Food Friday

Things have been quite busy around here so I haven't had much time for blogging.  I managed to squeeze some baking in during the week though, so Food Friday has made it this week...

Spinach and Cheese Scones

Ingredients
250g Frozen spinach (thawed, chopped and drained)
2 1/2 cups SR flour (sifted)
1 tablespoon caster sugar
50g chopped butter
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
extra flour for kneading

Preheat oven 240 degrees celcius / 220 degrees celcius fan-forced.
Sift flour and caster sugar into a medium bowl.  Rub in the butter.  Stir in grated cheese and chopped spinnach (I always forget to chop it!).  Stir in milk and mix to a soft, sticky dough.  Turn dough onto floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.  Press dough into about 2cm thickness and cut round shapes (a glass works well if you don't have a cookie cutter)  Place the scones, just touching, in a pan lined with baking paper.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes depending on size and your oven.  Serve warm.

TIP 1
This recipe says it serves 16 but I usually get about 10.  I cook them for about 16 minutes at 220 degrees celcius (fan-forced).

TIP 2
You can freeze these scones (uncooked) for up to one month.  Bake from frozen and add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.  - I haven't tried this yet, but if you do and it works, let me know!

Food Friday

A somewhat "healthy" date loaf recipe.

I love date loaf, and remember mum always making it when I was a kid.  This isn't her recipe though...sorry mum :)  This one is a bit simpler.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
60g butter or margarine (chopped)
1 cup boiling water
1 3/4 cups sifted SR flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Simply put the chopped dates, sugar and butter in a heatproof bowl.  Add the boiling water and mix until the sugar dissolves and the butter is melted. Add the vanilla essence.
Add the sifted flour and bicarb soda and mix until all combined.
Pour into a greased loaf tin (not a very big one, this isn't a big cake) and bake for 30-35 minutes at 180 degrees.  Every oven is different so check if it is cooked before taking it out of the oven.

And there you have it, quick and simple "healthy" date loaf recipe!

Food Friday

Friday sure does come around quickly!

It has been a lazy cooking week this week so I don't even have anything really fun to share.  Only 3 weeks in and I'm already falling behind.  Yikes.

One snack that we have really been enjoying though is these banana pancakes I found on Pinterest.

Banana Pancakes

It only takes 5 minutes from the thought to make them to devouring them.

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana (mashed)
2 eggs

Add a touch of vanilla and cinnamon for extra flavour. 

Whisk is all together, cook in a frying pan for 20-30 seconds, flip and you're done!

Great served with berries or ... maple syrup of course (but then I think that takes the "healthy" out of them)

A great afternoon snack.