In The Kitchen with Lola - Banana Berry Applesauce Walnut Bread!

I thought I would take a break from my travel tales to share a recipe with you today. It was one of those happy accidents that come from a sudden necessity to diverge from one's original plan.

I had some over ripe bananas and a need to bake, but not enough banana to make my usual favorite banana bread. After hunting for recipes calling for 1 and 3/4 ripe bananas and ending up nowhere, I figured I'd just wing it and hope for the best. What else do I have on hand that isn't quite enough to make a tried and true recipe that I could throw in to make up something entirely new?

And so...

Banana Berry Applesauce Walnut Bread was born, and it is good!

While I didn't measure everything I wrote up a recipe immediately after tasting that should do the trick.

Banana Berry Applesauce Walnut Bread

Dry ingredients:
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
Aprox. 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Wet ingredients:
Aprox. 2 very ripe Bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
2/3 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1/2 Cup Plain yogurt
2 Eggs lightly beaten
4 Tbs. Butter melted and cooled (you could use veg. oil as well)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Frozen Berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack on lower middle shelf.
Grease and lightly flour one large loaf pan or 2 smaller loaf pans and set aside.

Mix all the the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Mix all of the wet ingredients in another bowl.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Lumpy batter is good.

Pour the mixture into loaf pans and bake in oven for aprox. 40 minutes if using 2 smaller loaf pans and aprox. 60 minutes if using one large loaf pan; until you stick in a toothpick to the center and it comes out clean.
Baking times may vary!
Let the bread sit in the pan for 5 minutes then turn onto cooling rack to let cool completely or as long as you can stand it before cutting into it and gobbling it up!

And yes, it is a bit more cake than bread, but never mind that, it is delicious!

Happy baking!

Comfort Food

Ah, the rediscovery of an old favorite! Perfect for a rainy day; comfort food that is healthful and satisfying.

Baked Tofu Pesto Sandwich with a salad of mixed greens, pears and walnuts. Delicious!

Want to make it? The recipe is Vegan but I can assure you that meat eaters like it too.

*Baked Tofu Recipe:
1 block (package) firm tofu
1/3 cup vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons Soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar, or honey, or brown rice syrup
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Drain and rinse the tofu. Cut into 6 equal slabs. Place the tofu on a clean folded tea towel on a flat surface. Cover with another folded tea towel and place a cutting board or other flat object (cookie sheet) on top. Place a moderate weight on the board (a heavy pot or canned food items) and leave to drain for 30 minutes.

In a baking dish just large enough to hold the tofu, stir together the remaining ingredients. When the tofu has drained, place the slabs in the baking dish with the marinade in a single layer. Place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Turn the tofu pieces over half way through the marinating time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Place the baking dish uncovered in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the tofu over and cook for an additional 30 minutes. The liquid should be completely absorbed and the tofu should have a nice dark "crust."
You can eat this immediately or it keeps in the fridge for a few days.
*Recipe adapted from The Complete Vegan Cookbook by Hadler & Toomay.

To make the sandwich I use a sprouted grain english muffin that is hearty and delicious but, you can use a roll or bread of your choice.
I toast my bread, spread with pesto (I am not including a recipe for pesto since there are thousands available, easy to find if you don't already have your own recipe). Add the baked tofu, a thick slice of a good tomato, some avocado and ta da!
Other additions that are tasty: Sweet bell pepper, sprouts, grated carrot, lettuce, etc.

I paired this with a nice salad of mixed baby greens, sliced pear, and walnuts with a simple vinaigrette.

Yum!

In The Kitchen with Lola

Southwest Salad

It seems I recall mentioning something about a recipe in my last post, and why not? It seems this week I am up to my elbows in domestic chaos bliss, and there's been a lot of cooking and baking going on in the little green cottage.

Today I am bringing you not one but two, easy peasy, healthful recipes that work together. The first is for a southwest black bean and rice salad. It's something I put together years ago and has become a regular in my kitchen. It is great as a side salad to a Mexican or southwestern dinner. We use it as a burrito filling, wrap it up in a tortilla with cheese and avocado, add some Salsa Chicken (recipe to follow) and enjoy!

Southwest Salad*

2 cups water
1 cup brown rice (I use a brown basmati rice because I like the slightly nutty flavor)

1 can black beans (about 2 cups), drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 scallions (spring onions), sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Place water and rice in a saucepan uncovered on high heat and bring to a soft boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 45 min.) and remove from heat. Or cook the rice according to your preferred method.

Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and mix together in a large bowl. Once rice is done, I let it rest for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. I usually let it cool uncovered for a few minutes as well. Then add the rice to the other ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. The mixture will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can serve it room temp. or cold, or as I mentioned heated up in a tortilla. *This recipe is vegan.

Salsa Chicken

This recipe is one of those throw it together and stick it in the oven types so, there isn't a set measurement of ingredients...it all depends on how many people you need to feed.

Salsa Chicken

2 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Jar of your favorite salsa
Garlic Granules
Chili Powder
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with garlic granules, chili pwd., salt and pepper. Place chicken in a baking dish. Cover each breast with a large spoonful of salsa. Cover the dish and bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Let chicken rest for a few minutes then slice the chicken into strips.

As I said, we put this with the bean and rice salad in a tortilla with cheese etc. as a burrito or wrap. It can be served over the salad with sour cream and extra salsa for more of a meal with warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips on the side.

There you have it, 2 easy recipes that are not only yummy but, very healthy too!

Salut!

Red Lentil Stew

After the over-indulgence of the holidays, I was craving something a bit healthy, fresh, delicious and comforting. Hmmmm...
As I looked 'round the kitchen, I spied a jar of gorgeous red lentils and had my "AH HA!" moment. I began gathering ingredients and working out the details in my mind. Now, I was ready to create. The end result was just what I was after, it hit the spot.

I thought I would share the recipe with you here. Whilst it may appear to have quite a few ingredients, it is a simple recipe and only takes about 20 minutes of active time and then simmers away. I hope you like it.

Red Lentil Stew

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lg carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, chopped (you can substitute 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes)
1 rounded teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried red lentils
4 cups broth/stock (I used homemade chicken stock but, you can use vegetable if you want to make it vegetarian/vegan)
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (you could substitute parsley if you aren't fond of cilantro)
juice from 1/2 lemon

Preparation:
Heat oil in a 4 -5 quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute onion, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, celery, pepper, tomato, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt and saute, stirring for about 3 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and wine. Bring to a soft boil then lower heat and let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Once the lentils are tender, remove from heat.
Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I spooned it over cooked brown rice and served it with whole wheat pita bread. The Engineer liked his with hot chili sauce drizzled on top, while I preferred a dollop of plain low fat yogurt on mine. Yum!

What are you having for dinner?

Food Interlude

Hey, what's this? Lola, you promised us Part Two of Sew with the flow, you were just about to tell us who was tappity tapping on your door and now you've stuck us with a loaf of bread! Even though that is one tasty looking loaf, what gives?!

I never intended to lead you on friends - and I will tell the tale next week, the truth is, I am just not up for it today. Last night I took a really nasty tumble down some slickery slippity steps and my body, along with my spirit, is pretty beat up. I just can't muster the shine that I think the story calls for.

So instead, I offer you bread. Very good, very wholesome, and very tasty bread. A slice of which I am eating at this very moment and it is comforting me nicely.

This is a dense delicious bread, great as toast with peanut/almond butter and honey, or with soups and stews. I am including a printable recipe (it's none too pretty mind you), just click on the image below and print the large size.



Happy bread baking!

PS Once again coincidentally, this post fits in with the My Place and Yours meme "Kitchen Love" go check out more of the love here