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You Say Zucchiana, I Say Banini {Recipe}

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Is it Zucchiana Bread? Banini Bread? Whatever you want to call it, this amazingly moist zucchini-banana bread is the best of both worlds!

It seems like every mother’s child, grandmother, pappy, poppy and shirt-tail cousin remembers their favorite “best ever” quick bread, and the person who made it for them too. For me, it will always and forever be my mother’s banana bread – fresh out of the oven or cold from the fridge – it didn’t matter. It was always, every time, Perfect. The only way to make it any better was to slather a thin layer of fresh butter over the top of a thick slice and eat it slowly, savoring every bite like it was my last.

Try as I might, I’ve never been able to replicate mom’s banana bread. Something’s always missing. Maybe it’s the smell of our turquoise kitchen, or the slick yellow and chrome kitchen table I sat at to eat. Maybe it’s just my mom in her brown flour-covered apron. Whatever it is, her recipe is likely long lost, along with her fading memory, so unless I stumble on it tucked between the pages of one of her many hoarded cookbooks, it may well be gone forever. But I keep trying.

Is it Zucchiana Bread? Banini Bread? Whatever you want to call it, this amazingly moist zucchini-banana bread is the best of both worlds! | The Good Hearted Woman

With zucchini season in high gear, my latest attempt took a turn away from straight banana bread. For this, I merged my banana and zucchini bread recipes into what turned out to be an amazingly tasty loaf. After making a number of batches, I attribute this bread’s soft texture and rich flavor to the fact that, for the first time in years, instead of subbing in yogurt as I usually do, I went with full-fat ingredients. If you are trying to cut fat, you can always sub it back in, but keep in mind that the relatively small amount of fat used is balanced by the fact that most of the moisture (and a lot of the sugar) in this bread comes from fruit and vegetable sources.

TIP: I like to sprinkle some raw sugar on the loaves just before I pop them in the oven. It gives the tops a thin glazed texture, and I think it makes the bite feel more interesting on the tongue. (For reference, the small loaf above on the right was sprinkled, and the loaf on the left was not.) Enjoy!

Zucchini Banana Quick Bread | The Good Hearted Woman
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Zucchini Banana Bread

Course Dessert
Cuisine Comfort Food
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 2 large loaves
Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 3 ripe medium bananas mashed (or two large)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Grease and flour two 8x4 bread loaf pans (or just spray them with nonstick cooking spray).*
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixture, beat eggs until they are light yellow and frothy. Add sour cream, oil, white and brown sugars, grated zucchini, bananas, and vanilla.
  5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Do not over mix.
  6. Fold in walnuts.
  7. Divide batter evenly between loaf pans.
  8. Sprinkle loaves with raw sugar. (optional)
  9. Bake in preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. Allow to cool in the loaf pans for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing. Allow to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

You can also use one large loaf pan and two small ones, or five small loaf pans, or (about) 24 muffin cups, or any combination that makes you happy. Just be sure to adjust cooking time to compensate for the smaller pans.

Is it Zucchiana Bread? Banini Bread? Whatever you want to call it, this amazingly moist zucchini-banana bread is the best of both worlds! | The Good Hearted Woman

Best Zucchini-Banana Bread Ever! {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon}

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Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. | The Good Hearted Woman

We were first introduced to this traditional Filipino dessert at this fruit stand in Kahuku, Oahu. Mr. B and I took each took a bite, and even as our mouths were still chewing, our eyes were saying, “we are definitely going to learn how to make these!”

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman

The hardest part about making banana lumpia is buying the lumpia wrappers.  You can find them in the refrigerated section of just about any Asian market, and in many supermarkets as well.

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman

OK, the hardest part isn’t really buying the lumpia (or spring roll) wrappers so much as it is pulling them apart.  They are rice-paper thin, and take a delicate touch. The brand of wrappers I’m using here are, by far, the most resilient and easiest to separate of those I have tried over the years, plus they are square, which makes the rolling that much easier. There is a downside to this brand though: the outcome is a little heavier, and less crisp than some of the more delicate brands. The best method I have found for separating sticky wrappers is to peel them back slowly, the same way you might pull a label off a jar when you are trying to get it off in one piece. (Some people suggest steaming them to soften them before using, but I haven’t tried that method yet.)

Lumpia, banana and otherwise, is traditionally deep-fried, but I’m not big into deep-frying. If you want to deep fry them, go for it; you will get that golden brown color all the way around. However, after making this a number of times, I find that pan-frying works very well, and I don’t have all that deep frying mess to clean up afterwards.

You can serve them as is, but a dip or two in some Caramel Sauce will take them to a whole ‘nother level. Enjoy!

