Baked Bananas

It is now month 16 of the Improv Cooking Challenge and this month our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker has challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the two given ingredients of bananas & nutmeg.  Unlike last month where I just was uninspired, but still managed to make a wonderful White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark, this month there were so many delicious things I wanted to make.  I’m talking about cakes, cookies, pancakes, muffins, fritters, ice cream and smoothies, so many wonderful things to be made with bananas and nutmeg.  But here it is, a new year, and after all our indulging over Thanksgiving, during our trip to Savannah, during our two weeks in Aruba, over Christmas, New Years Eve and then visiting with friends and our week at Disney…well I needed something delicious but very healthy.  With that in mind, may I present, Baked Bananas.  I saw this recipe on Epicurious and knew that I had found a winner. 

And a winner it is, just minutes to make, all the ingredients are staples in my home and delicious…well just insanely!!  I have made these Baked Bananas a few times already, once as a dessert with a little bit of whipped cream sprinkled with nutmeg and a few times I’ve put them over plain oatmeal, a delicious breakfast.  One night I served these Baked Bananas as a sweet little side dish along side some roasted pork (amazing combination) and I even just baked up a half recipe one night when I was craving something sweet.  I’d bet that these bananas would be fabu over some vanilla ice cream…one day I will give that a try.  I suggest that you give this recipe a try as you’ll be amazed at how just a few ingredients and a tiny bit of time totally transforms simple bananas into an insanely delicious treat.      

Baked Bananas (adapted from here)

2 bananas

Juice of 1 lemon

1 TBS, dark rum  

1/4 tsp. ground roasted cinnamon 

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg 

1 TBS. Whey Low Gold or brown sugar 

1 TBS butter 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the bananas and slice in half lengthwise. Lay the pieces into a buttered 9x9x2-inch ovenproof dish. Pour the lime juice and rum evenly over the bananas. Sprinkle on the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Dot on the butter and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with a bit of whipped cream sprinkled with a pinch of nutmeg.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

December 2012  Chocolate & Marshmallows:  White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark    
November 2012  Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp 
October 2012  Oatmeal & Raisins:  S’mores Granola Bars   
September 2012  Zucchini & Brown Sugar:  Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar 
August 2012  Tomatoes & Peppers:  French Fries Hash Browns 
July 2012  Corn & Butter:  Fritos Crusted Pollock 
June 2012  Cherries & Almonds:  Dried Cherry Almond Tart 
May 2012  Strawberries & Cream:  Strawberry Soup 
April 2012  Peanut butter & Jelly:  Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars 
March 2012  Potato & Cheese:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing 
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Cranberry Almond Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ no added sugar ~ egg, flour & dairy free!!

In the Cook Lisa Cook home we go through a lot of oats.  Not only do we all enjoy oatmeal for breakfast but I also use oats in all of the granola bars that I make for Maisie and in a number of my cookie bars too.  So when I was contacted by Foodie Blogroll* regarding participating in a promotion for Better Oats, I of course said yes! 

Once the Better Oats were in the house we were all excited to give them a try.  Eammon immediately went for the MMM...Muffins Blueberry and said that it was the best flavored oatmeal he had ever eaten.  Maisie opted for the Oat Revolution! Apples & Cinnamon as that’s her favorite flavor.  Maisie liked the oatmeal though she said, not as much as her regular one, but I think that’s because her regular one tastes much sweeter.  I enjoyed the MMM...Muffins Oatmeal Raisin Cookie which was tasty, not too sweet and had a great texture.  We also tried the RAW Pure & Simple Pomegranate with Flax which was interesting and different from what we generally eat.  I set aside the RAW Pure & Simple bare to be used in the recipe below but honestly any of the flavors would have worked in the cookies but I wanted to keep them no-added sugar so I opted for the plain oatmeal.

