Banana cake

Sarah loves sweet food and often makes this banana cake recipe as a pre or post cycle treat. It is a great way of using up old mushy bananas almost going black. This is adapted from a Bourke St bakery recipe (minus  caramel sauce ) Try baking it in individual bread tins - saves any argument about who has eaten more when you get one each :)

This also keeps very well in a air tight container and actually gets better (and stickier) each day. Excellent toasted under a grill – just add butter

Foodstuff you will need: 

• 320g unsalted butter 
• 355g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean – split lengthways 
• 4 eggs
• 200g sour cream
• 300g self raising flour (sifted) 
• 3 ripe bananas
• 20g golden syrup

Equipment:

• Cake or bread tins (if round try 28cm)  - we use bread tins
• Oven 
• Sieve
• Grease proof /baking paper
• Electric mixer with whisk attachment
• Large bowl
• Large spoon & fork
• Spatula
• Skewer

How to throw it together

• Pre heat oven to 200C
• Line base of bread or cake tin with baking paper
• Put butter and caster sugar in bowl and whizz with an electric mixer using a whisk attachment
• Scrape in vanilla seeds
• Whisk on low speed until pale and creamy
• Add the eggs one by one, allowing each to be completely MIXED IN before adding more. 
• Add the sour cream in two batches and then add the flour until combined
• Lightly mash the bananas and drizzle with golden syrup
• Fold the bananas into the cake mixture to combine
• Spoon into the tin(s)
• Bake for 55min – 1hour 15 mins or until a skewer comes out clean
• Cover top of cake with baking paper if starts to brown too early
• Remove cake from oven and allow to cool. 

Wild Rice & Walnut Pesto Salad

We tried out this Damien Pignolet ‘Salades’ recipe on a gluten free, fat free very diet savvy friend who has a whole range of allergies. (We left out the cheese from the pesto and added a lot more fresh parsley) Not only did it get the thumbs up but she also took the leftovers home with her for lunch the next day!

We can easily find verjuice in Australia due to all the wine growing here, but try your local Deli if not found in the supermarket. Wild rice has a very nutty flavour but is much less starchy than other rice; the down side is that it is more expensive that your average basmati, but once you have tried this, you will want to eat it some more.  You can add preserved lemon but it is not necessary; the pesto is very tasty as is.

Serves 4 easily.
Can be prepared in advance and left covered in fridge. Better served at room temperature.
We found that this goes exceptionally well with hot smoked salmon.

Foodstuff you will need: 
300g of wild rice (does not need to be organic)
1.5 litres of water
sea salt
40ml verjuice
2 sticks of celery (inner sweet stalks) Diced small (to 1cm pieces)
2 firm ripe pears (washed, cored and cut into 5mm dice)
4 pieces preserved lemon flesh discarded rind finely chopped (optional)

Walnut Pesto
100g walnuts
1-3 cloves of garlic (depends how garlicy you like your pesto) Green shoot removed, roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
2 generous handfuls of basil
2 generous handfuls of fresh parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan (omit if you want a low GI dinner)
80ml virgin olive oil
20ml walnut oil
ground pepper
40ml verjuice

Equipment:
3 litre capacity saucepan for rice
Small saucepan
Oven
food processor
Colander/sieve
Mixing bowl
Chopping board
Kitchen knife

How to throw it together

• Remove skins from walnuts but placing in boiling water for 1 minute then drain. Remove as much of the skin as possible.
• Place in warm oven (150C)  to dry out for 5-10 mins (do not brown)
• Put wild rice into 3 litre capacity saucepan with 1.5litres of water add 1/ tsp of salt and 40ml verjuice. 
• Bring to boil and simmer very slowly for 40 minutes. Do not boil rapidly as rice may burst.
• Placed cool walnuts and remaining pesto ingredients  (except verjuice) into a food processor and work into a smooth moist paste. Check seasoning and dilute with verjuice. If pesto is still too thick dilute with a little water
• Chop up the pear and celery
• Drain the rice well in a colander then transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Gently fold the pesto into the rice then add the celery and pear. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Scatter with preserved lemon and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Brian's Wonder Muesli

A wonderful recipe for muesli to keep your bowels regular and healthy.
Brian (Sarah's father) and Angela shared this recipe with us back in 2006 and as it is so delicious, we have been making it ever since.

Funnily enough Sarah manages to make it taste a little different from the original version. Maybe a bit more honey required???

This will last for a few weeks for 2 people eating it alternate days.

A number of variations with the nuts and seeds are also possible (e.g. adding pumpkin seeds or pine nuts)





Foodstuff you will need (basic recipe):

• 1kg oatmeal (long cooking)
• 500g sesame seeds
• 500g sunflower seeds
• 500g pecan nuts (or walnuts if you prefer) 
• Ground nutmeg (a few teaspoons to taste)
• Ground cinnamon (a few tea spoons to taste)
• 200ml olive oil
• 200ml of runny honey
• 500g seedless raisins
• 500g dried cranberries (optional)

Equipment:

• 2 large baking trays that fit in your oven
• 2 large bowls for mixing
• Glass measuring jug 
• Wooden spoon
• Microwave
• Plastic storage containers
• Oven 

How to throw it together

• Mix all the dry ingredients together in 1 or 2 large bowls and then transfer to 1 or 2 baking trays (depending on volume)
• Mix oil and honey together in the jug and heat in microwave. 
• Add to dry ingredients on the trays and give each a good stir to mix it all in.
• Cook for about 10 minutes in preheated oven at approx 190C
• When cool, add raisins and cranberries (if using) 

Store in an airtight plastic container.
Serve and with milk and /or yoghurt and chopped fresh fruit (all fresh fruit works well with this)

Prawn ball and mushroom soup

We found this in a weekend edition of the Sydney Morning Herald a month or so ago and cut it out. Originally a Neil Perry recipe, we have had to adapt it to use dry mushrooms or just normal mushrooms as it is difficult to get fresh Shitake mushrooms anywhere outside the capital cities (unless you are really lucky with local Delies) It is supposed to serve 4 but we found it was a good hearty meal for 2 of us in larger soup bowls.

Foodstuff you will need: 

• One or two large bunches of choysum or bok choy (use green leaves only) 
• 200g of fresh shitake mushrooms (or soak some dry ones in hot water for 30 mins -1 hour before using) Alternatively use flat or swiss brown mushrooms 
• 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves

Prawn balls

• 600g of green king prawn meat (raw) Remove all shell/poo pipe and chop it up
• 2 tsp of fresh grated ginger 
• 2 tbsp of sake
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp chilli flakes

Broth

• 2 litres/4 cups of chicken stock 
• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• ½ cup of miring
• ½ tsp salt

Equipment:
• Food processor
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Glass board for chopping
• Large pot to hold at least 3-4 litres
• Ladle
• Table spoon & tea spoon
• 2 medium-large bowls
• Cling film




How to throw it together

• Place prawn ball ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is in a coarse paste. Remove and put into a bowl and cover with cling film
• Combine stock, soy and mirin and salt in a bowl.
• Chop up cabbage and place in a large pot and add the mushrooms. Pour in the broth and place pot over a medium to high heat.
• As broth starts to come to the boil, use a table spoon to form rough balls of the prawn mixture (1/2 a tablespoon each)
• Slide balls into the broth and repeat until all the prawn mixture is in the pot.
• Simmer gently until the prawn balls float to the surface – about 5-7 minutes
• Ladle into warm soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped coriander.  Serve immediately