Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

I know, I know, you'd think all I do is bake... 

Well these bad boys are a work in progress - this batch is the one i've been happiest with so far. I was aiming for a muffin you could grab and eat for breakfast that would be sturdy enough to travel to a festival but not dry and mealy. 

The addition of the low fat yogurt definitely helps keep the muffin moist, whereas the oats keep it filling and sturdy, in case of any squishing they will retain some structural integrity. imagine if you used whole wheat flour they would be even more dense but i didn't have any and wanted something soft, I fear the whole wheat flour may have made them a but claggy. I'll report back when I continue my experiments.

These can easily be made vegan with some stewed apple in place of the eggs and some non-dairy yogurt. I doubt they will last very long, they may even get snaffled on the journey to Glastonbury, I hope you enjoy these versatile little buns!

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

30g butter

150g crunchy peanut butter

150g brown sugar

2 eggs

150g plain flour, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

120ml low-fat yogurt

50g rolled oats
juice of one lemon

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Pre-heat oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3

Cream sugar, peanut butter and butter for 5 minutes with hand held electric mixer, scrape down the sides with a spatula.

Add one egg at a time, mixing thoroughly each time and scrape down the sides.

Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, then stir in the yogurt, banana and oats one by one. Finally stir in the lemon juice. The mixture will be quite sloppy, don't worry.

Line a 12 hole muffin tray and fill each about 3/4 of the way.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave to cool on a wire rack and eat when the bottom stops being squidgy.

Garlic and Sea Salt Focaccia

Trial and error brought me to this recipe, one that I am particularly pleased with...

As Squirrelface is Italian, when i try an Italian recipe it is more important that i get it right, i generally aim for the Mamma standard. If it is as good (or even very-nearly-almost as good) as Squirrelface's Mamma I consider it a success. This recipe was bestowed with the 'as good as Mamma's' so I was very pleased and have to say it's really quite amazing just out of the oven but best consumed within 24 hours - if it lasts that long.

I decided to make it simple with garlic and sea salt as the main flavours but focaccia is so versatile you can add almost anything savoury to the top and it will yield tasty results. Other favourites are rosemary and caramelised red onion, roasted tomato and thyme or sinful cheese and bacon.

Garlic and Sea Salt Focaccia

500g strong white flour, sifted

350ml tepid water

100g olive oil

7g sachet dried fast-action yeast

2tsp table salt

1tsp wet sea salt

4 fat cloves of garlic, sliced very thinly

In a large bowl mix flour, table salt, yeast, 300ml water and 80ml olive oil with a knife. Scrape the sides and mix until you have a wet dough, add more water if needed. The dough should NOT be liquid - it should be just manageable.

Lightly oil a work surface and your hands, then knead for 5-10 minutes until stretchy and glossy.

Lightly flour a baking dish and add the focaccia dough, pushing it out to the sides evenly.

Set the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6 and put the baking tray on the hob above the oven with an oiled piece of cling-film over the top, oil side down and seal air tight.

Wait until dough has risen and doubled to around twice original size, then take cling-film off, oil your thumb and lightly make dents in the dough from outside to in. 

Push slivers of garlic in to the dents then scatter with sea salt and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.

While baking, put remaining garlic and 20ml olive oil in a small heavy bottomed pan and warm through until garlic is golden. Separate garlic and oil with a sieve. 

When focaccia is done pour over the warm oil and scatter with the golden garlic and leave to warm in the tray.

Excellent cut in to wedges when hot and moreish, with antipasta or as an aid to soup.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Salad

Right now everyone is extolling the virtues of British asparagus...

...I did so a few weeks ago in a light and fragrant risotto with peas and lemon but what with the weather finally turning I thought a salad would be a decadent treat for you all to snaffle in the garden or on the balcony with a cold glass of white and a hunk of good bread.

Some people may scoff at the wrapping of the asparagus with streaky bacon is sacrilege, it isn't, I assure you. By griddling the bacon wrapped asparagus you allow the fat to subtly flavour the delicate vegetable and end up with a perfectly cooked asparagus that is great to eat with your hands as much as it is with a knife and fork.

I used tarragon vinegar for the dressing to jar slightly against the mustard and be lifted by the sweetness of the honey, any vinaigrette combination works - to your taste be true. This is also the same when concerning the leaves or vegetables to include, I want this to be more of a jumping off lily-pad type of a salad.

NB. Vegetarians – griddled asparagus is delicious – the bacon is a decadence, not an essential.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Salad

as many asparagus spears as there are rashers of streaky bacon.

big bag of salad leaves (I used rocket and baby spinach)

handful of baby plum tomatoes, quartered

Dressing

2tbsp tarragon vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

1tsp mustard (I used coarse Dijon)

1/2 tsp honey

salt and pepper

Stretch the bacon rashers with a flat bladed knife, blunt end towards you. This will make the bacon thinner, crisper and quicker to cook.

Wrap the bacon around your asparagus, which will need any woody stems trimming.

Heat a griddle pan to almost smoking and then turn down to low and pop the bacon-wrapped asparagus in the griddle pan. (Alternatively you could fry or grill).

Cook for around 2 minutes on each side, until bacon is browned and crisped.

Spin fresh salad in salad spinner after washing.

Scatter on a platter with tomatoes and arrange bacon-wrapped asparagus spears.

In a jar, put all dressing ingredients in, put on lid, shake vigorously and pour over salad.

Use vegetable peeler to add Parmesan or other hard cheese.

Serve with crusty bread.