Banana Bread

There's definitely something to be said for cultural diversity, and principally (knowledge and understanding and ecological/anthropological quests aside), that has to be the addition of new recipes and flavours to one's gastric memory. While I don't agree with the French elitists' view that English food is inedible, I can understand how they may have come to a conclusion that it's inherently rather boring. Vegetables, for example, are certainly guilty of that- for the most part they're boiled to destruction, steamed or roasted beyond compare. And if not, there's always gravy. LOTS of gravy. I have always been apprehensive about eating veggies at a friend's house because I never know how they're going to be served; some of the textures just make me gag. So it's a relief, then, that we have influences from overseas to help us find new ways of enjoying food, and using ingredients as we've never before seen them...

Banana bread is hardly anything new, especially to those in the States, but it's entering the public eye a lot more here, alongside such stalwarts as fruit cake and carrot cake. I can't remember when the need or desire to bake it first came about while living here, but most likely because we had an abundance of bananas and nobody who could consume them (I can't, as I have acid reflux- a single banana can cripple me for the rest of the day). The supply/demand for these at home is such an odd phenomenon. It'll work wonderfully for ages, having just about the right amount 80 percent of the time, and then we've either got none or thousands. Having none means traipsing to a grocery store, but having too many is somewhat of a reward for me, as I get to enjoy one of our favourite baking recipes.

Banana Bread

2 large bananas, chopped

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups wholewheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup (approx. 30 grams) chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease bottom of pan(s).

2. Mix flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Mash banana and add eggs, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla and bananas. 

Mix thoroughly to combine.

4. Add flour mixture and stir until well-blended.

5. Fold in nuts and spoon dough into pan.

6. Bake 8-inch pan for 55-62 minutes; a 9-inch pan for 45-52, or any other size pan until toothpick comes out clean. In our set of matching "cake-sized" pans you see here, this takes approximately 15-20 minutes. If you're doing them in a muffin pan, it's more like 10-15 minutes.

7. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Cool 1 hour before slicing.

One of the best things about this is that you can freeze them to save for later, too. They defrost well in the microwave, or in the oven for a few minutes. Snack, dessert, or side-dish for an entrée? You decide! We often serve it alongside our Apple Maple Bacon Frittata. Or, you know, just eat it.