Banana and Pumpkin Seed Cookies

These cookies are a real treat! 
Something gorgeous and guilt-free to go with a cuppa anytime of day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner!
They also make a great gift - Martha Stewart style, you'll be a culinary Queen, or King in your own underpants!! Go ahead, spoil yourselves, your friends, loved ones or anyone you feel like treating.....

Banana and Pumpkin Seed Cookies

 

 

Makes 8 – 10 cookies

3 medium sized bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

200g dates (pitted and roughly chopped)

180g porridge oats

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

80ml / 3 fl oz sunflower oil

 

How to.... 

Preheat oven at 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and honey.

Add the chopped dates, oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and oil. Stir well and allow to rest for 10 – 15 minutes until the mixture becomes moist and sticky.

Space mixture into flat cookies with your hands, ensuring you make them as big or as small as you like before cooking, as they will not spread during cooking.

Place cookies onto the baking tray and bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Nutritional Tip:

Oats are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins B and E as well as iron and magnesium, which when combined promote a healthy heart and nervous system as well as increasing your energy levels and overall stamina.

 

Bon Appetit!!

Molly's Brown Bread

So I was pottering about the kitchen this afternoon, feeling a little peckish, wondering what I might fancy to satisfy my hunger! Perhaps a nice wholesome sandwich I thought! Yes, I said, that's what I'll have, but having consulted my trusty bread bin, alas, I had no bread! There were two options- head to the shop to avail of a glutenous loaf of factory produced dough or quickly whip up a tasty home-made loaf of brown bread. Having a little time on my hands- I chose the latter- resulting in the below recipe.....

Molly’s Homemade Brown Bread

 

 

 

Makes 2 loaves

450g (1lb) wholemeal flour

50g (2oz) plain flour

50g (2oz) oatmeal

50g (2oz) sesame seeds

50g (2oz) linseeds

50g (2oz) pumpkin seeds

50g (2oz) wheatgerm

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Grease two 2lb loaf tins with sunflower oil or line with non-stick paper. Mix together the dry ingredients and then sift in the bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Add the buttermilk to make a moist dough. Divide the dough mixture between the two tins. Bake for 10 minutes on high heat, then reduce the heat to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1 and bake for 1 hour. Remove cooked loaves from the oven and allow to cool a little before turning out onto a wire rack. To test if they are cooked properly, tap the base of the loaf, it should make a hollow sound if cooked through.

Nutritional Tip:

Oatmeal is a rich source of soluble dietary fibre which is great for lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure. The soluble fibre also allows for considerable water absorption and consequently slows down your digestive process, i.e you feel full for longer. Therefore it can help you to control your weight. Oats are also a great source of proteins, carbohydrates and iron all important in the production of energy and stamina.

The Return of my Culinary MoJo!!

Hello Everyone,

So I lost my culinary mojo for a while!! We're all human!! But I'm back now to impart my, albeit, amateur culinary advice. Well, what I'm really trying to achieve is an offering of some easy to follow, good tasting and somewhat healthy recipes for you to add to your cooking repertoire!
So I thought I'd ease both you guys and myself gently back into the wonderful culinary sphere with this tasty and simple recipe......so here it goes.... allow your taste buds be tickled.....

 

Sticky Honey and Lemon Chicken Thighs

 

 

 

Here is what you'll need....

2 lemons (juiced)
2 tablespoons runny honey
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 red onion (finely sliced)
4 - 5 cloves garlic (whole and unpeeled)
1lb or 6 pieces chicken thighs


In a large oven proof dish, combine the lemon juice, honey, mustard seeds, dijon mustard, thyme and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add the onions and garlic, followed by the chicken thighs and massage chicken with your hands until well covered with the marinade.

Place in a preheated oven 190 C/ 375 F/ Gas 5, and cook for 40 - 45 minutes, ensuring to turn the chicken at least once throughout.

Serve with boiled baby potatoes and green olives with a lemon marinade- delicious!

Green Olives with lemon marinade:
1 handful green olives (finely sliced)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic (finely grated)
1 pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place the olives in a jar and add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper, shake well before pouring over the boiled baby potatoes.

Enjoy!!!!

Nutritional Tip:

Chicken thighs are packed full of protein and potassium, are low in fat, and contain no carbohydrates, therefore, they are an extremely healthy addition to our diet. All these components help maintain a healthy heart and strengthen the body’s muscles and bones.