Cinnamon and Banana Pancakes for Naiara

Info for everyone else - Naiara and I were flatmates in Melbourne. We lived in an awesome pink house in North Carlton, that was very close to all the good places to be - the city, Lygon Street, Fitzroy. It was fun. I remember talking to her and Jose (her boyfriend) one day about what they would eat in Spain for breakfast. The thought of eating savoury food for breakfast solicited a very strong negative reaction from the two of them, so the fact that Naiara asked me to post a recipe for this is very very fitting. So Naiara, this is for you. And I hope you like it! I am taking a Spanish class at the moment, but I don't think I am quite at the level to write it is Spanish...

1 cup plain flour

1¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

a pinch of salt

¼ cup of brown sugar, packed

1 cup milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon) in a mixing bowl. In a seperate bowl, mix together all of the wet ingredients (the milk, egg, oil, and vanilla). Pour the wet mix into the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix. If there are still lumps, its okay. 

Add the bananas, mix gently, and allow the batter to rest for 20-30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, and lightly grease the pan. When the pan is hot, add the batter - about ¼ cup per pancake. Wait until there are bubbles forming on the top, and then flip. I am very bad at the flipping part, but perhaps that is just me! Anyway, leave to cook for another minute. If you are making a lot, I would recommend putting them in a warm oven  until they are all done. 

Serve with butter and whatever syrup you like - although they are very sweet, so if you are not such a fan of the sweet stuff, perhaps strawberries and yogurt would be nice.

Naiara, I hope this is a good reproduction of what you had in Melbourne!

And if anyone else has something they want me to try out for them, just let me know.....

Lentils

This dish was invented while I was living in London. At the time I had a French flatmate, Fabian. I had never really known anyone French before, and Fabian and I used to cook each other dinners quite a lot, and I was inspired by his... Frenchness, for lack of a better word. Anyway, lentils suddenly came onto my food radar as something kind of glamorous when cooked in a French (or at least what I imagine to be French) style. Its pretty simple, but I really think its one of my favourite things to eat, and has been a staple ever since. It also featured quite heavily while I was going through my anaemic stage, as lentils are kind of a miracle food in terms of iron.

1 cup French (de Puy) lentils

water

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced in half moons

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme

¼ cup fresh continental (flat leaf) parsley

1 tbsp butter

extra olive oil, for drizzling

salt and pepper

Put the lentils in a small saucepan, with enough water to cover, and bring to the boil. Simmer until soft, making sure there is enough water and adding more if necessary.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, making sure the onions are not burning or cooking too quickly. You want them to soften, and get slightly brown but not crispy. Add the garlic, and turn the heat down, and leave for a further 5 minutes. Make sure the garlic doesn't burn.

When the lentils are cooked, drain, if necessary, and stir through the onion and garlic, herbs, butter, extra olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with salad, and green beans or something equally French.

Its really not the most attractive dish in the word, but it is pretty good......

Barramundi Tacos (or burritos)

This is based on a recipe for Swordfish Tacos from my Mexican Cookbook by Jane Milton, but as usual, because I'm terrible at following directions, I changed it. Firstly I used Barramundi, which was probably farmed. I have heard debate about the difference between the taste of farmed and fresh Barramundi, and I have to admit that fresh Barramundi is LOVELY, but I think in this instance, it doesn't really matter.

300g Barramundi, cut into chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced into half moons

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeño (or however many you can or can't handle)

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Chilli powder

3 tomatoes

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (preferably one with a lid) and add the onions. Sautee for a few minutes and then add the garlic and chili, being careful not to burn.

While you are sauteeing the onions, score the bottoms of the tomatoes, and then cover them with boiling water. After a few minutes, take them out, peel and chop them.

When the onions are soft, add the herbs and spices, and the tomatoes. Put the lid on and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the Barramundi, and put the lid back on. It will only take a few minutes for the fish to cook. Once it ic cooked, season, and stir it to break up the fish pieces a little. Throw in a handful of coriander and you are done!

Serve with corn tortillas (for tacos) or flour tortillas (for burritos) and whatever salsas and toppings you like - I had avocado, pico de gallo, and yogurt.