Zesty Cook » banana

Bread and A Banana… Or {Banana Bread}

zesty — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:00:01 +0000

The end of the week is here! This week flew by, hard to believe we are in May already. Guess what I just remembered last night? It is mother’s day on Sunday. Opps sorry Mrs. Zesty – I will get on it as soon as possible and surprise you for Sunday. I have a couple of ideas in mind so it will just be a matter of execution
on Saturday.

As for this sudden craving I had… banana bread. I had some lonely looking bananas hanging in the freezer that were just aching to be warmed up and cooked. What better way to use up bananas with on of my favorite breads in the whole world. Moist, tender, soft, fluffy banana bread! Give this recipe a try if you have a craving like I did and I am pretty confident you will not be disappointed.

Today, I thought I would share with you my take of a classic bread – Banana Bread! One of my all-time favorite loafs and a great way to use ripened bananas.

Every now and again I feel the need to add some nuts to my Banana Bread recipe for a different texture and flavor combination. With this loaf I chose the “Walnut”.

Ingredients

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp. baking soda
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup white sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
4 Mashed overripe bananas
1/4 Cup walnuts

Method

Preheat Oven to 350°.
Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and white sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended, then toss in the walnuts.
Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let bread cool in pan for a bit, then flip it out onto a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When bananas are on their last leg on your counter, a great place to store them for either smoothies or baking is in the freezer. They freeze very well and it will help prolong their useful life.

I hope you get some time in the near future to try this banana bread. As I mentioned earlier, it is one of my favorite loafs to make and eat. A slight problem is that I tend to eat the whole loaf. I especially love the two end pieces. Do you like the end pieces?

Weekend is upon us… any big plans for you? I hope you have fun with whatever you choose to do and I will see you back here on Monday!

Oh, one last thing, if you haven’t checked out our recipe e-book yet, you can download it here for free.

Take care

zesty

Banana Walnut Bread

zesty — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:00:39 +0000

Happy Wednesday! WOW what a week. I am pretty excited to see the holiday around the corner for tomorrow. I had a lot of fun this week especially the blogging aspect of it. Despite the fact that work and zestycook.com consumes a large majority of my waking day… I love it! No complaints from being busy over here. Do you like being busy?

Today, I thought I would share with you my take of a classic bread - Banana Bread! One of my all-time favorite loafs and a great way to use ripened bananas.

Every now and again I feel the need to add some nuts to my Banana Bread recipe for a different texture and flavor combination. With this loaf I chose the “Walnut”.

Ingredients

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp. baking soda
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup white sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
4 Mashed overripe bananas
1/4 Cup walnuts

Method

Preheat Oven to 350°.
Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and white sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended, then toss in the walnuts.
Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let bread cool in pan for a bit, then flip it out onto a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Holiday is upon us… any big plans for you? I hope you have fun with whatever you choose to do and I will see you back here on Friday!

Oh, one last thing, if you haven’t checked out our new recipe e-book yet, you can download it here for free.

Take care

zesty

Super Star Toast

zesty — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:00:53 +0000

I decided to go back in time because a lot of new folks have never seen my first ever post relating to Super Star Toast. Over time I have had many variations on this slice but when I think back…. this piece of toast really goes above and beyond. Last night was a fend for yourself supper and I was craving toast. I went back to old faithful and I was not disappointed.

Tell me what you think of this piece of toast and drop a comment if you have a favorite combination of toppings on your toast. Or maybe you are a single topping kind of person.

So I had some kaiser rolls left over from the weekend and since I really despise wasting food, I decided to pop them in the toaster oven. Originally I was just going to go with some plain old butter, a glass of apple juice along with some granola and banana. Then a light went on and I thought that maybe I could kick this toast up a little bit. What you are about to see is, in my mind, a true kicked up piece of toast.

For me this was amazing! I loved the flavor combination and the texture. It was a true treat and something I would definitely eat again!

Ingredients

1 Kaiser ( Toasted )
1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp. Nutella
1 Banana ( Mashed )
1 Tbsp. Granola
Drizzle of Honey

Method

Toast Kaiser
Spread Peanut Butter
Top with Nutella
Add mashed banana, then top with granola
Drizzle with Honey
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you are having more than one piece, my recommendation would be to prepare one piece at a time to prevent it from going soggy. Also it is a good way to use up over ripe bananas.

Well this is it! I hope you have a great weekend!

Take care

zesty

Guest Post: Almond Butter Banana Nut Muffins

zesty — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:00:54 +0000

First off, I’d like to thank Zesty for asking me to do a guest post while he is away. I was completely honored when asked and agreed immediately. Thanks again Zesty!

My favorite part of Zesty’s posts are always his Zesty Tip at the end. The tips are so simple, yet so helpful. So, today I present you with my favorite Heather Tip as well as a recipe.

