkin seeds to the still hot pan and toast over a medium flame.

Roughly chop the dill and add it to the ground caraway along with the garlic, olive oil, orange and lemon zest and a pinch of sea salt.  Pound together in the pestle and mortar until you have a coarse paste. 

Once the quinoa is cool, fork through the zesty paste, flake in the salmon, scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds, roughly chop the parsley and add it too.  Toss the mixture together and serve.

I will start by telling you that I don’t think the photographs do these brownies justice.   They fail to capture quite how squidgy, rich and moist they are.  They miss completely the telltale scatter of whole chocolate chunks nestled inside the sponge and certainly, they fail to hint at their decadent, malty scent.  Really, these brownies are both incredibly simple and rather a delicious treat; I have to fess up and tell you that they are actually a variation on a previous chocolate brownie recipe.  I really had no intention of posting them but they were so good and so well received that I though it worth the repetition.  While we are in this segue of seasons, neither one thing nor the other, it’s nice to have something you can bake in the afternoon that suits both rain and shine, because let’s face it, there are few in the world who will turn down a cup of tea and a freshly baked brownie of an afternoon, and those that do are frankly not to be trusted.  Plus, they are perfect for making to take to gatherings and parties, whatever the event.  The fact that they you can have them made and ready within half an hour is a bit of a blessing too, it leaves you extra time to spend with people that you love, something which is fundamental to a person’s happiness...love and chocolate brownies, who could ask for more.

CHOCA MOCHA BROWNIES

Makes 12 brownies

You will need an 8 inch square baking tin for this recipe

170g Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder

170g soft light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

230ml rice milk

5 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil

50g dark chocolate – check to make sure it is dairy and soy free, I like Montezuma’s or Willie’s Cacao

A very small pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180c and grease and line the baking tin. 

Roughly chop the chocolate into small chunk. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the brown sugar, chocolate chunks and flaxseed until evenly mixed.  Place the coffee powder into a measuring jug and add a dash of boiling water, stir until dissolved.  Top up the coffee with the rice milk, oil and vanilla extract and then pour over the dry mixture, stirring together until smooth and glossy. 

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until just firm on top.  Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool for 10 minutes before serving or transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.