Buttermilk pancakes with lemon curd

Happy pancake day!

The tradition of pancake day was originally to clear out the cupboards of flour, sugar and other foods to prepare for lent, the time to give up a vice, a weakness for 40 days before Easter.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

Butter

Take 300ml of thickened double cream (not single cream, it won't whip) and use the beaters for 10 minutes until yellow and quite thick. It will be lumpy and a bit wet. Push moisture through a sieve until there is no more moisture, the butter will be less lumpy and more smooth and dense...you now have butter!

Pancakes (serves 2)

Take the buttermilk that was sieved from the butter (approximately 1/2 cup), add 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon of bi carb soda, 3/4 cup of sieved flour. Add 4 x small pancakes to a large lightly oiled pan on medium heat, turn over when edges are cooked (2 minutes each side). Repeat process (mixture makes 8 small pancakes).

Lemon curd

Take the rind and juice of 2 lemons, 175g of sugar, 115g butter and add to a saucepan on a medium heat. In a separate bowl, gently whisk 2 eggs then add to the mixture on the heat. Continuously stir mixture until it thickens (5 minutes) then turn down to a minimum heat for 1 further minute. Remove from heat and pour into hot, steralised jars.

Mini raisin scones

225g self-raising flour 

85g caster sugar  

150ml milk

1 teaspoon baking powder 

110g raisins  

 55g butter

My husband and I love to go to one of our local cafes and although there are only elderly people there or couples with families, we don't care that we are outsiders because the scones and tea is so lovely.

Method 
Mix sifted flour, baking powder, caster sugar and soft butter together with hands until crumbled similar to that of a bread crumb mixture.

Once mixed, add in raisins and slowly pour in the milk a bit at a time while stirring. If it becomes too sticky, add a little more flour.

Roll mixture out to 1.5cm thick in height. Use a small cookie cutter or shot glass to cut mini scones by pressing it into the rolled-out mixture (3cm across).

Put on a lined baking tray and heat in a 180C oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown but not too brown as they will be rock hard.

Serve with butter, jam or a cream, pop on a pot of tea and feet up for a nice cuppa.

Date slice

This is such a sweet, decadent slice without using any sugar, the dates alone give enough sweetness.

Method-

Base...it's all about that base.

Mix half a cup of oats and half a cup of almond meal
Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and add in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, mix into oats and almond meal.

On a tray with greaseproof paper, press the base mixture flat, until is even across the tray, measuring just less than 1cm thick.

Put in the fridge to harden slightly. Remove after 1 hour and place date topping on the base.

Topping

Take 1 packet of dates (250grams), place in a mixing bowl or deep dish, cover with boiling water and leave to soak until soft...about 10 minutes. Drain dates, blend with a hand mixture then spread evenly on base mixture.

Top with fruit such as orange or leave without.

Low fat pineapple frozen yoghurt

This recipe is so natural it only took 3 ingredients (makes approx 3 glasses worth).

Firstly, slice 1 large pineapple into small, thin pieces and remove the skin (the same size as the pictured triangles but much thinner) so they don't take too long to cook.

Place on a lined baking tray and put in the oven for 55 minutes at 120C and make sure you turn them over once.

Remove from tray before they have cooled down.

In a bowl, mix 750ml of low fat natural yoghurt with 3 tablespoons of honey and the stir in the pineapple pieces. Place bowl in freezer for a few hours or until set.

Remove from freezer, scoop out yoghurt when soft enough and serve into dishes.

Enjoy.

Lasagne

Ah the classic lasagne, so filling and it pleases the whole family (unless of course you're a vegetarian).

WARNING: Although very delicious to eat, it is a time consuming meal to make so spare yourself an hour or more plus the baking time involved too.

Filling

Dice 2 large onions and 3 large cloves of garlic and cook on a medium heat until slightly soft/half cooked. Add 1kg of beef mince and cook until it is mostly cooked/not pink anymore. Add 4 tsp of salt. Chop and add 2 large/oyster mushrooms to the mix. Add 2 tins of plum tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste/concentrate. If you want it spicy, add one finely chopped chilli. Remove from heat.

Pasta sheets

Use 2 packets of lasagne sheets or enough to cover 2 layers. Soak in boiling water until soft but not soggy, remove from water.

White sauce/bechamel sauce

Melt 75g of butter with equal amounts of white flour, sieved to avoid lumps. Mix the paste on a medium heat then slowly add 900ml of milk until it's all mixed, it will thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir well. Remove from heat once it is thick.

In a large baking dish, roughly 40cm x 30cm, oil the pan and add the first layer of pasta sheets.

Add 1/3 of the filling followed by 1/3 of the white sauce and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella cheese. Repeat process to produce a second layer. On the top layer, just finish it off with the pasta sheets, white sauce and extra cheese.

Put in a 180C oven for 45 minutes or until golden and crispy on top.

Wholemeal pancakes

Pancakes are so simple and they taste great with almost any topping, almost.

I never measure when doing pancakes, I just know when it's the right amount, it's like I just sense it.

Mix 1 cup of flour to roughly 1 cup of milk and add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of bicarb/baking soda. If it is too runny, add a little more flour. 

Stir well with a whisk.

In a large pan, add a small amount of olive or coconut oil (the only 2 oils that are sustainable when cooking, on high temperatures, and also both very healthy).

Cook on a medium heat for roughly 2 minutes then flip over. 

Note - be careful not to have it too high or they will burn.

TIP - if you have any left over, have cold the next day with savoury toppings like tomato or marmite/vegemite.

Banana and pear cake

I grew up with hippy parents who love to make wholemeal cakes and I remember some of my friends would try to pinch it at school because it tasted so good. This is my slant on their banana cake (throw some pear in there too).

Method - 

Peel and mash one soft, slightly over ripe banana.

Remove core and chop 1 pear into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 170C

Grease a cake tin (approx 20 x 20cm)

Melt 125g of butter together with 150g of caster sugar on a medium heat then remove from heat.

Add the pear and banana, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and stir well.

Beat 1 egg and then add to cake mixture.

Add 190g of wholemeal flour with 1 tsp of baking/bicarb soda. Add 60ml of milk and stir well.

Pour into the then then pop in the oven.

Cook for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

TIP - if you are afraid that your cake might dry out, put a ceramic dish of water right at the bottom of the oven - this adds moisture to the air in the oven (works a treat for pastries too).