
Cooking for a person with food allergies - especially foods from other countries - means that you are going to have to stock an array of spices and condiments. If you want Chinese, Thai, or Indian foods you can't simply call for take out, or eat out....these types of food usually utilize peanut oil for it's high smoking ability, or flavor. For making Chinese, and Thai food, it's handy to have sesame oil, rice vinegar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, various soy sauces, and Chinese 5-spice...just to name a few. For Indian food, dried chilies, black & green cardamom (which you must husk and grind), fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, again - just to name a few, are essential.
Needless to say, I have all the aforementioned spices and condiments, and a slew of other ones, too! Every time I say, "That's it, no more!! I am using up what I have!", I'm at the grocery store the subsequent week, scouring the aisles for something new. This week I found candy covered fennel seeds! Yeah, I bought them :o)
So when I came across the recipe for Chai Glazed Banana bread, I was stoked!! I had all the ingredients - don't you love it when that happens! The first time I made this verbatim, glaze and all. It was sweet and spicy, with tons of chai flavor, just lovely. This time I didn't quite have enough bananas, so I pureed some frozen blueberries to make up for it. If you're not a fan of blueberries, any other fruit would do (applesauce, or example). I also decided not to glaze it, as the added blueberries provided a nice moist crust - using the bananas alone made the crust somewhat dryer, so the glaze was appreciated. Glaze, or don't glaze - it's up to you....I won't tell you what to do.
If you decide not to glaze your bread, you'll have extra spices left. You could fold them into butter, and serve the chai butter with this bread, or add the spices to a pot of tea (strain it though a very fine screen or coffee filter). Since we're talking about spices...HERE is a link for a tutorial on how, and why, to husk and grind your own cardamom. I used a mortar and pestle, or, if you have a spice grinder - even better. If have neither, simply put the husked seeds in a Ziploc and Whack-A-Mole it with a rolling pin or a some other blunt object....it's very therapeutic.
Blueberry Chai Banana Bread adapted from, Cooking Light
makes about 16 servings
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup blueberry puree
1/3 cup Greek blueberry yogurt (I used fat free)
5 TBS butter, melted
2 eggs, large
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground green cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda - set aside.
In a small bowl, combine ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and all spice, mix well - set aside.
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl for a stand mixer), combine mashed bananas, pureed blueberries, yogurt, and melted butter. Beat on medium speed until just blended. Add eggs, and sugar, beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add flour mixture, beat on low until just blended - scraping the sides down if needed. Gently fold in 1 1/2 tsp of the spice mix and 1 tsp of vanilla extract into the batter.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 65 minutes, or until a toothpick yields just a few crumbs when inserted. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack.
Combine remaining spices, remaining vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk - place cooled bread back into cooled pan - pour spiced glaze over bread.
I heart banana bread! This one sounds awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was...adding it to the 57 other banana bred recipes I've tried :o)
DeleteI definitely love when I find a recipe and I happen to have all the ingredients on hand too! :) The bread looks great. I really like the swirls of blueberry as they add that bit of color.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marie!
DeleteThis looks and sounds great yummy :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice snack for us this week, with a cup of tea - even better!
DeleteI love banana bread & this looks fab. But, CANDY COVERED FENNEL?! Please post photos and a recipe soon! :) I followed you from the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Also, I’d like to invite you to come link up with me at my link party! I’d love it if you could stop by & link up some of your recipes! Here's the link: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/Tasty-Tuesdays-Link-Party-9.html
ReplyDeleteYes, apparently they are for digestion....I'm thinking cookies, though. Thanks for stopping by, I will check out your party :o)
DeleteThis sounds incredible!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenn!
DeleteAnother interesting recipe Kim. I have never had blueberries and would love to taste this bread.
ReplyDeleteI thought of you when I was writing this. I must find a way to bring blueberries to the islands!!
DeleteI love the idea of adding blueberries to banana bread...now I'm craving a slice!!! It looks moist and wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz! I cannot wait for those big ol' berries to be in season, then I can ditch the frozen ones.
DeleteI would make this WITH the blueberries, I think it sounds great just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteBut I HAVE to see you do something with candy coated fennel. I can't even imagine...
Thanks Karen! We've been eating the candied seeds straight up...but I gotta bake them in something.
Deletethis look absolutely gorgeous. thanks for linking up at Sweet and Savoury Sundays this week :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting & stopping by :o)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda ;o)
DeleteThis looks really tasty! I'm tempted to make it with strawberries, but some rational part of me says the flavors would be odd together.
ReplyDeleteNatashalh
Strawberry Chai Banana Bread? Oh, it's ON!...worth a try, anyway.
DeleteKim I just need to grab a glass of milk! Yum xo
ReplyDeleteGreat combination! I am glad I saw this at the Cast Party over at Lady Behind the Curtain. I hope you will come and share at my weekly party: http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/whatd-you-do-this-weekend-15/
ReplyDeleteYou must have bought a big ole thing of blueberries like me :) This looks great darlin'! Krista @ A Handful of Everything
ReplyDeleteYou got me, I did.....3kgs (6.6 pounds, baby!!)....it's never-ending!
DeleteYum!! This looks awesome, Kim! What a great twist on an old favorite :)
ReplyDeleteYou can never have enough banana bread recipes, especially in my kitchen; it's where bananas come to rot! They brown so fast!!
DeleteKim, this looks amazing. I love blueberries! Thank you for sharing this on Fluster's Creative Muster Party!
ReplyDeleteRobin
Fluster Buster
That looks yummy & moist! Thanks for sharing at Sweet & Savory Saturdays #13.
ReplyDelete~Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later!
http://dessertnowdinnerlater.blogspot.com
What!? This looks amazing! I'm pinning it. What a way to shake up plain ol'banana bread. And I LOVE chai!!!
ReplyDeleteLike zucchini recipes, you can never have enough banana bread recipes. Ever. Thanks, Nat :)
DeleteThanks so much for bringing this to What'd You Do This Weekend? I can't wait to try it. Love all those spices with the bananas.
ReplyDeleteYou'll be featured at next Saturday Dishes. Come on over and bring a dish for breakfast/brunch.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa