Banana Chips in Airfryer

INGREDIENTS
Four bananas (raw)
Black pepper
Salt
little oil for airfryer

Procedure: Peel the Banana and slice them in the form of thin chips, and take mix the chips with a little bit of oil (Optional), transfer the content to a airfryer and airfry for 10 minutes at 180 degree. Once done, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Store them in a Jar and serve as a snack.

Mango Spice Banana Bread

Mango Spice Banana Bread

Necessity was again the mother of invention when it came to this new version of Banana Bread. I'm not sure why Spouse keeps buying so many bananas when they never seem to all get eaten before they start to get over ripe. This time a sweet, very ripe mango shared the bottom of the fruit bowl with the bananas. First, I figured I'd make spice muffins with the mango and banana bread with the bananas but then it occurred to me, "Why not combine the two?" The result was really delicious and well worth trying.

Make sure you dice the mango quite small (under 1/2 inch), especially of it is very ripe, to make sure the mango pieces stay evenly distributed in the batter. This is my new favorite banana bread. These flavors really do go together exceptionally well.

Mango Spice Banana Bread

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

A different mango and spice twist on a traditional banana bread. A great addition to packed lunches or as an afternoon snack. Makes a terrific bake sale contribution too.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: Apprroximately 1 hour 15 miutes
Yield: 1 large or 2 small loaves
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest, finely minced
• 1 large ripe mango, diced small

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs, mashed banana and orange zest.
3. Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice.
4. Fold in diced mango.
5. Pour batter into 1 large or two small greased loaf pans and sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired for a little extra crunch.
6. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour depending upon pan size. A toothpick inserted in the center which comes out clean is the best indicator that the loaf is fully baked. 

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake

I think we may have to create a specialty category on Rock Recipes just for ideas to use up over ripe bananas which always seem to be waiting on the kitchen counter. We've done dozens of banana recipes from muffins to many different banana breads and even a Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding. Today we put those bananas to delicious use in this moist and delicious chocolate banana cake.

You can bake this in round pans if you like, with the simple chocolate buttercream frosting as shown or just in a 9x13 baking pan and serve frosted or unfrosted as an easy snack cake.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Chocolate Banana Cake - a terrific recipe to use up those speckled, over ripe bananas on your counter top in a moist, delicious dessert cake.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 12-16 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup good quality cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups mashed banana mashed banana
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease two 9 inch cake pans well and dust with cocoa. (Or you can line the pans with parchment paper after greasing them.)
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
4. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Mix in the banana and vegetable oil.
7. Mix together the lemon juice and milk to sour it.
8. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the soured milk beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. I add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the soured milk in 2 portions.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
10. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing with your favorite chocolate frosting. 

Find a great, easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe here. 

Chocolate Banana Cake

Banana Nutella Ganache Cupcakes

Banana Nutella Ganache Cupcakes

What a great way to beat the mid week blues...and a great way to use those speckled bananas o the counter top too. Great for after school snacks or to pack in lunchboxes, these moist cupcakes get dipped in a rich, chocolatey Nutella ganache glaze to finish them off to pretty perfection.

Makes about 18 cupcakes

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 medium bananas. mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pans well or use paper liners if you prefer.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and mashed banana.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice. 

Spoon the batter into the cupcake pans, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before dipping the tops of the cupcakes into the Nutella Ganache Glaze.

Nutella Ganache Glaze 

In a double boiler over medium low heat, melt together:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

When smooth, remove from the heat. You do not want to overheat the chocolate.

Using an electric mixer, blend in:

• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 2 -3 tbsp milk

You may need to add a little more milk if your glaze seems too thick. Transfer the glaze into a small narrow bowl. This makes it easier to dip the cupcakes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the glaze, giving them a 180 degree twist to create the swirl on top before pulling them out of the ganache. Allow the ganache to set for an hour or so before serving. Store in an airtight plastic container.

Banana Nutella Ganache Cupcakes

Strawberry Banana Bread

Strawberry Banana Bread

Strawberry and banana bread ? Why not, it's a great combination in smoothies so it's bound to be good in banana bread too. I had both overripe bananas and strawberries on hand that needed to be used quickly so it was worth a try and it turned out deliciously. I think the recipe would also work well baked as muffins if you prefer. I like decorating the top with extra strawberry slices and a sprinkle of coarse turbinado sugar for an extra crunchy top crust but both are optional of course for a completely uncomplicated version that may become the new lunchbox favorite at your house.

Makes one large or two small loaves.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium bananas. mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup strawberries, chopped small (I cut larger strawberries into about 8 pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 small disposable aluminum loaf pans or one large regular loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs and mashed banana.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice.

Fold in strawberries. 

Pour batter into 1 large or two small greased and parchment lined loaf pans. 

