September 29, 2021 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments
INGREDIENTS
-
⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
½ cup honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
2 eggs
1 cup (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
¼ cup (56 grams) milk of choice or water
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
1¾ cups (220 grams) whole wheat flour**
greased loaf pan
- Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…Preparation: Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl beat the oil & honey together with a whisk. Add eggs & beat well, whisk in bananas & milk. Add the bicarb, vanilla, salt & cinnamon; whisk to blend.
Switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. (some lumps are ok!).
If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.Pour the batter into your loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. (for a pretty swirled effect, run tip of knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes (depending on mix-ins) or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes.You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan. Carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
NOTES
STORAGE: This bread is moist, so will keep for just 2-3 days at room temperature. Store in a fridge for 5-7 days or in freezer for up to three months (pre-sliced helps).
OIL OPTIONS: Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that.
* Use cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: In place of the whole wheat flour, you can use an equal amount of all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Or, substitute 2 ½ cups oat flour.
MAKE MUFFINS: Here’s my banana muffin recipe.
MAKE IT VEGAN: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water. It might get gluggy though.
MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Use an equal amount of Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free blend or 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour. Do NOT substitute coconut flour.
MAKE IT LOWER IN FAT: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
September 24, 2021 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments
The cauliflower and white bean mash is the perfect, hearty pairing to the braised leeks. It’s smooth and peppery, with a studding of fresh herbs throughout, perfectly combining with the buttery leeks.
It’s surprisingly delicious!
Both components of the dish keep well and make for great leftovers. I can imagine the mash working well served with roasted carrots or grilled asparagus for another quick meal. Enjoy!
Serves: 6
- 5-6 large leeks with long white parts
- 2 Tab neutral coconut oil or ghee
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- veggie broth – reserved from boiling green parts of the leeks or store bought
- 1 cup dried white beans – soaked overnight
- 3-4 garlic cloves – crushed with a knife
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- one 2-inch piece kombu (optional)
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil or ghee
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 large yellow onion – chopped
- 3 garlic cloves – sliced
- 1 small head of cauliflower – cut into florets
- leek broth from above or any veggie broth
- freshly ground black pepper
- handful each parsley and dill – chopped (optional)
- olive oil – for serving
- microgreens – for serving (optional)
- Cut the dark green parts off the leeks. Wash the green parts thoroughly and place into a large soup pot together with leftover cauliflower core and stems, cover with water. Bring to a boil over the high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, add salt and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. You can also add any vegetable scraps you have on hand to this broth. Reserve the rest of the broth for the future use – refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. This step could be done the day before. You can of course skip this step entirely and just use store-bought or pre-cooked vegetable broth.
- Slice the white parts of the leeks in half vertically and place into the sink or a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak a bit and carefully wash all the dirt from between the layers.
- Warm the oil or ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the washed and dried leeks to the pan face down in a single layer. Leave to cook undisturbed until golden on one side. Flip, add salt and pepper and let the other side caramelize.
- Add leek broth/any veggie broth to cover the leeks partially. Establish a strong simmer, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the leeks are tender throughout. Add more broth if too much evaporates. Reserve the rest of the broth for the future use – refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Serve the leeks on top of the cauliflower white bean mash, below.
- While the leek broth and leeks are cooking, drain and rinse the beans and add to a large pot. Cover the beans with plenty of water, add garlic, bay leaves and kombu, if using, and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered. Start checking the beans for doneness after 30 minutes and continue to cook until tender, if necessary. Add salt at the last 10 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside. This step can be done the day before. The cooking liquid from the beans can be reserved and used as vegetable broth in other dishes, as well as frozen for up to 2 months.
- Warm the oil or ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat, add red pepper flakes, onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 7 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add cauliflower, a large pinch of salt, black pepper and the leek broth/any veggie broth to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. Add more liquid if too much evaporates to ensure that the cauliflower is being steamed. Add in cooked beans at the end, toss to warm them through.
- Add the cauliflower and beans to a food processor, along with a splash of the leek broth/any veggie broth. Process until smooth. Test for salt and pepper and adjust if needed. Add parsley and dill and pulse to incorporate. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Serve drizzled with olive oil and topped with the braised leeks from above.
1. If you don’t have time to cook dried beans, you can use 3 cups already cooked/canned white beans in this recipe.
2. Although
kombu is optional, it’s a great thing to throw into the pot when cooking beans, as it helps make beans more digestible, as well as contributes its minerals.