Baking Banana Bread

Hi there! It's been awhile. Seven long years, in fact. But I'm back, and this time, not only with a blog but vlogs as well. If you made it here, then you probably came from my channel Happy Random. Thank you for stopping by there, and welcome to my blog...

A Fresh New Plate, a new beginning take two.

Baking has always been my passion. I do cook, but baking just gives me a different kind of high. The kitchen is one I consider my happy place, my solace, my respite, and baking, my personal me-time. I love when my kitchen exudes the aroma of freshly baked pastries that not only fill the senses but the soul as well. And to kick off my new adventures in blogging and now vlogging, I decided to start with a scrumptious dessert that puts my favorite fruit under the spotlight. 

I love bananas. I'm such a monkey, I could eat a whole cluster all by myself. Yeah, but let's not do that. 😄 Bananas are just so versatile, you can use them in cooking as well as in baking. In however way you use them, they always deliver with dishes and confections that are definite palate-pleasers, like this one. I've been making this for years and it never fails to bring sunshine even on the rainiest of days. Here is the recipe I follow for making my rustic banana bread.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter                               
• 1 cup brown sugar                                      
  
• 2 eggs                                                          
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 or 3 medium bananas, mashed
  
• cinnamon (optional, but a must for me 😄) 

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). If you're using an aluminum, glass or ceramic loaf pan, grease and flour. I usually use a silicone loaf pan to avoid the hassle of greasing.

2. In a bowl, combine and stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In the same bowl as the melted butter and eggs, plop in the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until smooth. Then fold in the sour cream and bananas. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. 

4. Cool bread in loaf for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and have cool completely.

5. Slice and savor. 

                                           This is the way I enjoy my banana bread, ala mode style. 😋

Notes:

-With this recipe, you don't really need to sift the dry ingredients. The banana bread comes out just as great.

-I use overripe bananas when making banana bread. Those whose skins already have black spots with the fruit inside already soft and a slightly darker shade of brown. In my experience, overripe bananas make for moist turnouts and add a natural sweetness to the bread. 

-In making banana bread, you may either slice or mash your bananas. I semi-mash them, leaving small chunks of that sweet yellow gem within the smooth folds of the batter, so that when it bakes, I can expect little chewy banana bits when I bite into the bread.

-Cinnamon is not a must in making banana bread, in fact, most recipes don't call for it. It is just my preference. I do have to say, though, it adds to the aroma and it does add something special to the taste. It goes without saying, cinnamon is my favorite spice in the whole culinary universe. 

-Other cool additions you might want to put in your banana bread are nuts, raisins and choco chips.  

-I like pulling the banana bread out of the oven when the skewer I test the bread with comes out clean but with crumbs still clinging to it. As the pan is still hot straight from the oven, the banana bread will continue to cook.

-Do remember that  silicone pans, as they are pliable, their walls will bend at the weight of the banana bread batter, making for wider turnouts and wider cracks on top of the bread. Non-pliable pans like aluminum, glass or ceramic will hold the batter in place, thereby keeping the turnouts in the size of the pan and minimizing the size of the cracks on top of the bread. Cracks or not, though, the taste is just bomb. 

-Different ovens have different baking times. Though the recipe calls for a bake time of 60 minutes, I start checking and testing my bread 10 minutes before the 60-minute mark.

Thank you very much for stopping by A Fresh New Plate. 

Till our next food trip! 😊

 

                   

Dilis Delish

My ultimate goal in creating this blog is to go on fun food trips, making the rounds of known or unheard of dining dives and to pull into the limelight that part of their menu often given the cold shoulder because of its unappetizing roster: veggie and fish. Though these food groups do have a steadily growing  market, we have to admit that meat still takes top billing when it comes to food favorites. I rarely do recipe blogging not because I can't cook because I sure as shoots can. I just find it more convenient to seek gastronomic refuge in a hip hashery that that waits on me and serves me my grub as I sit back, relax and surf. But I do have my moments. On dreadfully boring weekends when I'd rather stay in than go out, I could whip up serious eats with whatever I can find in my pantry, fridge or cupboard.

Most dishes in the Philippines are served with rice.  It's a staple in our diet and goes great with pork, beef, veggie and fish dishes. But here's one fish recipe that can be enjoyed even without rice. In fact, it makes for great company when doing a DVD marathon or just good as nibbles while reading a book. It's a breeze to make and a definite winner. All you need is a hefty amount of good, affordable dilis or anchovies. 

