Chocolate-Chunked Banana Bread
May 3, 2010 § 1 Comment
A few weeks ago I filled my grocery basket with 18 fair trade bananas, on sale at my local supermarket. Ever since, I’ve been pureeing bananas (hello, banana soft-serve “ice cream”!) around the clock. But while the “soft-serve” is undeniably addictive and a cinch (blend 1 overly-ripe, frozen banana in a Cuisinart until smooth & top with chocolate!), my obsession these days has been banana bread. My family and workmate have been extremely obliging, helping me tweak each trial and, at long last, I think we’ve finally nailed a good combination of ingredients.
A few notes about this recipe: Many of my quick breads & muffins use only oil (no butter) to yield a moist bread that has a longer shelf life. I wanted this bread to be moist, but also firm enough to handle a spread. I was wary of using only butter because I didn’t want it to be tough and chewy. So, I dabbled with a new butter/oil experiment: I decided to mix them. I used half oil, half butter. I loved the texture and crumb size and was pleased that it maintained its moisture, even after several days on the counter top.
Another note: do be sure to measure the quantity of banana “mush” that you put into the bread. You don’t want to skimp here. I’ve experimented with various amounts and want to caution: when I used a mere 1 cup (approximately 3 medium bananas) the results were only so-so. My workmate determined that there wasn’t enough banana flavor and I thought the bread was denser got stale faster. Stirring 1.5 cups of banana mush into the mix does the trick. However, if you only have a scant amount of banana-mush, replace the missing quantity with additional plain, whole-milk yogurt.
To ensure an aesthetically-attractive loaf, nicely cooked through the middle with no burned edges, I suggest taking a peek 45 minutes into the baking time. If the top looks golden brown, I tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top and curl under the pan edges and continue baking until the knife-test comes out clean (usually just over 1 hour).
One final note: This recipe also makes great muffins. For one of my trials, I made two different sizes of muffins (small and very small) to give away at work. If you’d like to do the same, I suggest lowering the oven by 25 degrees (300 degrees on convection; 325 degrees standard oven) and baking between 17-23 minutes, depending on the size of the tin. The muffins and loaf freeze and thaw perfectly, so don’t hesitate to make in advance and enjoy later in the week.
Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cup mashed banana (approx. 4 medium-sized)
2 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable (or neutral-tasting) oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped in chunks and slivers
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees on convection. Alternatively, heat oven on standard setting at 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan; layer bottom of pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine mashed banana and sugar. Beat until thoroughly incorporated. Melt butter (in an oven-proof dish in the heating oven or in the microwave). Allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding to the liquid batter. One at a time, add each egg, followed by the yogurt and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl mix flours, soda and sea salt. Chop chocolate into chunks and combine with flour mixture. (This will prevent the chocolate from falling to the bottom of the loaf.)
4. Bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes, but take a peek around 45 minutes. If your oven runs hot, the loaf might be browning too rapidly on top (mine always does). If so, tent with tin foil and continue baking. The loaf will be finished when the knife comes out clean. Let the bread rest for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. This loaf stays good on the counter for several days and freezes and thaws wonderfully.
Diet Notes: Nut-free
Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake
December 22, 2009 § 2 Comments
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: in my book, dessert for breakfast is ideal, not a no-no. This cake is perfectly suited for the wee hours and it makes a lip-smacking after-dinner treat, too. Inspired by Everybody Likes Sandwiches and Gourmet magazine, this sweet is bookmarked into my breakfast recipe bank with zeal!
Ingredients:
For the apples
2 cups crisp apples, chopped (peeled & cored, approximately 3 medium-sized apples)
2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cake
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup plain yogurt, whole-milk preferred
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Apple Prep:
In a brimmed skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter on stove over medium-high heat. Add chopped apples and saute until they start to caramelize and turn a golden-brown color (approximately 4-6 minutes). Add cinnamon and sugar. Saute another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cake Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ cake pan.
2. Mix flour, brown sugar and salt. Break-in butter until the mixture becomes crumbly (about the size of pebbles). Set aside 2/3 cup for crumb topping at the end.
