Banana Bread

Baby friendly (freeze it in chunks for lunch boxes), adult friendly (put a lock on the tin or it won’t last five minutes)…..  Everyone loves this great breakfast cake that is good at any time of the day.  It’s a super way to use bananas that are past their best.  In fact black ones make the best cake!

This recipe makes a 1 lb loaf tin, or double it and make a round 23cm cake (adapted from Rachel Allen’s recipe)

Tomato and Cucumber salad

Before you know it, it will be tomato season.  We have some in our greenhouse! There’s nothing quite as fresh and tasty as a tomato and cucumber salad.  It’s especially good when served with a handful of toasted seeds (not shown in this picture) on top and a wine vinegar dressing.  Crunchy, fresh, sharp.

You will need:

Bubble and squeak

The thing about bubble and squeak is that even the worst cook can’t get it wrong.  That’s because, there’s no way to get it ‘right’.  It’s just luck!  Use whatever leftovers you have from a roast dinner.  Stick an egg on top and serve with some gravy if you have it left over.  Delicious!

Using leftovers:

The Gingerbread Man – Molly’s blog

‘Run, run as fast as you can.  You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man….’  I love that story.  In fact I love all stories.  I can even tell a lot of stories by myself now.  Yes – I am a BIG GIRL!

Mammy says I am a really good girl. 

Greek salad

Happy days – it’s sunny again!  Ever since a fantastic trip to Mykonos, we eat a lot of Greek salads.  It’s a brilliant lunch for all the family.  You can use a combination of any of the ingredients listed below.  Cucumber, tomato, feta and onion with an oil and vinegar dressing are a must  The rest are optional.

Lunch for 2 adults and a little one:

Lentil and Chorizo Soup

A deceptively easy and delicious soup. This freezes well so pop some in the freezer and take it out for a treat when you don’t feel like cooking!

For 4 servings you will need:

Pasta shells with and broccoli, pine nuts and chilli

Here’s another great pasta and broccoli dish.  A simple traditional Italian recipe that is light on your pocket but big on taste.

For 2 adults:

Pasta shells with ricotta and spinach

This is a useful veggie dish if you’re having a crowd around and need to prepare in advance.  You can keep this in the fridge once it’s prepared and do the final cooking step in the oven at your leisure.

For 2 adults and a little one you will need:

Chicken and Panzanella

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a roast dinner on a Sunday.  Not all of them need to have the full roast trimmings.  Panzanella is a mediterranean salad and is a great side dish for a roast chicken.  There isn’t even any lettuce involved… What kind of salad is that? Try it this weekend.

Feeds 4 adults and a couple of little ones:

Chicken and Broccoli gratin

Here’s a nice easy one for a weeknight.  Use leftover chicken from your weekend roast dinner.

Feeds 2 adults and a little one: