The Ultimate Banana Bread

It’s here. It’s finally here. The perfect banana bread recipe. The ultimate. My one and only.

I’ll stop here. I think you get my point and my somewhat overwhelming excitement… You know how some people just make the best baked goods and have a secret recipe that you spend years trying to recreate but ultimately never can? You know, like for chocolate chip cookies? Or banana bread? I know I’ve been looking for the best banana bread recipe for as long as I can remember (or ever since I came to the US and discovered this delectable treat). Three years later, I’m happy to announce that I finally found it!

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Fridge Friday: Avocado Chicken Salad, No-Mayo

Another day, another toast! With chicken salad, no mayo anyone? This toast recipe is the last one I’ll post for a while, but as I previously mentioned open-faced sandwiches have been my go-to rushed meals recently. And since this chicken salad is so good, I figured that I’d share it with you even if I recently posted another toast recipe (combining Scrambled eggs, broccoli rabe, and shiitake!).

It’s as Easy as Guacamole!

For a long, long time, I thought I didn’t like guacamole. In fact, I knew I didn’t like it. I had tried a store-bought kind once, and never wanted to try it again afterwards. It’s ironic considering I eat it at least once a week now.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Lemon

I didn’t know banana bread until I came to the US. Not once had I even heard of it. Crazy, right? So when my roommate first asked me if I wanted a piece of her mom’s world-famous banana bread, I hesitated for a solid second before I decided to give it a try.

A Midwinter Night’s Baked Sweet Potato

Ahhh baked sweet potatoes… So simple, yet so satisfying. I don’t know why I like them so much. But there’s just something comforting about them. Sure, when I think about “comfort food”, they aren’t the first thing rushing through my mind. I tend to immediately picture a steaming bowl of mac n’ cheese, or lasagna. But they definitely come as a close runner-up. Our heater broke because of the cold last night and I couldn’t think of anything else to warm me up. This dish was just prime comfort food with ingredients that I had on-hand. Additionally, it turned out to be a great way to use some left-over beans and onions. The dressing made it all come together nicely. It added this great sweet and savory taste to the dish. All in all, this one’s a keeper if you’re looking for some warmth on a cold winter’s night. Bon appétit!

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Prep time: 35-40 min 

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 avocado (mashed)
• 1/4 yellow onion (chopped)
• olive oil

Peanut-Honey Mustard dressing:

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp honey
• salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potato with a fork. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until you can pierce through the flesh easily with a fork.
2. Once the sweet potato is in the oven, make the peanut-honey mustard dressing by mixing all the ingredients together until the mix is homogenous.
3. Also meanwhile, sauté the onions with olive oil, on high heat, in a small pot for about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water and let it evaporate to further soften the onions. Add the black beans and cook for about 5 more minutes on medium heat.
4. Once the sweet potato is done, cut it in half with a knife, but not all the way, and spread both sides apart. Stuff with the black beans and onions, and top with the mashed avocado. Drizzle with the sweet and savory dressing and enjoy while it’s hot!

TIP: you can substitute lentils or chickpeas for the black beans and you can also sprinkle with cheese for extra comfort food!