Cucumber Boats

Who says you can't play with your food? I have fun making healthy and tasty cucumber boats in this video.

Finally. A Baking Post. And A Giveaway: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

Considering that I have run a boutique bakery - Cupcake Couture Lagos for the past 4 years, it is amazing that there is not a single baking recipe on this blog.

 

There is no better recipe to break the 'no baking recipe on the blog' jinx than this moist and delicious banana chocolate chip muffin one. And to celebrate, its also giveaway time. Oh yaay.

 

So - banana bread and its variants are very popular with a lot of people around the world. I make a killer banana bread if I say so myself but I am always on the lookout for recipes that use bananas in baked goods in different ways. I was going through one of my many recipe binders that contains printed and torn out recipes from magazines, the internet etc and I found a recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins that seemed easy enough. I tried it and while it was nice, I tweaked the recipe - Uzo style and the result is super moist muffins with undeniable banana flavor that is not too sweet which means the kiddies can enjoy this as well.

 

To make 12 muffins, you will need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 57g butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk - Please see kitchen tip post on how to make buttermilk at home
• 3 large very ripe bananas - chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 12 cup muffin tin
• 12 muffin liners

 

Directions:

 

Sieve flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside

 

 

 

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar for about 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add beaten egg and buttermilk.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. Do not over mix

Add bananas and chocolate chips and fold in gently so as not to turn the bananas to mush

Scoop mixture into muffin liners - filling them 3/4 of the way

Bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 4 or 400F for 20 minutes until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until ready to eat

 

I realize that everyone doesn't have chocolate chips or muffin liners lying around - so I am giving away 12 muffin liners like the ones in this picture and 1 cup of real semi sweet chocolate chips - enough for this recipe to 2 readers. All you have to do is: comment on this post, subscribe to www.youtube.com/uzosfoodlabs and follow on twitter: @uzosfoodlabs. Winners will be picked at random and should be able to pickup their gifts from Lekki 1, Lagos.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Lazy weekend breakfast, or brunch or snack - TGIF!!!!

I am not one to celebrate Fridays or weekends usually. As an entrepreneur, weekends and public holidays really mean nothing to me since I work pretty much round the clock. However, this weekend is so different. I am so glad its the weekend because I have a pretty special Sunday planned and I simply can't wait for Monday because it is the beginning of something very special to me and a possible game changer. I will share details on Sunday....So keep everything crossed for me :-)

 

Weekends also tire me out more than usual because the hubby makes those days family time. Which is great. But it also means more meals and snacks have to be planned and made than during the week. And sometimes, I just don't want to. I said it. LOL

 

This simple 4 ingredient wrap is so easy to make, satisfies my boys - big and small and by tweaking 3 of the ingredients, it is transformed into a different palate experience and can be had several times a day.

 

You will need:

• Flour tortillas
• Cream cheese - plain or jazzed up with anything from mixed herbs to spices and even dried fruit
• Lettuce - washed thoroughly in vinegar and water mixture and patted dry with a kitchen towel
• Deli meat  - I used salami



 

On a flat plate, spread your cream cheese mix on a flour tortilla. Be as liberal as you want or skimp if you want. Place lettuce leaves on tortilla and top with deli meat slices.

Roll and slice and serve

 

That is how simple it is. I will say it again - I love to play around in my food lab but sometimes, I really am just too exhausted to make elaborate things. This wrap is an example of simple, fast and tasty and of course - pocket friendly.

 

I would love to hear what variations of this you try :-)

 

Enjoy!!!