Friday Pie Day Faux Pas: The Secret Smartie Cookie Pie

Ok, so obviously, this went a bit wrong.

A Smartie Cookie Pie. With no Smarties.

I really wish that I had taken a picture before I put this in the oven. It was beautiful - Smarties around the rim, Smarties in the middle, spelling out the word PIE.

Halfway during baking, I sneaked a look and *kaboom*, it was bubbling over like a big cookie monster. I had put the mixture in a tin a bit too small and the Smarties had sunk inwards, lost forever more.

Following a bit of umming and ahhing, I quickly transferred it into a larger tin. Ka-splat. I lost the beautiful rim of the pie as it sank in a little more. Oh dear, it's going to come out like a giant mess, I thought.

Not wanting to admit defeat just yet, I returned it to the oven. I was panicking because I didn't have an emergency back-up Pie in mind to make - I haven't missed a Friday Pie-Day since I started it about a year ago!

It actually did come out like a giant cookie pie, as planned, but sadly, as you might have guessed, the Smarties were well hidden.

But fear not, my pie-loving friends, I found a way to make them a secret no more...

Um yeah, I just stuck extra Smarties on top.

And P.S. it tasted GOOD!

Pie out.

Read my other Friday Pie-Day adventures.

Fancy a laugh at my other Hungry-Jenny-Faux-Pas? Continue reading this post..

Strawberry Jam Oat Bites

Anything with a flapjack-base is great. It's a bit heartier than a slice of cake and if you choose your ingredients carefully, a healthier option too.

Ok, so a few of my healthy baking recipes sneak in the odd bit of butter, sugar or something else a little naughty but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? To me, sugar is the lesser of two evils so the Bites I have here are butter-free...

As well as fresh strawberries, you've also got strawberry jam in there too, which makes it even moister and more strawberry-like. It's been a while since I've bitten into something I've baked that's made me squeal out loud with delight and this is definitely one of them - it's a good'un!

Strawberry Jam Oat Bites

Print-friendly recipe

For a 13 x 8" tin (15 squares):

200g sliced strawberries
175g rolled oats
175g self raising flour
150g dessicated coconut
150ml grapeseed oil
125g sugar
4 tbsp strawberry jam
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg

1) Sieve the flours into a large mixing bowl, then add in the oats, coconut and sugar. Carefully mix in the strawberries.
2) In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the jam and oil. Add to the dry mixture and mix well.
3) Pour into a lined 13 x 8" tin, using a knife to level it out and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 30 minutes or until you can pull a fork out clean.

Other healthy baking recipes you might enjoy.

More Hungry Jenny cakes and cookies. Continue reading this post..

Restaurant to try: Lemongrass, Chichester

A couple of my old uni buds came to visit over the weekend and we decided to catch up over a meal at a new Thai restaurant called Lemongrass which opened in Chichester a month or so ago.

I love how there's always a real sense of pride in the way Thai food is put together. As you might guess from the beautifully presented Kanom Jeep above (Thai dim sum), Lemongrass is no exception. I mean, look at that carved potato flower! Impressive for just a garnish :-)

You certainly feel like you are about to experience something rather authentic as soon as you walk in when you are greeted with a polite 'namaste' by a smart-looking waiter. Of course, it's also one of those places where if it feels a little alien to any of you, one of you is bound to do something a little bit silly.

As you are taken to your table through a row of colourfully dressed beaming staff lined up on either side of you, it does make you feel rather special. I was busy oohing and aahing at the warming red, yellow and white decor around me, and, when suddenly caught off guard by the many smiling faces, I accidentally slipped (but managed to stay upright). Oh dear, I thought, it's going to be one of those evenings...

The restaurant is pretty big and we were seated in the 'best table in the restaurant'. I'm not entirely sure what made it the best table though, as it was a tight booth that was blocked by a wall that made it difficult to get in on one side! (Lots of banging elbows and clattering crockery and cutlery ensued later that evening on our table.)

