Foodie Friday: Bananacado Bread (Gluten-Free / Vegetarian / Supercharge Your Gut recipe)

What do you get when you mix overripe bananas with an avocado? Bananacado Bread! I've baked many different kinds of Banana Breads over the years, and this is one of the best recipes that I've come across for a perfectly moist and utterly delicious result every time.

If you follow me on social media, you'll no doubt have seen that I've been reading up on Gut Health quite a lot lately and have been taking steps to improve my digestion as part of my overall health and wellbeing journey. I have struggled with bouts of IBS for a few years now, but since I've started to eat a much healthier and varied diet, my symptoms have become a lot more manageable on a day-to-day basis. 

There are lots of nutritionists out there whose specialism is based on Gut Health and Lee Holmes is one such person whose books I've been enjoying reading. I checked out her latest book, Supercharge Your Gut, from my local library, which is where this particular recipe comes from. Free from dairy, wheat, refined sugar and gluten, her Bananacado Bread is a brilliant way to use up any overripe bananas and avocados that you may have lying around in your fruit bowl.

Ingredients (makes 1 loaf)

• 3 large overripe Bananas
• 1/2 a large or 3/4 a small ripe Avocado
• 3 organic & free-range Eggs
• 2 tbsp of Agave Syrup
• 200g Ground Almonds
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 160C and line a standard loaf tin with baking/greaseproof paper.
• Peel and roughly chop up the Bananas and Avocado, and then place in a food processor. Whiz until smooth.
• Add the Eggs and Agave Syrup and whiz again to blend everything together.
• In a separate bowl, combine the Ground Almonds, Baking Powder and Bicarbonate of Soda and gently stir through the banana mixture until combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Leave to cool before turning out of the tin.
• Cut into slices and enjoy on its own with a cup of tea or coffee, or add your favourite nut butter for an even more indulgent treat.

Storage tip: This Bananacado Bread will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 2 weeks.

Are you a fan of Banana Bread?

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Foodie Friday: Quinoa Pizza (Vegan / Gluten-Free / Deliciously Ella recipe) #Veganuary

Pizza is one of my all-time favourite foods - I could honestly eat it every day! However, it's usually pretty calorific, so if you're looking for a much healthier version to make at home that's also gluten-free, why not try this Quinoa Pizza for a change?

The supermarkets are full of ready-made, gluten-free pizza bases these days, but if you check the label, you might be shocked to find a bunch of hidden sugars, excess salt and artificial preservatives, so what's a gal to do? Make your own of course! 

Thankfully, there are lots of healthy, gluten-free pizza recipes online and I've been trying out various ones over the past couple of months with differing results. The best by far has been Deliciously Ella's Quinoa Pizza recipe from her self-titled debut cookbook, and it's a fun way to try something new with quinoa!

Quinoa is a brilliant pseudocereal that's naturally gluten-free, and unlike most other plant-based foods, it contains all nine of the essential amino acids which makes it an excellent source of complete protein for vegetarians and vegans. If you've only eaten quinoa in salads or as a side before, you must try this pizza recipe! It only contains five ingredients and is ready in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients:- (makes one 20cm size pizza):-

• 195g Quinoa (the plain white colour)
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp of Herbs de Provence
• Olive Oil (for greasing)
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• Sprinkling of Chili Flakes (optional)
• Your favourite Pizza Toppings

Method:-

• Prep the night before: Place the Quinoa in a large bowl, pour over cold water, making sure that it's properly covered by a good few centimetres, and leave to soak overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 210C / fan 190C.
• Drain any excess water from the Quinoa and then transfer to a food processor. Add the Apple Cider Vinegar, Herbs de Provence, Salt and Chili Flakes if using. Blend for a couple of minutes until you have you something that looks like a greyish pancake mix.
• Grease a 20cm cake tin with Olive Oil and pour the mixture in, smoothing it out, and bake for around 15 minutes or until the pizza base is firm. 
• Remove from the cake tin, transfer to a baking tray and add your Toppings. Pop back into the oven for a few minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Cooking tip: For a crispier base, try cooking the pizza on a terracotta pizza stone in the oven. If you're a pizza fiend, it's definitely worth the one-off investment! 

What's your favourite gluten-free pizza base?

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