Georgina Hayden

Feeding since 1982

Maslin and banana pancakes with bacon

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I’m a little bit in love with maslin flour.

On a recent trip to the Lake District we made a pit stop at Booths, a Northern supermarket where you can do your average weekly shop whilst also discovering amazing local produce from small specialist suppliers. I make a beeline for this place whenever we are nearby, as I know we are sure to find some Northern food treasure.

This trip I came across maslin flour, a Medieval English blend which is a combination of wheat and rye flour from a local Cumbrian mill (Little Salkeld Watermill). It sounded interesting, so I bought a bag with our new found love of bread making in mind. However yesterday, whilst contemplating Saturday brunch (with one hungover husband), I thought I’d give our usual ‘pancake, bacon and maple syrup’ combo a revamp. Cue our new Medieval flour. The result were incredibly delicious, fluffy yet slightly nutty pancakes, that are low in gluten and light. I’m a maslin flour convert.

 

Rye and bananas pancakes with bacon
Rye and bananas pancakes with bacon

 

RYE AND BANANA PANCAKES WITH BACON 

If you haven’t got maslin flour, try replacing with a 1/3 rye flour and 2/3 plain.

Makes 6 pancakes (for 2-3 people)

  • A little olive oil
  • 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 large free range or organic egg, separated
  • 120g maslin flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • A heaped teaspoon of poppy seeds
  • 225ml semi-skimmed milk, ideally organic
  • Maple syrup
  • A grating of red chilli (optional)

Place a large non stick frying pan on a medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Lay out the bacon rashers and fry until golden and crisp.

Whilst the bacon is cooking make the pancake batter. Mash the banana in a large bowl with the egg yolk. Mix in the poppy seeds, salt, baking powder and maslin flour (don’t worry if the banana sticks in clumps). Whisk in the milk until smooth – the batter should be thick but pourable. In a separate clean bowl whisk the egg white until stiff peaks and then using a large metal spoon fold into the flour mixture. (I find it easiest to start with one spoon of the egg white, to loosen, then folding in the rest).

When the bacon is cooked, push to the side of the pan to keep warm and spoon ladles of the batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes in batches, until golden on one side and then flip over to cook through. Serve with the crispy bacon, a generous drizzle of maple syrup and a grating of red chilli, if you like.

Porridge with caramelised figs and orange blossom

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For the first time this autumn I woke up the other day and really fancied porridge. I get super excited about porridge, which might sound a bit weird for something so… normal? But we didn’t really have it growing up, we were all about a slice of cake and a glass of milk (so continental). I clearly remember one of the first times I had it – I was quite old, about 16, and it was made by my friend Emma’s mum. It was thick and creamy and there was definitely a lot of butter in it, but damn it was good. You could just taste that it was naughty and I was instantly hooked.

Since then my palate has changed a bit, and one of the best bowls of porridge I have ever eaten was at The Breslin in NYC, which I know has no cream or butter but really tastes like it should. The recipe here is based on the deliciousness from the Breslin with a topping I made inspired by the stunning figs spilling out of my fruit bowl.

 

Porridge with caramelised figs and orange blossom
Porridge with caramelised figs and orange blossom

 

CREAMY PORRIDGE WITH CARAMELISED FIGS AND ORANGE BLOSSOM

Serves 2

Because this porridge takes a while to cook, I have tried making a double batch on a Sunday evening, cooling it down and keeping it in the fridge. I then just reheated as much as we needed with a little extra milk over the next few mornings. Works a treat.

  • 50g rolled oats (not the quick cook ones)
  • 30g steel cut oats
  • 350ml full fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 figs, cut into wedges
  • 1 heaped teaspoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • A tablespoon of unsweetened coconut shavings
  • A splash of orange blossom water

Pour the milk into a medium sized non-stick pan with 350ml of water. Place on a high heat and as soon as it starts to come to the boil stir in both the oats and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for around 35 minutes, stirring regularly, until the steel cut oats are cooked through/ no longer have a bite.

About 5 minutes before the porridge is ready, caramelise the figs. Melt the coconut oil in a small non-stick pan over a medium heat and add the fig wedges. After 3 – 4 minutes, when the figs start to turn golden, drizzle in the honey and add the sesame seeds and coconut shavings. Add the orange blossom water and turn the heat up a little. Swirl everything together and caramelise for a couple of minutes, turning the figs to coat in the honey, until thick and sticky.

When the porridge is ready stir in the salt and divide between 2 bowls. Leave to ‘set’ for a minute and then spoon over the figs and honey.

Easing into breakfast

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Ok, so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t start everyday with a coffee. I try and eat well, I don’t eat ready meals or fast food but I’m not a health food aficionado – I need caffeine and I need it within half an hour of waking up. And I’m not even a coffee snob; I adore good freshly ground coffee and living in east London there really is no shortage of amazing coffee roasters and cafes – see below for some of my favourites. However I’m Greek Cypriot and I also have a real love for instant coffee. Nescafé especially, as it reminds me of being a kid. (If you have ever been to Greece or Cyprus you’ll know how much the locals love a frappé).