After getting our bearings, we looked through the huge menu which has pages of wonderful dishes. You've got your classic Thai curries, stir fries and soups, a good selection of veggie dishes (which aren't just boring tofu alternatives of the meat dishes) and of course, plenty of seafood dishes to choose from. I went for a stir fried duck with ginger dish:

Ped Pad Khing

It was pretty nice and the duck had a lot of naughty skin (mm, the best part!) but was far too salty, which spoilt it a little. The portions are massive though and they don't scrimp on any of the ingredients - no stingy pasta dishes here with just 4 slices of chicken and a couple of mushroom!

The dim sum you see at the top of this post was my favourite, and again, they were packed generously - a gorgeously juicy filling of water chestnuts, minced chicken and prawns.

The staff are very attentive too though there seemed to be a different person that came to our table each time, which was confusing and made the service seem a bit erratic. Typically, you might expect this to make you feel a bit unloved as a customer and also rushed to finish your meal too when they all bustle about. There's nothing worse than feeling like the staff just want you to get out of there as soon as possible.

Despite them darting around though, it doesn't really bother you too much because of the gentle classical Thai music filtering through. It allows you to sink back and really enjoy the whole Thai experience. And all this I got just from where I was sitting - I really wanted to have a wander around to take some photos of the stylish surroundings - but was paranoid that I was going to slip again! So, I definitely need to go back again :-)

Other restaurants I've tried that you might like to read about. Continue reading this post..

Friday Pie-Day: Lime Pie Squares

Oh, why can't lime flavoured things naturally turn out green? These lime pie squares just look like lemon tarts!

But hang about, what's that weird yellow blob in the corner?

What, this?

Um, well I had a slight hiccup with this week's pie. No, I didn't accidentally make a whole other pie altogether.

The thing is, I have a bit of a pastry problem. I can just about 'master' sweet shortcrust pastry now (well, successfully done it two times at least!). But I am never patient enough when it comes to rolling it out - I never quite manage to roll it out far enough.

In short, there was more of a thin 'lip' around the pie, as the pastry didn't reach out far enough to push up the sides. This left me with extra filling since the pie wasn't 'tall' enough to contain it all.

Ah well, I thought, I'll just bung the rest into another tin on top of some buttered granola to create some sort of lime jello cheesecake. The random dark blobs are raisins from the granola mix that er, floated to the top whilst in the oven.

But...it tasted alright you know! Very, very sharp-tasting but not bad as a last-minute salvage of ingredients. But er, I'd recommend just trying the lime pie squares for now - just make sure you create a base big enough to hold all of the filling!

This is for a 9 x 13" rectangular tin and cuts into 15 squares. Skip straight to step 3 if you're using pre-made pastry.

Lime Pie Squares

Print-friendly recipe

Juice of 3 limes plus zest of 1 lime
375g sugar
40g plain flour
4 eggs
75g dessicated coconut
Pastry:
250g plain flour
100 chilled butter, cut into cubes
3 tsp sugar
Some cold water and a pinch of salt
OR
400g sweet shortcrust pastry

1) Sift the flour into a bowl with the sugar and salt. Rub in the butter to breadcrumb mixture. Add a little cold water and knead into a dough, adding more water if needed. Wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2) Take out for 15 minutes before rolling out. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out into a large rectangle and transfer into a lined tin, including the sides. 3) Bake blind for 20 minutes at 175 degrees C.
4) Meanwhile, beat the egg with the sugar and lime. Sift in the flour and mix well. 5) Pour into the baked pastry, then return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. It should be bouncy to the touch!
6) Sprinkle over the coconut then leave to cool before slicing into squares.

Pie out.

Read my other Friday Pie-Day adventures. Continue reading this post..

Say NO to Takeaway: Sneak in a Cheat's Pork Goulash Instead

Ah, there is no shame in trying to short cut the process of cooking.

And no, I don't mean by ordering a takeout!