Dilis or anchovies are a small and very common salt-water fish. They come in really cheap especially when bought in the market and are really good fried to a crisp or cooked in vinegar and a little salt topped with chili slices. 

                                                photo c/o my3rdand7thsense.blogspot.com

                                                                     photo c/o MarketManila

I, however, cook and eat it as a snack. It's another diversity that these simple but versatile little denizens from the deep offer, and mind you, they do bring it.

First, heat some oil in a pan. Then throw in the anchovies, allowing them to crisp and brown to a perfect crunch. Then pour in some sweet banana ketchup with a generous sprinkling of brown sugar. Allow both the sugar and ketchup to coat and caramelize the anchovies and after a few more swirls in the pan, their done.

For a more spicy take, add a dash of chili powder or a trickle of chili sauce on it while cooking. You may also add a little salt and pepper to heighten its flavor.

So, what do I call it? Caramelized Anchovies it is and it never fails to deliver.

Our mothers used to always tell us to never play with our food. But this is one time when it becomes totally legit. It's easy to be really creative with the sensitive diet that you are limited to because within that diet, there are no limits. My good friend would always tell me to pick whatever I want with the food I can have and go to town in creating new recipes for it, incorporating the flavors that float my boat, and he's right. And never be fooled by what you see because what you think has limited potential can actually unfold into a radical reveal just waiting to be uncovered. So can be said about our friendly fish dilis. It may be small but it's definitely big in flavor.
 

So, what have I learned from this? It's that size can be deceiving because sometimes, even the smallest things are the ones that pack the ultimate punch. Enjoy! :)

A Tummy For Tofu

Before  anything, I'd like to thank my friend for contributing this entry in my blog. I may have added a few information here and there but the most of it is all hers. Thanks, M, for writing in and sharing your healthy experience. :) 

As I kept saying before, I have a very sensitive diet that only involves veggies, fish and fruit. However, my diet has turned out to be even more sensitive than I thought. Now that I have spinal arthritis, I had to drop a few more vegetables from my diet, ones that have beans and seeds in them like string beans, snow peas and soy beans, so even tofu, which I always turned to for meat fake outs, is something I can't really indulge in anymore. But be that as it is, that still won't stop me from blogging about these wonderful alternatives. They are, after all, every vegetarians best bet. 
 

Check my friend's entry as she shares the  bliss of satisfying her craving the healthy way. Go Miss M! Thanks for sharing:

                                                                                   ~ oOo ~     

                                                          

Hi! I'm not at all a vegetarian. I eat meat and I don't have ridiculous restrictions to anything, except for this one indulgence that I loved having as a kid: chicken. Yes, I developed a mad allergy to the one thing that gave me gastronomic pleasure. It's a good thing I love vegetables and have it more often on my dinner table than pork or beef. I do get the shakes, though, once in a while, when I think of sinking my teeth into a succulent drumstick every now and then but I somehow manage to steer clear of it's juicy path. Or sometimes, so I think. 

Once, I passed one of the leading chicken stands in the metro and had this nasty urge to nab a whole roasted chicken from the chopping board as it was about to be pieced up for a patiently waiting and already hungry customer. Peeling myself away from the crime scene was a feat, so with all the strength I could muster, I trudged off to the nearest market in search for a parallel alternative that would taste just as luscious and mouthwatering chicken tenders that I used to regularly feast on as a child. I wasn't in the mood for anything meaty then so I really had nothing in mind. As I walked aimlessly amongst the stalls of fresh vegetables and fruit, I came upon a vendor that ended my torturous search. The answer to my food frenzy: tofu.

Made of ground soybeans, tofu is one of the easiest and most available substitutes one can ever find. Not only limited to supermarkets, tofu is available even in the smallest neighborhood market at a price so affordable, it should be considered gold for those taking the veggie route. Tofu, though a really good vegetarian choice, is as tasteless as air. Unless included in a dish of meat or fish, as a stand alone, it absolutely makes no sense to eat. For it to make a palatable mark, though, you need to up it's game by giving it a bit of that creative culinary touch. At first I thought of just frying it and making and dipping it in vinegar and garlic but I found it too common. So how was I to cook this? Here's what I did as per the neat suggestion of  my friend.

I realize that there are many ways on how to cook different things. You can stir fry, saute, boil or steam but my friend is right in saying that nothing beats breading when it comes to horribly tasteless grub like tofu. I gathered the following ingredients which were already in my pantry (less the cost, really) together to begin my tofu food trip: flour, garlic salt, cumin, cinnamon (what? I thought my friend was crazy), pepper, liquid seasoning and Crispy Fry breading, garlic flavor.

