OPF(Other Peoples' Food): Banana Bread and Curry Chickpea Hummus

I have really been in the cooking and baking mood lately, which gets me really excited! Yesterday, I tried out two recipes that came from other peoples' recipe collections...and not just any two people, either! They are both very important!

First up, from Dreena Burton, I made the Curry Chickpea Hummus from her latest cookbook, Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan (aka ED&BV). Sometimes I just crave hummus nothing else will satisfy me! I usually don't use a recipe for hummus, rather, I just throw in however much seems right, but I was flipping through ED&BV and this caught my eye...try it if you haven't yet! This hummus is made with cashew butter instead of tahini and is laced with curry spices and raisins, too! I love, love, love it! I have been eating it non-stop since making it, both on its own and in wraps:

The other person who's recipe I made was my grandma, Bonnie. When she was alive, she was an avid cook and baker, and even owned her own restaurant! I guess it's in my blood to love food and cooking! Anyway, I made my first attempt to veganize her Banana Bread recipe yesterday...and it turned out wonderfully! So, so moist and dense in a good way, with a really nice banana flavor. Success!! This is dedicated to her!

Grandma Bonnies’s Banana Bread Redux (makes 1 loaf)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
1/2 cup canola oil or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (for a low-fat version)
1 cup organic sugar
2 Tbs ground flaxseed whisked with ¼ cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 very ripe bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a loaf pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream together the applesauce and sugar. Add flax mixture and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add in the peeled bananas and mash well, incorporating them into the wet ingredients completely. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. If using walnuts, fold in ¾ cup of the nuts into the batter. Be careful not to over-mix this batter, or the bread will not have the proper lift or texture after baking. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread top to make an even surface. Evenly sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup chopped walnuts on top of the batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

* Tip: If using bananas that are still slightly frozen, add an extra 5 minutes to your baking time!

When Life Gives You Brown Bananas....

Make banana bread! In my cozy apartment without a/c, fruit ripens REALLY quickly...so I had a whole bunch of bananas that turned way brown before I had a chance to enjoy them all! Now, I'm a girl who likes her bananas a little brown and over-ripe, but this was a little past ripe even for me! Like a good vegan would, I pulled out my copy of Veganomicon and went to town: I hadn't tried the Lower-Fat Banana Bread yet, so I had to give it a shot!

Here she is hot and warm out of the oven...not much to look at, I suppose, but just wait!

And here she is sliced up and ready to be eaten (after being spread with a little Earth Balance, of course!)!

I modified the recipe by adding a cup of chopped walnuts...cuz I'm nutty like that!... and it was great! Isa and Terry were right: you can't tell it is a "low-fat" version at all! This was really moist, just banana-y enough, and had a really nice crust, which I always appreciate! I recommend trying this...maybe next time I will add some chocolate chips, cuz I can :)