Banana Bread: easiest recipe ever

Two loaves of healthy banana bread are baking in the oven this morning [note to self never keep avocados and bananas in the same basket...they ripen at warp speed together].

This is the easiest recipe I've ever found and super healthy [no eggs, oil or butter]...from Recipe Zaar.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• cinnamon and brown sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions

1. 
   

   Preheat oven at 325 F. Grease 7X7" tin or a 9X5" bread tin. 7x7" cooks faster.

2. 
   

   Mix applesauce and sugar in a bowl.
   

3. 
   

   Add bananas and mix. Add flour, vanilla and baking soda. Mix quickly but thoroughly.

4. 
   

   Pour into tin. Sprinkle with some brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Put into oven immediately.

5. 
   

   Bake till a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean (A little mashed banana on the knife is OK as there's so much fruit. If in doubt, taste to see it doesn't taste of raw flour).

6. 
   

   Ovens vary so always check about 5 mins before when you think it will be ready. About 50 mins in a fan-assisted oven for 7X7" tin.

Orange Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

After seeing the documentary 'Food Inc.'...I have embraced the 'how much are you willing to invest in the food you eat?' mentality preached by Michael Pollan.

I must admit we're fairly good healthy eaters in our house...even making our own baked french fries...but there were a few things here and there that could always be improved.

I ditched the freezer of the hot dogs and dumplings [the crap] and just decided that once I threw it out, that would be the last of it.

Like cookies...now I've just made it my mantra that if I don't bake them then I don't eat them.

It's a lifestyle choice that I want to pass down to my kids.

And this Spring...come May 8...it's buying from the local Farmer's Market whenever I can.

Here is a fab recipe...that I modified [adding the orange puree and omitting quite a bit of sugar and the salt] and my kids love. All they know that there's chocolate chips in them...they don't need to know the rest.

Healthy Orange Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

* 1/3 cup butter or margarine
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup - 1 cup tangerine/clementine puree (about 5-6 tangerines) ...
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 cup white or whole wheat flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 2-3 tbsp ground flax seed
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 cup quick cooking oats
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter/margarine and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, flax seed and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until well combined. Add orange puree. Stir in oats, then chocolate chips.

Place gobs of the cookie dough on the baking sheets approximately 2 inches apart [I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper].
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes 20-30 cookies [depending on the size of the gobs of cookie dough you put on the cookie sheet].

Best healthy oatmeal cookie recipe ever...I swear

OK I don't bake to save my life....but I found this recipe and modified it slightly...so good.
They taste like a cross between a cookie, a muffin and a granola bar.
If I can bake them...anyone can.

Healthy But Tasty Oatmeal Cookies.....

Dry ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups of Quaker Quick Oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chooped walnuts
1/4 cup inaly chopped almonds
2 heaping Tbsp ground flax seed

***plus you can add the following ingredients if you wish: 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 dried cranberries, 1/2 package semi sweet chocolate chips***

Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil (corn, grapeseed or olive)
1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup or more of applesauce [depending on how dry the mix is]

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.

Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray--your honey won't stick).

Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. If the mixture seems too wet, add more rolled oats. If it isn't binding together very well, you may wish to add more applesauce or milk.

COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 335 degrees.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet (spray with Pam spray).
Press down slightly with a fork to ensure even cooking.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie.