4 Ingredient Banana Bread

One of my favorite things to do is bake as you all know, and banana bread is one of those things, because there are so many variety's and different ways to bake it, additions and alternatives its the bread that keeps on giving.

Today i am letting you in on my super easy vegan banana bread recipe, with only 4 household staple ingredients. ( i'm using oat milk to make it vegan but if you don't have any, cows milk will also work fine )
Very healthy and full of energy to keep you full for longer and can be adapted to include all your favorite ingredients making it a very versatile loaf. It's great toasted with a thick slab of peanut butter (this is my favorite way to eat it) or a drizzle of honey, and it even keeps well frozen to be defrosted and eaten another time.

Ingredients - 3 bananas 350g oats 170ml oat milk (or any milk for that matter) 15g baking soda

Below is a useful video I created, a easy step by step guide on how you too can also bake this 4 ingredient banana bread.

For loads more recipes and ideas follow my Instagram @simplecookingcreations Thanks for reading this far, i love reading and replying to your comments so feel free to let me know what you think below, also if you have any suggestions or recipes you would like to me bake i'd love to hear them. Thanks, Rachel

Amazing Yorkshire Puddings Recipe

So as I was born in the North of England, Yorkshire puddings were and still are a staple of any Sunday dinner, here I am going to show you how easy and simple it is to make the most amazing, fluffy Yorkshire puddings even your grandma with want the recipe for.

Starting of with a few simple ingredients, most of which can already be found in your pantry so no need to go out to the supermarket with a list to buy.

its so quick you will be asking yourself why you ever bothered with buying the pre-made ones.

Ingredients;

- 140g plain flour
- 4 eggs
- 200ml milk
- sun-flour oil (or canola oil works to, actually any oil will work to be honest)
- salt and pepper to taste

method:

1) Preheat your oven to 220 degrees.

2) In a muffin dish pour a little oil into the bottom of each muffin hole, not to much but enough to cover the bottom

3) Place the muffin dish in the oven to allow the oil to heat up (its important that the oil is hot before adding the batter otherwise your Yorkshire puddings wont rise and you will be left with some sort of soggy pancake type thing)

4) Whilst the oil is heating up its time to make the batter, so in a big mixing bowl add all the flour and and the 4 eggs and whist it until its a smooth consistency

5) Once you have a smooth consistency, slowly add the milk a little at a time and keep mixing it again until you have a smooth pour-able batter

6) Add salt and pepper if you wish at this point

7) Now you have your Yorkshire pudding batter, its less messy if you pour this batter into a jug beofre filling your muffin tray

8) The oil should be hot enough at this point (it usually takes about 10 mins in the oven) so quickly and carefully pour the batter on top of the hot oil, about 1 cm into each hole and put the tray back in the oven.

9) Now let your Yorkshires work there magic and make sure not to open the oven door to let any heat escape, leave them in there for about 20-25 mins or until golden brown, puffed and fluffy.

10) After 25 or so mins carefully remove the Yorkshire from the pan and serve along side your next roast dinner.

Also they can be frozen so if you have any leftovers pop them into a Tupperware container and you can freeze them for up to 4 weeks.

Hearty Veggie Lasagne

This is by far one of my favorite dishes, it's so simple to make, full of flavor and involves lots and lots of cheese. So what's not to love.

The one thing that I think takes this meal to the next level is the addition of the spinach and ricotta layer within the lasagna. It gives a extra dimension, more texture and that little kick it needed to turn this veggie lasagna into something people will never forget. 

All in all from start to finish this doesn't take that long to put together, I'd say around 45 mins. Which makes it the perfect midweek meal, it's great as leftovers the next day to and can keep in the fridge for up to a week as its all veggies. Making it also great to pop into a Tupperware and take to work for lunch for the week.

The veggies you decide upon are completely up to you, I tend to mix it up each time, this time I made it with zucchini, onion, roast capsicum and pumpkin, which I would say is a pretty great combo and you can't go wrong with these veggies. 

So let's get into it.

Ingredients:

Veggies -

- Zucchini x2

- White onion 

- Pumpkin (half) 

Spinach & Ricotta layer -

- 1 box frozen spinach 

- 500g feta cheese

- 500g ricotta cheese

Sauce -

- 2 tins chopped tomatoes

- 1/2 jar passata

- 4 garlic cloves 

- 1 white onion 

- oregano 

- basil 

- chili flakes 

- salt 

- pepper 

1 packet dry lasagna sheets (you can use fresh if you like ) 

method:

1. Chop the veggies, like i said i used pumpkin, onion and zucchini for my veggies, but that doesn't mean you have to do the same, this is your meal so throw whatever veggies you want in there by all means. Or follow my recipe, either way it will turn out delicious. 

