Who Can Say No to Banana Bread?

Who can say no to banana bread? Really… it’s just the best.

After finally handing in an assignment which had taken all of my energy over the past few days, I got the sudden urge to bake something yummy. I was pretty tired so wanted something nice and easy to make. After glancing at sad looking over-ripe bananas in my fruit ball I realised they were calling for me. I hate wasting food, so banana bread it was!

And here is the exciting news. I have made my own banana bread recipe which is low in sugar and also has dairy-free and gluten-free alternatives for those with allergies! Most banana bread recipes use so much sugar which is unnecessary because bananas themselves are naturally really quite sweet. So I hope you enjoy this recipe ;)

Tip: banana bread is best served toasted with a side of butter and accompanied by a hot drink like a cup of coffee or English breakfast tea. Yumzies!!

 

Dry Ingredients:

– ¾ cup of plain flour (use buckwheat flour for a gluten-free alternative)

– ½ cup of almond meal

– 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder

– ½ teaspoon of baking soda

– 1 teaspoons of cinnamon

– 1 tablespoon of sugar (you can use more if you want, maybe ¼ or up to ½ cup)

– Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:

– 3 very ripe bananas (make sure they are very ripe – as in pretty yucky looking – because you will get most of the sweetness from these bad boys)

– 2 large eggs

– ¼ cup of milk (use nut milk for a dairy-free alternative)

– 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

– 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

–  1/3 cup of melted butter (¼ cup of melted coconut oil if you are dairy-free)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a rectangular loaf tin with baking paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.
4. Mash up your bananas and then add them to the wet mixture. Mix well.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold through until combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and chuck in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

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Happy discovery of the day: Raw organic food bar in Byron

Lucky enough to spend my holidays in Byron Bay, I have been enjoying the many encounters with healthy/green/organic food and juice places. Today I discovered the ‘perfect’ (well, in my opinion) cafe. This wonderful place is called ‘The Naked Treaties – rawganics living food, loving vibration’. Raw, organic, vegan, fair-trade, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free and handmade, this place portrays Byron in a nutshell! As a matter of fact, this food brand was hand created in Byron Bay ‘with blessings and love’. I am referring to it as a brand because any cafe can actually stock and sell some Naked Treaties products.

As you walk past the cafe, it is simply hard to resist to have a quick wonder around. The laid back, colourful decoration is very inviting. Once you are in the shop it is even harder to walk out without trying something (if you are able to make a decision on what it is you would like to have as you may be overwhelmed by the range of choices!) Some of the things which may attract your senses include the raw chocolate bars, the fridge full of delicious looking food (including salads, muesli, fruit salads, etc) or, of course, the array of juices and smoothies available.

I decided to have the ‘I am compassionate’ green superfood thick shake which comprised of (Zesty Vanilla Lime Pudding) Lime, Avocado, Banana, Greens, Almond Milk and Cinnamon. The drink was delicious. Quite strong in cinnamon flavour which I particularly enjoyed. However, I did find it quite substantial and since I already had a green smoothie that morning I may have overdosed on bananas and rich smoothies which made me feel a bit too full!

I feel like I should have opted for the kale pizza instead which incorporated a safran and flax seed base with kale, tomatoes and olives topped with a yogurt and cashew dressing (YUM)! Mum bought the family some raw chocolates which were incredibly tasty. I had the ‘bounty’ one which was a pure coconut mixture covered with dark raw chocolate. Other flavours included cranberries, sneakers (caramel and almond) and praline with macadamia – DELICIOUS!

Here is a photo of my mum sitting down in an outside area of the cafe where her and I enjoyed relaxing while I drank my smoothie :)