Banana Carrot Bread

This is another recipe that my mother made when I was a child (and still makes), but I've made it my own with a couple substitutions and additions. It turns out that this bread is a great hiding place for vegetables (far beyond carrots and zucchini), which is useful information for parents of picky eaters. Inspired by my friend, Rose, who hides all kinds of greens in muffins, I thought I'd give this a shot with my own recipe, and I've really enjoyed the results!

Although my mother made this recipe, and made it her own, it was originally from a cookbook (who knows what!). The original recipe called for applesauce and walnuts, which would also be wonderful. My mother substituted bananas for applesauce (a great use for rotting bananas) and carrots for walnuts (much less expensive than walnuts, with a more nutritionally-packed punch). Almost anything could be substituted, really. Something moist could replace the bananas, and something dense and crunchy could replace the carrots. And as I've recently discovered, the recipe will tolerate the addition of even more stuff, without getting dry or falling apart.

I've also made this recipe partly whole grain, as I do with many baked goods. I think it gives this bread a heartier, homier taste and texture, and I actually prefer it to the all white flour version. Of course, the whole grains make this indulgence a little less guilty.

Incidentally, this one also appears in Growing Healthy Families.

Banana Carrot Bread
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. bananas (I never measure this - just use 2 bananas), very ripe (or applesauce, zucchini, pears, etc)
1 c. carrots, peeled and sliced (or walnuts, sweet potatoes, beets, etc)
3/4 c. packed greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard, collards, etc) (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift both flours, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.

In a food processor, puree the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and banana. Once smooth, add the carrots and continue to puree until relatively smooth. Add the greens, if using, and puree until incorporated.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't overmix (a little lumpiness is OK). Grease a loaf pan and pour batter in, smoothing out the top for even baking.

Bake for 40 minutes. The bread is ready when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Note: When those bananas on the counter are starting to get so brown that no one will touch them, you don't need to run to the food processor and make this bread right away. Throw the old bananas in the freezer, and use them when you're good and ready.

Hummus

This recipe is one that I grew up with. My mother served it at just about every occasion, and still does. As any college student will tell you, it's cheap, easy, and full of good stuff. This recipe also appears in the Holistic Moms Network's Growing Healthy Families cookbook.

Hummus
4 cloves garlic
1 (15 oz.) can chick peas, drained (reserve juice)
1/4 c. chick pea juice from can
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
salt, to taste
3 Tbsps. tahini
2 Tbsps. fresh parsley (my mother used dried, but I prefer fresh)
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 tsp. hot pepper mix (Shug is a great brand) (optional)
paprika, for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Dust with paprika, if desired. Serve with warm pita wedges, pita chips, or crudite.

Lentil Soup

This recipe is directly out of a book that is, incredibly, still in print. I received it as a gift many moons ago, when I was in college, and I've found that it has a few recipes that I really like. They are almost all very simple, light, and healthy. Unfortunately, I don't have much opportunity to cook with shellfish, or I'd make much better use of this book. It's called Coastal New England: Summertime Cooking, by Sherri Eldridge.

Lentil Soup

1 lb. package lentils (green)
10 cups weak vegetable bouillon broth (I use 6 cups homemade veggie broth and 4 cups water)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic (I use more like 3-4), minced
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (I often double this, just because I love cilantro)
1 1/2 cups chopped stewed tomatoes (diced or crushed canned tomatoes work well)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons vinegar (I use white or red wine vinegar)

Rinse lentils in cold water. Combine all ingredients in a large covered pot (I reserve the cilantro for the last 5 minutes of cooking). Stirring occasionally, simmer about 3 hours, adding water if needed. Discard bay leaves. Adjust seasonings to taste (salt!!!). Serve hot.

Lemon Granita

So, this is basically frozen lemonade, or a not-so-sweet version of Italian ice. It's super easy, very refreshing, and a low-cal dessert option. You could easily serve this to guests, and they might even be more impressed with it than if you baked a cake. Just garnish with a sprig of mint.

1 Tbsp lemon zest
5 lemons, juiced
1.5 quarts cold water
1/2 - 3/4 c. agave nectar, depending on how sweet you like it

In a tall pitcher, whisk all ingredients until well combined. Pour into a glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer. Every 1-2 hours, scrape the mixture with a fork to break up ice crystals. If you let it go longer, just let it sit out for a bit before attempting to break it up. Serve frozen.

Vegetarian Pad Thai

This recipe is based on a recipe from epicurious.com (see here), but I made some adjustments that simplified the dish, cut down the fat, added some veggies, and reduced the protein (which I think was excessive!). I made a few ingredient substitutions that were healthier, in some cases, easier to find, in others, and available in the pantry, in others still. One substitution that I made that you might not want to make is that I used cashews instead of peanuts. This is to accommodate my daughter, who is allergic to peanuts. We also left off the hot stuff to make it more child-friendly.

My Version, Vegetarian Pad Thai
14 oz. brown rice fettucini, prepared according to package directions
3 Tbsps jarred tamarind paste
1 c. hot water
1/2 c. low-sodium tamari
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsps safflower oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
10 leaves of kale, taken off the stem and torn into small pieces
4 eggs
1/2 package extra firm tofu, cubed
1 bunch scallions, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
2 c. bean sprouts
1/2 c. raw cashews
2 Tbsps cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes. Pass through a strainer to get any grit out. Combine with tamari and brown sugar. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsps of oil in a wok over high heat. Stir fry the shallots and garlic. Add the carrots and kale, cooking until kale wilts.

Make a hole in the center of the pan and add the last tablespoon of oil in the center. Add the eggs in the center, allowing them to cook without stirring for a minute or so. Start to break up the eggs somewhat, allowing uncooked parts to shift and get cooked. After another minute or two, break up the eggs into bits and begin to mix into the rest.

Add the tofu and scallions. Add the noodles, stirring gently to avoid breaking them up. Add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sauce (start with half, and see how much more you want to use). Remove from heat.

In a small stainless steel saucepan, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant. Remove to a cutting board and chop.

Serve noodles garnished with cashews and cilantro, and offer lime wedges.

This Weeks' Shopping List

This week has required a fair amount of cooking, but nothing too time-consuming. In fact, one of the things I made this week, the Banana, Carrot & Kale Bread, gave my daughter and me an opportunity to make a mess together in the kitchen. That's always a fun bonding experience. With snow coming down outside and temperatures in the teens, what better way is there to spend the day than with something full of cinnamon baking in the oven?

My Asian obsession continues, but I've now been warned by my husband that this must stop at some point. Really, only one Asian dish this week means that I'm trying my best to keep my inner infant quiet.

The menu for the week goes like this:

Lunch: Lentil Soup with english muffins and sardines.

Snacks:
- Hummus with pita and crudite
- Banana, Carrot & Kale Bread

Dinner:
- Vegetarian Pad Thai with kale & carrots (cashews replace the peanuts)
- Broiled Salmon with apple-date chutney (changes made: grilled salmon fillets in a cast-iron pan, skipped the olive oil, skipped the apple juice) served with sweet potato mash
- Greek meatballs (changes made: substituted ground turkey for other meats, finely diced onion) with spinach risotto

Dessert: Lemon granita


The shopping list for the week was like this (* indicates non-organic):

scallions
shallots
bean sprouts*
kale
lime
lemons
sweet potatoes
apples
broccoli crowns* ($0.99/lb)
oranges
grapefruit
bananas
milk
eggs
brown rice noodles*
orange juice* (2/$5)
seltzer*
ground turkey* (free range)
white wine*
brown rice wine vinegar
oatmeal
barley
molasses*
pita

I was able to buy everything on the list this week, and I bought no extras. How about that! The total for the grocery bill was $74.10, way under the weekly budget. But, what would a week be without some sort of complication?

This week, I pick up my ground beef order. One of the mothers in my local chapter of the Holistic Moms Network arranged for a group order of 50 lbs. of local, organic ground beef. I am taking 8 lbs. of it, at $3.50/lb, for a total of $28. That's rock bottom cheap! I hope I bought enough. This brings the week to a grand total of $102.10, $20.40 less than our weekly budget. We're beginning to nibble away at our deficit. We are now down to $67 in the hole.

Basic Easy Stir Fry

There is nothing I can think of that is easier to make and healthier than a stir fry. Done right, it should be mostly veggies, and since the veggies are cooked without water, there is no dilution of nutrients. Even steaming dilutes somewhat. Some form of protein should be added. And serve the whole thing over brown rice. Very filling, very nutrient-dense, and fairly economical. Best of all, stir fry is extremely versatile. Nearly any vegetable or protein that is left over in the fridge can be tossed into a stir fry, so it's great for cleaning out the fridge. It's not really a seasonal meal, because it can so easily change with the seasons. So, winter, spring, summer or fall, you can easily turn to it when your brain is scrambled and you can't think of what to make for dinner.

There is no need to buy the high salt, high additive stir fry sauces that are typically sold in the supermarket ethnic section. There is also no need to buy those frozen stir fry veggie mixes. These products are seriously expensive, and in many cases very unhealthy. They're also completely unnecessary! Stir fry is an easy do-it-yourself meal, so why take short cuts that will only serve up a second-rate meal?

The "recipe" below is based on one that my mother made while I was growing up. I apply the same principles to any stir fry I make, but I change all the main elements.

This recipe will serve 5.

Basic Stir Fry
4 portions of protein (1 lb. chicken, beef, fish or shellfish, or 4 eggs, or 1/2 cup nuts, 3/4 box of extra firm tofu, 1 package tempeh, etc.) - you could use a combination of proteins, to make things more interesting

Cut the protein (if appropriate) into bite-size chunks. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours in a mixture of the following:
2 Tbsps. low-sodium tamari (or other soy sauce)
2 Tbsps. dry sherry (or rice vinegar)
2 tsps. corn starch

Vegetables can include any number of things, but I usually include the following items or categories:
garlic - 3 cloves, sliced thinly
ginger - 1-2 inches, peeled and julienned
onion family - could be white onion, scallions, chives - cut into medium-sized pieces
leafy green or cabbage family - kale, bok choy, napa cabbage, broccoli are all good choice - cut into bite-size pieces
root vegetable family - carrots, turnips, parsnips - cut into thin, short strips
Asian vegetable - snow peas, beans sprouts, baby corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots - many of these are only available in cans
miscellaneous fridge veggies - whatever else you have that is on the verge of spoiling can be tossed in for good measure. Often, I find that's a red pepper.

Prepare a sauce before starting to cook:
3 Tbsps. low-sodium tamari (or other soy sauce)
2 Tbsps. dry sherry (or mirin, for a sweeter version)
2 Tbsps. brown rice vinegar
4 Tbsps. water
1 Tbsp. sugar or agave nectar (if using agave, make sure the sauce is heated gently, so it doesn't burn)
1 tsp. chinese chili paste (optional)

To prepare, heat 2-3 Tbsps. safflower oil in a wok over high heat. Add protein and stir fry until just about done. Remove the protein and set aside. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for about 2 minutes, until golden. Add remaining vegetables. Stir fry until wilted/brightly colored/cooked, but still somewhat firm. Return protein to the wok and incorporate. Add the sauce, and remove from heat. Serve over brown rice.