No Calorie Friday: Banana Bread

I have problems with eating bananas.  It all started one warm and sunny spring day when I was in high school... I was in search of a quick breakfast before running off for a school activity and was having trouble finding something to eat.  I grabbed a banana and stopped after noticing that it was starting to turn brown.  After considering other options and finding none, I proceeded to eat this over-ripe banana.  Immediately, I felt sick to my stomach and needless to say I threw up shortly after... Sorry for providing too much detail.

After that day, my experience with bananas changed.  For awhile I wouldn't eat them at all and now I only eat them if they are perfectly yellow, with not a brown spot in sight.  If a banana starts to brown, it immediately gets set aside for a different role...it gets turned into banana bread!

The point of this story, is that I often make banana bread when I can no longer eat a banana.  I have tried different recipes, with nuts and without.  This recipe turned out really well.  I ended up with a loaf of soft and sweet bread and used little sugar (I always use less than the recipe calls for) no butter and very little oil which always makes me happy!  I think that this recipe will be repeated!

Banana Bread
makes one loaf

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 egg
1 cup mashed banana
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.  Mix then create a well in the center and set aside.

3.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, egg, sugar, vegetable oil, and lemon peel.

4.  Add the wet mixture into the center of the dry mixture and fold to just combine.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until the center is fully cooked.

Enjoy!

~Rona