Banana Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe 170 - Banana buttermilk pancakes

Weird ingredients and substitutes: Ever since the cyclone in Queensland earlier this year, bananas have gone up to $15 per kilo, and they have been sorely lacking in the Next Nigella's diet. As it so happened, the Next Nigella was able to source one very precious, valuable and lonely banana.

Preparation: Melt butter. All other ingredients go into the blender. Don't you love these type of easy-mix pancakes? The Next Nigella is aware that she appears to have gone awol... She has been cooking, but hasn't quite made it to blogging.

Cooking process: Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter into the frying pan, which makes a bunch.

End result: Mine were served with mixed berry jam, Hubby had his plain. They are so light and fluffy! Absolutely delicious.

Repeatability: Yes, but only when bananas come back to a reasonable price.

Cost: Banana was free, rest of the ingredients were about $3 worth.

Mess: No, not really.

Special utensils: Blender

Aromatic Lamb Meatballs

Recipe 171 - Aromatic Lamb Meatballs

Weird ingredients and substitutes: Nil.

Preparation: I couldn't find minced lamb at the supermarket, so bought the nicest lamb steaks I could find and minced my own. So, mince lamb, add spring onions and spices, semolina and egg. Mix together and put in fridge for half an hour. Then roll the mixture into balls.

Cooking process: In an oiled frypan, cook the meatballs, turning while cooking. I did find it difficult to ensure that they were cooked through.

End result: Served in a pita bread, with hummus, lettuce leaves, tomato, red onion and chilli sauce. Yum. We really enjoyed this.

Repeatability: Yes.

Cost: $12 for about 5 servings (including the pita and hummus).

Mess: It is messy making the balls themselves, and it is messy cooking them.

Special utensils: A food processor (if you can't find minced lamb).

Baby Burgers

Recipe 172 - Baby Burgers

Weird ingredients and substitutes: I didn't have garlic oil.

Preparation: Add salt and sugar to the mince. It is supposed to be left in the fridge for a couple hours at this stage, but typically, I am making this 10 min. before we are looking to eat dinner.

Cooking process: Nigella does say to fry the burgers, but given the lamb meatballs and how hard it was to ensure that they were cooked through, I just put the patties into the oven to bake.

End result: Oops. I did forget to take a photo until I was halfway through the burger. It was okay, not fantastic though.
 

Repeatability: Nah.

Cost: $12 when I doubled the recipe, but I should have kept it as specified, as we didn't finish the rest.

Mess: It's messy to form the patties.

Special utensils: Nil.