Banana-Walnut Loaf

Aside from the fried/baked pork dish that I cooked, I also baked banana-walnut loaf.  There wasn't any special reason other than the fact that I had bananas that were getting too ripe for my liking.  I do not even know why I bought bananas in the first place since I am not much of banana eater.  Maybe I was thinking of making a shake or something but for some reason I got sidetracked and ended up with overripe ones...hehehe...no problem though as this dish save them.



Bananas. by the way, are great ingredients in making your smoothie a lot creamier without adding too much milk or dairy products.  It can even be used instead of the dairy products.  I slice them about an inch to a couple of inches in size and then wrap them in parchment paper and freezer bags.  Pop them in the freezer until they are frozen and use them instead of ice to make a smoother and creamier smoothie.  I believe I posted about this tip somewhere in the blog about a year ago.



Anyways, I had some overripe bananas and free time so I baked these babies.  I used a little bit of olive oil along with the butter when I made these.  The result is a very moist and slightly dense banana cake that taste really good.  They taste even better the following day...even after they have been in the fridge overnight.  To make them soft and moist after being the fridge, I usually pop a slice in the microwave and heat for about 10-15 seconds but the time will be dependent on your microwave.




This morning I had a cup of coffee with a slice of banana walnut loaf  and a very hilarious episode of a Korean drama that is currently airing entitled "A Gentleman's Dignity"  It stars Jang Dong Gun and Kim Haneul along with a bunch of other korean actors/actresses.  Jang starred in an American movie entitled "A Warrio's Way" with Kate Bosworth in 2010.  I only watched the first part of that movie but it didn't pique my interest so I didn't finish the entire movie.  A Gentleman's Dignity though is different-it is hilarious, witty, sexy, crazy, heart-warming, and heart-wretching all at the same time.  The dialogue exchanges between Haneul and Dong-gun are really good. Right now, they have about six episodes out and I cannot wait for the next installment.  I didn't think I would say this but the writer (who is also the writer for Secret Garden which I did not like)  is doing a good job and hope she will continue to do so until the end....




Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

4 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F


2. Spray loaf baking pan with non-stick spray or coat evenly with oil.


3. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well and set aside


4. In another mixing bowl, add butter, olive oil, honey,and sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.


5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.


6. Stir in mashed banana and vanilla.  Mix well.


7. Add flour-baking soda mixture and mix into the batter.  Do not overmix .  


8. Stir in walnuts and transfer to a loaf baking pan and bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.


9. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.