2. Once all chopped throw then into a baking dish and sprinkle with seasonings and a little bit of olive oil. 

3. Roast the veggies in the oven for about 20-30 mins on 200 degrees. 

4. Whilst the veggies are roasting, lets turn to the spinach and ricotta layer, nice and simple, all your going to do here is combine the cheeses and the spinach into a bowl and give it a good old mix up, then set it aside for later. 

5.  Next we are going to make the sauce, really simple and easy and its so versatile ( i use if for loads of other dishes too). Start by browning the garlic and onion, after a few minutes add in the tinned tomatoes, the passata and the dried herbs and bring to the boil, then leave it to simmer for about 10 mins, and that's it, your sauce is ready! 

6. Now its a simple case of starting to layer your lasagna, I tend to put a little sauce on the bottom of the baking dish just to prevent anything from sticking, its also great as it gets absorbed into the bottom layer of lasagna sheets and adds great flavor.

7. So as i said start with a little sauce, then the first layer of sheets, ontop of that we are going to add the roasted veggies and roasted peppers, sprinkles some cheese onto op this if you like, i do because nobody can ever have enough cheese. 

8. Then its onto another layer of sheets, and the ricotta and spinach layer we made earlier spread that evenly over the lasagna sheets, and another layer of sheets then top with the rest of the sauce and the rest of the cheese (making sure the cheese is evenly spread as we want a nice even golden brown color) 

9. I would suggest covering the lasagna with foil for the first 30 mins of baking then remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to get a nice color and just so it doesn't burn. After about 45 minutes your veggie lasagna should just about be ready to come out of the oven, and i usually let it stand for about 10-15 mins before serving it as to let all the flavors absorb with one another. 

And there you have it, one of the easiest recipes that is so versatile and tastes even better the next day as leftovers (if there are any) to take to work and impress your co workers. 

Thanks again and i look forward to seeing your takes on my hearty veggie lasagna. 

Rachel. 

lentil & mushroom bolognaise - veggie

Just before I get into the recipe and the delishous-ness that is this dish, I'd just like to apologise for my absence these past few years. I've abandoned my blog and left it in the rain to wash away to some extent. But now it's finally time to bring it back in and dry it off and get the ball rolling again. I've a huge passion for baking and cooking and that hasn't changed over the past few years, I've been Travelling and currently I'm living in Sydney, Australia.

I was actually just cooking dinner last night when I though to myself ... why don't I put this on my blog ? .. you know, the one you haven't posted in years. Now I don't know if anyone is still here or reading this but If you are I'm very grateful and hope you enjoy my first little input of many to come. Next time I won't leave it so long to post again, I promise.

Ok, so as of a few months ago I have stopped eating meat, and at first I thought it would be very difficult, not only to stop craving meat but also figuring out what else there is to eat. I soon realised both of those worries where short lived. I haven't craved meat once since going cold turkey and I've actually broadened my horizons on all the varietys of food out there, most of them I have never tried or thought about trying and it's opened a whole new world when cooking and I am loving it.

So no doubt I'll be sharing lots of veggie recipes and of course not forgetting my love of baking, Ive got many more recipies and treats up my sleeve ready to share.


So back to my dinner last night. I made a lentil and mushroom bolognaise, which was actually the first time I made this dish and it exceeded my expectations because the mushrooms and carrots  were chopped up so fine along with the lentils it resembled the texture of actual bolognaise without the meat of course, and with all the added herbs and spices it was full of flavour and very filling.

Lentil and mushroom bolognaise, 

Ingredients: 

- 1 packet of tagliatelle pasta (or whatever pasta you prefer, it's compleatly your choice, I just fancied tagliatelle this time and it was a great match) 

- 2 cups of cooked lentils 

- 3 carrots (diced)

- 1 brown onion (diced)

- 3/4 garlic cloves (crushed)

- 3 tsps olive oil

- 3/4 cups of mushrooms (diced)

- 2 cans of crushed tomatoes 

- 1 tsp basil 

- 1/2 tsp oregano 

- salt and pepper 

Optional: 

- Parmesan cheese & chilli flakes to season 

Method : 

1) In a large pan boil water with a sprinkle of salt and cook your pasta of choice according to package 

2) in a seperate pan heat a little olive oil and brown the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes u til golden. 