So this morning was a Nescafé morning. The small caffetiere was dirty and being morning and me being lazy I hit the instant stuff. Heaven.

However anything other than coffee in the morning is a struggle. Weekend brunch is a winner, weekday mornings however just feels a little too early. And at the moment, where I am at home a lot of the day it’s quite easy to skip this all-important meal. I am trying to get into a routine though and this morning I wanted to go for a swim and knew I had to eat something first: cue the breakfast smoothie. I’ve really taken to smoothies over the last few months – it’s ‘something’ as opposed to eating nothing and is easy on the digestion for this breakfast-avoider. But most importantly, it’s the 5-a day thing. Actually consuming your 5 a day is hard work and takes dedication, so knowing I’m getting some nutrients feels like a bloomin’ good reason.

So for today’s breakfast I made a ‘raspberry milkshake’, which was incredibly delicious, nutritious and way better than a crusha down the Wimpy.

And the best tip of all? Chop up any ripe fruit you have lying around and freeze in sandwich bags, always ready for a smoothie attack. Reduces waste and makes smoothies lovely and thick – especially bananas, which give you a gorgeous creamy texture.

Here are a few of my favourites. All recipes serve 1. And if you haven’t got frozen bananas, use fresh and add a couple of ice cubes to chill.

 

Raspberry Milkshake

  •  A small chopped and frozen banana
  • Handful of raspberries
  • 8 grapes (or just use a few more raspberries)
  • Large spoonful of organic black cherry yoghurt (also be delicious with Coyo – dairy free coconut yoghurt)
  • Freshly pressed apple juice

Place all the ingredients into a blender with about 250ml of apple juice. Blitz until you have a smooth and creamy smoothie, adding a little more apple juice till you have your desired consistency.

Raspberry Milkshake

 

Breakfast on the run

  • Heaped tablespoon of rolled oats
  • 1 medjool date, stone removed
  • A couple of good pinches of ground cinnamon
  • A small chopped and frozen banana
  • a teaspoon of chia seeds
  • Full fat cows milk or almond milk (or any milk of your choice – hazelnut, soya, rice etc)
  • A drizzle of honey (I only use honey if I am using cows milk, as the others tend to have a sweetness to them already)

Place all the ingredients into a blender with around 250ml of your preferred milk and leave to sit for 3-4 minutes, to give the chia seeds time to swell up and do their thing. Blitz until you have a smooth creamy texture, adding a little more milk if you think it’s a bit thick.

 

The Popeye

This is based on a favourite of ours where I work, the kermit juice, an absolute winner of a breakfast smoothie. The twist being a squeeze of lime and milled flaxseeds, for optimum iron intake and a hit of omega 3.

  •  A small chopped and frozen banana
  • 1 small kiwi, peeled and chopped
  • Large handful of baby leaf spinach, washed
  • A squeeze of lime
  • Fresh apple juice
  • A tablespoon of milled flaxseed

Place all the ingredients in the blender with around 250ml of the apple juice. Blitz until super smooth, adding a little more juice if needed.

 

Coffee coffee…

So, if you’re ever in London town and want to hit some top coffee spots check out the links below for some of the best beans around.

Monmouth Coffee – Founded in ’78 Monmouth really has been around longer than a lot of these places put together. Expect to queue for what is exceptional coffee and totally worth it (it moves quickly). One of my favourite things? Curling up with a coffee in the Borough Market branch and digging in to the bread, butter and jam in the middle of the large table. All from the market and around £3 for as much as you can eat.

Climpson & Sons – a pioneer in the East London coffee roasting trend, Climpson’s has been around for 9 years and is still one of my favourite brews around. Their Broadway market no-nonsense cafe is always worth a visit, and great value for money.

OZONE – Old St based coffee roasters, this place does an exceptional flat white and some of the best brunch in town. The kedgeree is out of this world.

Caravan Exmouth Market and Caravan Kings Cross – Small batch coffee roasters, the blends are delicious along with superb food. Personal fave is the ham hock hash with poached eggs and mustard hollandaise. Be prepared to queue for a long time on the weekends though.

Allpress – Based in the heart of hipster central, Shoreditch based Allpress do great coffee and simple but delicious food. A perfect mid-shop caffeine hit.

TAP – I have a real soft spot for Tap, their laid back approach and delicious coffee make this an approachable contender. You don’t need to queue for hours or eat anything, you can sit and read and just drink delicious coffee. I spent many hours in there before or after the numerous hospital appointments we have had over the last year. And the staff are always nice.

Workshop – One of the largest of the coffee shops, Workshop Clerkenwell do great coffee and good food. Their corn fritters with halloumi, poached eggs and chutney are dreamy. The other branches have great reviews too.

Flat white at Ozone Coffee Roasters
Flat white at Ozone Coffee Roasters
Omelette with smoked haddock - Ozone Coffee Roasters
Omelette with smoked haddock – Ozone Coffee Roasters