Can you freeze bananas?

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When a fresh banana is too ripe to eat don’t throw it out, you can freeze it in a number of ways:

Peel and place it whole in a freezer bag
Leave the peel on and freeze in a freezer bag
Mash it and place in a sealed container to freeze

When you need bananas for baking, just thaw and use.

Did you know

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When cooking veggies just add a dash of lemon juice or vinegar in the water, it brings out the flavour and the colour.
If you add it to cauliflour - it will keep its white colour and also make rice keep its whiteness.

Vegetable Stir-fry Delight

Ingredients:

25g Flora Buttery
2 small courgettes, sliced
115g baby sweet corn, cut in half
2.5cm piece root ginger, grated
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
115g mangetout
115g beansprouts
400g canned beans, drained (e.g. kidney, chickpeas)
1 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce
1 tsp clear honey
Juice of ½ lemon

Method:

1. Prepare all ingredients.
2. Heat the Flora Buttery in a large wok or frying pan.
3. Add the courgettes and sweetcorn and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the ginger, pepper, beansprouts and mangetout and stir fry for a further 4-5 minutes.
5. Mix in the beans.
6. Stir in the soy sauce, honey and lemon and heat through.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tip for mixing dough

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When you mix your yeast and water add a teaspoon of sugar, it makes it raise better.
Adding salt to yeast and water mixture kills the raisisng action.

How to chop dried fruit

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To prevent a sticky mass of raisins, dates or figs - rinse it in refridgerated water before chopping it with a food chopper.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of melted Flora Original
1 tbsp of semi-skimmed milk
2 mashed bananas (overripe!)
1 medium egg
225g self-raising flour
110g sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Grease a 450g tin.
3. Add the ingredients into a bowl and mix together.
4. Pour the mixture into the greased bread tin.
5. Bake for 25-35 minutes.
6. Carefully take out of the oven when golden.
7. Leave to cool and then enjoy!

Veggie Curry

Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower, divided into florets
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
5cm nugget of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6tbsp olive oil
450g large button mushrooms, halved
1 level tbsp tomato puree
2tsp ground coriander
Salt
1/8 tsp chilli powder
300ml natural yogurt
1tbsp mango chutney (optional)
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method:

1. Boil water in a pan with salt.
2. Add cauliflower to boiled salted water and cook for a few minutes until tender.
3. Drain the cauliflower.
4. Finely shred spring onions and put in a blender wity garlic and ginger.
5. Add 4-5 tbsp of water and blend until smooth.
6. Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan and, once smoking, fry the mushrooms for
1-2 minutes until beginning to colour.
7. Tip them into a bowl, wipe the pan clean and return to the stove.
8. Pour remaining olive oil into the pan, pour in the blended puree and stir over a medium
heat until it begins to lightly colour.
9. Add the tomato puree, ground coriander, 1/2 tsp salt and chilli powder and continue to
fry for a few minutes before adding the yoghurt.
10. Bring to a simmer and top up with 300ml water.
11. Add the mango chutney and whisk to blend and emulsify the three together
12. After 5 minutes, add the cauliflower and mushrooms and gently simmer for a further
10 minutes.
13. Stir in the coriander.
14. Curry is ready to eat.

Reheating Refrigerated Bread

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated,
place them in a microwave with a cup of water.
The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Fruity Scones

Ingredients:

450g self-raising flour
110g Flora Original
200-225ml semi-skimmed milk
110g sultanas
50g sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Rub the Flora Original lightly into the flour.
3. Continue until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
4. Add the sugar, bicarbonate of soda and sultanas.
5. Mix in just enough milk to make a soft dough.
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1.5cm thick.
7. Use a pastry cutter to cut the scones into shape.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
9. Carefully take out of the oven when golden.
10. Leave to cool and then enjoy!

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables with Mint Couscous

Ingredients:

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 courgette, cut into chunks
1 aubergine, thinly sliced
2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
250g cherry tomatoes
2tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1tbsp runny honey
200g couscous
2tbsp chopped fresh mint

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.
2. Place all the vegetables in a large roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Season with salt and scatter with the fresh chilli.
4. Stir well to coat the vegetables evenly in oil and roast for 15 mins.
5. Stir the honey into the vegetables and cook for a further 10 mins, or until tender and beginning to brown around the edges.
6. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl and pour over 350ml boiling water.
7. Sprinkle generously with salt.
8. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 10 mins.
9. Flake the couscous up with a fork and stir in the mint.
10.Serve topped with the roasted vegetables.

Quick tip before you use sticky ingredients

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Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup,
fill it with hot water.
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup.
Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter,
and watch how easily it comes right out.

VITAMIN D

The body needs Vitamin D to maintain and build strong bones.
The body produces its own vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the UV rays of the sun.
The sun is the main source of Vitamin D but that does not mean you have to suntan the whole day.

If you enjoy the sun sensible, it will be possible for the skin to make enough of
the Vitamin D the body needs without the risk of skin cancer.
To enjoy extra time in the sun does not mean that you will keep on producing Vitamin D.
The body just breaks down any excess.