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. | The Good Hearted Woman

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 2 votes
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Banana Lumpia

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • Bananas
  • Lumpia Spring Roll Wrappers
  • Raw sugar or brown sugar
  • Peanut oil for frying see note

Optional:

  • Caramel Sauce

Instructions

  1. Cut a banana down the middle lengthwise.
  2. Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman
  3. Roll the banana half in raw sugar. (If you are using the super-sweet baby bananas, you can probably skip this step.)
  4. Wrap prepared banana half in a lumpia wrapper. You can do this "burrito-style,' or leave the ends open.
  5. Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman
  6. Pour a scant 1/4 inch oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F. (A drop of water should sizzle when dropped in the pan.)
  7. Carefully lay wrapped banana halves seam down in the pan. Do not crowd.
  8. Fry on one side until golden, and then flip and repeat on the other side.
  9. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, alone or with caramel for dipping. (They are also good hours later - they just aren't as crispy.)

Recipe Notes

BANANAS: Use sweet baby bananas if you can find them, but regular bananas will work just fine.
OIL: I sometimes use unrefined coconut oil instead of peanut oil because I like the flavor it imparts to the lumpia; however, if you use it, use extreme caution due to its low smoke point, and definitely do not use unrefined coconut oil for deep frying.

One last tip: If you find this recipe in the middle of the night, or live in a place where fresh lumpia wrappers aren’t just around the corner at your local Asian market, you can use flour tortillas. I know this because I have made them in the middle of the night, and while the tortilla wrapper makes for an entirely different texture and flavor (and probably a different, more culturally appropriate name) it will definitely satisfy a late night sweet tooth.

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.| The Good Hearted Woman

 

 

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

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We first experienced Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding (or Chè Chuối; pronounced “chair chewy”) while dining at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu. (You’ll be reading more about Duc and his bistro soon.) The delicate tapioca combined with banana and coconut cream created a delightfully sweet finish to a delicious and thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman

Mr. B and I paid careful attention to every dish we enjoyed in Hawaii, and when we returned home from our 10-day trip, we had a long list of recipes we wanted to recreate. Duc’s Banana Tapioca Pudding, topped with velvety coconut cream, was second on our list. (To answer your question – those Shrimp!)

After a little research (and some trial and error), I’ve come up with a good reproduction of the original, albeit with a few significant alterations:

  • The version we enjoyed in Honolulu included Hawaiian Apple Bananas, which are difficult to find here in the PNW. This recipe calls for regular bananas, but if you have access to Apple Bananas, by all means use them instead. (Baby bananas can also be used.)
  • I believe that Duc’s dessert had a thin layer of sweet rice between the tapioca and the coconut cream, but I chose to leave this out to simplify the process; however, it does add an additional, very pleasing textural element, so if you want to include the extra step, it might be worth the effort to you.
  • I’ve also added a little toasted coconut, because it adds a lovely sweet crunch, and …. oh, who am I trying to fool? I just love toasted coconut!
Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman
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Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

Inspired by a dessert served at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 8 servings
Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1/3 cup small tapioca pearls
  • 4 medium bananas
  • 1 – 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

  • Finely chopped peanuts or cashews
  • Toasted coconut See below
  • Mint leaves

Instructions

Preparing Coconut Cream & Milk: (This sounds WAY more complicated than it really is.)

  1. You will need 3 small bowls for this. In the end, you will have one bowl of coconut milk with a little coconut cream in it for adding directly to the pudding, one bowl of coconut cream with a little coconut milk in it for topping the finished tapioca mixture, and one empty bowl. Proceed as follows:
  2. Open the can of coconut milk. (DO NOT shake the can before opening.)
  3. Bowl #1 - Pour out the thin coconut milk/liquid from the can into this bowl.
  4. Bowl #2 - Scrape the coconut cream from the can into this bowl.
  5. Bowl #3 - Measure out 1/2 cup coconut milk from Bowl #1 and put it in this empty bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream from Bowl # 2 and set aside.
  6. Add the remaining coconut milk from Bowl #1 to the remaining coconut cream in Bowl #2. Stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside. (Bowl #1 should now be empty.)

Prepare Pudding:

  1. Cut bananas into ¾-1 inch pieces. Set aside.
  2. In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add tapioca and reduce heat. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tapioca nearly cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not overcook: at this point, the tapioca should be thick, and individual pearls should be clear on the outside, and have a very small dot of white in the middle.
  3. Add the salt and the coconut milk mixture from Bowl #3 and to the tapioca stir to combine.
  4. Increase heat to medium. When the tapioca mixture begins to simmer, add the banana pieces and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for until the bananas are tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in vanilla. Add sugar one or two teaspoons at a time, tasting between additions, until it is sweetened to your tastes.

Toasted Coconut:

  1. Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman
  2. To toast coconut, place ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut in a small ungreased non-stick pan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until coconut is lightly browned. Immediately remove from pan and cool on paper towels.

