Did you make a resolution to eat better this year? I know I make it every year but here is my own quick tip to help you and a recipe to make it really work!
I often will find that we don’t get to our bananas fast enough (actually my kids like them at only a certain stage and too many brown spots won’t do.) I throw them in the freezer (they turn really brown but are great for banana bread) and when I have 3 or more, I bake up this banana bread (the kids love to help). It has both wheat flour and unbleached all-purpose so it is a little healthier and great for a treat after school, after dinner or for breakfast. I leave out the nuts as we aren’t big nut eaters.
Banana Bread
8 TBSP (1 stick) sweet butter (unsalted - but you can get away with salted if that is all you have) - room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, coarsly chopped (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×5x3 inch bread pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Sift all purpose flour, baking soda and salt together and then stir in while wheat flour and add to butter and sugar mixture. Mix well.
4. Fold in mashed bananas (if frozen, let thaw while you prepare up to this step and they usually can be unpeeled and just placed in mixture - no need to mash.), vanilla and walnuts.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes (until cake tester comes out clean). Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then on a rack.
6. Enjoy!
Another quick and easy use for really ripe fruits…throw in a blender with some yogurt (I like non-fat vanilla best), a little juice like OJ or cranberry, some ice and you have a delicious smoothie! Kids get their fruits through a straw and you haven’t had to waste the fruit.
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Quick follow up on Lisa’s last idea– I’ve been trying to get more protein in my diet lately. A goal in general but also because I’m ramping up my training for some events this summer. I’ve been doing breakfast shakes and then, when possible, mid-afternoon shakes that consist of milk and/or soymilk, whey protein isolate powder, a little bit of ice and a handful of frozen fruit. I buy some of the frozen fruit from the store (or use some of our very high quality IQF- Individually Quick Frozen- fruit from Let’s Dish!). But my main source of fruit is the frozen bananas and strawberries that I’ve saved from the trash by freezing them as they’ve just started to go bad and the kids won’t eat them. Resurrected some pineapple that way last week for a unique little treat. Note for anyone considering this idea: try to get high quality whey protein, with as little sugar as possible.