Easy Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe

Two of my favorite fruits are blueberries and bananas. This easy blueberry banana bread recipe allowed me to incorporate both of them. I am not much of one for sweets so I do not do a lot of baking. However, the idea of this bread seemed particularly appealing. As I typically do not eat breakfast, one slice of this bread midmorning was the perfect thing to hold me over until lunch time. I decided to use a minimal amount of sugar and see if the fruit could provide enough of a sweet taste. It sure worked for me, but if you like things a little sweeter you could use up to a cup and a half of sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth. However, limiting the amount of sugar you consume will only serve to aid in your journey of healthier living. Also, when we limit our sugar intake, it only takes a short amount of time until you become used to less sugar and stop missing it.

Banana Bread Recipes

I have seen many recipes for banana bread, but there is something about the addition of blueberries that make this recipe super tasteful. The little pockets of natural tangy sweetness from the blueberries hit just at the right moment for that ooh taste factor. Rips fresh blueberries are super delicate so when folding them into the mix you must be very gentle to insure they do not break. This helps contain the natural berry juice within the berry. If you take this extra caution you will be rewarded. When you chew the bread and break up the berries the juice that escapes can be quite a treat for your palate.

The pros and cons of blueberry banana bread

The addition of blueberries can be quite beneficial. Consider one of the worldís superfoods, blueberries are packed with antioxidants and an abundance of vitamin C. It is claimed they can help delay aging, improve brain function, help prevent cancer, boost your immune system and prevents osteoporosis. So the addition of this fruit to your diet is cannot hurt. This bread can be served as part of a brunch or just as a nice side to a cup of tea. But I am a big advocate for moderation and will only bake this occasionally. While this blueberry banana bread is quite delicious, do not be fooled by the name. It is still a sweet that contains refined sugar as well as natural sugars from the fruit, neither of which would be good for your health or waistline if you eat a lot. It is strongly advised that you eat this within moderation. But please do add the blueberries to your diet as much as possible. One of my favorite ways to eat them is folded into a cup of plain Greek yogurt as a breakfast choice. Or simply a handful of rinsed berries as a midmorning snack.

Easy Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe

• CourseAppetizers, Breakfast & Brunch
• CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2cups all-purpose floursifted
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2cup vegetable shortening
• 1cup sugar
• 2large eggs
• 2tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananassmashed
• 1-1/2cup fresh blueberriescan substitute frozen and thawed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
3. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
4. Beat in the bananas. Gradually add the flour mix, mixing just until blended. Gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Pour into a greased 5"X9" loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7. Cool for 15 minutes before moving from the pan to a wire rack to finish cooling.

source https://www.recipecritique.com/easy-blueberry-banana-bread-recipe/

The Facts behind the practice of Mindful Eating

What is Mindful Eating?

Do you know what it means to practice mindful eating? Do you eat mindfully? Do you know why mindful eating is important? If you answered no to any of these questions, I advise you to keep reading.

Simply put mindful eating is a mental exercise that helps you get control of your eating habits. This concept sounds simple enough, but let us look at this it in more depth. There are typically two types of eaters in the world, those that live to eat and those that eat to live. However the practice of mindful eating has created a third group of eaters and they are reaping the benefits of this little known practice. The practice of mindful eating is a discovery of our own eating habits. This discovery allows us to make any necessary changes to our attitudes so that we are able to make better choices. When practicing mindful eating we learn to take cues from our bodies about when to eat. We are more mindful about what we eat for improved health. We are less likely to eat due to boredom, stress or any of the other unrelated reasons why so many mindlessly eat.

Do you eat mindfully?

To eat mindfully, we must first learn to taste our food. Slow down and really taste what you are eating. Take the time to chew your food. Ask yourself if what you are eating tastes sweet or savory; does it taste earthy or tart. Also, chewing your food properly serves two purposes. The first is to actually taste our food and the second is it gives us time to know when we have eaten enough. When it comes to food, developing a healthy palate is essential to truly enjoying what you eat. When you eat in a hurried manner your palate never learns how to taste food as it passes through your mouth too quickly. Another way to develop your palate is to eat one item at a time. A lot of people mix their food. When you eat two or three different foods together, you do not learn to distinguish the individual flavors each food item is contributing to the dish. Take the time to get to know your foods. Develop a healthy relationship with what you are eating. I realize this may sound odd, but you do not marry someone without first getting to know them, so why would you put things inside of your body that you know nothing about?

