Fluffy Easter Pancakes

Some of the fluffiest, nicest pancakes I've ever eaten are made with buttermilk. Buttermilk is the liquid that is left from churning butter or cream, and although you can buy buttermilk reasonably easily, it is not something that most people would have as a staple in the fridge. This means that if you decide to make buttermilk pancakes one morning, it is likely to involve a special trip to the shops to get it.

Today I'm sharing a recipe I use for pancakes that give the same result as the buttermilk kind, but is much less hassle to make -  with a technique for lightly souring the milk to create a perfect substitute for the buttermilk. These pancakes are deliciously light and fluffy and not overly sweet. You can of course top them with anything you like, but today I have topped mine with mixed berries and maple syrup.

These pancakes make a perfect Easter brunch, or even a simple dessert served with yoghurt, ice cream or any manner of toppings that you can dream up. I have also made small pikelets from this mixture and topped them with jam and cream to make a sort of Devonshire Tea style treat.

However you adapt them to your taste, this recipe is a keeper, with great results every time. Maybe give it a try this Easter long weekend?

Fluffy Buttermilk Style Pancakes

With Berries and Maple Syrup

You will need: 1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons white vinegar, 3 eggs, 2 cups Self Raising Flour, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 2 cups mixed frozen berries, 2 tablespoons caster sugar, maple syrup to serve.

Method: Add the 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the milk, stir through and allow it to stand for a couple of minutes. This will lightly sour the milk.

Combine the berries and the sugar, microwave them for 1 minute and stir well. You could also do the berries in a small pan on the stove, but I find the microwave is quick and easy - and less cleaning up.

Whisk together the milk and the eggs. Add half of the flour and all of the baking powder to the mixture and whisk until smooth. Now add the remaining flour and whisk through, ensuring there are no lumps. If the mixture feels too thick, add a little extra plain milk. If it is too thin, add extra flour.

Allow the pancake batter to rest in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Cook the pancakes in a lightly greased or non stick pan. When bubbles appear on the surface, they are ready to turn over. The pan should be moderately hot - watch the temperature, as if the pan is too hot, the pancakes will be overcooked and dark on the outside and not cooked in the middle.

Serve the pancakes with the berries and maple syrup - or anything you fancy.

Makes 4 large or 8 medium sized pancakes.

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Sweetness and Light

Pancakes are about as old school as you can get - archaeologists have found evidence that they were the earliest and most widely consumed cereal based food eaten in prehistoric societies. You will find them in some form in cuisines all over the world and everyone seems to have a different version of them. Depending on where they are from, you will find preferences for sweet, savoury, thin or thick, soft or crispy. Yep, pancakes have been a favourite amongst human beings for a long time.

Occasionally I whip up a batch of pancakes as a treat on a Sunday morning - they are a big favourite in our household, particularly a version I make with ricotta cheese and lemon. I thought I would share the recipe, as they are quite delicious and the perfect accompaniment for all of the lovely Summer fruit that is in season at the moment.

These pancakes are light and lovely, and would be great as a dessert as well as a special breakfast treat. The key to good pancakes is to not go crazy with the whisk and over mix the batter. If you do, you will likely end up with tough, rubbery pancakes instead of light, airy ones. I know some recipes get you to beat the egg whites separately, but as long as you aren't heavy handed with the mixture I don't think this is really necessary. Keep it simple, don't over beat the mixture and ensure that you allow the mixture to rest and all will be well. I use a non stick pan to cook my pancakes, but if you don't have one, just grease a normal pan lightly and you are good to go.

Because I serve these pancakes with sweet fruit and maple syrup, I don't put sugar in the pancake batter - I think this would make them too sickly. The lemon rind and the ricotta give the dish a lovely freshness and I don't want to drown that all out with a major sugar overload. These pancakes are best made close to serving time, but you can easily make the batter a couple of hours ahead if required and just keep the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

As for toppings, these ricotta pancakes are delicious with fresh natural yoghurt and pureed fruit as a sauce instead of maple syrup. They are also great with yoghurt, almonds and fresh honeycomb if you can get it. Yummy. Today, I chose nectarines, mango, blueberries and fresh figs - a perfect way to celebrate the fruits of Summer.