To Serve:

  1. Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman
  2. Distribute individual servings of banana-tapioca mixture into small bowls. Pour a thin layer of prepared coconut cream (from Bowl #2) over the top of each serving. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut, and mint leaves. Serve warm.

Note: If you want your garnishes to sit up on top of the coconut cream (instead of sinking into it), allow everything to cool a bit before you finish placing the toasted coconut, etc.

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} | The Good Hearted Woman

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe}

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Yesterday, I told you all about my new sun-brella, so today I thought I would share an umbrella of a different kind! One of the things I loved most about our Hawaiian holiday was all the fresh fruit, and this island-inspired smoothie is deliciously refreshing, no matter where you are.

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

This recipe makes enough for at least 4 servings.

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 1 vote
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Mango Pina Colada Smoothie

Course Beverage
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 mangoes peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 1/2 ripe banana frozen
  • 1 1/2 cups ice cubes
  • 2-3 tablespoons sugar to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Beginning with pineapple juice, layer ingredients in blender in order. Puree until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses, and garnish with fresh mint (and a little umbrella if you want to get fancy).

Tip: When your bananas get a little too ripe, peel them and put them in the freezer. Great for just about any smoothie, they both add flavor and cut down on the need for additional sweeteners.

Don’t Miss the Breakfast Bus!

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Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe7:54 a.m. – The typical time that our little Princess  rolls her fanny out of bed to get ready for school.

8:03 a.m.  – The time that the bus rolls up at the corner to carry the aforementioned Princess off to middle school.  (It used to be 6:50 a.m.: things are better now.)

Seven minutes.  She has an average of seven minutes – to get dressed, check her face, comb her hair, check her face again, maybe put on a little make-up, gather her school supplies that were supposed to be together the night before, grab her clarinet, hug her Mama and run out the door…

Breakfast?  Most often, it is in her hand – because if she can’t hold it and eat it before she gets to the bus stop, it won’t get eaten.  Because, heaven forbid should anyone know that she actually eats breakfast.  (“It’s embarrassing.”)  And somehow, no matter how early she gets up, it doesn’t change the amount of time she allots for eating breakfast.  Thirteen-year old girls are weird.

Any Mama or Papa who has children who hop on a school bus has at least a few mornings when there isn’t time to sit down and eat anything.  Some of us more than others, I’m sure, but we’ve all been there.  So when you press something into their hands as they bolt out the door, you hope it’s something healthy and delicious (and NOT full of weird chemicals and preservatives) – something that will stick with them for the whole morning.  Something that might even remind them that they are loved.  A few weeks ago, I threw a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, waved my magic spatula and came up with a new favorite – a soft, healthy, hand-friendly breakfast bar full of oatmeal and yumminess.

I like to wrap these individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before.  They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

5 from 2 votes
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Oatmeal-Banana Breakfast Bars

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 18 Bars

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 large banana mashed
  • ½ cup honey
  • 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ cup ground almonds or ground flaxseed
  • 1 Tbls ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger optional: I love ginger!
  • 1 Tbls baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups almond milk
  • Optional additions:
  • ¼ cup coconut
  • ¼ cup golden raisins or craisins
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup anything else that sounds good ahem… chocolate chips, anyone?

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
  3. Add in oats, ground almonds, ginger, baking powder, salt and and “optional additions” you choose, mix well with wet ingredients.
  4. Pour in almond milk and stir combine. Set on counter for 15 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
  5. Line a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper.
  6. Bake 1 hour, or until the top is slightly golden and it is “bouncy” to the touch. (Like a heavy quickbread.)
  7. Cool and cut into 18 bars.
  8. To store, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Recipe Notes

I like to wrap these individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before. They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

Low-Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins

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One of the challenges of eating Cleaner and Leaner is adapting favorite recipes without losing the flavor, texture or character of the original.  In fact, whenever I see a recipe prefaced by “Low-fat,” it’s always a reg-flag for me: Low-fat often translates to “tasteless,” or “dry as shredded wheat in a sand storm.”  You won’t find dry or tasteless here though – if it doesn’t pass the Mr. B & Kids Test, it doesn’t get posted.  Needless to say, these moist, delicious Blueberry-Banana Muffins passed with flying colors.

Banana Muffins LabeledThese muffins freeze well, so make a couple of batches to keep on hand for a fast, easy breakfast or snack.  (Bonus: This recipe can easily be adapted for vegans simply by using an egg-replacer.)

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Low-Fat Banana Muffins

Course Breakfast, Snack
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 192 kcal
Author Renée ♥

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups bananas mashed (about 2 medium bananas)
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup applesauce unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 Tbls turbino sugar
  • 1 Muffin = 3 WW Points+ Calculated on WW Recipe Builder.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers, or spray with baking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  3. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and applesauce. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. (Mix this by hand for lighter muffins.) Stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with turbino sugar.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

 

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