Healthy Banana Bread

There’s something very satisfying about baking bread at home. I feel quite elavated when I take out bread from the oven. The rich aroma and the expectation of the first taste is exhilarating in itself.

Banana bread is one of my favourite breads and to be honest whenever I bake it I can’t help having it for breakfast and then again with coffee in the evening.

But sadly like most of the baked goods banana bread can be packed with lots of fats and oils, let aside the processed all purpose flour — my three enemies!

Previously I’ve tried to use stevia instead of sugar but the experiment wasn’t successful as stevia left a strong after-taste. So may be I’ll use stevia only in my tea and coffee or the occasional porridge.

So after my failure with stevia I decided to reduce the sugar to 75% of what the recipe required and use only soft dark brown sugar. And I must say I’m very pleased with the result and would probably reduce it further next time. As brown sugar has a slightly ‘richer’ taste than regular white sugar you can use a little less sugar without compromising on the sweetness.

Also, I replaced 75% of the oil with buttermilk and yet had a gorgeous bread. it was slightly crunchy on the outside and rich and gooey in the inside. A perfect treat when you’re craving something baked and sweet.

Here’s my recipe. Hope you like it.

Ingredients :
Whole wheat flour 1 cup
All purpose flour 2/3 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
Soft dark brown sugar 1 1/4 cups
Bananas mashed 1 cup (preferably ripe)
Eggs 2
Butter milk 2/3 cup
Oil 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Method :
1. Pre heat oven at 140°C.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside in a small bowl.

3. In a large mixing bowl blend oil, mashed bananas, buttermik, eggs and vanilla essence.

4. Add the dry ingredients and blend well with a hand blender.

5. Grease a loaf mould and pour the mixed batter in it.

6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50 minutes.

7. Take out of the oven and enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee.

Baked Potato Wedges

Now with these delicious Baked Potato Wedges you can satisfy your craving for French Fries without feeling guilty about the fat content.

You don’t need to buy those horrible yet overpriced baked or popped chips anymore.

Here’s my recipe. It’s super fun and easy.

Ingredients :

Potatoes 3 medium sized
Olive Oil 2 tbsp
Salt 1/3 to 1/2 tsp
Paprika Powder 1/2 tsp
Oregano 1/2 tsp
Cooking Spray

Method :

1. Pre heat the oven at 180 ° C. Wash and cut the potatoes into thin wedges and pat them dry.

2. In a small bowl mix salt, paprika and oregano.

3. Again pat the potatoes dry and coat them with olive oil.

4. Now add the dry spices and make sure potato wedges are evenly coated.

5. Line a baking tray with tin foil and grease it with cooking spray. 

6. Put the potato wedges on the baking tray but make sure that the tray isn’t overcrowded.

7. Bake for 20 minutes and serve with ketchup.

Crispy Baked Za’atar/Thyme Chicken Thighs

Who doesn’t love crispy fried chicken with french fries? If it were not for the high fat content I would have it all the time.

Today I decided to experiment with baking breaded chicken to get just the crispness I wanted.

I marinated it with Za’atar which is a Lebanese spice blend made of dried thyme, sesame seeds and some other spices. It’s usually sprinkled over pita bread before it’s baked with olive oil but I love it so much that I’ve been adding it to many dishes including aalu/potato paratha and mashed potatoes.

To make sure that the chicken is tender on the inside do not remove the skin. I know the skin isn’t healthy but since we are hardly using any oil in this recipe I’ll go ahead and say this chicken is still quite healthy.

The secret to baked crispy chicken is marinating only when it is well dried.

Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients :

Whole Chicken Thighs with skin on 500 gms
Salt 1 tsp or according to taste
White Pepper 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper 1/3 tsp
Za’atar/Thyme 1 1/2 tbsp
Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp
OnionPowder 1/2 tsp
Cooking Spray or a little Olive Oil
Egg 1 medium
Bread Crumbs 1/4 cup

Method :

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towels.

2. In a small bowl mix together all the dry spices.

3. Gently make small cuts in the fleshy part of the chicken and rub the mixed spices on all sides. Set aside for 15 minutes.

4. Pre heat the oven at 180 ° C. Line a baking tray with baking parchment or tin foil and use cooking spray or a little olive oil to grease it.

5. Gently beat the egg in a bowl that would fit the chicken thighs. Dip chicken in the egg and then coat it on all sides with bread crumbs. Repeat with all pieces.

6. Place the chicken on the baking tray with some space between each piece. Crowding the tray would result in a soggy chicken. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the pieces halfway through.

7. Serve with your favourite dip and some crispy baked potato wedges.

Here’s my recipe of Baked Potato Wedges:
https://cravingfoodindoha.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/baked-potato-wedges/