Goulash is a nice beefy stew, soupy style dish flavoured with paprika. Now I rarely make stews, because I don't like having to wait for an hour or so to allow the meat to cook through. Yes it tastes good, but sometimes you might just too hungry to cook up such a slow dish. (I am anyway!) And soup dishes are alright, but I prefer them my food to be a bit less saucy and watery thank you very much.

So this is a cheat's version because it takes under half an hour to make and has the flavours of a goulash, so you should be able to sneak this onto the table without anyone suspecting that you've taken some short cuts.

Cheat's Pork Goulash

Print-friendly recipe

For 2:

2 pork chops, chopped
4 medium potatoes, chopped
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 yellow pepper, chopped
200ml hot beef or veggie stock
1 tbsp paprika
Some fresh parsley
1-2 tsp cornflour

1) Bring the potatoes to the boil then leave to simmer for 15 minutes until just cooked. Drain.
2) Toss the chops in the paprika.
3) Fry the onion with the pork for a few minutes.
4) Add the tomatoes, puree, pepper and stock and simmer for a few minutes.
5) If you want to thicken up the sauce, remove some of the sauce, mix in the cornflour and return to the pan.
6) Add the potatoes and parsley. Leave to simmer for another 5-10 minutes until everything is nice and hot.

If you liked this, you might want to try making these other takeaway alternatives too. Continue reading this post..

No Fuss Cinnamon Rolls

I used to work at Starbucks during my uni days. I don't like coffee, so whilst my other work mates took advantage of the free drinks during our shifts, I found something else to get a regular hit of instead - their double iced cinnamon rolls.

They are giant squares of carb starching goodness. So giant, that you need a knife and fork to eat it. (When you're in public anyway - if there's no-one around, there's no shame in scoffing it down like there's no tomorrow)

They've been on my list of things to make for ages but I've always been a bit nervous to try this one out.

I think it's the yeast thing. I've never tried to make bread before in general, so the whole process of creating a dough that you have to leave to rise is all a bit foreign to me. It's probably not as scary or as hard as I imagine it to be, but I'm just not ready for that, ok.

So I'm easing myself in with these no fuss cinnamon rolls. Well, sort of, because there's no yeast involved. It's a lovely creamy dough that is easy to knead and roll out in no time. Now I can never roll dough out into a perfect rectangle but that doesn't matter too much either - you'll er, just get a couple of smaller rolls from the ends as a result. And I planned to drizzle the icing around each individual roll in a beautiful way but I just zig-zigged it randomly around instead.

So not quite window display standard for Starbucks, but good enough for me :)

No Fuss Cinnamon Rolls (butter and yeast free)

Print-friendly recipe

Makes 9 (made in an 8" square tin):

600g plain flour
330ml + extra spoon or two of double cream
50g + 2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp dried mixed fruit
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
50g icing sugar
Juice of half a lemon

1) Sift the flours into a large bowl. Mix in the 2tbsp sugar and salt.
2) Stir in the cream, then use your hands to knead and fold into a ball. Add more flour if necessary.
3) Roll out into a long rectangle on a floured surface.
4) In a small bowl, mix the remaining sugar with the fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5) Spoon some more cream over the dough, then sprinkle over the sugar mixture.
6) Carefully roll the dough from the long side into a cylinder and cut into 9 slices.
7) Place the slices into a lined square tin and bake at 200 degrees C for about 30 minutes.
8) Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice, then drizzle over the rolls when done.

More Hungry Jenny cakes here. Continue reading this post..

Friday Pie-Day: Strawberry Chocolate Tart

A couple of weeks ago, I found my perfect sweet shortcrust pastry alternative and decided to create it again for this week's Strawberry Chocolate Tart.

Now it didn't quite turn out as planned but it did generate some non-fake-sounding yummy noises around the meeting table at work so can't have been that bad. It was Bring a Pie to Work Day, you see.

Ok, so I made that last sentence up. The original plan for this pie was for post-aikido scoffage but it was unqualified for the occasion...

