Banana Walnut Loaf - Healty Tastes Better!

The best part of this recipe is the smell of bananas baking in the oven and it is also a perfect way to use your very ripe bananas (Another tip I learned from Alton Brown is to wrap them with plastic wrap and freeze for smoothies, they are really perfect for smoothies!). I would rather have my daughter eat the actual banana itself but if she is going to eat the banana bread, I want her tastebuds to get used to healtier options. Unlike the tradional recipes this recipe doesn't call for butter and it is made of whole wheat flour. And it is another proof that healty tastes better!

Ingredients

11/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 bananas)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4 cup rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9"x 5"x 3" loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a fork to mix.

3. In another bowl, combine the sugar, flaxseed, and eggs. Stir to mix. Add the bananas, oil, milk, walnuts and vanilla extract. Stir to mix. Add the flour mixture. Stir just until all the flour mixture is absorbed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with rolled oats.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Biscuits

Tips for making light and fluffy biscuits:

- Do not overwork the dough and do not knead. Kneading creates gluten, which act like elastic bands, if you over work you will get a small, unrisen, chewy biscuit.

- Don't puree the sweet potato in a food processor, which can cause the potato to become gummy, use a fork or potato masher instead

- Add about 1/2 tsp vinegar to the sweet potato as you mash it. You won't taste the vinegar. It will just help the baking powder do it's job.

- Use fresh baking soda.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose or self-rising flour, plus more for kneading and shaping ( I used white whole wheat)

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder(if you are using self rising flour omit the baking powder)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter,cut into pieces, (I used only 3 tablespoon non-hydrogenated organic shortening )

plus 1/2 tablespoon melted butter and more for pan (optional)

3/4 cup Sweet-Potato Puree, chilled

1/3 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 tsp cream of tarter (optional)

Directions

1.Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining.

Cutting in the butter makes for flaky, delicate biscuits. Be sure to stop cutting in the butter while there are still pebble-sized pieces. If you work it longer, the biscuits will be tough.

In a small bowl, whisk together sweet potato puree and buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until combined (do not over mix).

2.Shape the biscuits: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy, five or six times. (If dough is too sticky, work in up to 1/4 cup additional flour.) Shape into a disk, and pat to an even 1-inch thickness. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once).

3.Bake the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. with rack on lower shelf. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Arrange biscuits snugly in pan (to help them stay upright). Brush with melted butter (I skipped this step). Bake until golden, rotating once, 20 to 24 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

You can flavor your sweet potatoes with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla while they are boiling  or add herbs or raisins. I am planning to add fresh chives to the dough next time I make it because I like them savory. You can also serve them with honey/maple butter, or basil butter. I think it can be great as chicken pot pie topping too.

 
(Recipe is adapted from Everyday Food, November 2003)

Sheraton Maui Macadamia Nut Pineapple Banana Bread

This tantalizing bread was so delicious it was all gone before I could take a picture of it. I will post the picture as soon as I make another one. But you don't have to wait for the picture to believe how delicious it was, just try it, I promise you won't regret!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water (I used 1/3)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar ( I used only 1 cup)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups oil ( I used only 1/2 cup canola)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 1/4 cups over-ripe banana, mashed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped (or hazelnuts but not walnuts)
1 1/4 cups crushed fresh pineapple, drained

Directions:
1. Mix oil and sugar together thoroughly. Add bananas, eggs and water.
2. Sift dry ingredients and blend into mixture; DO NOT over-mix.
3. Dust macadamia nuts with flour.
4. Fold dusted macadamia nut and pineapples into mixture.
5. Lightly grease and paper line three mini loaf pans.
6. Pour batter into loaf pans.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until firm.

Zucchini Bread with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta (Kozlenmis Biberli Kabakli Ekmek)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups zucchini (grated, squeezed and drained)

2 roasted red peppers (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (grated)

1/2 cup feta (crumbled)

1 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Mix the zucchini, roasted red pepper, garlic, feta, oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and eggs in a large bowl.

2. Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and oregano in a bowl.

3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

4. Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.

5. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

(Recipe is adapted from Closet Cooking http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/07/zucchini-bread-with-roasted-red-peppers.html)

Savory Zucchini Bread (Kabakli Ekmek)

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini (shredded)

1/3 cup olive oil
2 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup feta cheese or any white cheese (crumbled)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup Dill (chopped, if you are using dried dill use 2 tbs)

salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 375°F.

2. Lightly grease the loaf pan and sprinkle with a little flour.

3. In a small cup beat the eggs and add milk and oil mix well.

4. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.

5. Add the egg mixture, zucchini, cheese, dill and mix.

6. Transfer the dough to the buttered loaf pan and bake for 30 min and then rotate the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes longer.

7. Turn the loaf out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.

8. Serve the bread warm or at room temperature.