Recently, I was asked for a recipe for Banana Bread.  I’ve created 2 recipes with a few choices for substitutions, so you can make each recipe your own.

Legend:  I use abbreviations when writing a recipe.  Example – I use T – for Tablespoon.

T – Tablespoon/Tablespoons

t – teaspoon/teaspoons

C – cup/cups

lg – Large

lb. – pound / lbs. – pounds

oz. – ounce/ounces

sm. – small

Temp - temperature

Banana Bread Recipes

Recipe # 1

I’ve created a few Banana Bread recipes with slight variations so you can decide for yourself which one best suit your tastes.  I will also attach several tips at the end of this post that will give you options for ingredients to add or substitute.

Moist Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 – C – All Purpose Flour (level cups)

1 – t – baking soda * (2 – T – tap water)

¼ - t – sea salt

½ - t – ground cinnamon

½ - C – Unsalted Butter (1 stick - softened)

¾ - C – Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)

2 – Lg – Eggs (room temperature)

1/3 – C – Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream

2 – C – Bananas (ripe / mashed) (4 bananas)

1 – t – vanilla

Optional: ¾ - C – Walnuts or Pecans (chopped and toasted)

Directions:

** Lower oven rack 1 position below the center.

** Preheat oven to 350°

** Spray 9 - inch loaf pan with cooking spray. (I use olive oil or coconut oil)

** Mix butter and brown sugar with whisk or hand held mixer on high speed until smooth and creamy. (about 2 minutes)

** Lower mixer to medium speed, add one egg at a time, beating well after each.

** Add yogurt or sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Use medium speed to mix.

** In a small bowl, add 2 T cool tap water, stir in 1 t baking soda. Use a salad fork to combine thoroughly.

** Add to banana mixture.

** With mixer on low, slowly beat in the flour until well mixed. *Do Not Over Mix*

** If you’re using nuts:  Toss nuts gently in a small amount of flour, shake away any extra flour. Fold nuts into the batter.

**Spoon the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 mins.

**Loosely cover bread with aluminum foil after about 30 mins. To keep it from getting too brown, finish baking for remainder of time. (30-35 mins)

**Insert a toothpick in the center of bread to see if it is done. (It should come out clean)

**Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. (5 or 10 mins)

**Remove bread from pan, put it on the wire rack to finish cooling.

**You can cover and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

TIPS/NOTES

Substitutions:

Sweeteners:  Maple syrup or Agave can be used.  Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar. If you prefer regular sugar instead of brown sugar, measure 1 – c – granulated sugar, instead of ¾ c. – packed brown sugar.

This bread also tastes great with cream cheese frosting. Here’s a simple cream cheese frosting recipe.

Beat 4 oz. softened cream cheese and ¼ c. softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in 1 c. confectioners’ sugar, ½ t. vanilla, and a pinch of salt until combined.  Spread on cooled loaf.

Banana Bread Muffins:

Use recipe to make 2 dozen muffins.  Pour the batter into a lined muffin pan. Bake for 5 mins. at 425° then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the temp to 350°.  Bake for an additional 16-17 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total cooking time is 22-23 mins.

You can substitute the plain yogurt or sour cream with 1/3 c. Greek yogurt, 1/3 c, unsweetened applesauce, or even 1/3 c. additional ripe mashed bananas.

You can use frozen bananas.  Thaw them at room temp and drain off any excess liquid before using.

Lightly coating the nuts with flour keeps the nuts from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.

Recipe #2

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 – medium – ripe bananas (mashed)

6 – T – unsweetened applesauce

2 – lg – eggs

¼ - c – honey*

¼ - c – brown sugar (packed) (light or dark)*

1/3 – c – milk*

2 – t – vanilla

1 – t – baking soda

2 – T – cool tap water (in a small bowl)

1 and ¾ - c – whole wheat flour (leveled)

½ - t – ground cinnamon

Pinch – salt

2/3 – c – walnuts (chopped)

Directions:

** Lower oven rack 1 position below the center.

** Preheat oven to 350°

** Spray 9 – in. loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

** With a whisk or hand-held mixer, on medium speed, beat bananas, applesauce, and eggs together until smooth.

** Add honey, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until combined.  Set aside.

** In a small bowl, add 2 T cool tap water, add 1 t. baking soda, using a salad fork to mix thoroughly.  Add to banana mixture, mixing to combine.

** In a separate large bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, and salt together.

** Pour flour mixture, a little at a time, into banana mixture.  Mix until combined.

** Dust nuts with flour, shaking off extra flour.

** Fold nuts into batter. 

** Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 60-65 mins., covering bread loosely with aluminum foil (at about 30 mins.) to prevent bread from getting too dark.

** The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  After 55 mins. check every 5 mins. as all ovens are different.

** When done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. (5-10 mins.)

**You can cover and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins:

Use recipe to make 2 dozen muffins.  Pour the batter into a lined muffin pan. Bake for 5 mins. at 425° then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the temp to 350°.  Bake for an additional 16-17 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total cooking time is 22-23 mins.

Substitutions:

*Applesauce: You can use melted coconut oil (or vegetable oil) instead.

*Sweeteners:  Maple syrup or Agave can be used.  Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar.

*Milk:  You can use skim milk or any non-dairy milk, also, almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk all work, too.  (I use cashew milk for most everything.)