Post-aikido scoffage is not a posh affair. Whatever I make gets sliced up and put into a large tupperware box, which I take out once we're at the pub with our drinks. The tub opens, hands grab cake, various levels of compliments (or sometimes confusion) arise, and all cake disappears.

But in this case, when I was cutting the pie to put into the tub, I suddenly realised this was not destined for the pub. This was not a solid pie like the Indulgent Chocolate Tart that can be picked up and eaten. The pastry did not seem strong enough under the weight of the filling. Also, I think I probably should have gone for full-fat milk in the filling rather than skimmed (which is just what I usually have anyway) to make it creamier and more solid. So as a result of my bumblings, this really needed a fork and a plate!

Now this is a bake-the-pastry, make-the-filling and set-overnight job. As you can see, there is a layer of strawberries sitting atop the pastry base. It didn't make the pastry completely soggy but I don't think it helped matters. So I have adjusted my recipe below and suggest baking the pastry for a little longer, and brushing egg white over in the last five minutes to help toughen that pastry up a bit more. Maybe the chocolate filling was just too darn heavy for it ;-)

Strawberry Chocolate Tart

Print-friendly recipe

For a 12 x 8" tin (10 slices):

300g fresh strawberries, sliced
500ml milk
100g sugar
50g cocoa
50g dark chocolate
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bit of salt

75g rolled oats
50g dessicated coconut
150g plain flour
75ml grapeseed oil
1 egg white
Some cold water
OR
375g sweet shortcrust pastry
(If using pre-made pastry, skip to step 3)

1) Mix the flour, coconut and oats. Stir in the oil and knead into a dough, adding a little cold water if necessary.
2) Roll out and line the tin. Bake at 220 degrees C for 15 minutes, brushing over egg white during the last 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
3) Gently bring the milk to boil in a pan. Stir in the sugar, cocoa, cornflour and salt. Reduce the heat and continue to stir until thick. Take off the heat and add the chocolate, stirring til melted.
4) Add a layer of strawberries to the base of the tart, then pour over the chocolate mixture. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
5) Decorate with the remaining strawberry slices and leave to set for at least 8 hours.

Pie out.

Read my other Friday Pie-Day adventures. Continue reading this post..

Food Myths You Probably Shouldn't Believe

So when you were younger, you may have believed that runner beans made you run faster, that you had to watch out for 'cereal' killers during breakfast, and that swallowing orange pips would make an orange tree grow out of your head.

Hopefully by adult life you simply look back at myths like these and laugh at the memory of thinking how true they were. But it makes you wonder whether certain 'rules' you have about food now actually stem from myths you probably shouldn't believe...

Here are some of mine:

Never drink a hot drink straight after a cold drink (and vice versa).
I was finishing off a Maccy D's drink on the way to my aunt's house with my family. When we arrived, she made us all a cup of tea. I drank the tea, went to the toilet and promptly threw up - I was young so it's possible that's it not quite what happened, but because that's my memory of the story, I have avoided mixing hot and cold drinks ever since, for fear of it upsetting my stomach!

Don't eat fruit after dinner.
I still believe there is some truth in this - fruit doesn't take as long to digest so if you eat it straight after a big meal, it just 'sits' on top of it and messes up the digestion process.

Cutting vegetables really small before cooking them gets rid of their nutrients.
My thinking behind this is probably that because there is less mass with vegetables that are cut into tiny bits, their nutrients burn off quicker when you cook them. I still reckon this is true.

Fat free or low fat means healthy.
It's shameful but I've only realised over the last few months that this really isn't true. Because fat free foods often contain alot of sugar. And that really isn't healthy!

Brown sugar is better than white sugar.
Good brown pasta, bad white pasta. Good brown rice, bad white rice. But brown sugar is essentially 'coloured' white sugar (molasses are added to make it brown) and although has some useful minerals, you'd probably need to eat a ton of it for it to do you any good. But the mentality of 'brown=good' and 'white=bad' is hard to shake off. (And brown rice is difficult to make!)

