Weekly throw-together

Just about every week I take an hour or so to put together this bowl of health, which I will use throughout the week.  Whether I put it cold on lettuce and add some dressing for a salad, heat it up alongside some chicken, or eat it cold right out of the bowl... I have found this as the easiest and fastest way to have nutritious and easily prepared lunches and dinners for a week!

Obviously I started my cooking hour with a piece of 90% cocoa dark chocolate. Yes, 90%.

And alongside my cooking station was my pal, Saveur, which I received in the mail today! Best Christmas present this year, thanks Sarah!

Next, the ingredients.

What I used this week:

-Bulgar Wheat
-Green peas
-Whole kernel corn
-Broccoli florets
-1/4 Red onion
-1 Vine tomato
-Fresh parsley
-1 clove garlic
-Olive oil
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Salt, pepper
-Lime juice

I make it very easy on myself and buy many varieties of frozen vegetables (especially when they're on sale) heat them in the microwave for a bit and add them to the salad.

Bulgar Wheat. You're probably wondering what it is. Well... it's the staple of tabouli.  Tabouli is a Mediterranean dish made with only a few ingredients. Very delicious.

The only specific guidelines I follow to cook the wheat are:
1. Pour about 1- 1/2 cups into a pot
2. Cover the wheat about an inch over with water
3. Put it on a medium flame on the stove with a cover
4. Bring to a boil
5. Watch it until the water is absorbed and bulgar is cooked and chewy

Dice the onion, parsley, and tomato.

Add the rest of the veg. Pretty Colors!

Chopped garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Add what you want. I usually add more vinegar as the week goes on.

Add the cooked bulgar, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste...then gently toss!

This small hand-made bowl was a birthday gift from Scott! Made by Gleena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread- staple or pleasure?

Quick breads have always been a staple in my family's household. The two most popular being the pumpkin bread and the banana bread.  The final product of this simple recipe...something warm, moist, aromatic, and delicious.
Home-made banana bread.

Banana Bread

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted then cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 small bananas)
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt (use European style, it's creamier)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until checked with a toothpick and done. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and enjoy.

I usually freeze the really dark brown bananas, but tonight I only had the spotted ones. I would definitely still eat these. The sweeter the better.  I still knew they'd make a great bread though.

Here's the star of the bread and its pals in the background.

Add all the dry ingredients together. Flour, soda, salt, and sugar.

Stirring with a whisk is easier than using one of those unnecessary sifters. Stir up the lumps!

Mix the wet in a separate bowl.
This includes the mashed bananas, cooled melted butter, yogurt, vanilla, and beaten eggs.
Mix this really well because when you add the wet to the dry you want to only mix it until it's incorporated.
Otherwise, you will have yourself a very dense bread with very little rise.

See! Do not overdo the mixing! You can still see flour in here and that is FINE. 
I'd say a good estimate to knowing you're done mixing is when you've done 20 stirs around the bowl.

Pour into greased loaf pan. I added some fancy banana slices on top just because I like the way they sort of part the bread when it's baked. You'll see.

Golden and crispy edges with a warm and moist middle.

Adding chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, a dash of cinnamon, or even peanut butter can spruce up a banana bread. I like the traditional slice of banana bread because then I can change up each piece when I eat it with a variety of toppings.

My favorite slice of banana bread includes:
Warmed up in the microwave
drizzle of honey on top
sprinkled with peanuts