I know many cooks often find substitutions for the fat component in recipes.

Like when the recipe calls for oil, they will opt for applesauce or pumpkin puree instead. Well, this girl needs her fat, and I say bring it on. My favorite oil replacement in recipes? Nut and seed butters! Nut butters will add good fats to your baked goods, as well as protein, vitamins, and minerals. Besides, who doesn’t love a little almond butter in their cookie?

Using my own tip, I came up with the following muffin recipe:

Almond Butter Banana Muffins

Ingredients

3 ripe mashed bananas
¼ cup almond butter or your favorite nut/seed butter of choice
½ Turbinado sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups oat flour (I pulsed 2 cups rolled oats in my food processor)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt (omit if using salted nut butter)
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans

Method

Mix first 5 ingredients until creamy.
Stir together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add dry ingredients to banana mixture stirring to combine.
Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
Bake at 350 degrees 18 – 20 minutes in paper lined or greased muffin pan.
ENJOY!
Yield: 15 muffins.

Enjoy, and remember…don’t fear the fat my friends. Our bodies need it! If you want to see more great posts check out my blog at heathereatsalmondbutter.com

Guest Post: Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

zesty — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:00:30 +0000

Hi Zesty readers, Megan here from Megan’s Munchies here to share with you another great sweet treat.

While Zesty is off sunning in beautiful Jamaica, I thought I would share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches were a big favorite of mine when I was younger. These peanut butter and banana chocolate chip cookies remind me of the comforting taste of those sandwiches with a little extra chocolate kick.

Everything is better with a little chocolate…right? This recipe is adaptable to several diets. For those with dietary allergies, these cookies have no dairy if you use dairy free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. For those allergic to peanuts, soy nut butter can be used. I use oat flour when I make these, and they come out very soft and chewy.

If you want a crisper cookie you can use all purpose flour. These cookies are amazing when eaten warm! Enjoy!

Ingredients

¼ Cup maple syrup or agave nectar
¼ Cup brown sugar
¼ Cup canola oil
¼ Cup mashed bananas
½ Cup peanut butter or soy butter
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
1 Cup oat flour
¼ Cup mini chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together maple syrup/agave nectar, brown sugar, canola oil, peanut butter/soy butter, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and place on baking pan.
Press down on the balls of dough with a fork.
Bake for 15- 20 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.

ENJOY!

If you enjoyed this recipe pay Megan a visit over at her blog. If you like desserts, you will find tons of great dessert and cookie recipes for all your cravings! Thanks again Megan for a great post.

Come Get Your Chocolate Monkey!

zesty — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:00:23 +0000

Middle of the week has arrived and what a week it has been. Can you believe I woke up to snow yesterday – unbelievable!! Luck may have it, I decided to park the car in the driveway the night before instead of the garage. I didn’t use the garage because I just put gas in the car and the fumes can be unbearable. I did not think for a second that I would have to scrape snow off the car before heading to the office. Such a disappointment.

In brighter news, Shelby received the first ever zesty apron and she said it is “AWESOME”. Thanks Shelby. I hope you get lots of use out of it. I am going to create a page where I can display all the images of people who bought zesty gear. I am so excited!

Now, onto the recipe, how about a healthy chocolate monkey? I am a huge fan! I started making these a little while ago but just realized that I should have shared this quick recipe with you. The ingredients are quite simple and easy to find. The chocolate comes from “chocolate milk“, either 1% or Soy and the monkey comes from a banana. I also like to add a heaping scoop of protein, flax seeds and a dollop of plain yogurt for thickness.

Next time you are in a hurry, need a chocolate fix or just craving a pick me up… try this monkey on for size.

Ingredients

1 Banana ( frozen )
1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Milk
1 Heaping Scoop of Protein Powder (vanilla)
1 Tbsp. Flax Seed
1 Tbsp. Plain Yogurt or Vanilla

Method

For my smoothies, I just throw everything in a blender/magic bullet and blend until smooth.

Then I take a taste and adjust accordingly.
Pour in a glass, snap some pictures.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Saved over-ripe bananas and throw them in the freezer. These are great for smoothies or banana bread or anything banana for that matter.

Question of the Day: Milk or Yogurt… Which do you prefer?

Have a great Wednesday and I will see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Super Star Toast II

zesty — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:00:28 +0000

Happy Easter to you! I hope you had a great weekend. For our family, the Easter egg hunt was a lot of fun and the food was great as well. Easter morning is a nice relaxing time to spend with the family. We like to enjoy a slow pace breakfast then hunt for Easter eggs that the Easter bunny dropped off!

Today, I thought I would share with you a couple of new renditions of the super star toast that I posted a little while ago.

This concoction is a great way to play around with toast combinations and add variety to the everyday breakfast.

