Coffee Infused Banana Bread

A couple of months ago I was chatting with my friend Abbeeroad, who asked for a good banana bread recipe.  In pulling up the one I normally used from the Better Homes & Gardens classic red gingham cookbook, I stumbled onto a version of a coffee banana bread.  Since I also had bananas to use up we both made some that day.  The original recipe called for adding ground coffee straight into the flour mixture, which sounded silly to me.  No matter how fine ground your coffee, it's still going to make for gritty bread, so I swapped it out for instant coffee which would dissolve.

Over the course of the pandemic, I've made this bread 5 times now, changing something every time.  I've finally perfected my version of the recipe, which includes changing the technique for infusing the coffee flavor, and upping the whole grains by using some whole wheat flour and some ground flax seed.  But don't worry if you don't have those things, you can still use AP flour.

Coffee Infused Banana Bread
1 1/4 cups AP flour +  ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour + 1/4 cup ground flax seed
OR
2 cups AP flour

1 – 2 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar (I use a scant cup, especially if my bananas measure more than 1 cup)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large)
⅓ cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk of choice (I have used cashew or hazelnut with great results)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons espresso sugar or turbinado/raw sugar (optional)

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.  You want it liquid, but not boiling hot.  Add in the instant espresso or coffee powder, and stir well.  Let the coffee infuse the butter for 5-10 minutes, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and partway up the sides of an 8" x 4" loaf pan.

In a large bowl whisk together flour(s), baking soda and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside.

In a separate medium bowl combine the beaten egg, granulated sugar, banana, milk and vanilla. Once the coffee butter has finished infusing, add the butter into the wet ingredients and stir well.  Break up any little clumps of coffee than may have not dissolved.

Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.  The batter will be lumpy. Spoon into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle with the espresso or raw sugar.  Honestly, I don't feel this bread needs it at all, but some folks like things sweeter.  You do you.

Bake for 60 - 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Cajun Skillet Dinner (pantry staple friendly)

My husband loves cajun food of any variety, so I try to keep some andouille sausages in the back of the fridge or the freezer.  If you like your food extra spicy, feel free to top with a little extra hot sauce.

Cajun Skillet Dinner 
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 12 oz package fully cooked andouille (I used Aidell's), sliced into half moons
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled & diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp Cajun seasoning (Recipe to make your own.)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish (or use the celery leaves!)
White rice for serving

Directions:
Start a pot of rice, or set your rice cooker to have the rice ready for dinner time. 

While the rice cooks, drizzle a little olive oil or a spritz of cooking spray in a large skillet, over medium heat.  Cook the sliced up sausages for a few minutes, so they take on a little color, and their flavor infuses the oil in the pan.  Once they are lightly browned, remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

Add the onion, celery, & carrots to the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  You want them softened but not mushy.  Add the garlic, and cook about 30 seconds, stirring well so it doesn't burn.  Add the red beans and tomatoes. 

Sprinkle in the cajun seasoning, and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  Taste, and add salt if needed.  (The beans, tomatoes and cajun seasoning all have salt in them, so you might not need any.)  Cook about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes and beans are heated through, and the tomato juices have formed a sauce in the pan.  Add the sausage back into the pan, and stir to combine.

Serve the sausage and veggies over the rice, and garnish with fresh parsley, or chives from your garden, or some celery leaves.

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup (vegan & pantry staple friendly)

This delicious soup was warming and hearty, and best of all it was easy to make with things I already keep in my pantry.  It is perfect for dipping some no-knead bread, toast, or naan that you squirreled away in you freezer a few weeks ago.  It made 6 servings, so we had it for dinner twice, and froze the rest for later this month.

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled & diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
4 cups (1 tetrapak) vegetable broth
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon harissa paste
2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Sour cream or plain yogurt for serving
Chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, chives, or celery leaves for serving

Directions:
Drizzle some olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot, over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, curry powder, and turmeric, and saute another minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.  Don't let the garlic burn!

Stir in the carrots, dried lentils, vegetable broth, and tomatoes (with their juice), and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered until the lentils are soft, about 20-25 minutes.

If the soup thickens too much, you can add a little more water while it simmers.

Remove from the heat, and add in the harissa paste, and lemon juice, stirring well to incorporate them.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, vegan sour cream, or plain yogurt on top, and sprinkle with fresh herbs if you have them.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

I was so excited to have the lovely pottermouth and her daughter stay with us last night.  In honor of the occasion I decided to make a Mediterranean diet-friendly olive oil cake to celebrate.  This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Katiebird Bakes.  Here's my version.

For the cake:
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 of the zest from one large grapefruit
2 large eggs
1 cup yogurt (I used non-dairy coconut yogurt)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large grapefruit
1 orange
1-2 tangerines

Glaze:
1/3 cup fresh citrus juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Icing:
2 tablespoons glaze (see below)
1 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1/4 of the zest from the grapefruit
Pinch of salt
Sliced almonds for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a bundt pan well with cooking spray, and sprinkle in some granulated sugar.  Set aside.

Zest & juice your grapefruit.  Juice your orange & tangerines, until you have close to 1 cup or mixed citrus juice.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and grapefruit zest together with your fingers until the mixture is fragrant. 

Add the eggs, yogurt, olive oil, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of citrus juice to the sugar, and whisk it all together until well combined.

Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture, and stir until just mixed.

Pour the batter into your bundt pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is golden around the edges, and cooked through.

While it bakes, prepare the the glaze and icing:

Glaze: Place 1/3 cup citrus juice and 1 tbsp granulated sugar in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl.  Microwave on high until bubbling and sugar has melted, about 1 minute.  Whisk together and set aside to let cool; reserve 2 tbsp of the glaze for the icing.

Icing: whisk together 2 tbsp of the prepared glaze, the powdered sugar, remaining grapefruit zest, and salt in a small bowl until smooth and pourable.  Set aside.

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes all over the surface of the cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick.  Pour the glaze over the hot cake slowly, allowing it to soak in.

Let the glaze soak into the cake for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack.

Once the cake is released and cooled, pour the icing over top, and garnish with slivered almonds.