As if this dish wasn't nice enough to look at already, I increased the pretty factor by serving the pancakes on my lovely green vintage china plates that I found in a flea market whilst on my honeymoon in Paris. Something about them is very happy making to me - lovely memories. And anyway, who needs an excuse to eat off the nice china? Keeping it in the cupboard and not using it is utterly pointless.

So, channel your prehistoric ancestors and whip up a batch of pancakes - but maybe mix it up a bit by eating them off the good china? Hell, why not?!

Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes

with Summer Fruits and Maple Syrup

You will need: 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, finely grated rind of half a lemon, 1 1/3 cups self raising flour, two pinches salt, 3 heaped tablespoons ricotta cheese. To serve - maple syrup, fresh fruit .

Method: Whisk together the milk, salt, eggs and lemon rind. Add the flour gradually, continuing to whisk until smooth. Put in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Fold through the ricotta cheese - it does not have to be smooth - leave some lumps in it. A bit of texture is pleasant and you will get delicious pockets of ricotta as you eat the pancakes.

Heat a non stick fry pan to a medium/high heat and cook the pancakes in batches until golden. Serve the pancakes right away stacked with fresh fruit and drizzled with maple syrup.

Makes 6-8 pancakes.

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Rustic Coconut Banana Bread

As most of you know, I'm not really into baking that much. It is quite an exact science and I'm much happier creating dishes on the fly, tasting as I go and not slavishly measuring every ingredient. I made an exception this weekend when I realised that we had forgotten to eat the bananas that had been sitting in the fruit bowl since the beginning of the week. We had a handful of very ripe bananas that were crying out to be put in some kind of recipe asap. I decided to make banana bread with a couple of my own twists. Having never attempted banana bread in my life, I took a basic recipe and swapped all white flour for a mixture of white and wholemeal flour, as well as adding a little nutmeg and good quality vanilla.

I realised that I also had a pack of threaded, dessicated coconut in the cupboard (originally purchased with the intention of making coconut prawns that have not, as yet eventuated) so I thought I would add the coconut to the banana bread and see how it turned out. I was happy with the result - a home style banana bread that has a rustic, dense texture due to the wholemeal flour. If you wanted a lighter style bread, you could replace the wholemeal component with all white flour. My banana bread is not the light, highly processed style that you will find in cafes, however it has a great robust flavour that is really lovely toasted and served with some salted butter.

Just out of the oven

 The recipe below makes a small sized loaf - if you are using a larger sized loaf pan (similar to the sized loaf you would need to make the banana bread you see in cafes) then do what I did and double the amounts. I actually started with the amounts listed below, but when I looked at the large loaf pan I had chosen, I realised that I would need twice the amount to fill it. If you are using a standard loaf pan, the quantities below should be just right. Remember too that a bigger loaf will mean longer cooking time.

The coconut and banana combination works really well, both in terms of taste and texture. The bread is very moist, with a slightly crunchy outside crust and a sweet coconut aroma that smells just beautiful. I'm certainly not a baker, but I was happy with my first attempt at banana bread.

Coconut Banana Bread

You will need: 1 cup plain white flour, 1 cup wholemeal plain flour, 2/3 cup caster sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup dessicated or threaded coconut, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract,3-4 ripe bananas, a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg.

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease a loaf tin (or spray it with cooking spray) and line the base of the loaf pan with baking paper.

Mash the bananas well and add the vanilla, nutmeg and the eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift the flours and baking powder. Add the sugar and the coconut and combine well.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf pan.

Bake for about 60 minutes - the cooking time is going to vary depending on your oven, the sized pan and your ingredients (size of eggs, moisture in the bananas etc) The loaf is cooked when you insert a skewer in the centre and it comes out clean. Your loaf may take a little more or a little less time - just keep an eye on it and do the skewer test.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning it out on a wire rack to cool.

