The Perfect Banana Bread Recipe

The Perfect Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients for cake:

1 egg 3 ripe bananas ½ lemon 2 cups flour    1 tbsp vanilla extract Coconut flower sugar

2 tbsp coconut oil 1 cup ground hazelnuts 1/3  tsp baking Soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp chai mix spices in powder 1 cup Pecan nuts A pinch of salt

 Wet Ingredients

In a bowl mash 3x ripe bananas, add two squeezes of lemon juice and the vanilla extract. Take a whisk and whisk in one egg. Add coconut oil and mix vigorously or until everything is incorporated.

 Dry ingredients

In a bowl add 1 cup of ground hazelnuts with baking powder and baking soda. Add coconut sugar and mix thoroughly. Add chai spices. Pour in the flour little by little while mixing and save some flour for adding it later to acquire the perfect consistency.

Mix your dry and wet ingredients together making sure not to over stir the mixture to keep the dough airy. Add extra flour accordingly. Bake for 45 mins to 1 hr at 180 C. During the last 10 mins of baking, leave the bottom coil on to make sure bottom is cooked all the way through. Once Banana bread is well baked, set aside to cool prior to take it out of the pan and frosting it.

Ingredients for frosting:

1x chocolate milk tablet 3x tbsp raw cacao powder

2x tbsp coconut oil

Onto boiling water pot place larger bowl and allow milk chocolate tablet with coconut oil to melt and add cocoa powder to taste. Frost top and sides of Banana bread.

Two types of Bruschetta

Bruschetta (Italian pronunciation: [bruˈsketta])

an antipasto (starter dish) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt.

Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese, a popular dish is Bruschetta pomodoro; the most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella.

Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer. In some countries, a topping of chopped tomato, olive oil and herbs is marketed under the bruschetta name.

In Italy, bruschetta is often prepared using a brustolina grill. In the Abruzzo region of Italy a variation of bruschetta made with a salame called ventricina is served. Raw pork products and spices encased in pig bladder (ewwwww) are aged and the paste spread on open slices of bread which are sometimes grilled. This was a way of salvaging bread that was going stale.

In Tuscany it is called fettunta and it is usually served without toppings, especially in November, to taste the very first oil of the season.


I will show you today how to make two recipes; a basic bruschetta and an antipasti Bruschetta.


Ingredients for basic bruschetta

1 Bread of your choice (pref. rustic) / or
3 Garlic cloves
3-4 ripe tomatoes
4-5 Basil leaves
Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt

Ingredients for antipasti bruschetta

 1 Bread of your choice, pref. rustic
3 Garlic cloves
3-4 ripe tomatoes
4-5 Basil leaves
1 grilled and sliced eggplant
3-4 sundried tomatoes
Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt



Preparation


1. Slice your bread into thick slices (you still got to be able to put it in your mouth,
    with all the toppings on top though, remember that little point as you're doing the slicing).

2. Cut your garlic cloves in half or crush them in a garlic press and put it in a small bowl or plate

3. Chop the fresh tomatoes

4. Bruise your basil and finely chop it, put the basil and tomatoes in a bowl and mix together,
    add a dash of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil. (At this step you can also add the other
    ingredients for the antipasti version)

5. Toast your bread, once your slices are toasted, rub them with the sliced
    or crushed garlic using circular motions. Rub everywhere and leave no corners
    and cracks uncoated.

6. Add the rest of the garlic left over in the bowl with the tomato and basil mix

7. Spread topping mixture over bread

8. Salt & pepper to taste

Bon Appétit!

Empanadas Mendocinas Tuna Twist

Dear Globetrotters,


I have an announcement, I have stopped eating meat (poultry, beef, pork, etc..) and drinking milk (though I still use milk in some recipes). From now on, my cooking blog will be promoting healthy food choices (it was already before but even healthier now)!

So here is a new recipe (using milk) as I have not been very good at updating this blog these past few years, I'm motivated again to throw some easy, yummy, cool & healthy recipes your way...

Empanadas Mendocinas Tuna Twist

Yield: ~20 medium or ~30 small empanadas

Here is an easy recipe for empanadas mendocinas, a usually traditional Argentinean baked empanadas filled with beef, onions, paprika, hot pepper powder, cumin, oregano, hard-boiled egg and olives. But I'm switching it up and making it with tuna for all my pescatorians out there.

  

Ingrédients

Dough for empanadas
•      3 cups flour
•     1 egg yolk
•     ½ cup of butter
•     ¾ cup to 1 cup of warm milk 
•    ½ tsp salt
• 
  
  
  
  Stuffing for empanadas
  
  
•  1 Yellow bell Pepper
•  3 white or Brown mushrooms (big ones)
•  ½ Onion
•  ¾ green Olive Tapenada
•  ½ tsp salt
•  Pepper
•  Cumin
•  Turmeric
•  Paprika
•  Tomato paste concentrate
• 1 can of tuna
•  a pinch of sugar or agave syrup

 Preparation

Empanada dough

1. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor,
    pulse until well combined, or do it like a warrior,
    with your hands (yummier).

2. Add the butter, blend well.

3. Add the egg yolk and the milk in small amounts,
    pulse until small dough clumps start to form.

4. Make a couple of balls, flatten into disks
    and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

5. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a thin sheets,
    and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).^

6 . Use the empanada discs immediately or store in the refrigerator
      or freezer until ready to use . 

Empanada stuffing

1. Chop the yellow bell pepper and half an onion into very thin,
    very tiny cubes and add them to a bowl

2. Add some green olive tapenada

3. Add the drained canned tuna, mix thouroughly

4. Add chopped mushrooms

5. Add tomato paste concentrate, mix thouroughly

6 . Add spices, salt & pepper to taste

7. Add stuffing in the center of the empanada dough discs,
    take some egg yolk on a cooking paintbrush and lightly coat half
    the contour of the dough disk. 

8. Once done to all your empanadas, close them over, with your fingers, and lock all        the goodness in by pressing lightly on the edges with a fork. Coat the empanadas        with a light coat of egg-yolk and these babies are ready to be cooked!
    

Put all these yummy empanadas in your oven for about 25-35 mins. or until golden brown.

You can test them by planting a toothpick in the middle. If nothing sticks, it's done!

Bon Appétit!

Caprese Salad

• "Insalata Caprese" (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple and straight-forward salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozarella, tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil. In Italy, unlike most salads, it is usually served as an antipasto (starter).
  
  While it's unknown whether the salad actually originated on Capri, it became popular after being served there to the jet-setting King Farouk of Egypt during the 1950s.

For this dish you will need:
 

150g  fresh mozarella (buffalo mozarella if you find it)

150g  baby tomatoes

1/2 cup minced yellow onions

1 cup julienned fresh basil

cream of balsamic vinegar

olive oil (lemon olive oil if you find it)

salt 

pepper

Start by cutting your tomatoes in round slices then do the same thing for the mozarella.

Mince your onions and put them on the side. julienne your fresh basil leaves and reserve them for the end.

Dressing of the plate:

You can pretty much use any type of flat serving dish for this one, like a big plate for example. 

Start by placing your sliced mozarella and tomatoes around the edge of the plate and make circles of alternating lines of mozarella and tomatoes until you fill your whole plate. Sprinkle over your creation your minced yellow onions and the julienned basil leaves. Take your olive oil and take care to pour a thin run of olive oil over each circle of tomato/mozarella. Apply the same process with the cream of balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste and voilà!

I hope you try this recipe and adopt it as a summer trend.

Bon Appétit!

2012-2013 New Recipes!

2012- 2013: 

Upcoming recipes!

Caprese Salad 

°°°

Roasted duck magret with ratatouille

 

°°°

Home made whole-grain bread

°°°

 Home-made old fashioned Swiss apple pie

 

°°°

 Yakitori skewers

 

°°°

 Hearty lover's brunch

 

°°°

 Old fashioned prune tart

 

°°°

 Tikka Masala chicken with fresh baby tomato salad 

and corn muffin

 

°°°

 Goat cheese summer salad

 

°°°

A new take on Sam Gye Tang

 (Korean Chicken Ginseng soup)

°°°

A new take on Pho Bo

 (Vietnamese noodle soup with meatballs)

°°°

Bruschetta

 

°°°

Chicken light curry with rice and red current

So I'm working on writing down all these new recipes for you! 

Not all of them are available yet but I'll make sure to update them as fast as I can.

Until then, 

Bon Appétit!

Healthy and Fresh: Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Yay! It's almost summer!

And summer for me means, cold and refreshing drinks and food ideas!

Let's get started with this new recipe I created,

after being inspired by a Vietnamese dish called: 

• "Goi Cuon" ( ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลุยสวน (kuaytiaw luysuan); literally "mix salad rolled") a Vietnamese dish consisting of pork, shrimp, herbs, bún (rice vermicelli), and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper. They are served at room temperature, and are not deep fried. Summer roll has gradually gained popularity among Vietnam's neighboring countries and in the West. In Vietnam and the province of Isan in north-east Thailand, Vietnamese can be seen hand-making rice paper and placing them on the rectangle bamboo trays around their houses..  

 For this dish you will need:
 

Summer rolls:

3-9  round rice papers (8″ diameter)

1 cup  julienned or shredded carrots

1 cup  julienned or shredded radishes

1 cup  Alfalfa sprouts or a mix of your favorite sprouts

1 head  of baby romaine lettuce 

15  mint leaves

8-10  thin slices of roasted porc or roast beef 

(this is optional, for vegetarians please substitute with avocado, raw fish or marinated shrimp.)

Optional but tasty:

2 cups dried rice vermicelli

1/2 cup mango, sliced into thin slivers

You first want to start with preparing the ingredients that you will place inside your summer rolls. Once that is done, grab a square or rectangular baking dish and fill it with about 1″ of lukewarm/room temperature water. Dip one rice paper round in the dish for a quick 10-seconds. Lift round and let the water drip off. Place on clean, dry work surface. 
Blot the top of the round with a paper towel. We’ll work one roll at a time.

 Now it’s time to roll! 


Start by laying down your carrot slices. Make sure it's in the center of your rice paper roll.

 

 


Next step, place the roast meat (avocado / raw fish) ontop of the carrot slices.

Top the meat (avocado / raw fish), with your radish slices, sprouts, lettuce, mint slivers and the remainder of your other desired toppings (vermicelli and/or mango slivers.)

 


Folding the roll:

This part is so easy! I promise you can do it.

All you need to do is fold inward the two sides of the rice paper round, then start at the bottom and fold the bottom part ontop, then roll and voilà!

Dipping sauce:

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp honey

½ tbs  hoisin sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

1-2 cloves   garlic (crushed and finely minced)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm up the oil. When it is hot, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add hoisin, honey, soy  sauce. Whisk and simmer for 1 minute. You can add an additional tablespoon of water for a thinner consistency.

Dressing of the plate:

You can pretty much use any type of flat serving dish for this. I would however put the dipping sauce in an individual small bowl on the side for each guest. You can sprinkle peanut and coriander or mint leaves as toppings which adds some really nice flavors to this.You can serve these with rice or soup, or maybe both!

I hope you try this recipe and have as much fun as me eating it!

Bon Appétit!