3 Super Creative Sandwiches and a Pizzette!

Have you seen the 2015 food trends hot list?  Creativity, contract and convenience are the new watch words on the food scene this year and as we are becoming a nation of grazers, quick, portable and smaller Portioned foods on the go are replacing traditional meal occasions.

Adventurous sandwiches are tipped to become a hot trend in 2015 and Warburtons have asked me to come up with three creative sandwiches made with their Sandwich Thins to share with you.

Warburtons are a family bakery established in 1876 and actively run by the fifth generation of the Warburton family.  Warburtons Sandwich Thins come in four different types: White, Half and Half, Brown and Seeded and as an extra bonus, they are only 100 Kcal per thin.


First up is a real gourmet sandwich, this would be equally good for vegetarians without the chicken as there is so much flavour in the rest of the ingredients.

Chicken, Avocado, Mozzarella, Pepper and Spinach
1 chicken breast, 2 avocados, 1 Mozzarella ball and about half a jar of peppers and a handful of baby spinach will make four sandwiches. 

1. Spread both sides of the Warburtons Sandwich Thins with mayonnaise.
2. Cover with slices of cooked chicken breast.
3. Top with slices of ripe avocado (if you are not going to eat the sandwich straight away, dip the avocado slices in lemon juice to prevent browning)
4. Add some slices of mozzarella and drizzle with a flavoured oil (optional)
5. Now add some Antipasti roasted peppers (drain most of the oil off on kitchen paper first)
6. Top with a few baby spinach leaves and cover with the top of the Warburtons Sandwich Thin


Sandwich two is ideal for children but would also make a great breakfast or post-exercise snack.  I used the Warburtons Brown Sandwich Thins for this healthy and filling snack.

Banana, Honey and Almond Butter Sandwich Thins
1. Spread one side of the Sandwich Thin with Almond Butter (peanut or other butter would also be good)
2. Top with a sliced banana, drizzle with honey and place the top of the Thin on top and cut in half.

Serve with milk and a comic!


Now for something warming, we ate these melts for lunch but they would also work for breakfast or supper, using chicken sausages means they are lower in fat, the beans add fibre and you don't need much cheese to create the 'melt' effect.

Sausage and Bean Thin Melts
Serves 3
4  cooked sausages (I used Heck Food Chicken Italia sausages), sliced
200g baked beans
50g mature cheddar

1. Heat the oven to 200C
2. Place the thicker base slice of the Sandwich Thins on a baking tray.
3. Top with sliced sausages, beans and thin slices of cheese.
4. Add the top of the thin.
5. Place another baking tray on top and put in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melting and oozing out of the sides.

My thoughts on Warburtons Sandwich Thins

• They make excellent toast, we had some Thin toast with soup
• Warburtons Sandwich Thins are handy to keep in the freezer and I was able to defrost them quickly in the microwave. They don't take long to defrost even without the microwave, if you lay them out on a wire rack. 
• I took the Chicken, Avocado etc sandwich to work for my lunch and, although the oil from the peppers had seeped through to make the base a little damp, the Thins did not disintegrate as some breads would have done.  The sandwich still tasted great, but I would recommend eating them fairly soon after making. 
• I did go a bit Sandwich Thin mad at the weekend and even turned them into 'Pizzettes', or little pizzas, usually I would use muffins (English Muffins) so these were a nice change and make a thin and crispy Pizzette.

I was supplied with Warburtons Sandwich Thins, received expenses and payment to develop these sandwich ideas. However, I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own. 

Labels: almond butter, avocado, banana, Chicken, Chicken Italia, Heck Food, honey, Mozzarella, peppers, sandwich, Sandwich Thins, Warburtons

posted by Janice @ 07:00 12 Comments

Chocolate and Banana Nut Cake

I'm entering my Chocolate and Banana Nut Cake for Bake of the Week at Casa Costello

I'm also entering this cake as my afternoon tea delight for The Great Denby Cake Off


And now for a new blogging event Cake Club at Kerry Cooks

Labels: banana, cake, chocolate, cob nuts, hazelnuts, Kent, Nuts, Potash Farm

posted by Janice @ 19:45 10 Comments

Banana Pavlova with Chocolate Fudge Sauce

 
I was recently contacted by 'Greener Scotland' to take part in their campaign to make Scotland a Greener place. Greener Scotland’s message is simple: when we all get involved in something it can make a big difference and by living greener, creating our own individual Greener Scotland plans and working together we can make Scotland a better place to be with cleaner air, warmer homes, less noise and pollution, as well as better health and fitness for the nation.

• We can all do our bit to help make Scotland a cleaner and greener place to live by eating food that is in season and planning ahead to reduce food waste

• Cutting back on food waste is a smart move. By planning ahead and storing food appropriately you’ll be doing your bit to help create a cleaner, greener Scotland

• By reducing the amount of food we throw away, we can save up to £430 a year

• If we all cut back on food waste, the carbon savings could add up to the equivalent of taking one in five of Scotland's cars off the road

I have planned my menus and shopping lists for many years and enjoy being creative with leftovers,finding that the leftover dishes are often better than the original!  I'm also a frequent entrant to the 'No Waste Challenge' a blogger's challenge originated by Kate at Turquoise Lemons and this month being hosted by Elizabeth, the Shetland-dwelling, blogger at Elizabeth's Kitchen.  The theme this month is 'eggs' and I had two egg whites left over from something (can't even remember what!) I made last week, lurking in the fridge in a bowl covered with clingfilm. 


Although it was Mother's Day today, we had too much to do today to take my mother-in-law out (it was also extremely cold with snow flurries) however, she does like meringue so I thought I'd make a little mini Pavlova.

The recipe I use is very simple, usually it is three egg whites to 6oz caster sugar (somehow, for me, meringues are measured in imperial rather than metric) that's 2oz of sugar for each egg white.  Beat the egg whites until stiff, add the sugar a spoonful at a time and then add 1 tsp of cornflour mixed with a tsp of white wine vinegar.  Spread the meringue mixture into a round on a sheet of baking parchment and place into the oven heated to 160C, turn down to 150C and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Shut off the oven and leave the pavlova to cool for another hour.

I served the pavlova with ice cream, sliced banana and Chocolate Fudge Sauce made with 70g dark chocolate, 1 tbsp golden syrup, 1 tbsp muscovado sugar and 2 tbsp milk, heated gently on the stove and swirled over the ice cream and banana. The Chocolate Fudge Sauce is made with ingredients which are all in my cupboard and adpated from a number of different recipes most of which required double cream which I didn't have!  It was not a disappointment: rich, warm and dark it was the perfect foil to the crisp meringue and cold icecream.

If you would like to find out more about how you can make a Greener Scotland, check out their website.

Labels: banana, chocolate fudge sauce, Greener Scotland, icecream, No Waste Food Challenge, pavlova

posted by Janice @ 19:38 7 Comments

Chocolate and Pistaschio Sourdough Cake

I was first given a starter for a 'Friendship Cake' by a friend when my eldest son was at playgroup.  That wasn't yesterday as he is now a father himself!  I'm not sure if this type of sourdough cake is around all the time or if it just pops up every now and again.   I was given some in the autumn and then again just before Christmas, although now it is known as 'Herman the German' .  It also has many websites dedicated to it and now there are variations on the finished recipe, something I had not really considered before. This website even tells you how to start your own and I learned that you can freeze the batter which is great when you run out of friends who like to bake!

So there I am, with a Herman the German sourdough mix ready to be made into cake, I also have a couple of overripe bananas and some lovely samples of Sugar and Crumbs flavoured cocoa powder.  Sugar and Crumbs supply high quality products and are shortly to launch a range of different flavoured cocoa powders.

The Sugar and Crumbs range of cocoa powders will include Mint Moments, Natural Orange, Chocolate Chilli,  Morello Cherry and Pistachio, the flavourings added to the cocoa powder are all natural. I chose to use the Pistachio flavour and add some pistachio nuts to the 'Chocolate Banana' Herman recipe. 

I did use both bananas, even though it specifies only one and I replaced a third of the chopped chocolate with pistachio nuts, I also sprinkled pistachios on the top of the cake.  I baked it in a roasting tin as I find it bakes through well this way and is easy to cut into pieces.

The Pistachio cocoa powder has a very subtle, almost almondy flavour which didn't overpower the cocoa.  We ate some of the cake as dessert with some left over brandy sauce, that was a winning combination if ever I tasted one.  There are lots of new and exciting products being developed at Sugar and Crumbs and I'll keep you updated on any that come my way for testing!

Sugar and Crumbs supplied me with flavoured cocoa powder samples for trial. All opinions are my own.

Labels: banana, chocolate, cocoa powder, Friendship cake, Herman the German, pistachio nuts, Sugar and Crumbs

posted by Janice @ 19:57 6 Comments

Banana Muffins - No Waste Food Challenge

 This recipe may look a little familiar to regular visitors to my blog. I'm reposting it for the No Waste Food Challenge on Kate's blog 'Turquoise Lemons'.

