No Frills Banana Bread

 

We always try change it up a little what we have for breakfast. I love my yogurt with honey, toasted bagel, and granola with milk but I find it difficult to eat the same thing for more than a few days in a row. I need variety. And it's no different when it comes to lunch and dinner. I need variety throughout the week. Perhaps that explains why I'm not big on leftovers. I always joke with T that although I'm Asian, I can't eat rice everyday. Yup, it's for the same reason-- I need variety. T, however, has no problems with eating the same type of food three times in a row. Back in the days when he lived alone in his bachelor pad and just got a job after college, each time he cooked he made enough food for several weekday meals.

This week is one of those times when banana bread changes up our breakfast routine food a little. Bananas have made its way into quite a big part of our diets. We either grab one before our runs or after. Or we grab one when we're hungry and dinner's not quite ready yet. A hearty slice of banana bread is as fulfilling, if not more. Sometimes I add chocolate chips or nuts to the banana bread but sometimes plain ol' no frills banana bread really is the best and most comforting. It's all about truly going bananas with this bread, no pun intended, and letting the banana flavor shine.

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cups sugar
4 bananas, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Method
1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 3" loaf pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer under medium speed. Add in the mashed bananas and lemon juice and continue mixing. The mixture will be lumpy.

3. In a separate medium size bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture into the banana mixture in separate 1/3 portions at a time, mixing well in between.

4. Pour batter into the greased pan. Bake for 1 hour.