thefoodwife – Page 2 – The Food Wife

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

13th August 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 8-10

This is a banana loaf cake with the addition of chocolate chips. An easy bake and great to make with kids. I used dark chocolate chips which contained no dairy and with the cake mix also being dairy free itâ€™s a great bake to make if you donâ€™t want to use dairy in your baking.

Ingredients:

2 large/3 medium/4 small very ripe bananas, mashed

110g vegetable oil

60g caster sugar

170g self raising flour

2 large eggs, beaten

Pinch of salt

50g (dark) chocolate chips

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the bananas, oil, sugar, flour, eggs and salt together.

Step 2: Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 3: Pour into a lined 1lb loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180c (fan) for 50 mins, or until golden, risen and springs back to the touch.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for half an hour before transferring (out of the tin) to a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container and it can last a few days.

No-churn Blackcurrant and Meringue Ice Cream

13th July 2025
by thefoodwife

You will need a 2L tub to store this in

This is the first year Iâ€™ve had my own homegrown blackcurrants! I adore the smell of them and their leaves, I like the jam but didnâ€™t fancy making any. Whilst I wondered what to do with them all I froze them in small bags. A meal with friends was approaching and I decided to turn one of the bags into a no-churn ice cream. The currants are tart and so the sweet condensed milk balances this perfectly. I added crushed meringues for extra yumminess but these can easily by omitted if making this egg free. For an extra hit and to help it soften more easily you could also add a shot or two of blackcurrant liqueur (crÃ¨me de cassis) in the whipping stage. This is super rich so a scoop or two is plenty.

Ingredients:

600ml double cream

397g (1 tin) condensed milk

400-500g blackcurrants (fresh or frozen)

1 lemon, juiced

5-6 ready made meringue nests, crushed

Step 1: Begin by putting the blackcurrants, lemon juice and a splash of water in a sauce pan with a lid. Over a medium/low heat cook for 5-10 minutes until the blackcurrants currants have broken down and released their juice.

Step 2: Pass through a sieve into a bowl, pressing down to get all the juice out, but removing the seeds, skins and any remaining stalks. Set to one side to cool.

Step 3: Once cool, put the blackcurrant mixture, cream and condensed milk into a large mixing bowl whip together to form soft peaks. Fold through most of the crushed meringue, reserving some to sprinkle on the top once in the tub.

Step 4: put the mixture into a lidded tub, carefully spreading the mixture so it is even, sprinkle over the remaining crushed meringue. Seal with the lid and then put flat in the freezer to set for at least 6 hours, ideally over night.

Remove from the freezer for 15-20 minutes before scooping.

Blackcurrant ice cream with meringue folded through â€¦ summer pudding heaven!

Watermelon Mocktail

29th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 450-500ml

Inspired by my favourite drink on my trip to Thailand in April (watermelon shake) this is the most refreshing little watermelon mocktail and with only 3 ingredients!

You could freeze the watermelon for extra coldness!

Ingredients:

300g Watermelon, large chunks

60ml sugar syrup

10 ice cubes

Garnish: mint

Blitz together in a blender the watermelon, ice cubes and sugar syrup. Decant into glasses and garnish with mint. Drink immediately.

Mojito

29th June 202529th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 1

This is a cocktail that is rarely not seen on a drinks menu. Hereâ€™s how to make your own at home, youâ€™re going to love it!

Ingredients:

Mint leaves

50ml/ 2 shots white rum

30ml/ 1 shot lime juice

15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup

Soda water

Ice

Garnish: mint leaves and lime wedges/slices

Begin by muddling (bruising) 5 mint leaves in your cocktail shaker. Next add the rum, lime juice, sugar syrup and ice, and shake together. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and then top up with soda water. Garnish with mint and lime as desired.

With thanks to Grant Walker for being the best mixologist!

Paloma Cocktail

29th June 202529th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 1

This refreshing cocktail is a Mexican classic. The alcohol base is tequila (use a good quality one please!) and it is flavoured with grapefruit. You could also add a squeeze of lime if you fancy it. Rimming the glass with salt is a fun addition. If you do this, before filling the glass with ice, either run a cut lime around the rim of the glass or dip in sugar syrup, then dip in a plate of salt.

Ingredients:

45ml/ 1 1/2 shots tequila

1/2 ruby grapefuit, juiced

15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup (or agave)

75ml/ 2 1/2 shots Soda water

Optional: squeeze of lime

Garnish: salt rimmed glass and a slice of grapefruit or lime

Fill a glass with ice (already rimmed with salt if using). In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake the tequila, grapefruit and sugar syrup (and lime if using) together until very cold. Pour into the iced glass and top up with the soda water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.