 This month Kate is asking us to come up with creative ways of using up spotty bananas. Here is what I said in the original post in November:

"I needed a little sweetness in my life yesterday and didn't have a lot of time, so thought that muffins would fit the bill.  There were bananas in the fruit bowl, looking nice and ripe and calling out to be used before the grocey delivery arrives (today).  I thought I'd look and see what Betty Crocker had in the way of muffin recipes and sure enough there is a nice quick recipe for Banana Muffins."


Banana Muffins (makes 12)

2 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed)
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk (I put in 1/3 then needed to add more)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 large egg
2  cups plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


For topping
30g butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
30g finely chopped walnuts

1. Heat the oven to 200C.  Grease the muffin pan or line with paper cases.
2. In a large bowl beat milk, egg, oil and banana with a fork or wire whisk until well mixed.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together and add them to the milk mixture and combine just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Make the topping:  melt the butter, add the sugar then brush the mixture over the warm muffins.
6. Put the chopped walnuts on a plate and dip the sticky top of the muffin in the nuts.

I can thoroughly recommend these muffins, they are quick and easy and taste delicious.

Labels: banana, cake, Muffins, No Waste Food Challenge, Nuts, Toffee, Turquoise Lemons

posted by Janice @ 08:00 7 Comments

Banana Muffins

I needed a little sweetness in my life yesterday and didn't have a lot of time, so thought that muffins would fit the bill.  There were bananas in the fruit bowl, looking nice and ripe and calling out to be used before the grocey delivery arrives (today).  I thought I'd look and see what Betty Crocker had in the way of muffin recipes and sure enough there is a nice quick recipe for Banana Muffins.

Banana Muffins (makes 12)

2 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed)
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk (I put in 1/3 then needed to add more)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 large egg
2  cups plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


For topping
30g butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
30g finely chopped walnuts

1. Heat the oven to 200C.  Grease the muffin pan or line with paper cases.
2. In a large bowl beat milk, egg, oil and banana with a fork or wire whisk until well mixed.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together and add them to the milk mixture and combine just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Make the topping:  melt the butter, add the sugar then brush the mixture over the warm muffins.
6. Put the chopped walnuts on a plate and dip the sticky top of the muffin in the nuts.


I can certainly recommend this recipe, it was quick and easy to make,  the Betty Crocker book gives a selection of options for the basic recipe including Apple and Cinnamon, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry and Orange and Blueberry.  I haven't used this book very much although I bought it about 4 years ago when we visited California.  I think I will have to investigate further!

Labels: banana, Muffins, walnut

posted by Janice @ 15:26 16 Comments

Carolyn's Banana and Raisin Loaf

I had those three black bananas in my fruit bowl, so I decided to make the Banana and Raisin Loaf that Carolyn had blogged HERE I am not showing you a picture because I burnt it slightly on the top - er well-fired. I got carried away doing something else and when I got to it it was a little bit browner than it should have been. I also used dates as, it seems I have run out of raisins. What I wanted to say, though, was - it was really lovely and I will be making it again.

Labels: banana, Carolyn, dates

posted by Janice @ 16:46 0 Comments

Big Baking Day

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon baking. It started off with my Christmas Cake, which is an old favourite recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, I have the cutting from the magazine from 1998 and again in 2002 - it's the same recipe and thankfully is also still on the website, so I don't have to type it all out for you! It's the Simmer and Stir Christmas Cake and it is just so easy. Last year I made the Nigella chocolate Christmas Cake, which was really lovely but decided to go back to my old favourite this year.
Then I decided to make the Banana Butterscotch Loaf from Maria's blog: The Goddess's Kitchen. I had taken the ingredient list with me when shopping last week, but there was no Green and Black's Butterscotch Chocolate, so I got the Ginger one instead. It was an easy recipe to make although using so much Green and Blacks Chocolate, would be one that I would keep for a special occasion. It is very sticky but very rich with an exceptional sugar hit. I forgot to put the pecans and demerara sugar on the top, which would have made it look prettier, but it didn't affect the taste. Also I didn't have a3lb loaf tin, so I used the one I have and made the rest of the mixture into muffins which cooked in about 15 minutes

Finally, I had to do something with the apples that had been lurking about in a basket for a couple of weeks. My MIL had got them from her friend and some were beginning to get past their best. I made some apple pickle, which I will blog later when I have put it in jars, and then made the rest of the apples into a crumble (cheating with a ready made crumble mix) which I have put in the freezer. I also froze the Banana Loaf, cut into slices, as we would never get through all that.

Labels: apples, banana, chocolate, Christmas, Green and Blacks

posted by Janice @ 16:43 3 Comments