Food with less than 5g of fat and less than 10g of sugar per 100g = a healthier choice.
This is what is ingrained in my mind following random stuff I've read about fat and sugar content in the past but can't quite remember. So I know I'm vaguely in the right area, but should probably in fact be looking for lower figures than this. And I always forget that I need to consider the actual portion size too.

Are there any random myths you have about food that you know you probably shouldn't believe?
Continue reading this post..

I Did It!

What, ate a whole pie?

No, ran 25K! (Hence the roughness, sorry about that, didn't mean to scare you)

But let me tell you, it took me an age to get there...

I stupidly strained my thigh a few weeks back which meant I had to slow down and cut way back whilst continuing to train for the Chichester Challenge 15 mile/25k run. I didn't want to give up though, especially because I was raising money for FareShare. And because I'm stubborn like that and won't admit defeat.

7.5 miles in, I was feeling strong, hadn't stopped running yet. Around 10 miles and I was started to wane - then hit the wall when faced with what actually looked like a grass monster wall - the steepest hill I'd ever seen!

Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but that's what it felt like. From that point on, the mental demons seriously kicked in. I was becoming more aware of the pain in my injured thigh, which started to seep (probably most of which was psychological!) into the rest of my leg. And the other one. Then ran in the wrong direction for a while because I followed some other runners who accidentally took a wrong turning.

But for last couple of miles, or probably just the last one (I was too tired to care where I was at that stage!), I pushed my lead legs to run without stopping to the end - and I'm not talking a Chariots of Fire sprint finish, more like a big lollop and into a collapsed heap. Well over 3 hours later. Oh dear.

What I'm most chuffed with though is that I've almost raised my target of £500 for FareShare :-) So I'm rounding this challenge off in a final effort to reach it - so if you haven't donated and you would still like to, just go to my Just Giving page here.

Thanks for your encouraging words of support and generous donations - I'm definitely doing this again next year, but this time, it'll be personal - I need to crack this distance before taking on a marathon - in other words, minus the gammy leg and within a more decent time!

Now if you'll excuse me, I simply must go and lie down...

UPDATE 29th July 2010 : I've raised a total of £750, which I am so chuffed about! This equates to FareShare being able to rescue and redistribute food enough for nearly 2000 square meals for disadvantaged people - how awesome is that!

Thanks again for your support :-)
Continue reading this post..

Friday Pie-Day: Pre-Run Pie

Spaghetti bolognese is commonly recommended as the dish to have the night before a big run. So here it is in pie form.

Why?

Well, not just because it's Friday Pie-Day. Because it cuts into 6 hefty portions which will do nicely for dinner tomorrow night before my 25k run on Sunday, and to scoff straight afterwards too as it can be eaten cold.

Yes, I know it looks a bit strange...

...but it's really tasty I promise!

The ingredients are no different to spaghetti bolognese - you literally do just pack the spag bol into a baking tin with some beaten egg to bind it together. A layer of grated cheese and breadcrumbs on top gives it a nice crispy finish.

Pre-Run Spag Bol Pie

Print-friendly recipe

For a 9" round tin (6 slices):

350g lean minced beef
200g bucatini (thick spaghetti)
100ml hot beef or veggie stock
3 tomatoes, diced
3 mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 small red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp thyme
Large handful of spinach
Handful of fresh basil
Bit of olive oil
100g grated cheddar
5 tbsp breadcrumbs
4 beaten eggs

1) Bring the spaghetti to boil in lightly salted water. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes until just cooked through.
2) Fry the garlic and onion for a few minutes in the oil. Add the mince to brown.
3) Add the carrot, tomato, puree and mushroom. Pour in the stock and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the herbs.
4) Drain the spaghetti and add in the mince mixture, half the cheese and the egg. Mix well.
5) Tip half into a lined tin and cover with a layer of spinach. Pack the rest of the spaghetti mixture on top and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and remaining cheese.
6) Bake at 200 degrees C for about 50 minutes. Leave to cool for a few hours before cutting into slices to serve.

Pie out.

Read my other Friday Pie-Day adventures. Continue reading this post..