3. Beat pumpkin, yogurt, spices, baking soda and evaporated cane sugar until smooth. Add room-temperature eggs.
4. Fold in apples (and all the butter-sugar juice from the pan) into the batter.
5. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on top. Bake approximately 1 hour or until golden-brown around edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for at least a half hour. Using a dull knife, run around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Serve warm with homemade whipped cream or enjoy at room temperature. This cake freezes and thaws well, too.
Diet Notes: Nut-free
Fingerling Potato, Arugula and Yellow Wax Bean Salad
July 24, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Last Sunday I made this gigantic salad and packaged it away in big, portable yogurt containers to tote to work for my lunches this week. Each day I’ve pried off the plastic lid, dumped the contents unceremoniously onto a large plate and I’m telling you – I’ve loved it so well, I’m seriously considering making a make-shift repeat for tomorrow with the sparse leftovers I have in the back of the fridge. This salad has won its way to my “top salad favs” list because it has a wonderful blend of textures and flavors. (This recipe was inspired by some experimental new pesto blends I’ve been whirling up and a beautiful update from Smitten Kitchen.)
If you want to try this recipe, I highly recommend three things: First, don’t short change the arugula. Second, take the time to toast the walnuts; the taste and crunch-quality of toasted walnuts is terrific, especially paired with a fork-full of potatoes! Third, if you can find fingerling potatoes, buy a pound or two. In a pinch, you can chop up a large Yukon Gold, but fingerling potatoes have terrific taste and are more fun to eat.
Ingredients:
1 bunch arugula
1 pound fingerling potatoes
1/2 pound green/yellow beans
3 large leeks
5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup basil
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (half a lemon)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (full-fat preferred)
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop fingerling potatoes, coat in olive oil and roast for about 15-20 minutes, until crispy around the edges.
2. Simultaneously toast walnuts in the oven for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and golden-brown; check repeatedly to make sure they don’t burn. If you prefer, you can also toast on the stove in a dry pan.
3. Heat a medium-sized pot on the stove to blanch green beans. Meanwhile, prepare dressing: in a Cuisinart, blend cilantro, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Whirl, adding olive oil and lemon juice as needed. When the dressing is smooth, spoon in a few scoops of yogurt to thicken it up and set aside.
4. Heat a rimmed skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Wash leeks.
(Cooking Tip: Leeks are notoriously packed with dirt in-between the concentric crevices. To wash leeks I chop them first, then soak them in a bowl of water for a few minutes, rubbing the chopped pieces between my fingers. The dirt will naturally settle to the bottom of the bowl and the leeks will float to the top. Scoop out the leeks with a slotted spoon when oil is hot in the pan.) Saute leeks until translucent, about five minutes. Add garlic. Stir. Reduce heat.
5. When water is boiling, blanch the beans for 5 minutes or until bright green and al dente. Then, combine with the leeks and garlic and saute a minute or two. Pull out the potatoes, add them to the pan. Remove from heat.
6. In a large serving bowl, tear arugula leaves into large pieces. Spoon dressing over the beans and potatoes until incorporated. Layer on top of the arugula bed. Top with toasted walnuts and serve.
Diet Notes: Gluten-free
Simplest Sorbet
March 30, 2009 § 1 Comment
It’s March and it’s eighty five degrees. I could complain about this (I do, hourly) but it’s not all bad. When it’s warm out, I make sorbet. Generally speaking, I’m an ice cream fanatic born into a family of lactose-intolerant dessertaholics. And so, I present you with lactose-friendly sorbet! This recipe requires a mere half-cup of yogurt and is a wonderful alternative to heavy-duty fudge sundaes.
Ingredients:
2-3 cups of favorite frozen fruit
1/2 cup plain, organic yogurt
1/4 cup sugar (or 1/8 cup if using sugared yogurt)*
few splashes of water
* I have experimented replacing sugar with honey. While I preferred the flavor of the honey, the honey quickly froze and left chewy streaks throughout the sorbet. Sugar, I found, mixed more uniformly. However, honey is a great alternative if on the SCD-diet.
Directions:
1. In a blender or Cuisinart, pulverize frozen fruit, sugar and yogurt. As the fruit pulses around, feed the blender with a little water to loosen. Once all the fruit has broken down, serve immediately. Alternatively, freeze and then 15 minutes before serving, take out and place on the counter to thaw slightly. This recipe will make two or three bowls.
Diet Notes: SCD-safe (see asterisk), nut-free, gluten-free