Place thinly sliced strawberries on top for decoration if you prefer and sprinkle with a little coarse sugar. I used turbinado sugar but the strawberries and sugar on top are completely optional.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour depending upon pan size. A toothpick inserted in the center which comes out clean is the best indicator that the loaf is fully baked. 

Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Guest Post: Pumpkin Chai Smoothie {gluten-free + vegan} by Tasty Yummies

 

I am super excited to have Beth from Tasty Yummies guest posting for The Seasonal REAL Food Blog Series.  I am a huge fan of Beth's blog and have been following it for a long time now.  Her photos are simply beautiful and her gluten-free, fresh, unprocessed recipes won't disappoint (many are vegan too).  

Please make sure to visit Tasty Yummies and check out Beth's wonderful blog.  And while you're there, make sure to check out some of my favorite recipes: Grain-Free Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts (Vegan), No Bake Vegan "Cheesecake", Cocoa Dusted Macadamia Nuts,  and Grilled Sweet Potato & Wilted Kale Salad.     

************

Hi there, I am Beth from Tasty Yummies. I am a yoga-obsessed graphic designer, illustrator and printmaker living in Southern California and I have been blogging and sharing my recipes on Tasty Yummies for nearly four years. All of the recipes I share on my website are gluten-free, clean and seasonal, many are dairy-free and vegan. I consider myself to be a “conscientious omnivore”, though I eat a lot of naturally vegan foods. 

I am so excited to be here sharing a fun fall recipe here on Recipes to Nourish. I had to go with a pumpkin recipe, because it is one of my most favorite things about this time of year. 

This pumpkin chai smoothie is simple to make and it's the perfect way to enjoy one of fall's best flavors any time you'd like. Besides being so delicious, pumpkin is loaded with a variety of health benefits, too. Chock full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants here are just some of the benefits of that orange goodness!

- Great for digestion! Just 1 cup of pumpkin provides you with 7.1 grams of dietary fiber. Plus 10% of your daily requirement for potassium. 

- Promotes a strong and healthy immune system with various vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 1 cup of pumpkin supplies 3.4 grams of iron, plus more than your daily serving of vitamin A from antioxidant carotenoids, particularly alpha and beta-carotenes. It’s a good source of vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium.

- Low in calories and fat. One cup contains less than 50 calories, less than one gram of fat and around 3 grams of protein. Plus only 8 grams of carbohydrates.

And don't forget to scoop out and save the seeds and toast 'em up. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein and fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese and a number of other health benefits themselves. 

What's your favorite way to eat pumpkin?

Pumpkin Chai Smoothie - Gluten-free & Vegan

{Affiliate links included help support this blog.} 

• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
• 1 frozen organic banana
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of your choice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (or other sweetener of your choice, you can also add a one or two medjool dates)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon* 
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg*
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger*
• dash each of black pepper, ground cloves and ground cardamom*

Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

{serves 1} 

{*Recipes to Nourish Note: I purchase all of my spices here.}

If you haven't already, make sure to connect with Beth from Tasty Yummies on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.  

Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

Probiotic Raspberry Smoothie

I’ve been trying to find lots of extra ways to get probiotics into my diet during this pregnancy.  I want to make sure I build a healthy gut for our baby.  I’ve been drinking lots of water kefir, eating sauerkraut, and taking my probiotics daily.  But, I wanted some other options too.  I don’t care for the taste of plain yogurt, but it’s loaded with probiotics and it’s good for your gut, so I wanted to find a way to consume it daily.  I’ve been adding it to smoothies – fruit smoothies, green smoothies, pumpkin pie smoothies … you get the picture. 

I know raspberries are not in season right now, but they are a low sugar fruit and I’ve been craving their tangy flavor.  Some of you are lucky enough to have harvested them during the summer and have freezers loaded with frozen berries.  If you do, this is a great way to use some of them.  For others like me, check your local natural foods store for frozen organic raspberries, my local co-op has sales on them regularly, so I like to stock up on them then.   

I hope you enjoy this tangy smoothie as much as I do. 

Probiotic Raspberry Smoothie

Equipment: Blender

·      2 ½ cups frozen organic raspberries

·      1 medium organic banana – fresh or frozen

·      1 – 1 ½ cups raw whole milk or full fat coconut milk

·      1 cup organic whole plain yogurt, such as St. Benoit or Straus Family Creamery 

·      1 tablespoon raw honey or sweetener of choice

·      1 probiotic capsule, empty probiotic, discard capsule (optional, See Note)

1.    Add frozen raspberries, banana (broken into pieces), milk, yogurt, honey, and empty probiotic powder into blender. 

2.   Blend until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. 

3.   Serve immediately or freeze for later.  

Note: I used Bio-Kult Probiotic.  It can be emptied from the capsule, which makes it great for kids – you can put it in drinks, smoothies, food etc.   

Yield: Makes about 5 cups.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Laura's Gluten Free Pantry, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health.