Brrrrr…. there’s a chill in the air! What better way to warm things up on a cold morning than with a simple yet delicious bowl of porridge? Oats topped with chopped banana, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of honey and topped with almond flakes is the perfect breakfast to beat the autumnal chill.
‘Give your pancakes a French, Australian or American twist with Rachel Allen’s delicious recipes’
“If you’re looking for a new take on this age-old recipe, try a crepe with banana, salted caramel and cream, wholemeal pikelet with blueberry compote, American pancake with maple syrup and rashers, or buckwheat blini with salmon and creme fraiche
The cooking of pancakes dates way back to prehistoric times where batters made from stoneground flour and water were cooked over fire. Sometimes leavened with yeast and other raising agents, pancakes can take on many slightly dissimilar guises. Essentially flat cakes, pancakes in France are thin and sometimes a little crisp around the edges as the name crepe would suggest: like the thin fabric with a wrinkled surface. Serve with this salted caramel sauce recipe, below, as well as banana slices and softly whipped cream. Once made, the sauce will keep for a month or more. It gets thicker in the fridge so just reheat to serve.”
Brrrrr…. there’s a chill in the air! What better way to warm things up on a cold morning than with a simple yet delicious bowl of porridge? Oats topped with chopped banana, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of honey and topped with almond flakes is the perfect breakfast to beat the autumnal chill.
Porridge is one of our most popular breakfasts in the restaurant, and this recipe goes down a treat. On cold winter mornings, it gets you off to a good start and takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
100 g (4oz) porridge oats (organic if possible)
300 ml (1/2 pint) whole-fat milk (plus extra if necessary)
4 dsp clear honey
4 dsp irish mist
150 ml (1/4 pint) cream (optional)
Method
Simmer the porridge oats and milk together in a saucepan for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened, stirring all the time. It is important that the porridge has a nice soft dropping consistency so add a little more milk if you think that it needs it.
To serve, spoon the porridge into warmed bowls. Drizzle each one with some honey and Irish mist and finally, serve with cream if you wish.
These Apricot Jam Breakfast Muffins can be prepared the night before and cooked to perfection in the morning – http://ow.ly/8e6w30fDtZV
Ingredients
2 large free-range eggs
150ml pot of natural low-fat yoghurt
50ml rapeseed oil
2 tblsp no added sugar apricot jam
1 ripe banana, mashed
4 tblsp clear honey
1 tsp almond extract
200g of wholemeal flour
50g of porridge oats, plus extra for sprinkling
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
2 tblsp mixed seeds
extra apricot jam
a handful of flaked almonds, for sprinkling
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 large muffin cases.
In a mixing jug, combine the eggs, yoghurt, rapeseed oil, Apricot Jam, banana, honey and almond extract.
In a large bowl, combine the wholemeal flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed seeds.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine until you have a smooth batter. Don’t over mix as this will make your muffins tough.
Divide the mix between the muffin cases and place about half a teaspoon of Apricot Jam on the top of each of the muffins. Sprinkle with the extra porridge oats and the flaked almonds.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden. Check that they’re cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle of one of the muffins. They’re done if it comes away clean.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. These will keep for 3 days in a sealed container but they taste best on the day of baking.