 I put some flour in a bowl and added water to make a paste. When it got to the consistency I was comfortable in, I went to town in peppering it with my choice of spices and seasoning, except for the breading. My flour paste looks somewhat like thickened gravy. My friend says it should really look this way.

 Once done, I poured the Crispy Fry breading into a another saucer and set them all aside.

The tofu I purchased came in 3"x 3" squares. I cut them in fours and cut the fours in half, so that's 8 strips per tofu square. Thirty-two pieces. Not bad for sharing by three people. 

I swirled the tofu into the flour batter, rolled it up in the breading and fried the tofu in heated oil until golden brown. Leaving each piece to drain in paper towels, I came up with a plateful of the crispiest, most flavorful tofu strips I've ever had. And the cinnamon was a unique touch to it. I'm glad I listened to her when she forced me to add it in. A deliriously delicious treat for the meat-deprived. You don't feel the deprivation at all.

Take your pick on the many choices of dips you could use: catsup-mayo combo, sweet chili sauce or even vinegar and soy sauce with a little smashed garlic for some kick and a little sugar to sweeten it up. What I had was sweet blend catsup so that did it for me.

For something more lavish, you can do a sour cream and minced garlic dip with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Served hot with steaming garlic fried rice, it was one trip that took me straight to tofu heaven. I was so happy, I let my friend eat all the fish I had prepared . We didn't even share. :)

For new vegetarians and pro-vegetarians alike, the choices are, in reality, truly endless. One need not go beyond the four walls of their kitchen to discover food that could turn up to be remarkable revelations. One should only sprinkle a little bit of that wild imagination into a bowl of simple ingredients for an outcome of stupendous flavorful proportions. Who says being vegetarian equals tasteless? Discover!

Crazy Carbonara

It was the weekend before payday and my wallet was on the ultimate diet so impulsive spending was totally out of the question. Don't get me wrong. I do keep careful tabs of my purchases but sneaky slips of irrational yet irresistible impulses to pick something off the shelf I don't really need sometimes just gets the better of me. So to avoid that, I decided to confine myself within the four walls of the unit I am presently inhabiting for the time being until I find my own space. I also made a decision to fix myself something for lunch and dinner using stuff that I could find within the nooks and crannies of our little kitchen. No takeouts or deliveries for me this time nor was I to go on a trip to the grocery for needed ingredients. I had to content myself with what was available to me at that time, and it wasn't much, since my diet was also delicate given the fact that I only can take fish, veggies and fruits, hence the challenge. So, what was my creative culinary mind able to concoct? 

As I ransacked the cupboards and the fridge, I came across one small can of evaporated milk, danggit and cream of mushroom soup. Then I saw spaghetti noodles stashed away on a high shelf and I thought to myself I could make carbonara if I only had tuna and more evaporated milk. But I didn't. Then I suddenly remembered this one time when I went to a restaurant in Kamuning with a friend that served tuyo spaghetti and I thought, well, why not make use of the danggit? As for the additional evaporated milk that I needed, as incredibly insane as it seems, I went for my nephew's Nido powedered milk. Yes, I know it sounds crazy but I was in desperate need of a dairy substitute otherwise, I would lack in sauce. So I fried the danggit, made crunchy bits out of it and set it aside. Then I mixed the cream of mushroom soup, the one small evaporated milk that I had and added a cup and a half of already mixed with water Nido milk in one pot and simmered until the sauce thickened. Once done, I poured the sauce over the spaghetti noodles, sprinkled with danggit bits on top and viola! My crazy danggit carbonara.

The sauce was deliciously rich and tasty considering there was no butter  and cheese to support its amazing flavor and the bits of salty danggit peppered on top of the sauce and noodles complemented the dish perfectly. It was savory with a hint of the sweet and salty making the marriage of flavors undeniably magic. I paired this delectable discovery with a red because that was the wine available to me and I had a feast. It was palate pleaser all the way.

Evaporated milk or full cream milk is staple in making carbonara. But for the lactose intolerant and for the lot minding the calories that come with this particular dairy, soy milk like Vita may be used as a healtier substitute.

Sometimes, one only has to go outside of the box and open his eyes and his taste buds

to even the most ridiculous combinations that could actually prove to be fantastic finds. Doing the traditional is good but to go experimental and take the opposite route, mixing and matching what you never thought would hit off could actually be the perfect fit. You only have to try. Divine, scrumptious and lip-smackingly good. This is definitely absurdity at its best.

