WINTER
As the days grow shorter, The Healthy Chef shares a perfect 10-minute
immunity-boosting meal and the comfort of a deliciously healthy banana bread.
RECIPES: TERESA CUTTER
Spelt and honey banana bread
Here is one of my favourite banana breads of
all time! It’s the recipe I developed when I first
started my Healthy Chef Cafe in Sydney’s
Northern Beaches, many years ago. I absolutely
love this bread’s wonderful texture and depth of
flavour. This makes a nice change from typical
store bought and café-style banana breads
that are generally high in refined white flour,
sugar and saturated fats. It’s important to bake
this in a slow oven for around 1 hour, and a little
more if needed. This bread will keep really well
in the fridge for up to a week.
What’s great about it?
Bananas are a terrific energy food and a great
source of potassium, an essential mineral for
maintaining normal blood pressure and heart
function. They add moisture and sweetness
to baked goods, which means you can reduce
the amount of sweetener and oil considerably.
28 | NETWORK WINTER 2016
I love using olive oil and macadamia oil when
baking, they are both delicious sources of
monounsaturated fats that can help support
good health and wellbeing. Wholemeal spelt
has a higher amino acid profile than regular
wheat flours, and is also high in fibre with a
low GI for sustained energy.
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
450g smashed ripe banana
2 eggs
120g honey
100g olive oil or macadamia nut oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
175g coconut, desiccated
180g spelt flour, wholemeal
Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced).
Combine smashed banana, eggs, honey,
baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and oil
into a large mixing bowl. Add coconut and
spelt flour. Mix through until combined.
Spoon bread mixture into a loaf tin lined with
baking paper (a tin roughly 10cm by 26cm
works well). Decorate the top of the bread
by adding halved banana and brush the
tops with a little olive oil and melted honey.
Bake for 1 hour or until the bread has cooked
through. Cool completely in the tin before
removing. Serve at room temperature or
lightly toasted and enjoy.
Inspiration
• Serve toasted with nut butter or ricotta
and honey
• Perfect for school lunch boxes.