3 Ways to Roast Chicken...Pieces

I used to have an irrational fear of the oven - not a physical phobia - but the idea of leaving food in a dark place for an hour for it to come out nicely cooked was just puzzling to me. I just didn't understand how something like that could be done.

Well, I've long overcome that feeling now but don't feel ready yet to try roasting a whole meat joint - a whole chicken, joint of lamb or beef, or whatever.

Ingrained in my mind though is what I now use as a failsafe formula for roasting chicken pieces - I wrote it down on my Homer Simpson notepad when I was younger when I was told by my mum...

- 190 degrees C
- Skin side down, 20 minutes
- Flip over, 10 minutes
- Turn tray round, 5 minutes

I've been experimenting with a few different chicken recipes and I swear, this has worked every time! Try them out and see - but er, but don't chase me with a hot bloodied skewer if this doesn't work for you :-p

Honey and Apricot Baked Chicken (above)

Print-friendly recipe

For 2:

4 chicken drumsticks/thighs
3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp paprika
6 dried apricots to garnish

1) Mix the honey, oil, mustard and jam. Rub the mixture over the chicken and sprinkle on the paprika.
2) Place the pieces on a lined tray, reserving half of the mixture.
3) Bake at 190 degrees C for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over, glaze with the remaining mixture, then return to the oven for another 15 minutes.


Ginger and Lime Chicken Drummers

Print-friendly recipe

For 2:
4 chicken drumsticks
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
Juice of 1 lime

1) Mix the soy sauce, coriander, garlic, ginger and lime in a bowl. Add the chicken, cover and leave to marinade overnight, or for at least 15 minutes.
2) When ready to cook, simply bake at 190 degrees C for 20 minutes, turn once, then bake for another 10-15 minutes.


Baked Bean Tomato Chicken

Print-friendly recipe

For 2:
4 chicken drumsticks/thighs
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
200g baked beans
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp red onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp mixed herbs
1 garlic clove, minced
A bit of groundnut oil

1) Heat the oil in the pan and fry the chicken on both sides for a few minutes to brown. Remove from the pan.
2) Fry the onion and garlic, followed by the tomato, celery and baked beans. Turn down the heat a little and add the puree, half of the lemon juice and mixed herbs.
3) Pour into an ovenproof dish. Sit the chicken pieces on top and squeeze over the rest of the lemon juice.
4) Bake at 190 degrees C for 20-25 minutes until the chicken juice runs clear. Cover with foil if the chicken starts to go too brown!

More chicken recipes here Continue reading this post..

The Ambiguous Orange Cake

Mm, orange marmalade on toast...no wait, hang on.

"Guess what cake this is", I asked my housemate Grace, wafting it under her nose.

"Ooh, raspberry, yum!"

Erm, no.

"...Strawberry?"

No!

I sniffed it myself, "Hm, actually it smells more of apples."

Well that concludes it then...

This is obviously an orange cake.

I blame the orange for not being orange enough. And the apple for being too overripe. So here's my...apple flavoured orange cake!

At least it's nicely butter free :-)

Apple Flavoured Orange Cake (butter free)

Print-friendly recipe

For an 8" square tin (12 triangles):

Juice and zest of 1 orange
1 grated apple, skin n all
5 tbsp apple concentrate/juice
200g sugar
150g plain flour
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp baking soda

1) Put the grated apple, orange juice and zest into a measuring jug. Add in the apple concentrate until you have 250ml liquid.
2) In a mixing bowl, sift in the flour, then mix in the sugar and baking soda.
3) Add the fruit mixture, followed by the vanilla and mix well.
4) Pour into a lined tin and bake at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes, or until you can pull a skewer out clean. Cut into 8 triangles to serve.

All Hungry Jenny cakes here.

Other healthy baking recipes you might enjoy. Continue reading this post..

Friday Pie-Day: Raspberry Banana Pie with Coconut Pastry

I've just found my new favourite pastry - coconut, oats and grapeseed oil.

And the most surprising thing about it?