Serve as is, or toasted with butter.

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You say potato......

Everyone seems to love rosti/potato cakes and today's recipe uses them as the basis for a dish that can have many incarnations. In my version, I have included some lovely new season zucchini to add extra flavour and lovely flecks of green colour, as well as beautiful smoked trout that transforms the dish into something special.  It makes an indulgent breakfast or brunch, but is also suited as an entree or starter, or even finger food if you scale down the size. You can also omit the trout and substitute grilled vegetables such as asparagus or zucchini for a lovely vegetarian dish. Whilst the dish may look a bit fiddly, it is actually very quick and easy to put together. I really love smoked trout and that is what I have used today, but if you are a fan of smoked salmon then it is a good substitute.

A note about the rosti technique - to ensure that your rosti is cooked correctly, it is important to follow the technique in the recipe below for removing as much moisture out of the mixture as possible. Don't be tempted to omit this step, or your rosti could fall apart and be unpleasantly soggy, causing the cook to swear loudly and have to start over. We don't want that, so use the "teatowel technique" to avoid any problems.

Here it is......

Potato and Zucchini Rosti with smoked trout and minted yoghurt

You will need: (for the rosti) 2 raw whole potatoes, 2 small or 1 medium zucchini, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon plain flour, dash of tabasco sauce, salt, pepper. Oil for frying. 100g smoked trout or smoked salmon.
(for the dressing) 2 tablespoons thick continental style yoghurt, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves, extra mint to serve.

Method: First, combine the yoghurt and mint for the dressing and set aside in the fridge.

Grate the potato and the zucchini and place in the middle of a clean cotton teatowel (you can also use clean muslin or cheesecloth too, but a teatowel works just as well) Twist the teatowel up so that the ingredients are contained in a tight bundle. Hold over the sink and squeeze really hard to get as much moisture out of the potato and zucchini as possible.

Place the potato and zucchini in a bowl with the egg, flour, tabasco, a generous pinch of salt and a good seasoning of pepper. Using a fork, mix until well combined. The mixture will be quite loose - don't be concerned, it is how it is meant to be.

Heat a frypan (non-stick is good) and add a shallow layer of oil. Add a soup spoon of the rosti mixture to the pan and gently shape/flatten them to form pikelet size fritters. Cook the rosti in batches of 3 or 4, keeping an eye on the heat and turning them a couple of times during cooking. Don't have it blistering hot, or the rosti will be burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. Medium/hot will give you a better result.

Arrange the rosti on the serving plates with a dollop of the yoghurt and a piece of the smoked trout/salmon in between. Finish with a final slice of the trout/salmon and some mint. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 serves

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The Great Muffin Experiment

I was in the mood for baking this morning and as many of you would know I'm not a big sweet fan, so I thought I would experiment with savoury muffins. I decided on vegetable based ones, full of zucchini and flavoured with cheese, spring onion, olives and sundried tomatoes. The result was a lovely light and flavoursome muffin that would make a great breakfast or brunch, perfect with a bowl of soup or a nice addition to a picnic.

These will freeze really well, so it's worth making a couple of batches if you have freezer space. Alas I don't, so I will be taking these to work to give to my favourite geeks in the I.T department tomorrow. I make sure that they always get the results of my muffin experiments -I tell them it is a form of bribery - it always pays to have the tech guys on your side! I was happy with the recipe today, particularly the lightness of the texture. I was worried they might be a bit heavy, but they were quite the opposite. I think I will use this recipe for the basis of other savoury muffins in the future. I am already having ideas for other varieties. Watch this space...

Cheesy Zucchini Muffins with sundried tomato and olives

You will need: 3 cups plain flour, 6 teaspoons baking powder, 2 large grated zucchini, 1 cup finely chopped spring onion, 2 tablespoons chopped olives, 2 tablespoons finely chopped sundried tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 2/3 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, salt and pepper.

