Julie's Healthier Banana Bread

Makes 3 mini loaves

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup white unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup heaping cup of oatmeal (pulse in blender or food processor for 5-10 seconds)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (kosher or sea salt)
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup banana (about 3 bananas) I freeze mine as they start to turn brown. Take them out of the freezer after about 20 minutes cut top off and squeeze into a measuring cup.
1/3 cup buttermilk/plain yogurt/almond milk with 2 tsp of lemon juice
1/4 cup applesauce and 1 TBL canola oil/  or 1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Dust top of loaves with demerara sugar (optional) 



Mix in separate bowl. First 6 ingredients. Put aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now mix bananas, sugar together. I use a kitchen aid 6qt stand mixer on low with the paddle attachment.
Add buttermilk/yogurt/ or almond milk, vanilla,  applesauce-oil, and 2 eggs. Mix well.
Slowly add flour to the mix. About 1 cup at a time. Scrape sides of bowl. Don't over mix.
Divide equally between 3 mini loaves pan. I use the aluminum throwaway pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.
Enjoy!!!!

Chicken with Olives & Pine Nuts

 Serves 4-6

This is a favorite in our house. I have tinkered with a recipe of the same name by Lidia Bastianich

Adapted recipe and photos by Armywifenfoodie.blogspot.com
Original recipe by Lidia Bastianich


Ingredients:

3-4lbs assorted chicken pieces ( we love all chicken thighs)
1 tsp kosher or sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper
2 TBL olive oil
2 TBL Butter
3-6 whole peeled cloves of garlic (depending on your tastes)
2 Bay leaves ( fresh if you can but, dried works as well)
1 cup brine cured green Italian olives  (Castelvetrano if you are lucky enough to find them)
or oil cured black Italian olives  (a mix works as well)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup  toasted pine nuts (while not integral to the recipe they are very good)

Heavy duty saute pan or cast iron skillet. I use a 5 1/2 qt Le Creuset round French oven.


Trim off excess skin and fat on the chicken. Season all over with the salt and pepper.

Put olive oil and butter in pan over medium heat. When butter is melted and and, put the chicken in skin side down. Drop garlic cloves and bay leaves in the spaces between the chicken.

Cover the pan and let chicken cook over a medium-low heat. After about 10 mins uncover the pan turn chicken over and replace lid. Cook another 10 mins.

While chicken is browning, pit olives. Break into bigger chucks if the are large olives. ( I smash mine slightly with the blade of the knife,  my kids don't like big chunks of olives)

Scatter olives in pan. Replace lid. Cook for another 10 mins.

Drain fat. Pour in wine and stock. Replace lid turn heat up to medium-high to high. Replace lid. Cook for 5 mins.

Turn heat down to medium. Continue cooking uncovered and turning chicken until pan juices reduce and start to glaze the chicken.

Turn off heat. Stir in pine nuts and enjoy.