This week has been powered by a big joint of pork shoulder that my mum slow-cooked on Saturday. It has been served with baked potatoes, in burrito bowls and in tortillas. It would have made it into pasta too if I’d remembered. I also made some freezer supplies for E: muffins to toast and banana date cakes. As it’s been a long time since a recipe featured anywhere on here, I’ve included the recipe for these below.

Recipes:

•  Sourdough English muffins – James Morton’s ‘Brilliant Bread‘.
• Banana and date cakes (see recipe below)
• Soft-crust apple pie – Dan Lepard’s ‘Short and Sweet‘
• Chocolate loaf cakes – a version of Nigella’s Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake from ‘Feast’.

Without a recipe:

• Pulled pork
• Pasta with red peppers and mushrooms
• Pork and black bean burritos
• Pork burrito bowls
• Slow cooker chicken curry
• Carrot and sweet potato soup

Reading:

A bit light on reading this week. I’ve been working through Anne-Marie Slaughter’s ‘Unfinished Business’, on the challenge of the work-life balance and the low value we place on care.

• This piece in Elle about someone’s ‘typical food day’ received a good deal of justified ridicule. This attempt to replicate the menu is very funny.
• The name of this recipe is reason enough to bookmark it: Shiraz fig brownies.
• Google StreetView has recorded a series of buildings and gardens in Cambridge, including Newnham’s library and gardens.

Recipe: Banana and Date cakes

Adapted from a banana cake in the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook, these little cakes have no sugar, but are still sweet from the bananas and dates, especially if you use really ripe bananas. They make great toddler food, or a good breakfast or mid-morning snack.

• 100g self-raising wholemeal flour
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 50g unsalted butter
• 2 very ripe bananas (200g peeled)
• 1 egg
• 75g dates

Prepare a muffin tin by greasing or with paper cases. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan.

Chop the dates. If they are somewhat dry, cover with hot water and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Rub the butter into the flour. Stir in the mixed spice.

In another bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the egg. Add to the flour with the drained, chopped dates and mix everything together.

Spoon into cupcake or muffin cases and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.