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.

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oh muffins! They are a family favorite and definitely one of the first ever baked treats I have ever tried. The first one I have ever attempted was a blueberry muffin recipe. I was so excited when it came out edible. That's what happens when you are a first time baker. :) I discovered that the muffins are even better when I use fresh or frozen Michigan blueberries; they are the best!

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian-style Fried Rice)

Oh, Fried Rice - whatever the style of cooking, seasoning or its origin, I totally love it! I think it is one of the most versatile side dishes and when some meat and vegetables are added, it can be a one-pot meal on its own right. Moreover, it is such a big money-saver as you don't waste left-over rice by throwing it away, you can use it and make a delicious dish out of it.

Easter Recipes and Crafts

In the Philippines, Holy Week (Semana Santa/Lenten Season) is a big deal so for the entire week the Philippines commemorate the sacrifice, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ culminating with Easter Sunday for some festive activities. It's no so much easter egg hunting as it's done in the US - but it has more of a religious feel and it's truly as big as Christmas day. Every one is happy and celebrates the fact that Christ rose from the dead.

Cocoa Cream Thumbprint Cookies

Saturday means baking day in our household. Usually, I  get the kiddies involved as I'd like them to take some interest in baking and cooking in general. They are usually excited about it as they know they can don their little chef hats and apron (assuming they haven't misplaced them which usually happens!) and be able to actually eat the fruit of their labor. It's usually  a sweet treat anyway so with that in mind they are more than eager to help out.

Here's one of our latest Saturday Sweet Projects (SSP) - Cocoa Cream Thumbprint Cookies. I found the recipe on a cute little recipe book in one of the stores in downtown Holland. It was 75 percent off, and me being a cheapskate and always on the look out for bargains, grabbed it and immediately bought it, too. It turned out to be a great little recipe book and worth the few dollars I spent for this yummy recipe alone. Definitely, my kids loved these cookies and I had to tell them to wait patiently as I took photos for the blog. They kindly obliged. Please enjoy and make these yummy cookies with your kids, too. They'll certainly love these as much as mine did. Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients

For the Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, softened
2/3 cup Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

For the Filling

2 Tablespoons Butter, softened
1 (3 oz) package Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered Sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Procedure

To prepare cookies, in a medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla until fluffy. In a small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease baking sheet. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press thumb gently into the center of each cookie or use a mini-tart shaper or the handle of a wooden spoon to make a round well in each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until set. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.

For filling, in a small bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon,  and vanilla; mix until smooth. Spoon or pipe mixture into cookies.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Cookies Cream Recipe Book.

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Chicken Rogan Josh

Last December 2013 my hubby had the opportunity to visit India! Of course, he was excited as he'd always wanted to travel to India to see this amazing country, taste his favorite curry and experience its culture. He was invited by a friend to speak and help out in their annual church conference and he readily said yes. Of course, I was excited for him but nonetheless, because he would be absent for 2 weeks, I was kind of scared, too. I told him to make up for it - he'd better bring me home some of India's best spices!!! :)

Easter Bunny Cake

The Easter season is truly one of the best seasons of the year. It is a time of rejoicing and celebrating especially if you are a Christian and believe in the resurrection. Naturally, when this joyous day arrives, there are always some special treats especially for the kids.

Green Curry Laksa

Laksa, a very popular dish in South East Asia and am pretty certain in other parts of the world, is essentially a coconut curry soup with noodles often with chicken or shrimp, bean curd puffs, fish sticks and sometimes bean sprouts for extra crunch! The flavor is amazing and complex - a little sweet, tangy, savory, creamy and definitely spicy-licious from all the wonderful spices added to it. It's the kind of food that hubby and I love - multi-dimensional in taste and truly satisfying.