Recipe of the Week: Gluten-Free Gingered Banana Bread-The Organic Center Webblog

Recipe of the Week: Gluten-Free Gingered Banana Bread

August 23, 2010 by Sara Snow

I started (slowly at first) eating a gluten-free diet about five years ago.  I noticed that I was having trouble digesting wheat and would get a rash along my jaw line each time I ate it, particularly if it was a white flour roll straight from the bread basket of some Italian restaurant.  You know the type!

In the meantime I have tried countless gluten free crackers, pastas and baking/flour blends.  Some are great.  Some, frankly, aren’t.

The Gluten-Free Bistro is in that “great” category.  And it’s because the three ladies eat the foods themselves.  In an interview recently published in Boulder’s The Daily Camera, co-founder Julie McGinnis said of other gluten free products, “Texture was lacking, taste was lacking, nutrition was lacking and I really got sick of buying products and throwing them in the garbage.”  Julie started GF Bistro with friends Kelly McCallister and Barb Verson who since have found great success selling their products (pizza crust in particular) to a growing list of restaurants.

Well, I too hate seeing food go to waste which is why this week’s recipe, pairing overly ripe bananas with  the Gluten Free Bistro flour blend, is perfect.

 

Gluten-Free Gingered Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ripe bananas – mashed


• ½ cup butter


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 2 eggs


• 2 tablespoons buttermilk


• 1/2 scant cup of sugar


• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• 2 cups Gluten-Free Bistro flour blend (or whole wheat flour if not making GF)


• ¼ cup ground flax seed


• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 teaspoon nutmeg


• 1 tablespoon cinnamon


• ½ cup raisins


• 2 tablespoons grated ginger


• ¼ cup chopped candied ginger


• 1 cup slivered almonds


• 1 teaspoon dried ginger


• 1 tablespoon honey

DIRECTIONS

Grease a standard size loaf pan or 4 mini loafs and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together banana, butter, vanilla and eggs until well blended and light.  Beat in buttermilk and sugars.

In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Slowly add to wet mixture and mix until well blended.

Stir in raisins, and gingers.

In a bowl toss together almonds, dried ginger and honey.

Pour mixture into a loaf pan and sprinkle with tossed almonds.

Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Also on www.SaraSnow.com