Why is mindful eating important?

Mindful eating can be beneficial for several reasons. By slowing down your eating process you are less likely to overeat. Paying more attention to what we eat can cause us to eat less processed foods. We are more like to eat whole foods. Mindful eating is said to help control eating disorders. While losing weight is by far the most popular reasons new recruits try mindful eating, the health benefits are the most important. As you get to know the foods you eat, you will likely find yourself eating healthier all round. You are less likely to snack on sweets or processed foods. Your intake of natural vitamins and minerals will increase. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts have been shown to help eradicate free radicals, thereby warding off disease. This practice of eating does not restrict or prohibit foods, but it does tend to help us enjoy the taste of natural foods. It also helps us change our way of eating for a healthier way of life. Do you need more reasons to give mindful eating a try?

source https://www.recipecritique.com/the-facts-behind-the-practice-of-mindful-eating/

Easy Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

The Best Pad Thai Food Introduction

When my oldest and dearest friend suggested a get together dinner, I was more than agreeable. I welcomed the occasion with open arms as I have always had a profound love for this woman. However, when she further suggested Thai food, I was a little apprehensive. I am not a big fan of particularly hot foods. Pepper and I are just not friendly. As stated she is one of my oldest friends, and as such she immediately sensed my reservation and made some alternate suggestions. However, I have become much more experimental in my food journey and will try most anything once. So we went with the Thai idea and I am so glad we did. I cannot stress enough, the food was amazing. I fell in love with Thai food and am now obsessed. If you have never tried Thai food, do so now.

Easy Shrimp Pad Thai

We began the meal with a rather delicious selection of Thai appetizers. We ate everything from vegetables to shrimp rolls, and most of the appetizers came with a delicious dipping sauce. We rounded out our meal with an amazing shrimp Pad Thai, paired with a (ahem) second bottle of Merlot. All the while we ate, talked and laughed like we had not seen each other in decades. Although I believe the last time was about three weeks prior. It was a positively refreshing evening and felt long overdue. Did I mention it was a really good evening? Good company can make any meal a banquet. However, I was completely and pleasantly surprised by the cuisine. Thai food is absolutely scrumptious. About a week after our dinner I was driven to recreate pad Thai. The following recipe is a simple version, but once you have mastered the basics you can learn to develop a more authentic pad Thai. You can omit the shrimp from this recipe for a vegetarian option.

 

Authentic Pad Thai

Pad Thai is actually a traditional Chinese recipe but has gained widespread popularity in Thailand. An authentic pad Thai usually incorporates tamarind paste, preserved turnips, bean sprouts, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce. But most of these things are optional and I made this recipe without them. If you want to go really authentic you should be able to find the tamarind paste and turnips in an Asian specialty food shop. More or less chilies can be added according to your taste. While Thai food is traditionally spicy, it is not all spicy and I regret coming this late to the table. I want to try this recipe with chicken. Thai chicken satay also sounds pretty interesting. I may try that next. I will certainly attempt to make some appetizers too, as I love finger foods. My point is I am now committed to learning more Thai recipes. I love it when I come across new flavors and can easily incorporate them into my eating regime, without incorporating a whole lot of calories of course. Although an evening of indulgence once in a while is definitely worth it.

Easy Shrimp Pad Thai

An authentic shrimp pad Thai recipe

• CourseMain Dish
• CuisineThai

Servings4 servings

Ingredients

• kosher salt
• 4oz Pad Thai NoodlesI used half a box of Annie Chun's
• 1tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1tbsp Brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 1-1/2tsp coconut aminosCan use soy sauce or Tamara if you prefer
• 1/8tsp cayenne peppermore if you like spicier foods
• 1tbsp Avocado Oilcan use grapeseed or vegetable oil of choice
• 1/2 bell pepperthinly sliced
• 1clove garlicminced
• 1 egglightly whisked
• 1/2lb shrimppeeled and deveined, tails on
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 scallionsthinly sliced
• 1/4cup roasted peanutschopped

