Banana Buttermilk Muffins

I found my new favourite banana muffin recipe!
It was on a blog called Alida's Kitchen and I love it and so do the kids.
The main reason I made them was because I had buttermilk in my fridge, two ripe bananas and half a cup of chocolate chips. Clearly a sign that I had to bake muffins. I just had to do it. And I cannot wait to bake them again!

Here is a link tot the recipe and here is a copy:

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup well-mashed ripe banana (I used 2 large bananas)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I used plain chocolate chips)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Spray 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
In a separate bowl (or in a liquid measuring cup), whisk together buttermilk, banana, oil, egg and vanilla.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and fold until just blended. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips, and fold until combined.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes and then move muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. completely.

Apple Buttermilk Muffins

Yet another use for buttermilk - muffins!
I know, I know, I bake lots of cupcakes and muffins but now that I have more time I cannot help myself. My little helpers love baking too...

These apple buttermilk muffins were delicious and did not last very long.

Here is a link to the recipe which I found on a website called Homegrown and Healthy and here is a copy:

Ingredients:
1 cup self-raising flour
¾ cup plain flour
½ cup traditional rolled oats
¼ cup caster sugar
60g butter, melted, cooled
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 lightly beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 green apples, peeled, grated
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 190C and line a muffin pan with paper cases.
Combine flours, oats, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add butter, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Mix until just combined then fold in the apple.
Spoon mixture evenly between the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Stand in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

Buttermilk Marinated Chicken

You can always count on Martha Stewart.
For recipes, of course.
I had buttermilk to use up l and vaguely remembered that it could be used as a marinade.
So after a quick google I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website. It is actually a 'how to marinades' article with a list of recipes.

Here is a copy of the one I used, quite conveniently I had everything I needed in the house:

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (3 cloves)
Use with chicken, fish, or other seafood.

I simply placed it all with three skinned chicken breasts in a plastic ziplock bag and left it there overnight.

Cook it on a hot grill pan and you will be rewarded for your patience with the most tender delicious chicken!

Soda Bread

A little buttermilk goes a long way.
Well it does in my house!
We are not big buttermilk consumers and when it arrived in one of my food crates I was quite shocked really. I mean seriously, what on earth were we going to do with a whole litre of buttermilk.
Turns out there are lots and lots of things to do with buttermilk!
One of them is baking soda bread.

This is the first time I attempted it but I just happened to have read about it on Anna's blog who in turn found it on Stins blog and they both inspired me to try it!

I did not use their recipe because I wanted to make a smaller version of the soda bread.
Good thing I did because I would have eaten the whole soda bread myself.
It is dead easy and delicious.
I'm going to be making this again (and again)!

Here is the recipe from a blog called Wholesome Ireland.

Here is a copy of the recipe (adjusted to omit seeds):

Ingredients
100g strong white flour
100g coarse wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
25g salted butter, softened100ml buttermilk
Extra buttermilk for dabbing on top

Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius and line a baking tray.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda & butter until you get small breadcrumbs.
Pour in the buttermilk and loosely mix until it all comes together in a dough.  If it’s a little dry add a small amount of water.

Once you have a loose dough, shape into a round with your hands.  Put the dough lightly onto a baking tray and using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the bread but don’t cut through the whole way. Brush the top of the bread with extra buttermilk.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the bread from the tray and wrap in a damp tea towel then return it to the warm oven to cool.  This gives you a soft crust.  If you like a hard crust then leave to cool on a rack with no damp tea towel.