Friday, November 13, 2009

Banana Quinoa Bread (it's realllly good, I promise)

In continuing my quest to find ways to eat quinoa and actually enjoy it, I decided to try adding it to my favorite banana bread recipe. I got the idea from my box of Trader Joe's quinoa, which says "truly versatile, it can be used in soups, salads, breads, puddings or as a breakfast cereal."

Usually I make this banana bread recipe exactly as written, except I substitute the butter with a vegan "buttery spread" which is dairy-free. It is seriously the most amazing banana bread in the world. Since it's so heavy on the banana, it is super-moist and also sweet without a ton of sugar.

I wasn't entirely sure how to go about modifying the recipe to add the quinoa, so I basically winged it. But I must say I am very proud of the results. This time I used only 2 cups of banana instead of 2 1/3. Then I added about 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa to the banana mixture (I eyeballed it, so my measurements aren't completely accurate). Then I added the flour mixture, but not the whole thing. I just kept stirring it in until the batter was about the same texture as thick oatmeal. I baked it as directed, and it turned out perfect! If I didn't have a husband who hates walnuts, I would have added some chopped walnuts too, which I think would've made it even better.

Now I can eat my banana bread for breakfast or a snack and feel like I'm getting some protein & other nutrients as well. And the best part is the girls love it too - win, win for me! I needed a successful experiment after I spent 15 minutes last night cleaning discarded sweet potato raviolis off the floor (needless to say, it wasn't a hit).

3 comments:

  1. That does sound good. Wanna send me some?

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  2. Yeah, I suppose. This should be a complete disaster. :)

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  3. This looks awesome. I will bookmark it.

    I love making cheesy "grits" with my quinoa. We all scarf it down and prefer it over mac and cheese. I just cook the quinoa, add butter and milk and cheese. I know it sounds like lots of saturated fats, but if you're eating plenty omega 3s (we put flax oil on everything) then it really isn't as evil as we once believed it to be.

    We're vegetarian so this is a great way to pack a protein punch. And it's so easy to make and so yummy. The kids quirt some (organic) ketchup on top. Whatever does it for ya.

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