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a non stick muffin pan with paper patty cases.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a generous sized bowl. Add the olives, zucchini, sundried tomato, spring onion, parmesan and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese. (You will save this for the top of the muffins later) Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined with you hands. Do not overmix or your muffins will be very flat and heavy.

Fill the prepared muffin pans with the mixture and sprinkle the leftover cheese and poppy seeds over the top of the muffins. Cook for 25-30 mins. Let them cool in the pan for about 10mins before taking them out and letting them cool further on a wire rack.

Makes about 20 muffins.

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The Culinary "Little Black Dress"

We all have those tried and true recipes that we are super comfortable cooking and that allow us to relax and improvise as we go along. This morning's dish, Chilli Corn Cakes is one of those for me. I have cooked it for many years and in many incarnations. No matter how I serve it, it always gets the thumbs up. Both vegetarians and carnivores can be catered for and it can go from breakfast to cocktail food with no problem at all. My Chilli Corn Cakes are served this morning as breakfast with an avocado salsa and a poached egg.

Once you know the basic recipe, you can make this dish anything you want it to be. Top it with grilled chicken or fish for a beautiful fresh tasting lunch, scale down the size a little and top with fresh prawns or grilled asparagus and you have a snazzy entree for a dinner party. Downsize them even more to 50c piece size, top with a little sour cream and salmon and you have a gorgeous cocktail canape. Mix some fresh crab meat or shredded duck right into the salsa mixture for more canape options. Play around with the fresh herbs too - you don't like coriander? Use fresh parsley, basil or chives instead. Make a hearty, spicy dinner by adding lots more chilli and topping the corn cakes with some grilled Chorizo or Italian sausage. See what I mean?

I think of this recipe as the culinary equivalent to the little black dress - it suits everyone, can be dressed up or down and is always appropriate :) It is also a great option to have up your sleeve if you are on a budget. It can be as basic or as fancy as you like, but you can be sure that however you serve it, everyone will want seconds and think you are fabulous ;)

So, here it is.......

Chilli Corn Cakes with Avocado and Tomato Salsa

And this morning's breakfast version.....

You will need: (For the corn cakes)1 egg, 1 cup plain flour, about 1/2 cup milk, 2 pinches baking powder, pinch salt, pepper, splash of tabasco sauce, 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (I use frozen ones for convenience, but you can also use tinned ones or cook your own fresh kernels),
1-2 finely chopped chillies, 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander, 1/3 cup finely sliced spring onion.

You will need: (For the salsa) 1/2 finely chopped red onion, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, 1-2 small red chillies finely chopped, 1 avocado diced finely, 2 large tomatoes with the seeds removed and finely chopped (I like to use Roma/Egg tomatoes as I think they have a superior flavour), squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, splash extra virgin olive oil, dash of tabasco, salt and pepper.

Method: Start with the corn cakes - In a bowl, whisk the egg and milk together with salt, pepper and tabasco. Gradually whisk in the flour and baking powder to form a reasonably thick, smooth batter. It should be the same consistency as pancake batter. Add more milk or flour if you need to. Set the batter aside to rest for 15 mins. Stir through the corn, chilli, coriander and spring onion.

In a another bowl, gently combine the salsa ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Cook the corn cakes in batches in a hot, lightly greased pan (today I used a dessertspoon of mixture per corn cake) Serve with the salsa. Makes about 12 small corn cakes and serves 4 people as a breakfast or main meal.

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Huevos Rancheros

Hola amigos! Sunday brunch again and today I wanted something piquant, bold and a bit different. Huevos Rancheros fits the bill perfectly. The literal translation means "Ranch eggs" and this dish originated in Mexico, where it would be the mid-morning meal for farm workers. There are many, many variations of this dish - some are served on a corn or flour tortilla, some add red peppers, corn, black beans or cheese. Some add a side serve of avocado or even sour cream. (I suspect this is a recent Tex-Mex addition and I personally think it makes the dish too heavy) I prefer to keep it all quite simple and rustic and omit all the accompaniments. I think that it has so much flavour that it doesn't need help to be moreish and delicious. I serve my version with some warm flatbread and eat it right out of the pan.