3) add carrots and and turn down temperature and cook for a further 5 minutes 

4) then add the mushrooms, and a little salt and letter and contrite to cook for a further 5 minutes until

Veg in tender 

5) next add the two cans of tomatoes, spices and lentils and stir through, until everything is combined and heated up. 

6) dish up the pasta and spoon the bolognaise on top, then season with chilli flakes and pat Adam cheese if desired. 

Let me know if you enjoyed this veggie recipe, I know it's a little different from what I've done before, if so I'll do more :) 

Rachel Ward

FRUITY FLAPJACKS

I have been baking these flapjacks for a few years now and each time I do them I alter the recipe and change up the ingredients, this is the most versatile flapjack recipe you will ever come across as you can literally add anything you want to them and they will taste amazing. 

With few ingredients to start off with this recipe has always been a favourite of mine, as I usually have all the things needed in the kitchen cupboards and can whip up a batch whenever I feel like it.

Basic Ingredients:

4 cups oats

1 can condensed milk 

2 cups dried fruit 

3/4 jar peanut butter

(optional extras)

Mixed nuts

Dried banana chips

Ground almonds

Yogurt coating 

Vanilla essence

Dried mango

Almond butter

... or anything else that takes your fancy

Method:

STEP 1:

Mix oats with dried fruit and stir until mixed well

STEP 2:

Mix in the can of condensed milk and stir until oats and fruit are all coated. (mix should be quite difficult to stir)

STEP 3:

Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 20 seconds and add to mix

STEP 4:

Stir everything together and transfer to a lined baking sheet and flatten

STEP 5:

Bake for 15-20 mins 

STEP 6: 

Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. 

HAPPY BAKING,

Rachel Ward 

FACEBOOK PAGE: LET'S DO SOME BAKING

Morning, just a quick post today to let you all know I have created a Facebook page for all my baking needs. Pretty similar to this blog of mine, but ill be uploading and chucking loads of bit and bobs over there that don't make it to the blog :)

Of course all my recipes will be over there two, along with photos, videos, tips, tricks and all things baking related so pop over there and do me a huge favour and click the little like button & i will be forever grateful !

Just a heads up, I've got a few baking surprises this week so keep an eye out for them, a couple of recipes and video tutorials are in the pipeline :)

FACEBOOK PAGE: LET'S DO SOME BAKING:
https://www.facebook.com/Letsdosomebaking?ref_type=bookmark

also, if you were unaware I also run a twitter account for anyone interested in up to date info on all my baking creations:
https://twitter.com/RachelsCakeCo

Since I'm plugging my social media I might as well throw in my Youtube account, it packed with recipes and video tutorials if you are one who likes to visualise your recipes rather than read them from a book:
https://www.youtube.com/user/catalow333/featured?view_as=public

THANK YOU EVERYONE!
Happy Baking,
Rachel Ward

FRUIT BRAN LOAF

I do love a good simple easy and quick recipe that can be conjoured up withing minutes and then thrown in the oven with little or no preparation involved, but what comes out of the oven after baking could be seen as something that took a lot of hard work, time and effort, when in reality it was probably one of the most easiest recipes I've ever created. 

So this is just that. 

A easy, quick and very versatile recipe for a fruit bran loaf, that...wait for it...Has only 4 ingredients! 

But that doesn't mean it's going to taste bland and dry, this loaf is so soft, squishy and moist and can be topped with almost anything that takes your fancy. 

So let's get into the ingredients, as I mentioned before, there is only 4 (but this doesn't mean you can't add extras if you like...cinnamon, nutmeg, peanut butter, banana, the possibilities are endless)

Today, I'm going to give you the simple recipe that can be adapted to suit your taste buds. 

Ingredients:

1 cup (250g) bran 

1 cup (175g) dried mixed fruit

1 1/2 cup (375ml) milk

1 cup (175g) self rasing flour 

Method:

STEP 1:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees 

STEP 2:

Combine bran , fruit and milk in a bowl & leave to stand for 15 mins until the bran has softened 

STEP 3:

Add flour and mix well until combined, (the mixture should be lumpy but that is compleatly normal don't worry)

STEP 4:

Spoon the mixture into a paper lined loaf tin and bake for 40 mins or until cooked through. 

(Do the toothpick test after 30 minutes)

STEP 5:

Cool on a wire rack and serve sliced with butter, jam, marmalade, peanut butter, sliced bananas....or anything else you like.

VIDEO RECIPE:

HAPPY BAKING,

Rachel Ward