Banana Bread
3 large, over-ripe bananas (about 350g)
60g castor sugar
55ml vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice milk
210g gluten-free self-raising flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon xantham gum
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a 500g loaf tin with baking paper.
Use a stand mixer, or mix by hand, to combine the bananas with the sugar, vegetable oil, lemon juice and milk in a bowl.
Thoroughly mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, xantham gum and salt in a separate bowl.
Tip the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and mix well either by hand or with a stand mixer.
Don't hang around – as soon as the mixture is combined, pour into the prepared tin. Tap the tin on your work surface to remove any large air bubbles and place on the middle shelf in your oven immediately.
Bake for about 30–35 minutes (test with a skewer or sharp knife – if it comes out clean without any raw mixture, it is cooked). Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
Slice and serve with a topping of dairy-free sunflower spread.
No-Fuss Butternut Squash Risotto
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 unsmoked bacon rashers, chopped
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
250g risotto rice (Carnaroli is best)
1 litre vegetable stock or 1 low-salt vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 litre boiling water
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into cubes
Balsamic vinegar, to drizzle
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add the onion and allow it to soften for a minute or two.
Stir in the garlic and rice. Keep stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of your pan and when the rice starts to glisten, add all of the stock and the butternut squash. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Stir occasionally and cook for about 15-18 minutes until the rice is tender but still has a little bite to it. If you use up all your stock and feel some extra liquid is needed to finish cooking the rice, just add a little water.
Remove from the heat and break up the butternut squash into the risotto using a fork, or very gently press down using a potato masher. Season to taste and let the risotto rest in the pan for a few minutes.
Spoon into bowls and drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
