Brunching and Lunching

With the sudden realisation of how quickly my time in Newcastle is going, I promised myself that I would make the most of this year. 

Until recently I've always thought that Newcastle only really has the generic, chain cafes and restaurants. Admittedly, the unique places are well hidden, however they're definitely worth the search. 

This week I've had my fair share of brunching and lunching, starting at Olive and Bean. 

'Olive and Bean is a coffee shop, bespoke sandwich bar and delicatessen all rolled into one'

Escaping from the library, Becca and I went to Olive and Bean for lunch. With an extensive menu, we were spoilt for choice and the decision was hard. I settled for the homemade humous, falafel and sun-blushed tomato salad and it did not disappoint.

The selection of sweet treats was too much. Cakes, tiffin, brownies, cheesecake - they had it all. As always, our eyes were far bigger than our stomachs. Not letting anything go to waste, we resorted to taking doggy bags home!

Next was birthday brunch at Jam Jar in Jesmond. Having been for dinner before, I had no doubt that brunch would be equally as good. Serving full english, pancakes and eggs florentine, Jam Jar is the perfect wake up call. 

Last up was lunch at ARLO, also in Jesmond. This bistro and cafe is a real hidden beauty. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, ARLO is decorated in a quirky yet quaint way. 

This was the perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. Catering for all, the lunch menu offers soup, sandwiches, quiche, salads and more. Make sure you leave room for the amazing cakes!

The Sloppy Lola 

Toulouse sausage Bolognese, toasted ciabatta, melted cheddar, salad & crisps

Crumbled Feta, Hummus, Sun blushed Tomato and Roast Vegetable Soft Open Tortilla

Sunday Brunch

You can always count on Waitrose for a delicious recipe and this was no exception. 

Family brunches have become a regular occurrence recently and this was up there with the best.

Banana and blueberry eggy bread.

Essentially bread and butter pudding, but for breakfast. 

This really does set you up for the rest of the day and as breakfast is the most important meal of the day, how can you resist?! 

To serve 4, all you need is:

- 2 bananas, each halved and sliced lengthways

- 8 slices Brioche loaf

- 100g blueberries

- 4 tbsp clear honey

- 4 large eggs

- 150ml milk

- Pinch of cinnamon

- 15g butter

- Icing sugar to dust

Arrange the slices of banana on the 4 brioche slices and scatter the blueberries on top.

Drizzle with honey, then place a slice of brioche on top. 

Place the eggs in a shallow dish with the milk and cinnamon. Place all 4 brioche sandwiches in the eft mixture and leave for 5 minutes to soak. 

Turn over and repeat for the other side. Keep turning until each sandwich is soaked and the egg has been used up. 

Heat the butter in a large frying pan (I was using the AGA so placed baking parchment on the top plates). Gently cook the brioche sandwiches for 3-4 minutes until each side is golden brown. 

Serve while warm and dust with icing sugar. 

The perfect treat for a rainy Sunday morning, sure to brighten anyones day. 

Banana Pancakes

It's time for brunch and that means one thing - pancakes.

You can't go wrong with the basic pancake recipe, it's a classic loved by all. 

To add a slight twist, I added bananas and topped my pancakes with Nutella. 

The best combination ever. 

I started by caramelising the thinly sliced banana by tossing them in brown sugar. Place in a saucepan and gently heat for a couple of minutes to add a sweet touch. 

Make your usual pancake batter - flour, eggs and milk is all you need. Once you have poured this into your saucepan, immediately add the sliced banana using however much you like. 

Continue as you normally would, flipping the pancake to cook both sides.

And there we have it, a delicious banana pancake made within minutes. 

Topped with Nutella, this is the perfect wakeup call.