Banana Bread (or Mkate wa Ndizi) February 24, 2012

bananas (Photo credit: Fernando Stankuns)

When I was a child grandma would buy bananas for us but invariably someone would not get to eat their banana for some reason.  She would have one or two left over every week.  Grandma would waste nothing!  After all as I heard so many times “there are starving children in Africa.”  So grandma would put the extra banana in the freezer and when she had 4 or 5 she would make a loaf of banana bread.  Oh those memories of grandma’s fresh baked banana bread still linger in my heart and on my tongue.

In an odd turn of events I am now in Africa and have seen many of those starving children that I always heard about.  Now I am looking for ways to waste nothing.  Bananas are plentiful here and I love them.  So in an effort to use them as often as possible I am adjusting my tried and true recipe.  You see electricity is not reliable here…at all!  Many days we will be without power for several hours.  At times we have 12-24 hours rolling black outs.  That is not good on the appliances or the food you keep in the fridge.  Also spending a short time living in a village where there was no power opened my eyes to new and different needs.

I wanted to create a recipe that needed nothing refrigerated.  I think I have done it.  There are some notes at the bottom of this page you should take into account.

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe or a little over ripe bananas
• ½ c. shortening
• ½ c. sugar
• ½ c. brown sugar
• 2 small eggs ( or one extra large)
• 1 ts. Vanilla
• 1 ts. Baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ c. flour

Directions:

1. Smash bananas and shortening together (I use a potato masher) until smooth.
2. Mix in sugars, egg, and vanilla.
3.  Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir again.
4. Add flour in small amounts as you mix.
5. Pour batter into a greased 4×8 loaf pan and bake at 350° for 50 minutes.  To check to see if the bread is finished you can lightly touch the top and it should spring back or you can use the old tooth pick trick.  Stick the tooth pick in the middle if it comes out clean or mostly clean it is done.

Notes:

Grandma always froze left over bananas.  I do as well but mine sometime thaw before I am ready to use them.  Frozen bananas turn an ugly brown or black and as they thaw get very mushy, even a little slimy.  They are not bad, that just makes the mashing easier.

If you have refrigeration and prefer butter change the shortening to butter and use only refined sugar (no brown sugar).  In the states I usually a white sugar but here the raw sugar is just soooo much cheaper I have switched to it.  If you use raw sugar you need slightly less.

There is a way to clarify butter which requires no refrigeration.  I don’t know that method yet.  But will post it on here when I learn and if I think it is any good.

In the states I always bought large or extra large eggs.  Here farm fresh are the only option some are smaller than others.  I like using the smaller eggs for this recipe.

Mixing in small amounts of flour at a time reduces lumps. It will create a smoother batter.

 

Chicken Pot Pie February 21, 2012

Ingredients

• 2 pie crusts (recipe under cakes and pies)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (one if it is very large)
• 1 c. chopped carrots
• 1 c. peeled, chopped potatoes
• ½ c. green peas
• ½ c. butter
• 1/3 c. chopped onions
• 1 ½ ts. Salt
• 1 ts. Black pepper
• 1 2/3 c. chicken stock (see recipe on chicken –n- dumplins)
• ¾ c. whole milk
• 1/4 c. flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  In stock pot boil chicken, carrots, potatoes, and peas for about 15 -20 minutes or until chicken is cooked.  Drain and chop chicken into bite size pieces.
2. In stock pot melt butter and add onions, cooking until soft.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add flour slowly mixing as you add.
4. Stir in chicken stock and milk to make a creamy gravy.
5. Place one pie crust in pan.  Layer chicken, vegetables and gravy then top with second crust.
6. Cut slits in top to vent and bake on 350° for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

When I was younger my grandma tried to teach me how to make pie crusts.  Hers were always tender and flaky.  That never really worked out for me.  I love Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts and have used those for years.  THEN, I moved to Africa and had to make my crusts myself if I wanted them.  One of my gracious teammates who is an awesome, totally from scratch cook, gave me a recipe for pie crusts.  It great!  Thanks Megan.

Chapatti February 18, 2012

Chapatti is unleavened flat bread that is popular throughout Swahili speaking regions in East Africa.  During a visit to a village in Tanzania my hostess taught me to make this wonderful bread that also serves as a utensil.  Just break off a piece and scoop up your mboga (vegetable, meat, whatever).  While in that village we had chapatti for breakfast many days.  I loved smearing peanut butter or Nutella on mine but that is not very African.  They are better hot but will keep well, like tortillas.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. flour*
• 1 ts. Salt
• Oil
• Water

1.  Mix the flour and salt.  There is no need to use yeast or baking powder.  Add about 2 Tb oil and mix until clumpy.  Add little bits of water until it forms dough and leaves the sides of the bowl.
2.  Separate into four pieces and roll out on a floured surface.  When rolled to about ¼ inch thickness roll up like a jelly roll and then roll again into circles like a cinnamon roll.  Cover in oil and let set.  These can sit for a few minutes to rest or several hours while you do other chores!
3. When ready to cook, heat a skillet (I like cast iron) and a little oil, about 2 Tb.  On a floured surface roll the dough into 10-12 inch rounds and fry in hot oil until the edges start to turn golden and it is bubbled in several places.  Flip and fry until crisp.

*I use a bleached flour made from wheat.  There is an option here between wheat or corn flour, but there is no self-rising available.  When making my recipes always opt for all purpose.