IMPORTANT TIP:

It’s important to follow the directions exactly in the order I have written them.  The order allows for a recipe to come out with a more perfect result.  

In all my baking recipes I started mixing the baking soda or baking powder with the appropriate amount of water and added to the wet mixture.  The reason behind this is that when added to dry mixtures they don’t mix as well, and you might get a bitter bite of them after the product is baked.  It happens more times than you might imagine.

I'll be posting more recipes soon that will be kid friendly.  Cooking together is fun and a great way to pass some time.  Also, you have a delicious product to enjoy and share.

Easy Candied Yams

Ingredients:

3 - medium - Yams (1 ½ cups)
¼ - cup – Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
1 - teaspoon – All Purpose Flour (sifted)
¼ - teaspoon – Sea Salt
¼ - teaspoon - Ground Cinnamon
¼ - teaspoon - Ground Nutmeg
¼ - teaspoon - Orange Peel (zest)
2 - teaspoons – Butter (softened)
½ - cup - Orange Juice

Directions:

1)  Cut yams in half and boil until tender but firm (about 20 minutes).

2)  When cool enough to handle, peel and slice into 1/4-inch thickness.

3)  Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and grated orange peel.

4)  Place half of the sliced yams in a medium-sized casserole dish.

5)  Sprinkle with spiced sugar mixture.

6)  Dot with half the amount of margarine.

7)  Add a second layer of yams, using the rest of the ingredients in the same order   as above. Add orange juice.

8)  Bake uncovered in oven preheated to 350°F for 20 minutes.

Note: You can substitute sweet potatoes.

       Double the recipe to make a side dish for the holidays.

TIP: If you choose to you can use canned yams or sweet potatoes.  This saves time and it works.  Just open the can, drain and cut up yams, then start at step 3 to finish the recipe. You can also use canned yams and sweet potatoes for the recipe that calls for a marshmallow topping.

Enjoy !!!

I decided to post my Chicken Soup recipe today. As you can see, it takes some time to "Build" it. Make sure you're going to have a little time each day.

ENJOY !!!

AMAH’S CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:

       1 – Whole Chicken (Roasted) (or left-over parts.)

       3-4 – Quart Boxes – Chicken Broth (or combination of broths) (You may need a 5th broth.)

       2-3 – Onions – (Caramelized)

       1 1\2 – Pound – Carrots (Chopped or Diced) (Pre-cooked)

       8 – Stalks – Celery (Chopped) (Pre-cooked)

Additional Veggies (Whatever you like) (I use green beans, zucchini, cabbage, spinach) (You can use most vegetables) (I don’t use corn. The flavor tends to be too strong.)

2 – Cans – Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (Do not strain.)

Seasonings:  Garlic, Oregano, Savory, Tarragon, Basil, Thyme, Bouquet Garni, Herbs de Provence, etc.

Noodles or Quinoa (There’s many “filler” items you can use to enhance soup.)

(Use a whole grain noodle, such as, Spelt, Buckwheat, or enriched grains. They add more flavor and have more fiber. They are healthier.)

Directions:

1)     Put chicken into soup pot.  Add 3 quarts of the broth.

2)     Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until chicken comes off the bone easily. (Be careful when you’re heating any liquid. If you cover your pot it will get hot faster.  The bottom of the pot can burn if it’s too hot.) (Stir often.)

3)     While chicken is cooking, prepare your vegetables.  Wash, chop and brown them in a skillet.  (You can do most of the chopping early.)  (Check tips.)

4)     Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from broth.  You might need to strain the broth.  Put chicken in a dish that has a cover.  Refrigerate.

5)     Vegetables should be browned by now.  Add the 4th box of broth to the soup pot.  Add veggies to the broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until vegetables are almost done. 

6)     Use a blender or mixer to crush tomatoes with juice. Add to soup.

7)     Place soup pot in the refrigerator with broth and veggies left in.  Cool overnight. 

NEXT DAY                                                                                                                        

8)     Take chicken out of the refrigerator.   Take off all skin, fat and bones. (Be very careful that you get all bones out.)

9)     Chop chicken. (You might find more small bones during this process.)

10)   Take soup pot from the refrigerator.  Place it on the stove.

11)   Slowly, start heating soup.  Add chopped chicken. Stir well and often.

12)   Taste broth.

13)   Add seasonings to taste. (Don’t go overboard with seasonings.  The longer they marinate, the stronger the flavor. You can always add more later.)

14)   You may also need to add extra broth depending on whether you are adding a filler.

15)   Bring to a boil, add filler now.  Reduce heat. Simmer. 

16)   Stir.

17)   Taste.

18)   Adjust seasonings.

19)   Serve.

Tip:  If you’re not serving the soup until the following day, put soup pot back into the refrigerator and let it marinate over-night.  When you heat soup make sure that you start slowly, allowing plenty of time so you don’t burn any ingredients at the bottom of the pot.  Stir often.  Remember – covering a pot makes it heat faster. (It also gets HOT quicker.)  When soup begins to boil, reduce heat to low.  Cover.

If you are serving bread with your soup, you might want to prepare it early.  If you’re using a baguette, slice just before serving soup.

Tip: In the list of ingredients it says to use Chicken Broth or a combination of broths.  Vegetable broths are a great source of vitamins and flavors.

I promise to post again soon.....