I like my Huevos Rancheros spicy, so I have added plenty of chilli, including some fresh chilli on top to serve, but of course you can leave the chilli out completely if you want to. My version also includes Chorizo - omit it for a lovely vegetarian dish. If you were making this for a few people, you could make it in one large dish, or even do individual ones in small rammekins. As well as being a hearty brunch, this dish is perfect for a fast and easy dinner option.

You will notice that I haven't included a recipe for the tomato based sauce* - use your own basic nepolitana style sauce or even a good quality store bought sauce (my preferred brand is Barilla) if you don't want to make a special batch. My tomato sauce contains capers, anchovies, lots of garlic and chllies, but use whatever you like.

So, here it is - my version of the rustic Mexican classic....

Huevos Rancheros

You will need: 1 cup tomato based sauce* per person, 1-2 organic free range eggs per person, Half a cup of roughly chopped Chorizo, 1 tablespoon chopped black olives, A few dashes of tabasco sauce (optional) , 1 tablespoon finely sliced spring onion, flatbread or soft tortillas to serve, 1 teaspoon finely sliced red chilli (optional)

Method: Combine the olives, Chorizo, tomato sauce, tabasco together and pour into an ovenproof dish. Make a small well in the sauce and break the egg gently into the mixture. Repeat for all of the eggs.

Bake in a hot oven for 10-15 mins depending on how much you like your eggs cooked. (I like them a bit runny in the middle, so the yolk mixes with the sauce - yum!)

Top with spring onion and chilli and serve right away with warm flatbread or soft tortillas.

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Sweet Sunday

I like having a leisurely cooked breakfast on a Sunday, and my love for things savoury and piquant usually means that I have poached eggs and bacon, or corncakes, grilled mushrooms and avocado with lots of tabasco or something equally spicy on the side.

This morning though, I decided to have something sweet for a change. I bought some lovely fresh ricotta and fruit yesterday, so this became the inspiration for this yummy breakfast dish. It could easily become a dessert dish - perhaps use blueberries and banana or mixed berries? Plums or apricots would be nice too. If you are doing it as a dessert, then I would make the hotcakes quite small - pikelet size.

I don't like things too sweet, so I haven't put a lot of sugar in the batter mixture, but if you like it sweeter, then add more sugar. Just remember that more sugar will mean they will brown and caramelise a lot faster, so watch the hotcakes so they don't burn. This recipe will serve 2-4 people, depending on how piggy you want to be!

Banana and Ricotta Hotcakes

You will need: 1 cup self-raising flour, 2 eggs, about half a cup of milk, 1 dessertspoon caster sugar, 1 large ripe banana (or 2 small ones), a few teaspoons butter (or oil ) to grease the frypan, 1 cup fresh ricotta, maple syrup, a few strawberries (optional)

Method: Blend the milk, eggs, sugar and half of the banana in a food processor till smooth.

Sift the flour into a bowl and gradually whisk in the milk to form a batter. You may need to add more milk if the batter is too stiff. The batter should easily coat/stick to, the back of a spoon.

Gently crumble half of the ricotta into the mixture and stir through gently. Let the mixture rest for 10-15 mins.

I like to transfer the mixture into a small jug to make pouring the batter easier and less messy, but you can also use a spoon or measuring cup for the next step. Heat and grease the frypan and cook the hotcakes in batches, with the hotplate on medium heat. Turn the hotcakes when bubbles appear on the surface.

Keep an eye on the heat and turn it down or up if you have to. Remember that the amount of sugar you put in and the ripeness of the banana will affect how fast it will brown/burn.

Serve the hotcakes right away, with sliced banana, strawberry and the extra ricotta, drizzled generously with maple syrup.

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