I saw a recipe for breakfast cookies and tailored that recipe to flavors which we enjoy.  What’s really nice though about using this basic recipe is that it can be made to fit any taste you enjoy.  Don’t like cranberries or they contain too much sugar, try raisins.  Allergic to almonds or don’t like nuts?  Just use ones you like or leave them out.  Not a fan of bananas, use mango pulp…what about mango pulp, apple sauce, dried mango bits and some unsweetened coconut with the oats…sure sounds delicious and still wheat, egg and dairy free!  So grab some Better Oats and use your imagination to make some delicious Oat Breakfast Cookies of your own, they’re delicious.

Better Oats offers 23 delicious flavors in several lines, including RAW Pure & Simple, Oat Revolution, and MMM...Muffins.

RAW Pure & Simple: RAW Pure & Simple is a better way to eat. We start with the finest quality 100% organic, whole grain oats blended with organic whole grains and seeds, like flax, barley and quinoa, for a wonderfully wholesome and nutritious breakfast. You'll love all four thick, hearty multigrain texture and natural, robust flavors. RAW Pure & Simple is naturally good, straight from Mother Earth.

Oat Revolution: Raise your spoon and join us for an Oat Revolution! It starts with all natural 100% whole grain oats. We then add antioxidants and flax, a good source of Omega-3, and top it all off with a bold shot of flavor. All combine to create delicious oatmeal that keeps its rich, robust flavor all the way to your bowl. Take one bite and start your Oat Revolution! 

MMM...Muffins: Everyone loves waking up to hot, fresh muffins for breakfast.
MMM...Muffins gives you that same delicious muffin taste you crave in healthy and nutritious 100% whole grain oatmeal. Our thick and hearty oatmeal is also a good source of fiber and omega-3, so it's better than good, it's good for you. Start your day off right with the indulgent taste of real muffin flavor in every bite...mmm.

Cranberry Almond Oat Breakfast Cookies  ~ no added sugar ~ egg, flour & dairy free!! (Adapted from here)

• 3 pkts. Better Oats RAW Pure & Simple Multi-Grain Hot Cereal ~ Bare Flavor, or 1 1/3 c. whole or instant oats
• 2 large bananas, very ripe
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 2 tsp. almond extract 
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.  In a medium bowl mash the bananas.  Stir in the applesauce & almond extract.  Add the oats, dried cranberries and toasted almonds and mix well.  Allow the mixture to sit for about five minutes before proceeding.  With a large cookie scoop portion out the mixture making 12 cookies.  Flatten the cookies down a bit as they will not spread or puff as they bake.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.  Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pans before removing to a cooling rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

 

More about Better Oats: 

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Made with 100% whole grain oats and flax seeds, this complete line offers a simple and healthy option when it comes to instant oatmeal. But it's not only a great breakfast (or lunch... or snack...) but also a better ingredient to spice up a cookie or other baked goods.

You've got to try Better Oats. If you've been settling for ordinary oatmeal, then you're in for a treat because Better Oats is just... better! Try us and see for yourself.

Visit the Better Oats website!

* This sponsorship is brought to you by Foodie Blogroll who we have partnered with for this promotion.  I was provided with a box of products to sample.  This is a compensated post but all the views and opinions expressed are my own and based upon my experiences with Better Oats.

Mango Melon Banana & Chia Smoothie

For this month’s Crazy Cooking Challenge the participating bloggers were challenged by our hostess Tina, of Moms Crazy Cooking to find the ultimate smoothie recipe.  The way that the Crazy Cooking Challenge works is that each month there is a dish that our hostess Tina challenges the participating bloggers to make.  We all go out searching non-celebrity blogs looking for what we think is the ultimate recipe for that dish and once we find it, we make it and then all on the same day we do our post featuring the recipe and the blog where it was found.  As I said, this month the challenge was to find the ultimate smoothie recipe and in our home Eammon is the big smoothie lover.  One of his favorite flavors is mango so when I came across Chaya’s Mango Melon Smoothie on her blog My Sweet and Savory I knew that I had found my recipe.  I only made two little additions to Chaya’s recipe in that I added 1/2 of a frozen banana which thickened up the smoothie a bit more and added another flavor and I also put in a tablespoon of chia seed gel just because I love adding it to our diet anyway that I can.  Eammon really loved his smoothie and I loved that I got some fruit into him.