Instructions

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook noodles according to package directions or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, coconut aminos and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. Heat the oil In a large nonstick pan, I used a wok, over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 additional minute.
4. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes and then turn the shrimp. Cook an additional two minutes or until pink.
5. Push the shrimp and vegetables to the side of the wok and add the egg. Scramble until just set then combine with the shrimp mix.
6. Add the cooked noodles and lime juice mixture and toss to thoroughly combine.
7. Garnish with the green onion slices and roasted peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.

source https://www.recipecritique.com/easy-shrimp-pad-thai-recipe/

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

Oven Roasted Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary Recipe

Have you ever experienced a moment of such abject bravery that it scares you? That is exactly what happened to me when I decided to try my hand at this oven roasted lamb with garlic and rosemary recipe. To begin with, a leg of lamb is not the cheapest cut of meat you can experiment with. This tiny half boned leg cost me the equivalent of four evening’s dinners. To say the least if I ruined this it would be quite painful. Also, stubborn as I can be, I would have to buy another leg of lamb and try again. I do not accept defeat in the kitchen graciously. But I wanted something different for my Thanksgiving dinner so I threw caution to the wind and gave it a go.

 

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

I actually have some very fond memories of enjoying a holiday roast leg of lamb. My mother used to roast one on occasion when I was a young girl. I am not quite sure what she used for seasonings but with a little research I found that garlic and rosemary were quite popular. I love both of these ingredients so I just went with it. I broke out my handy kitchen tools, the garlic press and herb scissors, and went to work on my Mise en Place. I am not too sure where the French is coming from, but lamb is a very popular meat in the Mediterranean, so that must be it. To mince garlic using a press is pretty commonplace, but snipping that rosemary with my herb scissors saved me so much time. Have you ever tried to chop rosemary with a knife? I find the herb to be really tough to chop finely. If you do not have some herb scissors, I use these, I strongly recommend you get some. They are inexpensive, a huge time saver and made mince out of the Rosemary.

Oven Roasted Leg of Lamb

The aroma sent forth from my kitchen while this leg of lamb was roasting was pretty incredible. The combination of garlic, rosemary and fresh lemon was so enticing. Slow roasting the lamb allowed for all of these flavors to work together to create a tender, juicy flavorful oven roasted leg of lamb. I sliced the leg up and covered it in the pan juices. The dinner table was very quiet when I served this up. No one spoke for the first fifteen minutes. I assumed either the roast was very, very, good or they were really hungry. But I think it was just really good. I will probably roast this like my mother did, for the holidays, but I will most definitely roast this leg of lamb again. It is always a good idea to have that one particular recipe on hand for those special occasions.

Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

• CourseMain Dish
• CuisineAmerican

Servings6 servings

Ingredients

• 15 to 6 Lb Leg of LambPreferably Bone-In
• 1/4cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 10cloves garlic8 minced, 2 thinly sliced
• 3tbsp chopped, fresh rosemary
• 1tbsp salt
• 2tsp black pepper

Gravy

• 1cup chopped, fresh, mixed herbsI used parsley, chives and more rosemary
• 2cups diced onions
• 2cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1cup red wineUse a wine you would be happy to drink, it will taste better

Instructions

Leg of Lamb

1. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit
2. Using a small paring knife and avoiding the bone, make small incisions into the lamb and fill with the sliced garlic pieces.
3. With your hands, rub the lamb all over with lemon juice. Be sure to reach all nooks and crannies. Cover the lamb with the minced garlic and rosemary blend. Rub it in to make sure it sticks to the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the leg in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350° and continue roasting an additional hour, or until a meat thermometer reaches 145° to 150°, for medium-rare.
5. Remove the lamb from the pan. Allow the lamb to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes, before carving, so the juice has a chance to resettle into the meat.

Gravy

1. Place the roast pan on to a medium-low burner. Add the mixed herbs and onions and stir to combine with the meat drippings. Add chicken stock and wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce over high heat until the gravy has slightly thickened. Strain before serving drizzled over the lamb.

source https://www.recipecritique.com/roast-leg-of-lamb-with-garlic-and-rosemary/