Baguio Bliss Featuring Bliss Cafe

The two-hour rest we took after that breakfast feast we had at Cafe By The Ruins refreshed and invigorated me so much that I was raring to step out into the sun again and take in the new Baguio that I was starting to get used to. We first headed to the market area and then checked Session Road to see what it now had to offer. At around 2:30, I felt the nagging in my belly telling me it was time to load up again. I'm part vegetarian since my diet only consists of vegetables, fish and fruit so we opted to take the healthy route this time and indulge in what Baguio is certainly known for: fresh, clean produce. Veering away from now familiar surroundings, we took a cab towards the opposite direction as we made our way to veggie heaven better known to locals as Bliss Cafe.

 

Located within the confines of the classy Hotel Elizabeth, it is an intimate corner cafe with an ethnic eclectic feel that immediately tells clients they're in for a deep, personal experience with its food and with ones self. As you go through it's welcoming doorway, you're instantly met with a positive vibe that carries through your system. For some unknown reason, you're instantly at peace with the world and one with the universe. With mellow new age music permeating the entire area, you're treated to shelves of books, pictures and artifacts purposely placed in to feed your curious mind. I felt very much at home right away.

We seated ourselves beside the connecting archway and checked on their comprehensive menu. Astonishingly, it did showcase a roster of delicious courses that were unbelievably all veggie. Not one viand had pork, beef, chicken and fish in it nor were they enhanced with fattening dairy products. They were all-natural, all-organic and healthy all the way. Definitely my kind of food stop. 

We all got pasta for lunch. I went for the Leaning Tower, which was their take on the Italian carbonara. It had tiny shreds of flat leaf parsley with cubed tomatoes and cucumbers as added fillers. Served with two slices of Bliss toast, the pasta was crowned with thick, gorgeously creamy white sauce that was lusciously smooth and that had a slightly peppery sweet taste. It was ultimate decadence on a dish.

My friends ordered the Rotini Satorini that boasted of wonderfully creamy and brightly-colored tomato sauce over al dente rigatoni pasta. Featuring a cast of slightly salty green and black olives, it had an amazing blend of tangy and sweet flavors. Served with Bliss toast as well, it proved the total tasty treat without the meat. I wondered what ingredient made the sinfully divine dressing because both dishes were slathered with cream sauce. I then surprisingly learned they used soy milk in place of the regular milk making it low in fat and totally diet-friendly. A tall glass of iced tea sealed our lunch deal for us and we were blissfully content. 

Overall, it was a profound dining experience that not only gratified the belly but tapped on the senses as well. And as you immerse yourself in the reality that taking in tastefully clean, healthy vegetable dishes cleanses your system, giving you that full yet light feeling you don't get when you partake of heavy heady meat choices do you then realize how light makes you feel good, thereby the creation within yourself of that positive energy that spreads throughout your whole system and person. Vegetables = healthy = positivity. Bliss Cafe. Their food is what their name really implies. 

                                                        Indeed I have. :)

Baguio Bliss

This is an uber late post in the sense that my friends and I hopped that bus to Baguio March of last year, 2013. With a lot on my plate, hence, the lack of time to go on an actual food trip, I decided to sift through my collection of food porn photos instead for ones I could make reviews on and luckily came across this set of memorable pictures.

The last time I visited the City of Pines was during the '90s so to set foot again on that once familiar place proved quite the experience since nothing seemed familiar anymore. I was surprised at how developed Baguio had become and how far a cry it was from the city I remembered it to be. Be that as it is, though, it still was a fulfilling adventure, making new connections and finding the new within the folds of the old.

We decided to travel at night, something I heavily imposed since I've never done it before, so we arrived at our destination 8 am the next day. After checking in and dropping our bags in the hotel we decided to call home for a day, we immediately took off for one of the places  in our list of resto rounds, deciding our first dining experience to be at Cafe By The Ruins. 

Stepping into this cozy cafe is like entering your own home because it exudes comfort all the way. Going with wood and bamboo to set its relaxing ambiance, we ambled our way to the second floor and immediately placed our orders to fill our hungry bellies and to soothe our tired souls. I stayed awake during the whole trip, by the way, so unlike the two already catatonic sleepy heads who immediately slipped into a coma the minute we settled in the bus. Such adventure seekers. Anyways, after what seemed like forever, we finally got what we went there for, and, lord, was it worth the wait.

