Date Archives August 2024

Banana Oaties

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Banana Oaties

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f I told you these were “healthy flapjacks” your expectations would be skewed. Think of these instead like either a baked banana porridge or baked overnight oats…disguised as a flapjack. They have quite a dense texture and are delicious and extremely moreish eaten with a cup of tea. They aren’t too sweet and are the perfect use of those leftover bananas when you’re fed up of banana bread.

I’ve made 2 x batches of these now and rapidly packaged up the most recent one into the freezer as the first batch didn’t even make it to the freezer bag before we devoured it! Helpfully, this stash will be ideal for both my husbands endurance cycling, packed with slow release energy, as well as my impending postpartum life (hopefully!) over the next week! Energy will be needed!

*If you’re feeling they need a bit of indulgence or sweetness, try dipping them in melted chocolate and chilling in the fridge. You can also substitute the raisins/coconut for anything else you fancy such as chocolate chips or finely diced dried fruit of choice.

Makes about 12

  • 250g jumbo oats (better here the large they are, not the ground ones)
  • 3 bananas
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 50g butter, melted
  • 50g of raisins / desiccated coconut (I’ve made a batch of each now)
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  1. Line a baking tray/dish (approx 24cm x 24cm or similar size in rectangle) in parchment. Preheat the oven to 200.
  2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork until they form a paste.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients, adding the melted butter last. Mix thoroughly until everything comes together.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the baking tray, and press it into the corners. Smooth the surface with the back of a wet spoon.
  5. Bake for 18 minutes until just beginning to go golden on top.
  6. Leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.

Courgette & Broad Bean Rice-otto

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his one is thanks to Nigel Slater’s Diaries which, naturally, I’ve tweaked a bit. The perk of Nigel’s Diaries is the ease at which you can flick to the date of the month (or closest!) that you’re enjoying and take inspiration from what he was cooking, in season and usually with some store cupboard staples. 

Into my final month of pregnancy and I was craving something fresh in the warm summer but equally something hearty which can be a hard balance. This ticks all those boxes. It’s a ‘not too clingy’ summer hug in a bowl. Eat from a bowl, with just a fork, on the patio, under the sunshine with a glass of crisp white wine (if you can…!). I used crumbled goats cheese here but feel free to just use parmesan or any cheese of choice.

NOTE: Given I had some time to kill whilst waiting for Baby X to arrive, I was quite happy to de-pod these broad beans. It’s a therapeutic process. If you don’t want to de-pod them, feel free to substiitute broad beans for frozen peas! If you leave the skins on, they can be a bit tough, plus you don’t get that green vibrancy!

Serves 4

  • 300g courgette
  • 250g frozen broad beans (or peas as above)
  • 1 litre vegetable/chicken stock
  • 1 onion / 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 60g butter
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 250g brown rice
  • Small glass white wine
  • 100g goats cheese
  • 200g breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 lemon, zest.
  1. Grate the courgettes into a colander using a large box grater or food processor with the shredding attachment. Season generously with salt and leave for at least 20 minutes so the juices can be drawn out.
  2. Simmer the broad beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes then drain cool under cold water until cool enough to handle. You do not have to de-pod them but its recommended as the skin can be tough! It does take some patience and time if you have it. Pinch the skin and push the fresh green bean out into a clean bowl. Continue with all broad beans and set them aside.
  3. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep warm on a low heat.
  4. In a large heavy based casserole dish or high sided frying pan, melt 40g of the butter with a splash of oil. Add the chopped onion and stir over a low heat until soft and translucent. Add the crushed garlic and thyme leaves and generous seasoning. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
  5. Add the rice and stir together to coat the grains in butter for 1-2 minutes.
  6. Add the glass of wine and allow the alcohol to simmer away.
  7. Now, add about 1/4 of the hot stock and simmer gently. The rice will take total 40 minutes approx to soften. Keep adding stock until the rice is tender. Don’t let the rice dry out though. You may use all the stock and a little extra hot water if its not cooked by the time you’ve used all the stock.
  8. Once the rice is just cooked, turn off the heat and turn your attention to the courgettes. The salt will have drawn the moisture out now. Using your hands, squeeze the watery juices out into the sink and put the drained courgette into a bowl with the broad beans.
  9. Stir both the shredded courgette and broad beans into the rice. Add the remaining 20g of butter and season to taste. Keep warm with a lid on.
  10. In a dry frying pan, add a splash of olive oil until hot. Add the breadcrumbs and season. Cook until the breadcrumbs are golden and crunchy and then set aside. Add the lemon zest.
  11. Give the rice one final good stir to mix everything together until creamy.
  12. Serve, crumbling over the goats cheese and with a scatter of crunch breadcrumbs. Enjoy!

Hazelnut Ice Cream & Lemon Gelato

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Hazelnut Ice Cream & Lemon Gelato

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t’s been an understated while since I’ve posted a recipe on FITP! This is for many reasons which would be very boring to read about. That said, in the spirit of the original intention of this blog, here are two fantastic ice cream recipes ! Sigh, one is technically a gelato I believe. 

Creamy, indulgent Hazelnut (think ferrero rocher) and light, zesty, creamy lemon gelato.

If you have an ice cream machine (and we aren’t talking anything fancy, just a cold churning bowl!) ice cream making at home is the easiest dessert. I’d highly recommend one if you love ice cream (see below). Alternatively, many recipes suggest you whisk as it’s freezing. I’ve only done this about once and it does leave an ice cream with more crystals but worth trying!

Ice cream machine – My ice cream maker was purchased from Ebay about 12 years ago and has been extremely reliable! You can buy these cheaply these days, you don’t need anything fancier that something like this. 

Hazelnut Ice cream

  • 500ml double cream
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 200g roasted hazelnuts (no skins! Roast yourself or buy pre-roasted)
  • 80ml Nutella
  1. Blitz 100g of the roasted hazelnuts in a processor until like fine breadcrumbs. They should start to become a bit oily.
  2. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan, until just coming to the simmer. Stir in the Nutella until dissolved.
  3. Add the blitzed nuts and stir. Leave to infuse for 1 hour.
  4. Pour the mixture through a sieve and discard the nut pulp.
  5. Heat up the milk/cream mixture again until just below a simmer.
  6. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until fluffy in a large bowl.
  7. Whilst whisking the eggs in the bowl continuously, pour the warm milk/cream mixture over the them and whisk throughly. You may need someone to pour while you whisk.
  8. Once combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium/low heat.
  9. Stir the mixture for about 8-10 minutes ensuring it doesn’t catch or get too hot. You are aiming to thicken the custard but you don’t want any egg scrambling!
  10. Once thick enough (the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon), remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
  11. Chop the remaining roasted nuts and set aside.
  12. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker once fully cold and churn until done. Just before you remove the ice cream, add the chopped nuts.
  13. Transfer into a container and freeze fully.

Lemon Gelato

  • 125ml lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 250ml double cream
  1. Juice the lemons until you have 125ml juice. Whisk in the caster sugar until well combined.
  2. Stir in the double cream and mix well.
  3. Stir in the milk and mix again. (It’s vital you add the cream first and then the milk – I have made this mistake and your whole mixture will curdle if done the other way!).
  4. Churn the mixture in an ice cream machine until ready.
  5. Transfer into a container and freeze fully.