Banana | Pas de Deux Blog

When I left home last Friday for a weekend away, I left 4 bananas ripening in the kitchen.

There is nothing better than coming home to perfectly over-ripe bananas, just begging to be baked into moist and delicious banana bread.

Vegan Buckwheat Banana Bread

Banana bread has always been a favorite in my family. One of my earliest kitchen memories is mixing up a tasty loaf of banana bread with my mom. Her tried and true recipe includes extra cinnamon, and it always makes the house smell terrific.

Lately I have been experimenting with “alternative” recipes. Andrea’s Banana Date Bread and Jenna’s molasses-sweetened version have both been big hits. Coincidentally, big sister Julie has also been experimenting with her own variation, using applesauce as the primary sweetener.

When I bought my first bag of buckwheat flour a few weeks ago, I quickly decided that buckwheat banana bread was in order. I have been reading more and more about this ~~grain~~ seed, and couldn’t wait to experiment.

Buckwheat is the seed of an herb related to rhubarb that is native to Russia. The triangular seeds are ground to make buckwheat flour, but can be found in hulled form, as groats (raw) or kasha (roasted). Buckwheat is gluten free, high in protein, and contains all essential amino acids. It has a distinctive flavor, often described as “assertive” and “nutty.”

Vegan Buckwheat Banana Bread

Inspired by Sarah at My New Roots

Ingredients

¼ cup almond milk

6 Tablespoons coconut oil

6 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups mashed ripe bananas (approximately 5 medium bananas)

2 cups buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with baking paper, or lightly oil and dust with flour, shaking out excess.

Put the almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and bananas in a blender and blend until smooth (or use an immersion blender). In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add banana mixture and combine using as few strokes as possible. Fold in nuts.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

My husband often gives me a hard time about my “alternative” baking choices, and he was well-prepared to dislike this bread. Although he described it as “not very sweet” (an intentional choice on my part) and “wheaty” (that would be the earthy buckwheat flavor), he proclaimed “it’s good!” He even asked if he could take a slice or two to work with him.

Husband approved, nutrient rich, deliciously moist and comforting, buckwheat banana bread is a definite success.

Have you ever baked with buckwheat flour?

-L

P.S. This post was shared at Thank Your Body Thursday. Check out Robin’s great weekly link-up for all things healthy living (food exercise, cleaning, and more).

Happy New Year!

I hope your holidays have been full of good food, quality time with friends and family, and plenty of rest. After spending 5 lovely days in western Virginia with my in-laws for Christmas (where my phone does not get reception, and I more or less stayed off of the internet), my husband and I ventured to Texas for 4 days with my side of the family. Two Christmases, two parties, and countless football games later, I feel incredibly blessed at the amount of love that has been shared in the past two weeks.

And we have not gone hungry! Casey will be sharing some of our delicious meals tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Nicoise Salad

As we do on the first day of each month, it is my turn to say Thank You. First, I have to say thank you to all of you, our readers. We have been blogging for about 8 months now, and it has been such fun to share our stories and our food, and to have the support of all of you who read our little blog. Thank you for visiting, reading, and commenting.

Here are a few of the bloggers who have inspired me in the past month. Since it is January, the time of new year’s resolutions, my “thank you”s come with goals for myself.

Thank You, Blog World…

…for reconnecting me with the written word.

In the past two weeks, I have read 3 books, two of which have been written by bloggers!

WrittenTogetherCover_REVISED_sidebar

Shanna’s book was incredible. I couldn’t wait to read it once I purchased it (as in, I had to force myself to do work because all I wanted to do was read). I love her writing style, the recipes she shared, and of course, her story.

My brother-in-law gave me Jenna’s book for Christmas, and I read the whole thing on the plane from Virginia to Texas! I have always toyed with the idea of going to culinary school one day, so I loved hearing about Jenna’s experience. When I got home, my mom had already been planning to bake banana bread, and I just had to try Jenna’s recipe, which included blackstrap molasses, an ingredient with which I am currently infatuated (more on this later).

Husband approved, I will be making this bread again!

When I was in elementary school, I used to dream of being an author when I grew up. I have always loved to read and write, but I have not done nearly enough of either in recent years. My new years resolution is to read and write more often. Maybe one day I will write a memoir of my own… but for now, journaling will suffice. I often “write” in my head, but this year, I am going to make an effort to get my thoughts down on paper when the “writing mood” hits me.

…for teaching me about the nutritional value of ingredients.

I used to think that “nutrition facts” meant the amount of calories, fats, carbohydrates, or protein in a certain food. Sarah and Gena have shown me that nutrition is really so much more.

Casey and I scouted out some not-so-typical ingredients so we could enjoy Sarah’s Superfood Haute Chocolate together yesterday. I really love the way she explains the health benefits of the ingredients. This was my first time tasting Maca Powder, and I can’t wait to find more creative uses for it.

From Gena, I recently learned about the iron-packed goodness of blackstrap molasses (which I used in my gingerbread cookies!). I can’t wait to try her Raisin Almond Balls.

My new years resolution is to take time to learn more about the ingredients I use when I cook. Sarah’s library will be a great starting point, and I already have an Ayeurvedic cookbook and a “Food Dictionary” to consult. I hope you will enjoy learning about ingredients, too, as I share what I am learning with you in my posts.

You can check out our past 7 months of Thank You posts at these links:

Hope your 2013 is starting off well! What New Years Resolutions have you made for this year?

-L