Category Archives: Food Blog

Olive oil Zucchini Banana Bread with chocolate chips

Olive oil Zucchini Banana Bread with chocolate chips

Shredded zucchini and mashed banana work perfectly together and ensure that this nutritious loaf stays nice and moist. The banana adds sweetness so there is no need to add too much sugar.
It’s the best of all quick breads if you ask me. With the added chocolate chips to make it a real treat. Lightly sweet and perfectly fluffy and moist, and very healthy too.

INGREDIENTS:

WET
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup mild olive oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini, don’t pack to measure, instead fit loosely in the cup. (about 1 medium/large zucchini) SEE NOTE about drying zucchini*

DRY
• 1 cup oat flour, made by simply grinding oats in a food processor
• 1 cup brown rice flour or whole wheat all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the the first six ingredients and whisk to combine.
3. In another bowl combine the flours, baking powder and salt, stir in the grated zucchini. Add the wet ingredients, and stir with a spatula, now add the chocolate chips and stir thru.
4. Turn batter out into the prepared pan , smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.

5. Bake for about 55 minutes or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Note – place grated zucchini on a clean kitchen towel and roll it up, wring out as much moist as you can.

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you. And please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!

Greek Steak Souvlaki with Feta and Cucumber Pomegranate salsa

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Now that summer is here I can’t wait to get the Bbq on, and these Steak Souvlaki skewers are perfect for grilling. Tender pieces of Beef are marinated for a few hours with Greek herbs and spices. The marinade is so amazing that you can use it on any kind of meat. The red wine vinegar is a key ingredient as it tenderizes the meat and gives the dish that typical Greek flavour.
The smell when the beef is grilling is insane – you can really smell the oregano and it’s almost as if your in a Greek Tavern, (with a bit of imagination and perhaps a glass of Retsina in your hand). If you ever go to Greece make sure to bring back some Oregano, they sell it dried in bushes and it’s the best you’ll ever find.

Serves: 4 – 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb / 1 kg beef (steak), thinly sliced
Marinade
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1½ tbsp dried oregano
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of ground cloves
• a pinch of dry mint
• 1/2 tsp dry chili flakes
• salt and pepper

Cucumber Pomegranate Salsa:
• 1 large beef tomato, de-seeded and diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, de=seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/2 red spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped
• a pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper
• a drizzle of olive oil
• a little squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 tsp.dry mint
• 1/2 tsp. dry oregano

To serve:
• 4 – 6 Pitas or baguette
• extra lettuce
• more Feta to crumble on top

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the Marinade ingredients and the beef in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 6. Remove from marinade and skewer on to wooden or metal pins alternating with pepper and onion pieces.
Salsa
1. Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook Beef
1. Heat a griddle pan over high heat.
2. Cook the skewers on high for a few minutes until crispy and brown then turn them over and cook for an other two minutes.
3. Remove and serve straight away. Serve with lots of Pita or Baguette

Enjoy!

Parpadelle Puttanesca with Lemon Pangrattato and fried Halloumi

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Parpadelle Puttanesca with Lemon Pangrattato and fried Halloumi

This is one of our favourite Summer dishes. It’s easy, quick to make and FULL of flavour. Thick noodles covered in Puttanesca sauce,topped with fried Halloumi and sprinkled with a generous amount of lemony Pangrattato. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time total: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Pangrattato

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from stale bread if you have it, otherwise fresh is fine
2 tbsp. thyme leaves
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Pasta Puttanesca

16 oz. 400g Parpadelle or Fettucine
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. green olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 c. capers
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Chopped parsley, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

To make the pangrattato;

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a pan to medium heat and cook the breadcrumbs until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes . Remove from pan and stir through the lemon zest, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Start boiling water in a large pot (don’t forget to add a generous amount of salt once boiling) while you make the Puttanesca sauce. Also slice Halloumi and drain on kitchen paper.

Heat a large frying pan and add the 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, the 3 cloves of smashed garlic, the 4 anchovy fillets, stir for a minute or two until fragrant. Then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft.

Heat a non stick frying pan to medium high heat and fry the Halloumi, cooking it on both sides until very golden brown.

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the water, and return the pasta to the pan. Add the Puttanesca tomato sauce, parsley and enough reserved water to loosen and toss to combine.

Place Pasta in a large serving dish, top with Halloumi and sprinkle with the Pangrattato. Serve straight away.

Enjoy!

Need more pasta inspiration?

Salted Peanut Caramel Bars

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Salted Peanut Caramel Bars

This one is for all the candy bar lovers out there. Make them at home and don’t feel guilty about it, you totally deserve it. Besides, they’re pretty healthy.
With a crispy cookie-like base and heaps of gooey salted peanut-laden caramel, these bars are three layers of WOW!
Yep, three layers of WOW, that’s right! It’s a sweet-and-salty lover’s dream come true.
You need to make these at least once in your life, or twice or a hundred times, who’s judging?
I can tell you one thing, our self-control was taken to test, we had a hard time not scoffing them down all at once.

INGREDIENTS:

COOKIE BASE:
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 cup shredded dry coconut
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
CARAMEL PEANUT FILLING:
• 1/3 cup rice syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (fat on the top of a can of coconut milk)
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup lightly salted peanuts
CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
• 3.5 oz (100 gr) dark chocolate bar, chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

COOKIE BASE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8-inch square pan with greased foil or parchment paper with overhanging sides.
2. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the crust and pulse until fine crumb. Test by pressing some “dough” between your thumb and index finger, when it sticks together, it’s ready for the next step. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick all over with a fork
3. Bake until edges are golden and center is set, 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

CARAMEL PEANUT FILLING:

1. Add the rice syrup, coconut cream and peanut butter to a heavy bottomed pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until very thick. Add the vanilla and stir. Let it cool a little bit. Sprinkle some peanuts over the cookie base, then spread the caramel evenly on top and sprinkle with more peanuts. Let it set in the freezer for 20 minutes before finishing with the chocolate layer.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium low heat melt chocolate with coconut oil until smooth. Immediately poor chocolate over the top of the bars, using a spatula if needed to spread it out evenly. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes until filling and topping are set
2. Use overhanging foil or parchment to lift bars out the pan, and slice as desired. Bars are best stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Myra

More Bars to make: