Healthy Banana Bread with Flax Meal

I had no idea banana bread was so versatile until I started really experimenting with it. This whole health-ifying baked goods was inspired by my roommate, Nichole's, compost muffins. Learning how to properly incorporate flax meal and understand flour substitutions has opened many doors in the realm of baked goods and quick breads. One flour I have recently enjoyed experimenting with is coconut flour. It has more fiber than enriched white flour and it is gluten free if you are ever cooking for people with gluten allergies. I always loved banana bread but it is easily made too sweet and more of a dessert than a solid feel-good breakfast. This banana bread tastes delicious and can be a dessert, however, more importantly, it can be a great start to your morning. My two good friends, Natalie and Maxine, and I recently went to the Carnival festival in the Mission. We picked up some plantains on our way home and made it a night of banana bread and plantains. Basically we love bananas. I was out of eggs and the quick-mart under my apartment was closed so I went to the bar downstairs and they gave me two eggs in exchange for a promise of warm banana bread upon completion. I followed through on the promise and now I never need to worry about not having eggs! Here is a picture of Natalie, Maxine and I on a stoop at the festival before banana bread time:

Healthy Banana Bread with Flax Meal
(Makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup flax seed - meal
3/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp + 1 pinch baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup almond butter
2 apples, shredded
1 cup craisins
1 cup Brazil nuts, chopped
3/4 cup soy milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter two loaf baking pans.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flours, flax meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and add the shredded apple, soy milk, eggs and almond extract. Whisk until the eggs are beaten. Add in the almond butter  and mix until incorporated.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add in the chopped nuts and craisins and incorporate.
5. Pour mixture into two loaf pans. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Nichole's Compost Muffins (aka Energy Breakfast Muffins)

My awesome roommate, Nichole, made these delicious and healthy muffins for a recent camping trip with her family. Lucky for me - her fam didn't eat them all so I got to try the left overs and they were fantastic! They are whole grain, feel-good muffins. Her recipe has been adapted from this Bob's Red Mill recipe. I learned from Nichole that in order to get the nutrients from flax seeds, they have to be ground up into flax meal. Ground Flax seeds are a good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. You can buy flax seeds and ground them yourself, as we do, or you can buy the flax meal. The nutrients in ground flax seeds are more easily absorbed. HERE is a great source of information on flax seeds. These muffins taste great alone or with some peanut butter. My friends, Natalie & Maxine, love these muffins with a spread of butter too. Enjoy!



Nichole's Compost Muffins
(Makes about 15 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown flax meal
3/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp maple cream
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 3 carrots)
2 peeled and shredded apples (about 2 apples)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
2 beaten eggs
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, flax  meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. Stir in the carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and maple cream. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix.
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool, enjoy.

Spicy Cheese! ....another reason to LOVE California

 I recently had the pleasure of sampling (multiple times) this delicious and surprisingly spicy habanero jack cheese from the Sonoma Cheese Factory.  Buy it HERE.

Disclosure: Apologies for the semi-blurry picture - this was taken about 2 hours into a wine tasting...
The habanero kicks in about 3 seconds into the cheese tasting. The jack is otherwise perfectly creamy to help offset the habanero.


Some ideas for good uses for this cheese include:

• Shredding and using as a topping for fried fish tacos
• Shredding and using in a corn bread
• Quesadillas
• On crackers with a dollop of sweet peach chili sauce or honey (or some sweet sauce)
• Topping on tortilla soup
• Topping for nachos with extra guacamole   

And here are some awesome recommendations from my cousin Megan <3

• shredded on top of taco salad
• used with rice and chicken in a stuffed poblano pepper
• in enchiladas! yum!
• maybe paired with a sharp green apple? Could be interesting..

Any one feel up for a visit to the Sonoma Cheese Factory?