banana bread, bananas, food for thought, food waste, No Food Waste

How to Take Good Care of Your Bananas

April 2, 2019April 2, 2019by Katherine Baker1 Comment

Hello everyone. Welcome to probably the most important blog post of all times. Today I’m going to be talking about how to take good care of your bananas.

I know, I know. This probably isn’t that important to most people. But I could also argue that from a happiness and food waste and food saftey prospective, it could be important or useful to some people.

Most people who know me IRL or via Instagram associate me with bananas. What began as sort of a joke turned into a thing, and now I have banana socks, people constantly tag me on all banana-related things on the internet, etc etc. Heck, on my last day at Trader Joe’s, the crew even bought me a whole dang box of 100 bananas (thanks store 724, I love you all forever)!

Now, I am not a big fan of people writing about things they don’t know about. This is why I don’t write about sports or jewelry making or knitting or music. It is also why I get so very peeved by everyone thinking they are qualified to write about nutrition, health, and the environment when the only education they’ve had has been from Google University or Sponsored College. So I guess since I’m not a true banana expert, I feel a bit weird putting out this information.

That said, I am a certified FDA FSMA food safety and quality certified individual, so I do know a few things about keeping food safe. But regardless, please note that this article is intended to be light-hearted, informative, and fun.

(^^Me trying to justify writing an article without citing peer-reviewed literature for every single thing I mention for two straight paragraphs)

So read on for some super useful tips on how to pamper bananas. I hope you enjoy! Leave post ideas below. I’m committed to this every other day blogging in April thing!

Continue reading “How to Take Good Care of Your Bananas” →

5-ingredients, appetizer, bananas, breakfast, fruit, gluten free, glutenfree, peanut butter, vegan, vegetarian

Banachos (Banana Nachos)

May 22, 2018May 22, 2018by Katherine Baker5 Comments

Sometimes I think I could live off of potatoes and bananas and things to dip them in. Seriously. I eat both pretty much every day and never tire of them. The best.

One of my favorite ways to eat bananas is sliced up, topped with cinnamon, hemp hearts, oodles of nut butter, and/or granola. My sister coined this creation “banachos” and the name just stuck (at least in our circle).

This is less of a recipe and more of an idea. I want you to make banachos with whatever you like to eat bananas with.

Continue reading “Banachos (Banana Nachos)” →

baking, bananas, cake, vegan, vegan baking

Easy Vegan Banana Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

January 26, 2018February 26, 2018by Katherine Baker3 Comments

It’s crazy to think I went 27 years without ever making a banana cake. Me. Yeah I know. What the heck.

Sure I’ve made banana breads and muffins a-plenty but never cake! When I realized this I had to change it. Since promises of cake for my birthday fell through for the second year in a row, I decided to make myself a cake.

I actually made this banana cake as a belated birthday celebration cake for a department luncheon, only to realize there was no luncheon this week. Oops. More cake for me I guess!

Continue reading “Easy Vegan Banana Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting” →

baking, banana bread, bananas, cake, vegan, vegan baking, vegetarian

Vegan Carrot Cake Banana Bread

January 7, 2018January 7, 2018by Katherine Baker4 Comments

Once upon a time I made these chocolate banana penguin things for my Vegan Bites bit on Spoon University’s Insta stories. They were fun. Putsy, but fun.

In an ideal world, the feet and noses were to be made with orange candies. But I didn’t have any and wasn’t motivated to spend money on a bag of them only to use a few (Spoon doesn’t pay me for VB for the record, and I buy all the materials for cooking with my own money…and as a grad student I have about $40 a week to feed, water and caffeinate myself…so I gotta be selective with where my money goes) so I improvised and used cut carrots.

While eating them and being like wow bananas and carrots frozen together is rather awkward, I had an epiphany that perhaps baked together they’d be delightful. And so, the incident inspired this Vegan Carrot Cake Banana Bread.

So a few weeks later, I made some. And now I’m going to share it with you. I ended up enjoying the loaf. I think I like carrot cake as dessert with lots of icing and banana bread the regular way the best, but this was a really fun way to mix it up. Truly, if you like carrot cake and/or banana bread, you will probably enjoy this recipe. If you want, you can add a vegan cream cheese icing on top.

Personally, I wanted it as a not-too-sweet snacking/breakfast loaf, so this is the frosting-less route I went. But you do you. Live your best life.

I made this recipe with shredded coconut, too, and eventually decided it distracted too much from the rest of it and have concluded it is better without it. If you want dem coconut shreds tho, add in about 1/4 cup unsweetened.