It depends on quite a few things for the amount of time you need in the sun to make Vitamin D. ie. - Skin type, time of year, where you are in the world and time of day.

Winter sunlight has low levels of UVB so the skin cannot make the Vitamin D it needs.
That is why you should get enough sun in the summer so that normal levels are built up for the body to store enough Vitamin D to last through winter.

You can find Vitamin D in some food like egg, some fortified cereals,fish liver oils and fatty fish.

Studies show that the body getting enough Vitamin D can help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

Tip how to Reheat Pizza's

Image by avlxyz via Flickr

Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove,
set heat to med-low and heat till warm.
This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.
I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Brussels Sprout Soup

Ingredients:

500g Brussels sprouts
2tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 vegetable stock cube
100ml crème fraîche
Freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g butter

Method:

1. Put aside 3 whole sprouts.
2. Trim and halve the rest.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan and add the onion.
4. Cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn a light-golden colour.
5. Add halved sprouts to pan and cook over medium heat for 4-5 mins.
6.. Pour 600ml boiling water into the pan and stir in the stock cube.
7. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 mins, until the vegetables are tender.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the soup to cool slightly.
9. Purée the soup in a liquidiser, until smooth.
10. Return the soup to the saucepan.
11. Add crème fraîche and reheat soup until it's piping hot, then season it to taste with nutmeg and salt and pepper.
12. Melt the butter in a small pan and shred reserved sprouts.
13. Add sprouts to pan and cook them for 2-3 mins.
14. Pour soup into serving bowls and then top with sautéed sprouts and grind over extra black pepper, or nutmeg.

This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

Saucy Meatballs

Ingredients:

400g lean minced pork, beef or turkey
2 medium carrots, finely grated
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small egg, beaten
500g jar of Bolognese sauce
300g pasta macaroni
225g small broccoli florets
1 x 198g can sweetcorn, drained
115g frozen peas
1tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, 375ºF, gas mark 5.
2. Place a large pan of water onto the hob and bring to the boil.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the pork,(beef or turkey) carrots, onion, garlic, beaten egg.
4. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Shape the mixture into approximately 20 small balls and place in a gratin dish.
6. Place in the oven and roast for 20 mins.
7. Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour over the Bolognese sauce.
8. Return to oven and cook for a further 10 mins.
9. Meanwhile, place the pasta into the pan of boiling water and cook until ready.
10. Add the broccoli florets for the last 4 mins of cooking time.
11. Add the sweetcorn and peas for the last minute of cooking time and drain well.
12. Pile the pasta and veggies into a large, warm serving bowl and drizzle over the olive.
13. Grind over a little black pepper. Serve with the roasted meatballs and sauce.

Nutty Banana Bread

Ingredients:

75g butter, softened
100g light brown sugar or caster sugar
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
A few drops of vanilla extract, optional
200g plain wholemeal flour
2 heaped tsp baking powder
100g mixed walnut pieces and toasted hazelnuts
900g loaf tin, lightly greased and strip-lined

Method:

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4 or 180°C.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. Peel the bananas and mash on a plate, using a fork.
5. Beat mash into the creamed mixture, with the vanilla.
6. Sift in flour with the baking powder.
7. Fold in, then stir in the nuts.
8. Spoon the mixture into tin and smooth the top.
9. Bake for 40-50 mins until loaf is risen and golden (test by inserting a skewer into centre and it comes out clean).
10. Cool in tin for 10 mins then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
11. Slice and serve warm or cold, spread with butter.

Spicy Vegetable chilli

Ingredients:

Low calorie oil spray
200g Quorn mince
1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped or sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
2 sticks celery, cut into 1cm dice
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a large handful of coriander leaves, chopped

For the guacamole
1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
1 red chilli, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
a small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method:

1. Spray a large, non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat.
2. Add the Quorn, onion, chilies, garlic, ginger, ground coriander, carrot and celery and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.
3. . Add the tomatoes and beans, season well and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 25-30 minutes, stirring often.
5. Meanwhile make the guacamole.
6. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, season well and set aside until needed.
7. Remove the Quorn mixture from the heat, stir in the chopped coriander.
8. Serve immediately, garnished with a little fromage frais and accompanied by the guacamole.

Broccoli and cauliflower gratin

Ingredients:

225g broccoli
200g cauliflower
25g butter
25g flour
300ml milk
75g breadcrumbs
50g Cheddar, grated
Salt and pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Method:

1. Parboil the broccoli and cauliflower.
2. Make white sauce by melt the butter, stir in the flour and add the milk.
3. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Mix the vegetables with the sauce.
5. Top with the breadcrumbs and cheese.
6. Bake at Gas 4/180°C/350°F for 20 mins.

Banana Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

4tbsp oats
225g (8oz) natural yogurt
2 bananas
250ml (9floz) whole milk
1tsp ground cinnamon
3 pitted dates

Method:
1. Place the oats in a non-stick pan and lightly toast until golden brown.
2.Allow to cool.
3. Place the rest of the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth.
4. Add half of the porridge oats and blend again.
5. Pour the smoothie into glasses and sprinkle over the remaining toasted oats to serve.

Healthy Coronation Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, without skin, cooked and cut into pieces
1 red apple, washed and cored
1 green apple, washed and cored
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
1 small pot (150g/6oz) low-fat plain yogurt
1tsp curry powder
1/2 cup sultanas

1. Chop the apples into bite-sized pieces and put them in a small bowl.
2. Pour over the lemon juice then stir to coat the fruit to stop it discolouring.
2. In another bowl, fold together the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder and some freshly ground black pepper.
3. Fold in the chopped apple, chicken, cucumber and sultanas and mix until evenly coated with the sauce.
4. Serve on a bed of cooked brown rice with a fresh green salad.

VITAMIN B

The body needs Vitamin B complex to protect skin, hair,eyes, mouth,liver.
It also helps the muscle tone in the stomach and intestinal tract.
It breaks down fats and proteins that aid normal funtions of the nervous system aswell as the break down of carbohydrates into glucose which provides energy for the body.

Source of vitamin B are liver, rice, milk, meats, yeast, nuts, fruits, whole-grain cereals, fish and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin B deficiency are often found with alcoholics.
Alcohol interferes with the absorption of Vitamin B1 through the intestines.

Vitamin B12 can be found in practically all meat products

Broccoli and Tuna Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

200g broccoli, cut in small florets
40g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 x 200g tins tuna steak, drained
225g rigatoni or any pasta shapes
2 x 300g jar four cheese pasta sauce
50g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/374°F/gas 5.
2. Boil the broccoli for 5 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again.
4. Boil the pasta for 8 minutes.
5. Drain excess water.
6. Add the brocolli and pasta together.
7. Put the sauce in a pan.
8. Break up the tuna and add to the sauce.
9. Add tuna and cheese sauce to broccoli and pasta.
10. Heat through.
11. Put in an ovenproof dish and Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the cheese on top.
12. Bake for 15 minutes until the top is crisp and golden.
13. Serve with a fresh tomato salad.

Quick Apple Pie

Ingredients:

4 large or 6 small Bramley cooking apples
3tbsp white sugar
30g (1oz) butter
1tbsp ground cinnamon
1 packet of short crust pastry

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 230°C/450°F/gas 8.
2. Roll out the pastry and draw round a 9in pan with a knife, removing the excess.
3. Do this twice.
4. Line the pan with one layer of pastry.
5. Remove the skins and the cores from the apples and slice thinly.
6. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. (More sugar can be used if necessary)
7. Arrange the apple slices in layers in the pastry lined pan.
8. Sprinkle each layer with sugar and cinnamon.
9. Place small pieces of butter all over the top layer.
10. Cover with the other pastry crust.
11. Place on the lowest rack in the preheated oven.
12. Bake for 10 mins.
13. Reduce oven temperature to 175°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and bake for 30-35 mins.
14. Serve warm or cold.

Spicy Turkey Waves

Ingredients:

1 pack of soft flour tortillas
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 pack of turkey steaks
60ml/4tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt
1 bag mixed salad, washed

Guacamole filling:

1 large ripe avocado
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 pinch ground cumin spice
1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
½ mild red chilli, seeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:

1. Make the guacamole filling, by cutring the avocado in half and remove the stone, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork.
2. Add the olive oil, garlic, juice of one lime, chopped coriander cumin and chilli.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Season turkey steaks (optional)
5. Oven grill the turkey steaks.
6. Heat the tortillas in the microwave.
7. Slice the turkey steaks into fingers and serve by filling the tortillas with tomatoes, sour cream, salad and guacamole.

Few tips to help the family eat fruits

1. Kids are always hungry so keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter.
2. Cut up fruit and put it in a container and store in refridgerator.
3. Add fruit to cereal for breakfast.
4. Add fruit to your salads
5. Give them 100% orange or grapefuit juices to drink instead of fizzy drinks.
6. Get low-fat or fat-free yogurts and add fresh fruit.
7. Buy fresh fruit in season, you pay less.
8. Buy dried, frozen fruits or canned (in water or juice).
9. Rather buy fresh fruit than juices so that you get the dietary fibres it provide.

Sausage and Sweetcorn Hotpot

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
400g good quality pork sausages
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
350g jar tomato pasta sauce
300ml vegetable stock
340g can sweetcorn, drained
450g new potatoes, thinly sliced
25g butter, melted

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190ºC/Gas Mark 5.
2. Heat the oil in a shallow ovenproof casserole.
3. Add the onion and sausages and cook over a medium heat, turning until the sausages are lightly browned.
4. Add the carrot and leek and cook a further 3 minutes.
5. Pour in the sauce, stock and sweetcorn.
6. Mix together and gently bring to simmer.
7. Scatter the potato slices over the top, brush with melted butter and place in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden.