Recipe - Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted plain
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds/4 pods worth approx
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 50g butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup butter milk
• 2 ripe – very ripe bananas, mashed

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Spray a 7cm-deep, 10 x 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan with oil. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending 3cm above rim.
2. Step 2
3. Pour all the dry ingredients into a bowl
4. Make a well in the centre. Add all the wet ingredients except for the milk
5. Combine all with a wooden spoon
6. Pour in the milk then stir until combines
7. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Set aside in pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm or transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
8. Top with your favourite sour cream or cream cheese or mascarpone icing and also chocolate shards if you like.

Recipe - Mushroom Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 stem celery, finely diced
• 800 grams passata
• 500 grams portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• large bunch kale, stems removed and roughly sliced
• 500 grams ricotta cheese
• large handful fresh basil leaves
• 250 grams gluten free lasagne sheets
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• olive oil for sautéing

METHOD 

1. Heat a genereous glug of olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, galic, carrot and celery.
2. Cook gently, without browning, for 8–10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the passata, mushrooms and kale. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Combine the ricotta and herbs. Season generously. 
4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Place a big spoonful of tomato sauce on the bottom of your lasagna dish.
5. Place lasagne sheets over the top to create a layer. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the layer – I find a wide knife makes this simple. Top with another layer of pasta. Spoon half the tomato and vegetable sauce on this layer. Top with pasta.
6. Spread the remaining ricotta on top. Layer with pasta and top with the rest of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.
7. Let the dish sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with a green salad. Leftover lasagne will be last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: Dish Magazine NZ

Recipe - Anchovy and Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

• 12 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons capers
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Juice from one small lemon
• ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Place the minced anchovies and ½ cup of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir until the anchovies melt into the oil (about 3-5 minutes).
3. While the anchovies and oil are melding, finely chop the capers.
4. Remove the anchovy-infused oil from the heat and add the capers and red pepper flakes.
5. Then, pour in the remaining olive oil
6. Add the lemon juice.
7. Give everything a good stir.
8. Toss in the chopped parsley
9. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. No extra salt necessary!