Banana Coconut and Mango Muffins - Bananas at Anna's

 

 My friend Anna of Snacking in the Kitchen invited some friends over to her house to show off some banana recipes. We could showcase our own creations or use existing recipes, as long as bananas were featured.  Dole provided us with some banana goodies (a banana protector), recipes and marketing campaign materials on bananas as the new power bar.  As a seasoned and slow marathon/half marathon wogger, I agree.  At the end of a race, I have been known to utter "Screw the medal, give me my banana".  It is true. Bananas are great food for recovery, but I'm not sure I would carry one for 13 miles.

Other dishes included - banana nutella pie, cheese!, Banana cakes with brown sugar glaze, banana chicken salad, chocolate chip banana bread and curried bananas (not pictured).

While Dole provided some promotional goodies, we were responsible for buying our own bananas. Oh what to make? I knew that I wanted to bake something that would serve as a breakfast food, not too sweet and would be portable enough for TH to take to work in the morning.

I decided to make muffins. Muffins that would remind me of great trips of the past to Hawaii.  I immediately though of the Maloa'a Fruit Stand on Kauai, where you can get all sorts of great fruit smoothies and baked goods on the way to the taro fields of Hanalei.  Coconut would definitely be a flavor component. I polled my friends who agreed that shredded coconut would be too sweet, but coconut milk would impart a good flavor, so that is what I tried. It turned out to be pretty tasty with just the coconut taste coming from the oil and milk.

With further aplomb, here is my creation.  Thank you Anna for including me in your Banana Challenge!

Banana Coconut Mango Muffins
Makes 18 regular sized muffins or 12 large muffins

Note: I used frozen mango chunks and diced them while they were still frozen.  This makes it much easier and neater.  Here is a great video from allrecipes.com that will show you how to slice, chop and dice a fresh mango if you are that way inclined.

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I used 2 cups all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 cup mashed ripe banana (two large bananas)
1 cup diced mango
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, blended
1/2 cup coconut milk (I used TJ's coconut milk beverage, but you could use
light coconut milk)
1/4 fluid cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 t vanilla extract
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter muffin pan or use paper muffin liners in the pan for easier cleanup.

In a large bowl, blend together dry ingredients until well mixed.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar,vanilla, banana, coconut milk and oil.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, add diced mango and mix until combined, being sure to use spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get all dry ingredients incorporated. Do not overmix batter.

With a spoon, drop batter into muffin tins or liners, fill to only 2/3 full.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or  until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on rack and serve either warm or cool.

Store leftover muffins in a zip lock bag for up to 3 days.

Coconut Pancakes with Ginger and Lime - Sunny days are ahead

A lovely combination.

I am trying to change the way I eat. It is not easy with travel and a lot of social activities, but when I pay attention to what I am shoveling into my gullet, things seem to be easier on my body and mind.  For the last three months I have avoided eating wheat or wheat products and refined carbs.  I feel much better and other than a few wistful glances at the cannoli in Rome, it has been pretty easy.  I have been tested for gluten intolerance and I’m fine, so don’t go on about that.  This is my choice and since I see some marked results in my mood (partly sunny) and skorts (loose again), I am not going to complain.

Ah, Kauai. How I miss you.

In my quest for new foods that will keep me satisfied, I started hunting around the internets for breakfast recipes. I came across a lot of mentions of coconut flour. I have been using a lot of coconut milk for smoothies and other things and love it, so I figured I would give it a go.

Coconut flour is a strange thing.  I think that coconuts are fatty delicious nuts, but when you extract out all that oil, you are left with a lot of fiber and some protein.  Let’s embrace that shall we?  The recipe comes from a Paleo way of cooking. I’m not going down that road either, but the concepts surrounding the way of eating intrigue me. The recipe is high in protein (eggs and coconut flour), low sugar (honey) and low carb (coconut flour). I like the results and honestly, so have others (excluding TH, who is not a fan).  It leaves me with more pancakes than I need, but they freeze and keep well.  I modified the original recipe to remind me of places where flip flops are required and coconuts fall from palm trees just like in the cartoons.

Serving suggestion.

Coconut pancakes with lime, ginger and vanilla (adapted from www.paleospirit.com)
Makes 18 3”pancakes

4 eggs at room temperature
½ cup coconut flour
1- 1 ¼ cup coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, dairy milk, any liquid will do, but coconut milk has a rich flavor and the vanilla coconut milk I used is a little sweeter
2 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 T honey (you can use sugar or any sweetener)
½ t cinnamon
¼ salt
¼ t dried ginger powder
½ t lime zest (zest a quarter of a lime)

Oil for skillet I used coconut oil, but would work great with canola or butter.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with liquids until well blended.  Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients and whisk or mix until no lumps remain.  If the batter looks too thick, slowly add more liquid until you are happy with the consistency.

Over low-medium heat, melt fat of choice in your skillet of choice.  Turn down the heat to low and start making pancakes. Be patient, these pancakes do not like high heat.  When the top of the pancake appears to be drying and there are the telltale bubbles forming, it is time to flip them over to the other side.  Keep pancakes warm until you finish the batter.

I served them with lime curd I made, some lovely tropical fruits on the side and chicken sausage. 

Bon Appetit!