Strawberry, Coconut, Raspberry Banana Bread

I've looked at different fruit bread recipes and thought they just seemed odd - not a cake and not a loaf but I've changed my mind. Isabella and I had a 'girls' holiday in Melbourne staying with friends. One morning walked to the local cafe for breakfast. The recommendation was the toasted rhubarb bread. I was not expected to be 'wowed', but I was!
We came back and I looked at a range of recipes to try. I wanted something that was not too unhealthy and this one appealed because it had chia seeds and lots of fruit in it.
I used fresh strawberries and frozen raspberries and 3 bananas.
We LOVE it and Isabella and I have had it for breakfast for the last three days - toasted with butter.
I'm going to try to reduce the sugar next time and probably use coconut sugar. The banana and fruit makes it sweet anyway.
This will also be a great breakfast recipe when we have people staying. It lasts well because we had it toasted. YUM
Thanks Lynn and Bec for the recommendation!


Strawberry, Coconut, Raspberry Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ripe mashed banana (about 2-3 bananas)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt 
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (soy, coconut, or skim also work)
• 3/4 cup diced organic ripe strawberries
• 1/4 cup smashed organic raspberries (or you can use more strawberries)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, plus 3 tablespoons for topping (sweetened is fine, too)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2-4 strawberries, sliced for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a seperate large bowl, beat together banana, brown sugar, egg, coconut oil vanilla, yogurt, and almond milk until smooth and creamy. Slowly add dry mixture to wet ingredients, and mix until combined. Gently fold strawberries, raspberries, coconut and chia seeds into the batter.
4. Place batter in prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top evenly with 3 tablespoons of coconut. Place sliced strawberries over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and return to wire rack to finish cooling. Bread is even better the next day (they always are). Bread will stay fresh for a few days when wrapped tightly.

Strawberry Fare

I have not had a chance to go to the fruit and vege markets in Sandringham since I started my holidays due to a very busy start and then time away. This morning after a much needed coffee at Atomic, Isabella and I stocked up at the market - including a couple of huge bunches of coriander which I can't wait to cook with.
The produce for sale all looked a bit worse for wear, no doubt due to the very wet summer we have had.
Our main mission was to find strawberries - despite being told by several sources that this might be difficult due to the weather. We found 2 stalls selling them, neither were as cheap as they usually are this time of year but Isabella had her heart set on making strawberry cupcakes for her friend Jaime who is coming this afternoon.

We made the cupcakes and then a big pot of strawberry jam.
The cupcakes were ok but I'd use the vanilla cup cake recipe I've posted previously and just add 1/3 cup of chopped strawberries in the future.

The jam was made using 'jam sugar' which had added pectin to make it set. I've not really made jam before so decided to cheat a bit.

Thank you Rachel for the cup cake stand for Christmas.

This recipe is from the back of the Jam Sugar packet and is also on the 'Chelsea Sugar' website

Super Quick Strawberry Jam

Ingredients
1kg Strawberries (hulled and rinsed)
1kg Chelsea Jam Setting Sugar
A Knob of Butter (10g)

1. Crush strawberries coarsely with a potato masher or blender.
2. Place strawberries and sugar in a large, heavy based 6 litre pot.
3. Heat mixture over a low heat until sugar is dissolved. Do not allow to boil.
4. Add a knob of butter then increase heat and bring to a full boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down).
5. Boil for 4 minutes only. Remove from heat, skim off any foam, test for set and bottle in pre-sterilised jars