 

I couldn't have meat so I went for a small fruit bowl and a plate of fried tinapa with a siding of sliced onions and tomatoes and slightly sweet vinegar with bits of garlic. Served with fried brown rice, I was so famished, I dug in like mad. The tinapa was tasty to the bite and perfectly smoked. The fish was tender and really moist, making every forkful a pleasurable tasty encounter. The tomatoes and onions were garden fresh and sweet and the tangy, slightly nectarous vinegar that had a hint of heat was a superb complement to the hefty yummy treat. To have all of that roll around in my mouth together with the garlicky fried brown rice was deliriously delish. Now the helping of fresh fruit was a welcome indulgence after a bout with strong, overwhelming flavors. Sweet and incredibly juicy, slices  of cold mouthwatering berries, mangoes and papayas was all I needed to cleanse my palate. A merry mix of bright colors, it was summer in a bowl. 

 

My friends sought comfort in two orders of freshly baked huge pandesal bread served with a ramekin of liver pate that was exquisitely luscious and velvety smooth. You do have a choice on whether to have it with the pate  or with kesong puti, but with my friends , it was pate all the way.

Add to this, they also dove into a plate of scrumptiously crunchy pork belly served with sliced tomato and onion and fish bagoong and a cup of fried brown rice. Downed with coffee and refreshing iced tea for me, it was all we expected an excellent breakfast in the clouds would be. 

We were actually full to the brim but we just couldn't let the opportunity of tasting their ever so famous camote bread pass us by so order their specialty we also did. Presented to us, again, with a little bowl of liver pate, we went for it without a second thought. Soft, warm and daintily cloying, their camote bread was certainly to die for. It had tiny specks of shredded sweet potato, making it dense and lipsmackingly good. Every bite proved to be extreme delight, the very reason why it holds the best seller tag from among their other just as superbly baked goods. We literally felt like bursting after a serving of this delightful confection, but it goes without saying, we were blissfully satisfied. 

We walked out of the restaurant feeling content yet totally sleepy and ready for bed so we called it a morning and decided to go back to the hotel for that much needed rest. Having had gastronomical heaven for breakfast then made me wonder, with amusement, to myself, what lunch was gonna be like.

Choose to Juice

My friend and I have the same doctor in Ongpin and though we don't always go there together, during some rare occasions, we manage to do so, and this particular weekend saw us squeezing our way through the crowded streets this famous shopping nook of an area is known for.

As I was waiting for her to complete her rundown of personal errands, I decided to do my own exploring of the place as well. In doing so, I came across this little health spot that made the tastiest natural juice drinks you could ever stream through your body.

I nearly missed Juice It Up as I was walking along the sidewalk because their signage was not as visible. But as I stepped into their little store, I immediately took notice of how spick and span it was on the inside, a huge contrast from the grimy and dusty stalls outside that were within it's perimeter. A huge board showcased the different mixes they blitzed for their juices and I was amazed at the funky combinations they had that they themselves guaranteed taste really good. 

Though a little unconvinced, I still opted to try one of their concoctions. After all, it was nutrients and heavy doses of vitamin C I was going to take in, so why not? I wanted to go for a combo with celery but they were out of the succulent leaf stalk, so I decided to go fruity and took on the carrot-apple-pear-mango combination instead. Was I glad I decided to give them a try.

I was wonderfully pleased at how refreshing and tasty my choice of combination was. The juice was thick and beautifully creamy. Though married together in one glass, I could still single out each of the flavors, hence, realizing that each fruit contributes to the character of this superb smoothie: sweetness from the carrot and pear, and tanginess from both the mango and the orange. I was completely gratified. 

My friend took a different combination from mine. Hers was a merry mix of carrot, ginger and apple. As to how it tastes like, I'm not really sure. I couldn't imagine ginger being part of the whole equation but she says it works so I'll take her word for it. 

Each combination serves a purpose. Mine balances ones diet while hers helps in clearing ones mind if taken often. Well, whatever. It all boils down to one thing: these blends taste really good and are definitely good for you. They come in three sizes. It being my first time, I got the smallest while my friend went for the largest. It was an experience I'd gladly take on again.

It doesn't cost that much to go the healthy route. These juices are great substitutes
for the unsafe repercussions that come with too much soda, coffee and other bottled
artificially-flavored juice drinks high in sugar. With Juice It Up, I know I'm safe. And though these combos may mean a host of different things, to me, it only says one thing: healthy. Cheers to that!