Cheers to 2018, baking new things, and of course, BANANAS!

For regular banana bread, click here.

For dog banana bread, click here.

Vegan Carrot Cake Bread

Prep Time: 1 hour

Bake Time: 30-40 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 large very-ripe mashed bananas (or 2.5 small)
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (or sub neutral oil like canola or vegetable)
1/3 cup brown or coconut sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (can sub regular whole-wheat, all-purpose or additional oat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup oat flour (made by pulsing rolled oats in a food processor or blender until a flour forms)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons ground flax (can sub chia seeds)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup raisins or golden raisins

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a banana loaf pan with softened non-dairy butter or oil.
Mash bananas in a large bowl. Shred carrots, or pulse into small pieces in a food processor. Set carrots aside
Add melted butter or oil, sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla to bananas. Whisk together.
In a separate bowl, combine whole wheat flour, almond meal, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, rolled oats and flax in a bowl. Whisk together until combined.
Add half of dry mixture to wet. Fold together. Add remaining dry ingredients, and fold again.
Add walnuts, pecans, and raisins to the mixture. Fold until combined.
Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 45-60 minutes until fragrant, lightly golden, and a toothpick or fork inserted in the center comes out clean upon insertion and removal.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice and enjoy.

5-ingredients, bananas, black beans, easy, gluten free, glutenfree, health, healthy, vegan, vegetarian

Easy Baked Plantains

December 4, 2017December 4, 2017by Katherine Baker2 Comments

Our department has a lunch meeting every Wednesday where first year students sit and eat while a faculty member tells us about their research how they got where they are, and sometimes their life story, etc. it’s a nice time / I’m all about free food.

Delivery options are limited around the Columbia University Medical Center campus. Hence why every single week lunch ends up being one of 3 options: pizza that smells like burnt Chuck E Cheese kitchen grease and is paired with a salad cloaked in sad cold deli meat (and one plain salad, but that goes fast), Dominican food, or on a good day, sandwiches on really strangely delicious fluffy crusty white hoagie bread.

Dominican food days are frequent, and I don’t hate it. The buffet has enough veggie options (salad with avocado, rice, beans) that I can finagle a decent meal out of it.

The star of every Dominican week is, of course, the fried plantains. Sticky sweet gooey goodness, the fried plantains have become a cherished and familiar treat.

It dawned upon me this week that I’ve never actually made plantains at home which considering bananas and potatoes are my favorite foods and plantains are essentially the potato of bananas (as in not sweet and rather starchy), is quite odd. So over the weekend I decided to change this. I picked up some plantains, 3/$1, at my local grocery store.

A kind woman was also picking out plantains when I was sorting through them. I asked her if she had any advice for a new plantain cook, and she told me to wait until the plantains were “soft like sponges.” Noted.

Now onto cooking. I don’t love frying things and my stomach doesn’t love eating large quantities of fried food. Hence why I after doing some googling to confirm it was possible, I opted to bake mine.

I did mine skin-on because the method sounded intriguing to me. You can totally peel them and cube them, coat them in oil and seasonings, and bake them that way (just for a shorter duration, 20-25 minutes until tender rather than 40-45).

If you are curious about the skin-on method as I was, I am happy to report that it totally works. Just take it out of the oven when the foil-wrapped plantain gives to a squeeze.

Next comes topping. I played around with topping these babies. One I coined and ate with melted vegan butter and brown sugar.

Another I drizzled with almond butter, cinnamon, and a dash of sugar. The last I ate with leftover black bean soup and cilantro. I decided they would also taste great with guacamole. All were solid options, and it was a very plantain-filled day.

Speaking of filled, I found plantains quite filling. I plan to keep this in mind since they are a cheap starchy piece of produce aka something I desperately need to befriend.

I hope you give these a try. If you do, please let me know, and let me know how you topped or are them.

Happy plantaining!

Easy Baked Plantains

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

2 medium very spotted ripe plantains

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a knife, draw a slit lengthwise down each plantain.
Wrap each plantain (skin on) in aluminum foil, or lay out on a baking sheet with parchment paper underneath.
Bake plantains for 35-50 minutes (depending on size/oven) until soft and squeezeable to the touch.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Top and eat as desired.

Topping Ideas:

non-dairy butter + 1 teaspoon brown sugar + dash cinnamon
drizzle of almond butter + cinnamon + sugar
black bean soup + salsa + cilantro
guacamole

baking, banana bread, bananas, bread, dogs, gluten free, glutenfree, health, healthy, peanut butter, vegan, vegan baking

Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Frosting (For Dogs)

August 8, 2017by Katherine Baker4 Comments

I’m between jobs that require me to be places and wear pants at the moment, and am starting school in just a few weeks so finding a job outside of my various freelance gigs feels kinda pointless at the moment.

