No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

We love sweets in our family! Too much, I think!!! And if there is one dessert that we all can agree on - it's got to be cheesecake - it's pretty obvious as I now have about 4 cheesecake versions on this blog and yes, there'll be more to come. We simply cannot resist the creamy, sweet and rich nature of this delectable dessert! It's especially better when mixed in with some chocolate, right?

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-fry

I got some firm Tofu from the grocery the other day. I don't remember now why I purchased it. Perhaps it was for Pad Thai or some other Asian dish I was planning to make but for some reason, I failed to make it. Yes, my days and times can truly be full of plans but sometimes they don't often materialize as I end up doing something else or sometimes not doing it at all. :)

Coconut Banana Loaf (Bread)

There can never be enough Banana Bread/Loaf versions as far as I am concerned. I know as I already have at least 3 versions on this blog....yes, we do love Banana bread! This time, I thought I'll give it some tropical touch. I still used my old go-to Best Banana Bread recipe as the basic foundation though I tweaked it a little to adjust to the addition of shredded Coconut and Coconut Oil. The result as you can see is a delicious one - a subtle hint of coconut flavoring, notes of lemon tanginess and of course sweetness from the truly ripe bananas! And can you see how moist it is? I made sure I took a close-up of the bread so you can see how truly moist and scrumptious it is!

Surely, this competes with the original Best Banana Bread - if you fancy coconut anyway! Please enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup shredded unsweetened Coconut

1 stick Butter (4 oz), softened*

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil (optional) 

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs, room temperature

3 very ripe Bananas

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

Grated zest of 1 Lemon

*To soften the butter, take it out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature about an hour before you need it.  In case that's not possible here's a good  link on how to soften a butter quicker. If you can't wait, simply use melted butter.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 F . Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan (preferably a light colored one, if you have it) and then line it with parchment paper. Set aside.

Using a wire whisk, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, shredded coconut and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture and mix just until combined. NOTE: If you don't want to use the mixer, simply melt the butter and mix by hand.

Peel and mash the bananas. If you wish you can put the bananas in a food processor to hasten the process. Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture and continue to beat until smooth. Pour in the lemon juice, grated zest and the coconut oil (if using). Beat just until combined.

Slowly stir in the flour mixture just until everything is combined. Pour into the lined loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

Note: A darker pan will produce a darker looking bread but it won't affect the taste.

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Turmeric (Yellow) Rice

One of our readers requested a recipe for Turmeric rice. I don't really do anything elaborate to make yellow rice but here is what I do when I make a curry and wants this yellow rice as a side dish. It's pretty straightforward and easy to make. Enjoy!

Keema Beef Curry

As you know, I am always trying new recipes, not only for my blog but so that my family doesn't get tired of the same old ground beef recipes that I seem to recycle many times over. I found this delicious Keema Beef Curry and thought I'll give it a try and give it our own spin as usual. My dear hubby, who is a huge curry fan, loved  it. We had an unexpected guest last night too so I served this to him as well. He confessed he ate a few servings and totally enjoyed it, too.