The Tropical Treat

Archives for April 2019

Chocolate almond banana loaf

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Gooey chocolatey nutty banana cake is definitely a firm favourite and one to have at anytime of the year. Making a banana loaf is so satisfying and makes me feel super domesticated. 

It’s not something you would think of as a tropical but chocolate and bananas (originate from Asia and South America) are definitely tropical ingredients that have become our everyday staples. 

This is the perfect cake for weekend baking, you’ll probably have most of the ingredients at home already and it’s really easy too. When warm outside it’s perfect fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a couple of spoonfuls of coconut yogurt. 

Banana loaf or bread seems to pop up everywhere! I can’t think of coffee shop or cafe that doesn’t serve it up in some way and it’s a great way to use up really ripe bananas. This version is quite indulgent but we all deserve treats in life!

Make sure you get good quality baking chocolate that holds up nicely in the cake and the more ripe the bananas the better the cake tastes in my opinion! 

Chocolate Almond Banana Loaf

Gooey chocolatey nutty banana cake is a firm favourite and one to have at anytime of the year. Making a banana loaf is so satisfying and makes me feel super domesticated. It has got to be the best thing to do with overripe bananas or just bananas in general. When warm outside it’s perfect fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a couple of spoonfuls of coconut yogurt. I’ve adapted Nigel Slater’s classic recipe here as it’s deliciously good and foolproof!

  • 175g unsalted butter, softened
  • 175g  sugar (half light brown, half golden caster)
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 175g self-raising flour, sifted
  • A drop of vanilla extract
  • 2 very ripe bananas (about 250g in weight), peeled and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp flaked almonds
  • 100g baking milk chocolate chips
  • A little demerara sugar

  1. First line the base and sides of a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 170C / 325F / Gas 3.

  2. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until a light coffee colour and smooth consistency.

  3. Add the eggs slowly to the butter and sugar mixture and then mix in the self-raising flour.

  4. Carefully fold the vanilla extract, the chopped bananas, flaked almonds and chocolate chips into the mixture (making sure not to over mix).

  5. Place the cake mixture into the lined loaf tin and sprinkle over a little demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for between 60 – 65 minutes. Cover with a little foil if it browns too quickly and insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf and if it comes out clean it’s ready.

* This recipe is adapted from Nigel Slater’s Black Banana Cake

Simple melon and halloumi Salad

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I love fruity salads, this is an unusual but beautifully sweet combination.The melon and halloumi go amazingly well with the rocket, watercress and spinach. It has a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for the dressing. Super fresh and light! A perfect addition for an Easter spread or summer barbecue.

Swap for vegan halloumi if you’re vegan or you don’t like halloumi cheese. You could probably use any kind of melon here too, watermelon would be a great alternative.

It takes around 20 minutes (start to finish) to throw this all together. I wanted to make a bright dish that only needed one ingredient to be cooked. When it’s hot out you could just put the halloumi on the barbecue with everything else.

Put down your salad leaves of choice, drizzle over some olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper followed by melon, halloumi, torn mint leaves and toasted seeds.

Simple Melon and Halloumi Salad

An unusual but beautifully sweet combination. The melon and halloumi go amazingly well with the rocket, watercress and spinach. With lovely Spring colours it’s the perfect salad for an Easter spread or to serve up at a summer barbecue – it’s so simple to make too. It could easily be a side dish with grilled chicken or a decent veggie main with some quinoa, lentils or cous cous added to the mix!

  • 1/2 ripe cantaloupe melon, cut into long chunks
  • 1/2 honeydew melon, cut into long chunks
  • 200g halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm thick squares
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil
  • 80g rocket, watercress and spinach leaves
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • a handful of fresh mint, roughly torn
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts or sunflower seeds, toasted
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  1. First cut the melon into slices, de-seed and then into chunks, carefully remove the skin.

  2. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic and halloumi slices. Cook on each side for a couple of minutes or until golden brown and leave to one side. Use the same pan to toast the pine nuts or sunflower seeds.

  3. Put the rocket, watercress and spinach leaves on a plate. Pour the lemon juice, zest and olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Arrange the halloumi and melon slices on top of the leaves. Sprinkle over torn mint leaves and toasted pine nuts. 

 

* If it’s easier just cheat and buy pre-packaged melon slices to make this salad (absiutely no judgement here). Add some cooked quinoa or cous cous to make it a veggie main or grilled chicken or fish for meat eaters.

Vegan pineapple and coconut muffins

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Tart pineapple, mellow banana and creamy coconut are a dream team made in tropical heaven! As a former skeptic of vegan bakes I can say I’ve been converted. This is a beautiful combo of fresh tropical flavours that doesn’t disappoint. 

Of course if you’re vegan or follow a plant based diet this is a no brainer to make but if you don’t you should definitely still make them. Why? Well you’re bringing a little sunshine into your kitchen for starters and baking with fresh fruit is strangely therapeutic. It smells so good as you make them!