So what’s a girl to do? Bake. Bake all day. Duh.

But what about when you’ve baked so hard you have too many baked goods to handle? Well, you bake for your dog, of course.

I made this banana bread with some random stuff I had around my kitchen. You can customize it to your liking or based on what you have in your pantry (there are several variations offered in the recipe; see below).

The awesome thing about baking for dogs is that if there’s peanut butter involved, they probably won’t be very fussy. I’m pretty sure I could have baked a piece of rotting bread and spread peanut butter on top and Millie would still be a happy gal. Bless her.

In case you were wondering, she really liked it. Shocking, I know. I even caught her jumping on the kitchen counter to get more (yes, she’s small, but the girl can HOP).

Feel free to think baking your dog banana bread is over the top. Because that might be partially true. But I’ve always believed that if you’re going to have a pet, you may as well spoil the crap out of them.

I’m working on another pet-related post to explain why this week has been tough for me, so stay tuned.

Also, I’ve promised to myself I’m going to be more consistent and candid with my blogging. I’m investing my time and energy into this instead of pursuits that do not grow or benefit me in any way.

So buckle up and get ready to join me next year as I go back to school yet again for my third degree (lol school forever) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. #schooltilim50 #noregrets

Without further adieu…

Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Frosting (For Dogs)

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus time to chill dough
Cook Time: 30-45 minutes
Servings: 1 medium-sized loaf of doggie banana bread (enough for 8-14 treats)

Ingredients – Bread:

2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup oat flour (you can make your own by pulsing rolled oats in a food processor or blender until a powder/flour forms)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup ground flax
2 eggs OR 4 tablespoons chia seeds + 1/4 cup water
3/4 cup water or milk or unsweetened almond milk or apple sauce

Ingredients – Frosting:

1/4 cup natural peanut butter
2-3 tablespoons plain yogurt, non-diary yogurt, milk, or nondairy milk to thin (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F . Oil a loaf pan.
Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add peanut butter and mix well. If necessary, microwave peanut butter for 30-60 seconds until it becomes melty and pliable enough to stir.
Add oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and flax. Mix well.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-45 minutes, until a crust forms on the top and a toothpick/fork poked in the center of the loaf is clean upon insertion and removal.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
To prepare frosting, thin out peanut butter with milk/yogurt (if using) until desired consistency is reached. You can also just spread peanut butter on top. Your dog probably won’t mind.

For human banana bread, check out this recipe.

20 minutes or less, almond, baking, bananas, breakfast, easy, vegan

Mini Vegan & Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

Why is it that mini foods are more fun? At first it seems paradoxical, especially in a culture where bigger is better. But it’s undeniable. Mini food RULES.

Mini Vegan Banana Pancakes. Easy & Gluten-Free!

You know what I mean. Mini m&ms and mini chocolate chips >>>>> than their regular sized counterparts. And whenever things are miniaturized, whether they be burgers as sliders or bite-sized cupcakes or those tiny peanut butter cups, something is always more fun about mini food.

I believe it has to do with food ratios and textures. Also visual appeal and general cuteness. But that’s just my two cents and super scientific take on the matter. Feel free to agree and/or disagree, my opinion is pretty much set.

Mini foods also makes them Millie-sized, and we all know any mention or thought of my sweet pup fills my heart and soul with joy. What’ can I say? She’s just ma girl.

So the idea for mini pancakes is actually inspired by the Silver Dollar Pancakes at Trader Joe’s in the frozen section. Lots of moms tell me their kids love them. I tell them my mom loves them. Go pita, shattering stereotypes.

I was off work today and wanted to do something a wee bit special for breakfast. As I had the time, I decided that I was going to make banana pancakes, because 1) I love bananas and 2) I wanted to “pretend like it’s the weekend, now” as that one Jack Johnson song goes because the way my work week falls at this moment Tuesday is my Sunday aka pseudo-weekend on a weekday. Confused yet? Cool. Let’s talk pancakes.

These wee babies are fluffy yet hearty, thanks to the creation of pseudo-buttermilk by combining almond milk + vinegar for a little bit of fluffy umpf, and the almond meal gives them a wonderful nutty flavor, reminiscent of banana bread with a density and satisfaction that will actually keep you full, unlike say, pancakes made with all-purpose flour.

