Banana & choc chip cake
Ingredients (serves 16)
- 125g butter
- 1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1/4 cups (190g) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tbs milk
- 3/4 cup (200g) mashed banana
- 1/4 cup (50g) Stahman Farms chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup (95g) Nestle choc bits
-
Cream cheese icing
- 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (45g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest, to decorate
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 23cm square cake pan with melted butter.
- Use an electric beater to beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Use a metal spoon to fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda alternately with milk. Stir through the banana, pecans and choc bits until combined. Spoon into the pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cake is cold. Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice until pale and creamy. Spread over the cake. Decorate with zest.
Start your day light
Swap heavy breakfast items with low-cal yet yummy foods to lose weight
It’s the most important meal of the day, so don’t make the wrong choice. Here are some clever (and surprising) breakfast swaps that’ll fill you up and keep the kilos off too…
SWAP… Two scrambled eggs (308 calories, 28g fat)
Scrambled egg may seem like the more virtuous option, but it’s impossible to make it properly without adding milk and butter.
SWAP… Two scrambled eggs (308 calories, 28g fat)
…FOR
Two fried eggs (214 calories, 16g fat)WHY?
Scrambled egg may seem like the more virtuous option, but it’s impossible to make it properly without adding milk and butter.
Go for a couple of eggs fried with just a little spray of oil instead, and you’ll feel just as satisfied but consume far fewer calories.
Eggs for breakfast fill you up more than most other breakfast choices, so you tend to eat less at your next couple of meals, according to research carried out at the Rochester Centre for Obesity in America.
SWAP… An almond croissant (481 calories, 30.5g fat)
SWAP… An almond croissant (481 calories, 30.5g fat)
…FOR
Two slices of fruit bread (206 calories, 3g fat)WHY?
The calorie count for the average coffee shop almond croissant isn’t far shy of 500 and it will surely fill you up for only half an hour.Opt for fruit bread instead – it releases energy slowly and keeps you satisfied for a little longer. But leave it unbuttered.
SWAP… Two sausages (185 calories, 11g fat)
Half a large tin of beans with one slice of unbuttered toast actually has more calories than two sausages, but it’s much healthier.
SWAP… Two sausages (185 calories, 11g fat)
…FOR
Beans on a slice of toast (267 calo ries, 2g fat)WHY?
Half a large tin of beans with one slice of unbuttered toast actually has more calories than two sausages, but it’s much healthier.
The sausages supply lots of cholesterol-raising saturated fat, while the beans are low in fat, high in fibre and have a very low glycaemic index – so they’ll fill you up for longer. They also count as a veg
portion, but buy the reduced-salt
version – it’s even healthier.
SWAP… 40g corn flakes and semi-skimmed milk (205 calories, 2g fat)
There’s no calorie saving here, but you can’t beat porridge for its slow-release energy, which will stop you digging into the biscuit tin.
SWAP… 150g of tub yoghurt
calories, 14g fat). Or a low-fat tomato sandwich (120 calories, 3g fat)
Yoghurt is one of the few foods that’s less than healthy. The full-fat version is 10 per cent fat and the calories soon mount.
portion, but buy the reduced-salt
version – it’s even healthier.
SWAP… 40g corn flakes and semi-skimmed milk (205 calories, 2g fat)
…FOR
40g porridge oats with semiskimmed milk (221 calories, 6g fat)WHY?
There’s no calorie saving here, but you can’t beat porridge for its slow-release energy, which will stop you digging into the biscuit tin.
SWAP… 150g of tub yoghurt
…FOR
Honey and a chopped banana (370WHY?
calories, 14g fat). Or a low-fat tomato sandwich (120 calories, 3g fat)
Yoghurt is one of the few foods that’s less than healthy. The full-fat version is 10 per cent fat and the calories soon mount.
A better swap option is to have a sandwich with far fewer calories. Make it at home, add extra-lean chicken if you want, make it on thinly sliced wholemeal bread (no butter) and don’t forget lots of tomatoes.
Chocolate fondue
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 300ml thickened cream
- 1/4 cup Cointreau liqueur
- 300g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- fresh fruit, such as strawberries, orange segments, banana, raspberries and kiwifruit, to serve
- 250g packet marshmallows
Method
- Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Stir in Cointreau.
- Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate. Stir with a metal spoon until melted and smooth. Pour into a warm bowl or small ceramic fondue.
- Serve chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows.