Ingredients

2 slices Whole wheat bread( Toasted )
1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
1 Banana ( sliced )
Drizzle of Honey
Blueberries/ Raspberry Jam
Sprinkle of Flax seeds

Method

Toast Bread
Spread Peanut Butter
Add banana, blueberries/ raspberry jam, then drizzle with honey
Add Flax seeds

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When creating this combination, I like to put the honey on top of the banana so that it will create a glue like adherence for the blueberries.

Easter Dinner Recap

I would like to say that I had a fabulous Easter dinner compliments of my Mom and Dad. The food was amazing as I just showed up in time to cook the beef, help with the gravy and do a few side jobs with the salad and such. I did bring the camera but I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the photos but I will share with you some of them.

On the Menu

Main Course

Glazed Ham with Mustard and Corn Syrup ( topped with pineapple)
Prime Rib
Mashed Potatoes
Carrots
Turnip
Peas/Corn
Crunchy Coleslaw
Garden Salad
Homemade Mustard Pickles
Beets

Dessert

Lemon Pie
Raisin Pie
Apple Pie
Skor Bar Trifle

The meat, so tender, moist and delicious. The ham had such a nice flavor with the pineapple and the mustard glaze. The prime rib was so tender and flavorful. By searing the outside you guarantee to lock in the juices and ensure a tender moist piece of meat. It was a huge hit.

With all the vegetable trimmings, one of my favorites is the homemade mustard pickles. It was simply great. And to feel spring like, the crunchy coleslaw and garden salad made a nice addition to the meal. As you can see by the delicious dessert list, I intentionally only had one heaping plate of dinner to make room. The desserts were amazing. If you like pies then you have to try my Mom’s pie crust. It is so flaky and melts in your mouth.

I hope you have a great Monday but before you go, don’t forget to enter in the clothing line giveaway . If you have a few extra dollars, order your favorite zesty wear and support the food bank (100% of the profits are donated). Talk to you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Triple Decker Peanut Butter Sandwich – Yum Yum

zesty — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:00:41 +0000

Yes you read the headline correct!

Ever since I was a little guy I have been making triple decker peanut butter sandwiches. Then I thought… well why don’t i share this love with all of you? So here I am… writing about my triple decker classic. Now I have adjusted the toppings over the years, flipping from jam, jelly, sliced fruit etc but then I came up with this combination that I just had to share.

Just like any good sandwich – it starts with the quality of the bread. I chose a homemade loaf of 100% whole wheat bread (thick sliced) from my favorite local bakery. I took out three slices of this floury goodness and proceeded to lay them in a row. Below is a list of what you will need to make this happen.

Ingredients

Peanut Butter (I prefer smooth)
Nutella
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Banana

Method

Now as for the method… it is pretty straight forward. The only thing i like to do is thinly slice the apple as well as the banana. I also like to group the nutella and apple as well as the peanut butter and banana. But I also add peanut butter to the middle piece as well. An optional ingredient that I sometimes add as well is a drizzle of honey over the banana (for the extra sweet tooths out there).

Peanut Butter is a very versatile and popular ingredient in our house but I also have to let everyone know that if you want to know more about peanut butter and some excellent, creative and wild recipes you have to check the work out of Peanut Butter Boy. This blog is amazing and is all about peanut butter. He would be more than happy to see you.

I hope you enjoy the sandwich and I can’t wait to hear everyone’s feedback on other combinations that they have tried in the past.

Simple Crisp with a Twist

zesty — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:00:00 +0000

These crispy fruit cups are fruit-terrific!

Sunday morning treat after breakfast. I thought I would share a slight variation of the traditional apple crisp. This recipe uses the combination of pineapple, banana and blueberries.

Get it Together: dry measures, measuring spoons, sharp knife, can opener, cutting board, 2 ramekins, cooking spray, baking sheet, 2 small bowls, mixing spoons

Ingredients

Quick-cooking rolled oats (1/2 cup)
Butter Melted (1/4 cup)
All-Purpose Flour (2 tbsp)
Brown Sugar (2 tbsp)
Bround Cinnamon (1/8 tsp)
Canned Pineapple tidbits (1/2 cup)
Blueberries (1/2 cup)
Dice Banana (1/2 cup)
Lemon Juice (2 tsp)

Method

Place oven rack in centre position. Turn oven on to 350 degrees F ( 175 C). Grease ramekins with cooking spray. Place ramekins on baking sheet. Set aside. Put first 5 ingredients into 1 bowl. Stri until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Put next 3 ingredients into other bowl. Stir. Spoon fruit mixture into ramekins. Sprinkle oat mixture over top. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Put baking sheet on wire rack to cool. Let cool for 5 minutes. Turn oven off. Makes 2 terrific treats. I took it out of the ramekin for the sake of the picture so you could see the inside in more detail.

Tip: To melt butter, measure into small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high (100%) for 10 seconds. Stir until melted.