Whole wheat walnut banana bread with honey and coconut oil

A couple days ago I have made a banana bread with all natural ingredients, using honey instead of sugar, and butter instead of oil. Tonight, I made a little twist, I used coconut oil and the banana bread still tasted very good.  Mr. S cannot taste any difference, but I think I could taste the deliciousness of coconut in the bread. Yum!!!

Ingredients
*1 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
*1/2 cup organic oat
*1/3 cup organic flaxseed
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
*2 farm fresh eggs
*3 over ripe banana, mashed
*1/2 cup organic coconut oil, melted
*1/2 cup raw honey
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*1 cup chopped organic walnut

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, oat, flaxseed, salt, baking powder and nutmeg in a medium bowl, and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, using a electric mixer to combine eggs, banana, melted cocount oil , honey, vanilla, and mix until combined. Add the reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until well incorporated, about 10 seconds. Stir in walnuts.
3) Pour batter into buttered pan. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Invert bread to unmold; reinvert, and let cool completely on rack.

Whole wheat honey banana bread with walnut

Homemade banana bread is the best breakfast and dessert.  This time, I tried to use all natural ingredients and the result was impressive! 

Ingredients
*1 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
*1/2 cup organic oat
*1/3 cup flaxseed
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/4 teaspoon baking soda
*1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
*2 farm fresh eggs
*3 over ripe banana, mashed
*1/2 cup organic butter, melted
*1/2 cup raw honey
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*1 cup chopped organic walnut

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, and set aside. Whisk together the flours, oat, flaxseed, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, using a electric mixer to combine eggs, banana, melted butter, honey, and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add the reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until well incorporated, about 10 seconds. Stir in walnuts.
3) Pour batter into buttered pan. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Invert bread to unmold; reinvert, and let cool completely on rack.

Curry fishball

If you have been to Hong Kong, you will know how much Hong-Kongese like their curry fish balls, because they are EVERYWHERE!  A while ago, a friend posted this curry fishball recipe on Facebook and immediately a lot of my friends started to make them. Thanks BuBu ma to share this recipe with us!

Ingredients
*2 tablespoon EVOO
*1/3 cup garlic, minced
*1/3 cup dry onion
*1/2 bottle Lee Kum Kee Curry Sauce
*~20 fishballs
*1 tablespoon Ning Chi Spicy pot sauce(add more if you like spicy)

Directions
1) Put EVOO to a medium size pot in low-medium heat, add in garlic and dry onion.  Stir fry until you smell the aroma comes out from the garlic and onion and they turn slightly brown, about 3-4 minutes.
2) Add in curry sauce and stir fry for 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to high, add in fishball and enough water to cover the fishballs. When it is boiling, add spicy pot sauce. Cook for about 10-15mintues, serve warm.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Country Ribs

It is summer now and I try not to stay in the kitchen for too long to cook so the heat won't get to me.  A lot of times people think cooking with slow cooker is only for Winter meals. But this recipe is so easy and quick that you only need to stay in the kitchen for minutes and a warm meal is ready for you!

Ingredients

*1/2 cup ketchup

*1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

*1/2 cup cider vinegar

*1 tablespoon mustard powder

*1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

*Coarse salt and ground pepper

*4 pounds country-style pork ribs, separated into single ribs

Directions 
1 In slow cooker, whisk together ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
2) Add ribs to slow cooker, and toss with sauce. Arrange ribs, bone side up, in a single row. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).
3) Simmer cooking sauce until thicken. Serve ribs with thicken sauce. 

Chocolate Beet Cakes with Sweet Greek Yogurt

I just started to eat beets about a year ago. I remember I got beets from the farm share and didn't know what to do with them. I usually try a new vegetable by cooking them into something so the vegetable flavor won't be too strong by itself. After looking at all the beets recipes, I decided to try using beets to make cakes and it was delicious! Even Mr. S loved it. Now, I would eat beets on salads and anything with beets.  I made red valvet cake by using beets instead of food coloring.  This time, I added some chocolate in the cake and it is as delicious as the original beet cake. 

Ingredients 

*1 cup whole wheat flour 

*2/3 cup cocoa powder 

*1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/8 teaspoon fine salt

*3 large farm eggs

*1 1/4 cups sugar 

*1 cup canola oil

* 1/2 pound organic red beets, boiled, peeled, finely grated

*1/2 cup yogurt

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line an 18-muffin tin with foil cups.

2) Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in one bowl

and the remaining ingredients in another. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fill each muffin cup half full with the mixture.

3) Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a mini-cake

comes out clean and the mini-cakes start to pull away from the sides of the tin. Cool before serving. Add sweet Greek yogurt(See below for recipe) on top of the cake.

 

Sweet Greek Yogurt:

Ingredients 

*2 cups unsweetened Greek yogurt

*1/4 cup honey

 Directions

1) Combine yogurt and honey in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon so they are just combined. Serve with beet cakes.

Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

Lately I have been craving Southern food.  Partially because of the Seattle Met- Hot Breakfast Spots issue which wrote about chicken and waffles, partially because I tried Bitterroot's cheesy grits and participial because of my friend, Miss K made shrimp and grits one time and I fell in love with them.  It took me a while to find grits at the grocery store and finally I found Bob's Red Mill corn grits at QFC.

Cheesy Grits:

Ingredients

*1 cup grits

*1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*2 large egg

*1/2 stick butter, cut up

*1 1/2 Cheddar cheese

*2 gloves garlic, finely chopped

*Dash of cayenne pepper

Direction

1) Preheat the oven to 350F

2) In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and salt. Whisk constantly for 1 minute. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 mins, or until the grits are thick and creamy.

3) In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs. Take about 1 tablespoon of the hot cooked grits and whisk it into the eggs. Stir the warmed eggs back into the pan of grits and stir well to combine. Stir in the butter, cheese, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

4) Spoon the mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Top with extra grated cheese in the last 5 minutes of baking.

Shrimp:

Ingredients 

*1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 

*1 teaspoon oil

*1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts  

*1 large garlic clove, minced

*4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice  

*2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Direction

1) Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. 

2) Heat saucepan and add oil. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, and green onions. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Falafel with Avocado Spread

Eating falafel always reminds me of the trip through Egypt and Jordan that Mr. S and I took a while ago. This recipe is a healthier version of traditional falafel which I pan fried instead of deep fried.  But don't worry, it still tastes as delicious!

Ingredients
 Patties: 

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce) 

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions 
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro 

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 large egg white 

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Spread: 

1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado 

2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato 

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion 

2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream 

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Direction:

1. To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Shape bean mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.
3. To prepare spread, combine avocado and next 5 ingredients (through salt), stirring well. 
4. You can place the spread and falafel in pita bread or any bread that you prefer.