Berry Good Banana Bread.

On August 5, 2022August 4, 2022 By WanjoroIn Recipes2 Comments

We love our banana bread in this house, as it is, with chocolate, with yoghurt, with nuts and now with berries.

The best thing about this cake is it works well with whichever berries you have on hand. I have made it with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries and it always turns out great. I have also made with with sugar, and honey and it turned out well too.

This is a perfect treat for breakfast, tea time, school snack, dessert and even as a gift for a loved who loves banana bread.

Let us get started.

Ingredients are:-

1. 2 1/2 cups self raising flour. (If using All purpose flour, remember to add 11/4 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda, plus a small pinch of salt).

2. 1 level tsp ground cinnamon.

3. 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional).

4. 1 1/2 cup sugar or sweet honey.

5. 4 large mashed really ripe bananas.

6. 1 cup frozen strawberries or raspberries. (I usually let them thaw a bit and mash roughly).

7. 1/3 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil).

8. 2 large eggs.

9. 1 tsp vanilla.

10. 1 cup strawberry or mixed berry yoghurt.

Method.

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C and grease your baking tin really well.

3. Sift your flour and cinnamon in a large bowl, add the coconut and mix well.

4. In another bowl, mix the oil, sugar and eggs till well combined, then add the mashed banana and berries, followed by the vanilla.

5. Add dry ingredients to the wet as well as the yoghurt. Be careful not to overmix.

6. Add the batter to the pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hr, till cake is ready and a skewer comes out clean. I usually lower the temperature to about 160 after twenty minutes, and it takes about the same time to bake.

7. Let cake rest in pan for ten minutes then flip it carefully onto a rack and let cool completely in an airy area.

Baking times may vary as ovens are different so start checking at about the 50 minutes mark.

Cut a slice and enjoy it!

Tip: I love making it in my bundt pan, but it works well in any large baking tin.

Baked this one with honey, it’s just a bit darker but tastes just as delicious as the one made with sugar.

It looks, smells and tastes so good. It is moist and crumbs beautifully too. Definitely worth a try don’t you think?

Porridge. A perfect comfort food.

On April 11, 2022April 6, 2022 By WanjoroIn Recipes2 Comments

Can I start today’s blog post with a riddle?

Question: What do you call couture porridge?

Answer: Haute- meal.

I knew you’d get it, LOL!

Porridge is a popular breakfast option in many cultures around the world. It is also a good meal for weaning babies, convalescing adults and anyone struggling with a solid food diet.

*Amaranth flour porridge with crunchy peanut butter, honey and garnished with unflavored yoghurt and moringa powder*.

There are many ways and options for making porridge. In our culture, we like it fresh but also fermented . We call it “ucuru wa mukio. You can read more about it here.

I love fermented porridge, it is full of good bacteria, as well as nutrients. It is usually served on festive occasions and also to breastfeeding mothers, as it is believed to boost milk production. I remember when I got my first born, my grandmothers as well as my mother in law made me some. At one time I had three full jerrycans of fermented porridge. That’s almost 100 litres! I loved it.

I am yet to try making some fermented porridge for myself from scratch, but it is definitely on my to do list.

Porridge is a great breakfast option. It is usually rich in carbohydrates, making you fuller for longer, regulating your appetite as a result. It is rich in fibre, boosts immunity, and abundant in various minerals and vitamins too. For example, did you know finger millet is one of the richest plant sources of calcium, as compared to other cereals? Porridge is a great way to indulge in our whole grains and get all the amazing benefits in one go.

*I prefer this local brand of porridge flour. They have amaranth, millet, and even bean options available.*

My usual porridge options range from amaranth flour porridge, oatmeal, millet, rice, flour, pumpkin flour porridge and even green banana porridge which I have already shared here.

I have attached a video below of how I make my oatmeal sometimes.

This was a decadent, delicious bowl. Yum!

If using porridge flour, I usually boil 3 cups of water on the stove top. In a small bowl, I mix 6 tbsp of the porridge flour with another cup of cold water to get a thick, smooth paste. I then add the paste to the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon till it thickens to my liking. I let it simmer on low for about 10 or so minutes then add some milk or peanut butter, if using. This makes enough porridge for 3-4 people.

*Finger millet porridge, garnished with unflavored yoghurt, moringa, black seed powder, chia and sesame seeds.*

I sweeten my porridge with honey though sugar also works well, but when using sugar I add it in while still on the stovetop so it can dissolve completely.

*You can use ripe mashed banana to sweeten your porridge too, and some yogurt works well with oatmeal, in addition to your favorite toppings.*

Porridge bowls are quite versatile so you can play around with your preferred flavours and toppings.

Other add ons once I pour some porridge into my bowl are chia seeds, baobab powder, black seed powder, desiccated coconut, chocolate flakes, moringa powder. Nuts and seeds work well too, as do chopped fresh fruit or dried fruit. Banana, raisins, passion pulp, mango cubes add yummy flavours, interesting texture and added colour and nutrients to your porridge bowl. Work with what you like and have on hand. 🤗

*Creamy cardamom flavored oatmeal porridge. Garnished with sliced banana and chia seeds, sweetened with honey.*

Porridge is a perfect comfort food to me, especially on cold, dull mornings, during the rainy season and anytime I feel I am missing home. A bowl of thick porridge works wonders in lifting my mood.

*Millet porridge is another fave, topped with cream, peanut butter and some moringa powder.*

Here are other delicious breakfast ideas worth checking out.

Do you like porridge, how do you make yours?

Plantain and Tangerine Pancakes.

On November 14, 2021January 17, 2022 By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

Yes. You read right.

Ripe plantain and sweet citrus flavours of fresh tangerines blend beautifully together in fluffy goodness.

Want to make them more decadent and delicious? Add in dark chocolate and a tangerine butter sauce and you’re on the highway to flavour heaven!

To make these delicious pancakes you will need:-

• 2 really ripe plantains, that is, yellow with lots of black, means its much sweeter, and a great way to use up your overripe plantain.

• 2 cups self raising flour

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice.

• 1/2 cup buttermilk.

• 1 large egg.

• 1/4 cup coconut oil.

• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon.

• 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or chips.

Method.

The recipe is pretty straightforward.

Blend all the liquid ingredients, that is the egg, buttermilk, oil and the plantain till smooth. Pour into a bowl and add the flour, mix gently the batter will look something like this…

Then lastly fold in the chocolate.

Let the batter rest a bit, and make the same way you make your usual pancakes.

Soft, fluffy, sweet smelling little cakes of delight. This recipe makes 10-12 pancakes.

The best thing to serve them with?

How about a tangerine, chia and butter sauce? Yum!

I love pancakes in all forms, and this is another favorite way to make them when tangerines are in season. Definitely worth a try!

Chai Masala Pancakes.

On October 6, 2021September 21, 2021 By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

Pancakes are one of my family’s favourites. For breakfast, for brunch, as a snack for school or for tea, I cannot stay too long without making them in our home. I usually flavour them depending on mood, what the kids want and what I have on hand.

These are simple pancakes to make, this time I used chai masala to flavour them. Just a little bit goes a long way.

They are so tasty and smell so good. OMG.

Ingredients:

2 cups self raising flour.
2 eggs.
1 heaped tsp of good quality tea masala. You can use store bought or make your own.
1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar. (you can use regular sugar too, or honey).
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp almond essence, (you can use vanilla too).

Method.

Sift your flour into a bowl, add the tea masala, sugar and mix well.

Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and some water to make into a smooth batter.

Add the oil and almond essence next and after mixing let the batter sit a while.