Blueberry Banana Bread

For the past few months I’ve been battling a nasty case of lumbar radiculopathy. Seriously. I could not make this up. Ok, really, it’s just sciatica but it sounds so much ridiculous (har har) when I use the medical term! While I plan to write more on how I’ve dealt with being unable to run, bike, lift, or really do anything that used to be part of my everyday life, for now I’ll just say that Saturday’s run was not the glorious return to the sport that I had hoped for. It left me feeling washed out and achy and my back and leg pain returned with a vengeance on Sunday. I was…frustrated, to put things mildly. The only thing that managed to brighten my mood? Discovering that we had FOUR  black bananas rotting away on the counter and a beautiful box of blueberries waiting in the fridge. When life gives you sciatica, you’ve just gotta make some banana bread. That’s totally a saying, right? Who’s with me?!

I’ve always stuck by Tyler Florence’s recipe for Banana Bread with Pecans as a guide for proportions, opting for oil instead of butter, always using whole grains, and typically halving the sugar. This time around I went even more in my own direction but I have to give T. Flo a nod for sending me down the right path!

This bread is loaded with all kinds of goodies – mashed bananas, plump, fresh blueberries, and chopped walnuts. These last three ingredients are folded into the batter at the end to preserve the integrity of the fruit and it look ever ounce of self-restraint not to just dip my spoon into the bowl! Honestly, I’m not sure why I didn’t. You totally should and then tell me how awesome it was.

This bread is elevated onto an entirely different level by the addition of buttermilk. Oh, yes, buttermilk. We never have it around so I typically make my own. 1 cup of milk (any kind, even non-dairy) plus 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice and BAM, in about 10 minutes you have homemade buttermilk. I used the real stuff this time around since it was already opened and ready to go but I swear by the homemade variety. It never lets me down! While tart and tangy, it makes any recipe feel decadent by making the batter velvety and soft. I love it in bran muffins and other quick breads but prefer it most in pancakes. It’s a (nearly)vegan baker’s secret weapon, for sure!

Blueberry Banana Bread

loosely inspired by Tyler Florence

makes 1 9-inch loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 overripe (read: black) bananas
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 3/4 c. buttermilk (homemade or store bought)
• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Oil and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a small bowl, mash two of the bananas until they are soft and chunky.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. With an electric mixer, blend the sugar and 2 remaining bananas until light and fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla, and flax eggs and mix until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in the mashed bananas, blueberries, and walnuts.
6. Bake for 50 minutes* and check. The top of the bread should be golden brown (it’s okay if there is a crack down the center) and a knife inserted into the center should come out clean.

* My oven is very aggressive and bakes things far too quickly. Your bread may require an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

While my back may still be giving me a hard time, it’s hard to not feel like life is jusssst fine when there’s warm bread on my table, a cup of tea brewing, and a great Kindle read waiting for me.

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All Pigs Go to Heaven

I made the mistake of trying to run errands after work today.

Big, big mistake.

Traffic. Red lights. Crazy pedestrians. Rain. Headache. Starving.

I was a total bear. Do you get like this, too? You’re absolutely beyond starving and suddenly turn into the Queen Bee of queens? I finally had to shake my head to stop the endless stream of “she can’t possibly think that coat looks good”, “that’s fine, move at a glacial pace toward a green light”, “we’re not making friends here! you don’t have to let everybody in!”.

I swear I’m a very nice person.

After making it through the madness to the library, I realized I would be heading right by When Pigs Fly bakery. I could practically smell the baby spinach and garlic ciabatta from across the street. I didn’t have my Nikon with me or else I would have been snapping mad photos of rack after luscious rack of fresh bread in every imagineable flavor. Best part of this bakery? There are always samples. Oh, and you can ask to try whatever you want 😉

I tried all 4 samples. A rosemary and garlic oil ciabatta, whole wheat honey apricot raisin, and two that didn’t really stick in my mind. I snuck seconds of the apricot. Unbelievable. I’m certain it would make fabulous French toast.

I ate the butt of the bread while sitting in more traffic on my way home and it hit me – an omelet would be this bread’s best friend.

A two egg omelet filled with sauteed green and orange pepper and onion with about a tablespoon of shredded sharp cheddar. I love my eggs loaded with pepper – you can even see the flecks! Two small pieces of baby spinach and garlic ciabatta and a heaping pile o’ kale chips. Dollops of Trader Joe’s ketchup, of course =)

I tried to show off for my empty kitchen and make my omelet like a French master….it kinda sorta worked out. I cheated but it came out just how I like it in the end. Omelets should nevery be tough and chewy, always soft and pillowy.

Time to catch up on some shows. Yeah, yeah, I know. “Never watch TV during the week.” Some days are just like that!