I got it right first time! Well, more or less. But it was much less of a faff than I thought it'd be to make. The amount of stress I get usually when trying to make shortcrust or puff pastry, by adding too flour, then too much water and vice versa, is just crazy.

And as much as I love the convenience of using shop-bought pastry, it's just more satisfying to be able to make your own isn't it?

I was very surprised that the combo of flaked coconut, oats and oil made itself into a dough. So busy being amazed at the ease at which it rolled out, that I only realised afterwards that I'd forgotten to dust the work surface...argh, perfect pastry stuck to the table! I managed to get it off though and into the pie pan.

The filling is simply fresh raspberries, a bit of honey and a thin layer of bananas underneath - so thin, that you forget that you put them there - until you bite into the pastry and get a lovely hint of coconut and banana.

Hey look, it's Raspberry Pac Man!

I was nervous that the pastry would be difficult to cut - it does feel a little fragile at first, but not so much that it crumbles under the knife immediately (um, that's never happened to me before). As you can see, this one cuts rather nicely!

This recipe uses a 8.5" round pan and serves 6 people - or 3 greedier ones ;-) The coconut pastry is well worth trying - but you can easily substitute with 350g normal sweet shortcrust pastry if preferred. But this is definitely going to be my sweet pastry alternative from now on - now I just need to find a savoury butter-free pastry alternative!

Raspberry Banana Pie with Coconut Pastry

Print-friendly recipe

For a 8.5" round tin (6 slices):

100g plain flour
50ml grapeseed oil
50g porridge oats
25g dessicated coconut
Some cold water
1 egg white
300g fresh raspberries
1 large banana
Zest of one lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp cinnamon

1) Mix the flour, oats and coconut. Stir in the oil and knead into a dough, adding a little cold water if necessary.
2) Roll out the dough onto a floured surface and line the tin. Bake at 220 degrees C for about 10 minutes. Remove and brush the egg white over the pastry. Reduce heat to 180 degrees C.
3) Mix the zest, honey, cornflour and cinnamon. Carefully add in the raspberries.
4) Slice the banana thinly, reserving 6 slightly thicker slices. Arrange the thin slices onto the pastry base.
5) Pour the raspberry mixture evenly on top, adding the remaining banana slices on top and bake for about 40 minutes.

Pie out.

Read my other Friday Pie-Day adventures.

Other healthy baking recipes you might enjoy. Continue reading this post..

Say NO to Takeaway: Have a Honey Pork and Cashew Stir Fry instead!

This stir-fry is so ridiculously simple that I feel a little silly that the recipe is so basic! You can throw together any combo of meat and veg in a wok really and call it a stir fry. In fact, I often do so when I suddenly find myself with no particular dinner planned and end up throwing random ingredients together into the wok!

But it's the sauce that makes this one.

Honey, orange and a hint of ginger, mm. So the sauce is slightly sticky, but not in a gooey, congealed kind of way, no. In a light coating of the meat variety instead.

If you prefer your meat to have a slightly crunchy texture, you can just coat it with some cornflour, after taking out of the marinade, before you add to the wok. Personally, I like stir fried meat to be silky smooth!

Honey Pork and Cashew Stir Fry

Print-friendly recipe

For 2:

2 pork chops, cut into strips
Juice and zest of 1 orange
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
Half tsp grated ginger
1 carrot, chopped into matchsticks
Handful of sugar snaps
2 tbsp cashew nuts
Bit of groundnut oil

1) Mix the orange juice, zest, honey, soy sauce and grated ginger in a bowl. Add the pork chop strips and leave to marinade for 15 minutes.
2) Heat the oil in a wok and add the pork strips with half of the marinade. Fry for a few minutes.
3) Add the carrot, sugar snaps and remaining marinade, tossing well to heat everything through quickly. Throw in the cashew nuts at the last minute before serving.

If you liked this, you might want to try making these other takeaway alternatives too.

Other Hungry Jenny healthy food thoughts you might be interested in Continue reading this post..