Buckwheat Banana Bread {whole wheat, no added sugar}

There's this renowned pancake place in Nashville called Pancake Pantry, and I will always remember the beloved Buckwheat Pancakes I used to get there.  That was the first time I'd ever even heard of buckwheat, much less tasted it, but once I did I fell in love.  It has this sort of earthy, bold flavor that I really don't know quite how to describe, and is quite nutritious for you.  It's higher in protein and fiber than regular wheat and it's a good source of several important minerals, like manganese, magnesium, iron, copper.  Magnesium in particular is important in combating against anxiety, migraines, high blood pressure, heart disease - several things I know many of us struggle with in our world today.  Buckwheat also contains high levels of flavonoids, namely rutin, which also play a big role in reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Check out this page if you want to get a more in-depth look at the benefits of buckwheat.  While buckwheat is technically a fruit seed it is typically used like a grain; you can buy the groats to make a hot cereal (similar to oatmeal) or use the flour in baked goods.  I usually buy the flour from Whole Foods but I know you can find it in the health foods section of Kroger and online from Amazon.  Bob's Red Mill is a good brand to start with if you are trying to track it down.

If you've never had it I really think you must try it!  I'd been craving it recently and decided to try it in a banana bread, and we really liked it!  This bread reminds me just a bit of those favorite pancakes I used to get,  and is so good lightly toasted and spread with a little butter or peanut butter. 

Buckwheat Banana Bread (whole wheat, no added sugar)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

5 large, ripe bananas

1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.  In a second bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and then add the vanilla extract, melted coconut oil, and milk.  Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until well-combined.

Grease a 5 1/2" x 9" loaf pan (or alternatively line with parchment paper like I do, for easier lift out) and pour your batter into the pan.  Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes until it checks as done with a cake tester.  Your oven may vary from mine so just keep an eye on it!  If you used parchment paper to line the loaf pan, don't let your bread sit in the pan too long once you've removed it from the oven (it'll get a little soggy).  

SPECIAL NOTES

I recommend whole wheat pastry flour or a white whole wheat flour for this recipe because they are a little lighter and rise better in baked goods than a regular whole wheat.  But if you can't find it, using any whole wheat flour would probably be fine.

Peanut Butter Almond Oat Squares

Back in college I used to buy those Quaker Oats "Oatmeal-to-Go" Bars, and man were they good.  It was like having a cookie for breakfast!  They even had icing!  And, I was always running out the door (late, most likely) to get somewhere, so they were quite convenient when I didn't have time for my usual bowl of cereal.  Even though my life has done a serious 180 since college, both in terms of how I eat and what my schedule looks like, I've still been in a pinch one too many times where I needed something to eat and didn't have the time or energy to make it from scratch.  Plus, I have a husband that goes off to work everyday, and the boy has zero fat stores, so I gotta keep the food supply coming!  I've seen people around the web make homemade versions of these oatmeal-to-go bars and thought I'd try them out.  

I think these are a great alternative to the store-bought version - they are whole grain, dairy-free, don't contain preservatives or artificial ingredients, have much less sugar, and are sweetened with unrefined maple syrup.   And instead of icing, they are topped with "all-natural sprinkles", i.e. nuts and oats ;)  There really are a gazillion varieties out there to try (just do a quick Pinterest search for more ideas!).  This one of ours has a fairly simple flavor with hints of vanilla and maple, a slight crunch from the nuts, and is only mildly sweet (there, you've been warned ;)  

In general I give this concept of an "oatmeal bar" the stamp of approval for an easy homemade snack or breakfast if you are trying to eat less processed food.  They aren't too complicated to make and you can make a big ole batch all at once and keep them for a good while in the freezer.  They are great for eating at home or taking on the go.  And if you wrap them up individually in plastic wrap, which is ideal for freezing anyway, they're all ready to be grabbed in a hurry as needed!

Peanut Butter Almond Oat Squares

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups old-fashioned, rolled oats

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened, salted)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup almond milk (or another non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 heaping cup almonds

optional: additional handful of oats and chopped almonds to sprinkle on top

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all wet ingredients and stir until well-combined.  You can do all of this by hand too, the stand mixer just makes it easier and faster!  Also, make sure to melt your coconut oil before adding to the other wet ingredients.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except the almonds.  Then, with the mixer running on low, spoon your dry ingredients into the bowl and let stir until the consistency is similar to that of a cookie dough.
3.  Use a food processor or knife and cutting board to coarsely chop a heaping cup of almonds, then add to the dough and mix well.  Be careful not to chop them too finely, you want the nuts to add some texture and crunch to the bar.

4.  Gently press dough into a 9" x 12" cookie sheet or baking pan.  Really, you can use any size dish you'd like, it will just change the thickness and maybe the cook time.  Sprinkle additional oats and chopped almonds on top if desired (I like to add this, but FYI - this makes for a few extra crumbs).  

5.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.  With this amount of cook time, the bars will be fairly soft and need to be handled gently, but once refrigerated they firm up a bit.  

6.  Once cooled, cut into squares and store in an air-tight container in the fridge, or wrap bars individually and freeze.  They're good eaten cold (not frozen, of course) or might even be good warmed up a bit.

SERVINGS:

Makes 12 large squares.

SPECIAL NOTES:

1.  You can easily make substitutions to this recipe to make it work for you.  Butter would be a fine alternative to coconut oil, any milk you keep on hand would work in place of almond milk, and honey or other liquid sweetener could be used instead of maple syrup.  Or, search the web for more ideas!

Shrimp & Tomato Basil Pasta

This dish is so simple and yet so tasty, and just perfect for a summertime abundance of tomatoes.  I had it for the first time about a month ago when my mother-in-law fixed it for dinner (she's introduced me to many a great recipe, as has my own mom!) and I have been craving it ever since.  Mmmm, those flavors together are just so good!  I can't remember the magazine the recipe was from, and I forgot to write it down anyway, so I just took a stab at re-creating it with my own tweaks :)  

I think the basil really seals the deal on this dish.  I used to think that fresh herbs were just for gourmet foodies or people into fancy food presentation.  Now I get it.  They make such a difference in the flavor of a dish and they are even healthy for you!  Like did you know basil has some pretty amazing anti-inflammatory properties?  Apparently over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin reduce pain in part by inhibiting some particular enzyme in your body, and as it turns out, basil also inhibits that same enzyme!  Isn't that fascinating?  While I'm sure that eating basil on a regular basis won't prevent you, say, from ever getting a headache again, it's amazing to see how nature is laced with foods that were meant to sustain our bodies and keep us feeling well.  I just find that so cool and such compelling evidence that our world indeed is not random, and that even while it's still broken and imperfect, it's so clear to see it was created specially for us, to nourish us and give us pleasure and delight!  And that's exactly why you need to make this recipe :)  

Shrimp & Tomato Basil Pasta

Inspiration: my mother-in-law :)

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb. shrimp

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 cups diced fresh tomato

4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 lb whole wheat or gluten-free spaghetti noodles

DIRECTIONS

Thaw and peel the shrimp.  Over medium-high heat, saute shrimp in a little olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Once they have turned from gray to a solid pink color, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add your diced tomatoes to the pan along with the garlic, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.  Let this simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the shrimp back to the sauce for a couple minutes until warmed through again. 

While the tomato sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions.  When everything is ready, spoon the shrimp mixture over pasta noodles, and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of chopped basil.  The more the merrier when it comes to the basil, load that stuff on there!    

SERVINGS

This made 4 for us.

SPECIAL NOTES
I know shrimp can be a bit pricey and don't stretch as far as some things, so this isn't a great dish to make in bulk for lots of leftovers.  But on the flip side, because it's fairly simple to make and so darn tasty, it makes a great choice for an at-home dinner date and is still cheaper than going out :)

Basil is a really easy herb to grow at home, all you need is a sunny windowsill or a spot for a pot on your balcony or backyard.  This is by far the cheapest and most convenient way to access fresh herbs.  However, if you do need to buy a bunch from the store, you can freeze the extras (though they won't be quite as good once thawed) or in the case of basil, you can make some pesto with the extras.  I've never made any, so I may be experimenting soon!

Hope you enjoy it!