Debbie Shaw’s Banana Bread
The number of people who have food intolerances or full-blown allergies is nothing short of alarming. Those in the food business now see the ‘free from’ market as the fastest growing opportunities.
A list of food allergies was recently sent to restaurant owners to look out for by the FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland).
What research is being done into the cause of this escalating problem? Several times a week I get requests for gluten free, for diary free and egg free recipes.
People are in desperation, a growing number of people have not one but multiple allergies. It’s like as if the ‘cocktail’ effect of eating a variety of additives, preservatives and colourings, plus a ton of other strange stabilisers and enzymes over a number of years has suddenly kicked in.
I don’t know the answer but this I do know fresh, naturally produced local food in season is much less likely to cause problems. Follow Michael Pollan’s advice:
“Avoid food containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry; avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients; avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients; buy your snacks at the farmers market and eat only foods cooked by humans.’”
And steer well clear of anything that makes health claims, you’ll find it rarely delivers. Buy fresh, of course. I personally avoid food with sell by dates and best before dates as much as possible — that eliminates most processed food and a ton of packaging.
If you are fortunate enough to have a good country or farmers market near you, patronise them, it’s a myth that farmers markets are more expensive.
Debbie Shaw, a teacher at Ballymaloe Cookery School and naturopathic nutritionist, has shared some of her recipes using spelt flour. She will teach a cookery course Feel Good Food for Winter in October (see Hot Tips)
www.cookingisfun.ie darinaallen.blogspot.ie
This is a lovely, moist loaf and a great way to use up over-ripe bananas, especially at this time of the year. Vitality Statistics: Bananas are a great source of potassium and energy booster. They are, however, very high in natural sugar and are best eaten as a snack accompanied by a few seeds or 3-4 nuts to slow the sugar release. Cinnamon is a natural blood sugar balancer, excellent in helping to combat sugar cravings.
110g (4oz) white spelt flour
110g (4oz) brown spelt flour (Ballybrado)
1 heaped tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
½ tsp of mixed spice
1 tsp of salt
75g (3oz) Billington’s unrefined caster sugar
2 tbsp of maple syrup
1 large egg, beaten
75ml (3fl oz) of sunflower oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
65g (2½oz) pecan nuts or walnuts, chopped
4 large ripe bananas, well mashed
Place the flour, salt, finely sieved baking powder and caster sugar into a large bowl. Lightly mix the egg, oil, vanilla and maple syrup together and add to the dry ingredient mixing very gently. Fold the pecan nuts and mashed bananas into this mixture with a fork, being careful not to over beat or mix. Place in a lined and oiled 900g (2lb) loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 1 hour. Allow it to cool in the tin before turning out.
I have also made this bread very successfully omitting the 75g (3oz) of caster sugar and ensuring that the bananas are very, very ripe and it is very tasty.
Because of their grainy texture and high pectin content pears are a natural diuretic and help de-toxify the body. They are also high in iodine, which helps to promote good thyroid function. Ginger is a super immune booster with potent expectorant and anti-septic properties. In addition, its active compound “gingerol” helps fight cancer, improves circulation and soothes a nauseous stomach. It is a power-packed pharmacy all of its own. Ginger and pears are a match made in heaven.
8 large ripe pears, peeled and cored and cut into 1” slices lengthwise
1 scant tbsp of dark brown Muscavado sugar
1 tbsp of finely grated, peeled fresh root ginger
Finely grated zest of ½ a lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
3oz (75g) white spelt flour
2oz (50g) of oats
1 heaped tbsp of dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp of maple syrup
25g (1oz) of cold butter
2 tbsp of coconut oil
2 tbsp of coarsely chopped pecan nuts
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
First make the crumble topping. Place the flour in a bowl and rub in the cold butter and the coconut oil. Add the sugar, cinnamon, whole oats, maple syrup and chopped pecans, mix and chill.
Place the sliced pears tossed with the brown sugar, grated ginger, lemon zest and lemon juice into an oven proof dish and sprinkle with the crumble topping loosely. Bake the crumble in the preheated oven until the topping is toasted and the pears are tender, 20-30 minutes.
Cinnamon not only smells and tastes wonderful, it is also a great natural blood sugar balancer. Buckwheat, despite its name, is gluten-free. It is not strictly a grain but the seed from a plant related to the Dock family. It is an excellent source of protein and fibre and high in rutin, which promotes circulation in the body. These pancakes are lovely for breakfast, but also make a quick and tasty dessert with the chocolate drops and toffee bananas, adding extra decadence.
100g (3½oz) buckwheat flour
125g (4½oz) organic white spelt flour
2 small free-range organic eggs
2 generous tsp of ground cinnamon
1 generous tbsp of unrefined caster sugar or honey
1½level tsp of bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
175mls (6floz) of buttermilk
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp of sunflower oil for cooking
Maple syrup for drizzling over the pancakes (optional)
2 tbsp of chocolate drops (for special treats or desserts)
Sieve the flours and baking soda and place them in a bowl with the ground cinnamon, the caster sugar and the salt. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten eggs (whisk the honey into the eggs if using instead of sugar). Whisking continuously, add the buttermilk a little at a time, ensuring you whisk out the lumps before adding more buttermilk. The batter should not be runny.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and when it is hot add 1/2 tablespoon of sunflower oil and drop 1 tablespoon of the batter for each pancake into the hot pan. When bubbles appear on one side flip to the other side. Before flipping the pancakes you can plant a few chocolate drops in each one, flip and cook. Serve with fresh mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) and natural yoghurt and drizzle with a little maple syrup or serve the pancakes with Noel’s Toffee Bananas.
Serves 5
4 ripe bananas
2 tbsp of honey
2 tsp of soft brown sugar
Juice of 2 oranges
A few knobs of butter
My dad used to make these for my sister and I when we were kids (when we were good!) and they are yum.
Juice the orange.
Peel the bananas and cut them in half lengthwise and then in quarters on an angle. Heat a non-stick frying pan and place the bananas flat side down in the pan. Allow the bananas to caramelise on one side and turn over. Add the knob of butter, the honey and the fresh orange juice and allow to reduce and thicken.
Serve hot with the pancakes and a dollop of natural probiotic yoghurt. Serve the pancakes with the bananas and some low fat natural yoghurt. Drizzle with a little maple syrup.
Look out for Michelle and Philip Mansuy’s Bakery stall at Midleton Farmers Market and Glan Gluten at Mahon Point Farmers Market — 086-2339519 — both sell superb gluten free food. www.midletonfarmersmarket.com and www.mahonpointfarmersmarket.com
At Ballymaloe Cookery School: Debbie Shaw will teach a one day Feel Good Food for Winter course at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday, Oct 13, from 9am to 5pm.
Gluten Free Cooking with Rosemary Kearney Saturday, Oct 6, from 2pm to 5pm. Rosemary has been a coeliac — and a food lover — all her life. To book both courses phone 021-4646785 or www.cookingisfun.ie
Frank Murphy, a second generation local butcher from Midleton, will give a talk on the forgotten cuts of beef, breed and feed, hanging times on Thursday, Sept 27, at 7pm. Proceeds to support the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project. Booking Essential to 021-4646785 or email slowfoodeastcork@gmail.com
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