I really loved these little guys. They are not only delicious, but adorable, and oh-so-dippable, which is an added bonus for me because I’m not a real adult yet and I really enjoy that sort of stuff / eating with my fingers. How sticky and delightful.

Make these wee ones and enjoy them plain, or with banana slices and maples syrup. Enjoy. Eat pancakes. Be happies. Go bananas.

-Kbakes out!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 m inutes
Level: easy
makes 16-18 mini pancakes, serves two

Ingredients:

3/4 cup oat flour
1/3 cup almond meal (can sub more oat flour)
1/2 large (or 2/3 small) very ripe banana, mashed
2/3 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (suggested: almond, coconut, soy)
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (any kind will do; can also be omitted with slightly less fluffy results)
1 heaping tablespoon almond butter or coconut oil (can sub other nut butter or nondairy spread)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or glass, combine almond milk and vinegar and allow to curdle for a few minutes. This is optional, but making this pseudo-buttermilk increases fluffiness. 🙂

2. In a large bowl, combine oat flour, almond meal, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add mashed banana and nondairy milk and stir gently until just combined.

3. Heat electric griddle to about 300 degrees (temperature may vary greatly among griddles) or heat a small amount of non-dairy butter or coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Allow to heat completely before cooking pancakes. When you flick water onto the griddle and hear a sizzle, it’s time to go.

4. Place about 1 tablespoon of batter in small circles on the griddle. When the top begins to bubble and edges begin to brown slightly, flip pancake and cook on the other side. Each side should take approximately 60-90 seconds to cook.

5. Serve with banana slices and/or real maple syrup. 🙂 Enjoy and dip away~!

20 minutes or less, bananas, breakfast, coconut oil, gluten free, oatmeal, vegan, vegan baking

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One

April 17, 2015by Katherine BakerLeave a Comment

This title of this recipe should come as no surprise to those who know me. I love bananas. I love oatmeal. Boom: it’s a Banana Bread Oatmeal Bake for One. YUM.

What’s more surprising than the title of this recipe, and the fact that it was nearly 70 degrees today and I actually started sweating while outdoors (which hasn’t happened in approximately 6 months) is the fact that I’ve never put this recipe on my blog. This is strange because I eat it all.the.time.

It’s a longtime favorite. A best friend in the breakfast department. A midnight post-all-day-study-marathon-at-Bobst meal. A lunch-time go-to when I feel like breakfast for lunch. A second breakfast when my typical 5:30am breakfast doesn’t hold me over til noon. In essence, I eat this baby several times a week, yet I’ve never shared it. Today, that changes.

Allow me to describe my BFF breakfast to you: It’s hot, fluffy, satisfying, creamy, filling, and tummy-friendly, and the whole thing tastes like you’re own personal hearty loaf of banana bread goodness.

Vegan Easy Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One

Bonus: it makes your kitchen smell amazing and takes less than 2 minutes to throw together. Then you let it bake up nice and quick in the oven, and the smell of sweet, sweet banana bread will waft all throughout your house, tickling your nostrils and getting your tummy oh-so-ready to eat it all up. It’s also vegan and gluten-free, making it highly allergen-friendly to you and your kin. I don’t know why I just referenced a Christmas song. Anyways…

Easy Vegan Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One

I really hope anyone looking to mix up their breakfast or late-night-snack routine gives this baby a whirl. It’s never let me down, and I believe it won’t let you down either. You can add syrup, sugar, or honey to the top if you desire, but I find the sweetness of baked bananas to be plenty. I like it best fresh out of the oven, covered with a splash of almond milk to cool it down, and drizzled with ooey gooey almond butter that gets all melty when it hits the hot oatmeal bake. But that’s just me. You do you. And you eat dem oats, homie.

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal for One Vegan

…because as my BFF Jake Tully’s senior quote reminds us all, “It’s a whollllleee lotta oats.” 😉

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Bake Time: 18-25 minutes
Level: easy

serves one, easily doubled

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons oat flour or other flour (can sub additional oats if desired)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons nut butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup almond or other non-dairy milk
1 banana
1-2 teaspoons honey, or maple syrup to top (optional, I think it’s perfect without it)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a small bowl, combine oats, oat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix.

2. Cut banana in half. Mash half of the banana and add to the bowl. Add nut butter or coconut oil and non-dairy liquid. Mix well.

3. Transfer to an oven-safe ramekin or dish. Slice remaining half of banana on top of oatmeal mixture. Place in the oven for 18-25 minutes, until fluffy, browned, and liquid has all absorbed. Serve with almond or other non-diary milk, non-dairy yogurt, and syrup or honey as desired.