Mango Melon Banana & Chia Smoothie 

• 1/4 mango, cut into chunks
• 1 slice of melon, cut into chunks
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 TBS. chia seed gel
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

Place all ingredients into a blender and process until it’s the consistency you desire.

Enjoy!

My previous Crazy Cooking Challenge entries:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Challenge: Totally Outrageous Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich 
Blueberry Muffins Challenge:  Skinny Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 
Spaghetti with Red Sauce Challenge:  Tomato Sauce with Onion & Butter 
Chocolate Cake Challenge:  Double Chocolate Meyer Lemon Mousse Cake 
Chicken Noodle Soup Challenge: Thai Chicken Noodle Soup 
Fudge Challenge: Biscoff Fudge 
Mashed Potato Challenge: Aloo Tikki 
Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge: Chocolate Chip Gingersnaps 
Mac & Cheese Challenge: Velvety Mac & Cheese

Watermelon Frosty

I saw this recipe for a watermelon frosty on Happy Healthy Life and my mouth and tummy immediately said YES!!  I had watermelon in the house, a few frozen bananas in the freezer and I though I didn’t have any fresh lemons I always keep some frozen lemon juice on hand so I was all set as far as ingredients.  I immediately got some watermelon in the freezer and a few hours later I was relaxing and enjoying a wonderfully refreshing drink.  I love that this drink has no dairy but it’s still creamy and smooth because of the banana.  I’ve made this drink a few times already and have frozen watermelon chunks waiting in the freezer as I plan on making this drink all summer long.  I make the drink sans alcohol but you could always replace some of the water with your favorite alcohol for a more “adult” beverage.

Watermelon Frosty (Adapted from here)

2 cups frozen watermelon chunks*
1/2 cup water (or part alcohol of your choosing)
1 packet Stevia (or sweetener of your choice)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 frozen banana**

Place everything in a blender and whiz away!

Enjoy!!

* Remove the rind from the watermelon and then cube the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes.  On a parchment or foil lined baking sheet lay the cubes of watermelon out so that they are not touching one another and place in the freezer.  Once the watermelon chunks are completely frozen remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer. 

**Once bananas are fully ripe and the skins are heavily spotted or fully brown, peel the bananas and place each one into a snack-sized zip bag.  Squeeze out as much air as possible when closing and then freeze.  Though frozen bananas don’t look great they are wonderful in smoothies and banana bread.

Ultimate banana bread

I love banana bread and have made many though the years but I had yet to find a truly wonderful recipe as my breads either lacked in banana flavor or had great flavor but were dense semi-wet bricks.  Well I finally found the ultimate banana bread recipe and this one’s a keeper! 

I had six black perfectly-ripe-for-banana-bread bananas on the counter and it must have been kismet as this recipe called for exactly six very ripe bananas.

Ultimate Banana Bread (adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 large very ripe bananas black or heavily spotted, peeled
8 TBS salted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste  
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (optional) 
1 TBS large decorative sugar crystals 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Place 5 bananas in a large (because the juice will bubble up and over so larger is better) microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in the plastic with a knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are very soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to a fine-mesh strainer placed over a small saucepan and allow to drain, stirring and mashing occasionally for about 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid). Set the strainer with the bananas aside and cook the banana liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes.

In the now empty banana bowl melt the butter in the microwave until it's almost completely melted and then stir to melt the rest of the butter while also allowing the butter to cool slightly. To the melted butter add the brown sugar and stir then add the cooked bananas, eggs, reduced banana liquid and vanilla bean paste and stir to mix.

Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined with some small streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in the walnuts, if using. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Slice the remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Layer the banana slices on top of the batter along both long sides of the loaf pan, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the loaf.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool bread in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!!