I came across the original recipe in Waitrose’s weekly food paper in a feature about the versatility of pineapples. It’s one of the ultimate tropical treats in my opinion. Apparently we’ve also been eating them wrong, check this video out. Other than the classic upside down pineapple cake I haven’t really considered baking with pineapple but this is definitely something to explore further!

Fresh pineapple, coconut and mashed bananas make these muffins lovely and moist. It’s easy enough to play with the ingredients here and swap things in and out. Enjoy these delicious muffins with a cup of tea in the afternoon!

Vegan pineapple and coconut muffins

It’s a Pina Colada in cake form – super sweet, unapologetically tropical and just plain good. Tart pineapple, mellow banana and fragrant coconut are a dream team made in tropical heaven! Being completely vegan these muffins are still moist and light and best of all powered by fresh tropical ingredients. Ideal for a mid morning snack or a just sweet treat when you need a pick me up.

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 100g soft light brown sugar
  • 150g coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 250ml cold water
  • 300g wholemeal flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 50g fresh coconut chunks, grated
  • 25g sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
  • 200g fresh pineapple chunks, roughly chopped
  • 2 small ripe bananas, mashed

  1. First line a 12-hole muffin tin with tulip muffin cases. In a medium sized pan put, cinnamon, sugar, coconut oil, vinegar and water and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes and then leave to one side to cool.

  2. Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4 / 160C (fan). In a large bowl sift flour, bicarb of soda and baking powder and fresh coconut (leave some for the topping), seeds, pineapple and mashed banana. Pour in the coconut oil mixture until well combined.

  3. Pour the mixture into the cases and top with the remaining fresh coconut. Bake for 30- 35 minutes, until golden and firm (check by inserting a skewer and if it comes out clean it’s ready).

  4. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container and eat within a couple of days.

Adapted from Waitrose’s Tropical Pineapple Banana Muffins 

Green plantain crisps

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Deliciously crispy green plantain crisps with a sweet, fruity mango salsa and spicy pico de gallo ( a traditional Mexican salsa) are the perfect combination. Plantain crisps are a hugely popular side or snack in Latin America, West Africa and the Caribbean. Interestingly they taste very similar to potatoes and making crisps is just one of the many ways they can be prepared.

A very simple snack to make! Perhaps not the healthiest but incredibly delicious and something you’ll want to make time and time again. It’s ideal for yourself in front of your favourite Netflix show or be generous and make when you have friends over to nibble on.

I adapted Cookie and Kate’s gorgeous recipe for the mango salsa and Epicurious’ spicy offering for the pico de gallo. If you don’t like any of those then guacamole works perfectly well too and I have very easy recipe here.

This has got to be one of the speediest recipes I’ve put together and yet one of the most delicious. Serve the salted green plantain crisps on big platter with mango salsa and pico de gallo.

Green plantain crisps

Green plantain crisps are a classic, moreish and delicious tropical snack or side. They can be eaten on their own, with a sprinkling of sea salt or paired with a fruity salsa or chunky guacamole. Often found as a starter in West African, Latin American and Caribbean cuisines ,they taste very similar to potato crisps and are naturally gluten free. Make a batch and eat them in front of your favourite Netflix show or when you have friends over and want to be fancy!

  • 4 medium green plantains
  • Groundut oil*
  • Sea Salt

For the mango salsa

  • 1 medium ripe mango, finely diced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 1 small red pepper, finely diced
  • Juice of one lime and zest
  • Sea salt to tase

For the pico de gallo

  • 2 salad tomatoes, finely diced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium white onion, finely diced
  • 1 small jalapeño or green chilli pepper, finely sliced
  • 1/2 juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  1. Make the plantain crisps first. Peel the green plantains, they can be tricky to peel so run them under hot water before slicing. Slice the top and bottom first then peel the skin off.

  2. Slice the plantains thinly into rounds or lengths using a thin knife or mandolin. Heat the oil to 180 – 200C, over a medium heat in a deep pan or wok, using a cooking thermometer. If you don’t have one put the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if it starts to bubble it should be hot enough.

  3. Add the plantains to the hot oil in small batches and fry until golden brown.

  4. Remove the crisps from the oil and place on paper towels. Sprinkle over sea salt and leave to cool.

  5. For the mango salsa, slice the mango away from the stone. Finely dice the mango, red onion, red pepper and chop the coriander leaves. Mix together in a bowl and squeeze over lime juice and season with salt.

  6. For the pico de gallo finely dice the tomatoes, onions and jalapeño. Mix together in a bowl and squeeze over lime juice and season with salt.

  7. Serve the green plantain crisps on big platter with the mango salsa and pico de gallo.

*Ensure you use an oil with a high smoking point to prepare the green plantain crisps.