Whole Wheat Banana Bread

I've had a bunch of brown bananas laying around for the past few days and I finally used them! There is nothing better than a freshly baked loaf of banana bread. And plus your house will smell amazing. If you're a fan of bananas, you might want to also check out this Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

I saw this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod and was intrigued by the roasted bananas. The roasting process is supposed to bring out the best banana flavor...and boy did it. It's super easy to roast them...just throw them in the oven for 15 minutes. Easy as that!

Smear some Nutella onto a thick warm slice and this is the perfect breakfast on a Saturday morning. Yumm!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 large ripe-to-over-ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan. 
• Place bananas on a baking sheet and roast, with peels on, for 15-20 minutes. They will darken and blister. Set aside to cool.
• Remove the roasted bananas from the peels. In the bottom of a large bowl, mash cooled bananas with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until a few tiny lumps remain. 
• Whisk in egg, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Sprinkle baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg over mixture and stir until combined. Stir in flour until just combined.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. 
• Cool loaf in pan on rack.

Honey Beer Bread

We love beer. And we always have beer in our refrigerator. As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it.

This bread is insanely easy to make and it literally only takes 5 minutes to whip up the batter! It's easy as can be. Mix, bake, slice, enjoy! That's pretty much it. My absolute favorite thing about this bread is that it actually tastes like beer. It's awesome. And if you want to get a little crazy throw a handful of cheddar cheese into the batter!

Honey Beer Bread (Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen)
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all purpose)
2 Tbsp. sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (I used my favorite: Blue Moon)
4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using the paddle attachment, slowly stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. 

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

7up Biscuits

Yup, you read that right...7up Biscuits! This the easiest and best biscuit recipe. I've tried making biscuits before and they turned out super dense. But not these, they are soft, moist, and yummy...and only 3 ingredients! You have to try them! 

7up Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Plain Chicken

Ingredients:

2 cups baking mix (I used Bisquick)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup 7-Up
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the baking mix and sour cream. Add the 7-Up and combine. The dough will be very tender.
Sprinkle some additional baking mix on your working surface and shape dough.
Pour melted butter into a 9" round cake pan.
Cut out 7-8 biscuits and place them in the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Roasted Tomato Soup

There's nothing better than a yummy bowl of soup on a cold day. I stumbled upon this recipe at Smitten Kitchen and couldn't think of anything better to have for lunch. I mean, who doesn't like a combination of a grilled cheese and tomato soup?? I pretty much had everything on hand to make this, except the stock. So, I improvised and made my own vegetable stock! It turned out perfect and the recipe is also below. Enjoy!

 

Soup

3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 small cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 onion, quartered
1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) dried crushed red pepper
4 cups vegetable stock

Grilled Cheese Top
4 1-inch slices from a large loaf of whole wheat bread toasted until hard and lightly buttered on one side
1 cup grated cheddar

Make soup: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil. Add peeled garlic and onions. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender (garlic will be very tender), about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Transfer garlic, onions, and tomatoes and any accumulated juices to a food processor and pulse machine on and off until tomatoes are a chunky puree. Transfer tomatoes to medium pot and crushed red pepper and stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings to taste.

Create cheddar lid: Preheat broiler on high. Arrange four ovenproof soup bowls or large mugs on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. Float toast slice(s) in each bowl, buttered side up and divide grated cheese generously over top. Broil soups on tray for about 3-5 minutes, until cheese on top is bubbling and brown at the edges. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Stock

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• Several sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried thyme)
• Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 dried bay leaf

1. In a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add carrots and celery; cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Add 4 cups cold water, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer about 1 hour; liquid should be highly flavored.
3. Remove from heat, and strain stock through a fine sieve, pressing on vegetables to extract juices. Discard vegetables. Stock can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Bread

I love bread. Scratch that, I love carbs. I am definitely not one of those girls that could ever go on a "no carb" diet. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. And I do. A BIG one. When I just happened to stumble across this recipe I couldn't stop thinking about it. As soon as I told Evan about it he was on board and begging me to make it. This bread was great, easy, and delicious just like all quick breads should be. It is very similar to cornbread and is delicious with a big bowl full of chili!

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno, veined and seeded (If you use pickled jalapenos make sure you rinse them well.)

Preheat the oven to 375, and spray an 8x3 inch loaf pan.

Sift together the flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Add the cheese and gently toss and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Whisk the milk, oil, egg, and jalapeno, in another bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Gently mix with a spatula, only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place in the oven.  Bake until the top is golden-brown, and springs back when touched in the center, about 45-50 minutes.  Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely. 

Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Bread

This second recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Bread is more of a sandwich bread and is perfect for making a delicious tomato sandwich. I used to eat these all the time, and I'll never make them again unless it is on this jalapeno cheddar bread! This one is a bit more time consuming, but totally worth it.

As far as the recipe goes, it is a pretty straight forward bread recipe.  I've never really baked bread before, but I suppose there is a first time for everything! The steps are pretty standard: mix, knead, rise, shape, proof, bake.  

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley:

• 3 3/4 cups (18 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cold buttermilk**
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2-3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, diced (If you use pickled jalapenos make sure you rinse them well.)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Adjust one oven rack to the lowest position, and another to the middle position.  Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  When it is preheated, maintain the temperature for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.

Toss the jalapeno and cheddar with 1 Tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat and add the cold buttermilk and stir to combine. 

**If you don't have buttermilk on hand (which I never do) you can make your own. Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to one cup. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and use as needed.

Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Add the buttermilk/water mixture, butter, honey, and yeast to a liquid measuring cup.  Turn the mixer on low, and add the liquid in a slow stream, increasing the speed of the mixer as you go to medium.  Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping to scrape the dough from the hook as needed.  After about 2-3 minutes add the jalapeno-cheese mixture, and continue to knead about 10 minutes total, adding flour 1 Tablespoon at a time, as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form a smooth ball, about 15 seconds.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat with the oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the oven until the dough doubles in size, 50-60 minutes.

Turn out onto the floured surface and gently press the dough into a rectangle that is 1 inch thick and 9 inches long.  With the long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers as you roll to make sure the dough sticks to itself.  Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed.

Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan, and press it gently to make sure it touches all four sides of the pan.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place an empty baking pan on the lowest rack of the oven.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and pour  into the empty pan.  Set the loaf onto the middle rack, and bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.  Slice and serve!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Peanut Butter-Banana Bread

Adapted from Simply Recipes

(makes 1 large loaf)

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, peanut butter, and melted butter by hand or with a hand mixer on low speed.

2. Mix in the sugars, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, and spices over the mixture, then mix to combine.

3. Fold in the flour in 3 parts by hand. Do not over mix.

4. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, it's done.

5. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing and slicing.