Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
1/3 cup organic natural sugar (not refined)
1/3 cup Earth’s Balance butter (this is a non-dairy butter)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons rice milk
2 bananas mashed up
½ cup unsweetened natural applesauce
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In a bowl mix together sugar and Earth’s Balance butter. Add eggs and rice milk and mix until smooth.  Add flour mixture and bananas, alternating a little of each at a time until smooth and creamy. Add Applesauce and mix. Fold in pecans.

Fold batter into a pre-greased loaf pan (I use an organic olive oil spray). Sprinkle top with some Pecans if desired. Bake at 350 for one hour. I always check it at the 45-50 minute mark so as not to overcook and dry out. Remove from oven and cool


*This is a family favorite. Served warm from the oven or sliced and toasted for breakfast. I think you can slice and freeze if desired but have never done that as it has never lasted long enough. This does have sugar but I have always felt that in the grand scheme of things….this is better than most cakes or breads. (Good for those cheat days)

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons sesame tahini
 juice from a small lemon
1 whole bulb of roasted garlic (or 2 if you really want some garlic flavor)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin. In the bowl of the food processor, add the beans, tahini, lemon juice, sea salt, and garlic. Process for a few seconds to get the mixture started. While the processor runs, begin drizzling in the olive oil, starting with 2 tablespoons, adding more as necessary to create a smooth consistency. Add more salt, lemon juice or garlic to taste....you can't really mess this up! If I have parsley around I'll throw some of that in as well.

This is a quick and easy to make snack to have on hand....throw it on a pita or dip your veggies.