Hello again everyone. After a couple of busy weeks finally finishing the visa process for Ukraine, falling ill and healing, as well as taking a business trip for my school, I am back with some tasty --- and healthy -- recipes for Fall. This recipe I have been promising the ladies at work for over a month and guess I should follow through.
My husband, Rick, is a man of few recipes. But, everything he makes, he has perfected over years. This simple and delicious banana bread is no exception. One of our absolute favourites, Rick or I prepare this at least once a week and -- though made to serve 6-8 -- Rick makes it a full meal and generally devours most of the loaf in one sitting (which is why we have almost no idea how long it takes to cool. . . :-)
Taking only 30 minutes and one bowl to whip together, this no-fuss dish will probably become a favourite in your kitchen too!
Easiest Banana Bread
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from the kitchen of Rick DeLong
Serves 6-8
Nutrition: 258 cal ◦ 9g protein ◦ 7g fiber ◦ 7g fat ◦ 8g sugar
Ingredients:
◦ 3-4 medium ripe or over-ripe bananas, peeled
◦ 1 large egg
◦ 1.5 cups whole grain flour
◦ 1 cup rolled oats or wheat bran
◦ 1 T baking powder
◦ Pinch of salt
◦ ¼ cup unsalted almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts, roughly chopped
◦ 1 T olive oil for pan
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Oil baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mash bananas until they becomes a chunky sauce. Gently mix in the egg.
3. Add in flour and oats, mixing thoroughly. When blended, mix in salt, baking powder, and nuts. Stir until all is incorporated. The batter should be rather runny.
4. Pour the batter into the oiled baking dish and place in warm oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the bread harden and brown and it begins to smell fantastic. The edges of the bread, when hardening, should separate from the sides of the baking dish.
5. Remove bread and check the center with a toothpick or clean knife. You may need to test one or two spots as the banana can make the bread seem undercooked when it is in fact ready. The bread should be soft and somewhat dense.
Notes:
◦ This bread is delicious on its own or with a small spread of real butter.
◦ We bake this in our favourite cast iron pan, which resembles a cake pan. You can bake it in a lighter dish, even a loaf pan, but cooking times may need to be adjusted.
◦ This is a staple and can be a meal in itself, which is how we often eat it, or it may be served as a side for breakfast with scrambled eggs and grapefruit or for lunch with a small chef salad and some apple or carrots.
◦ To make this bread more complex and nutritious, consider mixing in flax seeds. They'll give the bread a more nutty, round flavour and will boost your omega-3 intake. Just be sure you run the seeds in a food processor beforehand to make the nutrients digestible . . . or just chew your food well!
This bread is low in fat (especially saturated fat), high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, and has no added sugar, which will satisfy your craving for comfort foods without overwhelming your body with fats and simple carbohydrates. Also, because one serving packs 9 grams of protein this bread will keep you full longer. How can it possibly taste fabulous? It's real food, made well.
Thank you very much for posting the recipe, I'll definitely try cooking it this weekend and report to you about the results. One question though: where do you buy whole grain flour around here?
ReplyDeleteWe buy our's most often at Ashan. Here it is sold in a yellow bag and is sold as "low-grade" or "second-grade" flour -- all that means is that it hasn't been processed so much as the normal white flour. If you can't get your hands on whole grain flour you can use less regular flour mixed with wheat bran to make up the difference.
ReplyDeleteBannana bread with whole grain flour and oats/bran---now that sounds good!
ReplyDelete