Whole Grain Sourcream Banana Bread - With Pistachios.

Those banana’s were getting too soft for me, and I hate to waste anything. My duty was clear, make banana bread.

In my continuing effort to educate my readers on the benefits and ease of baking with whole grains, I offer you a pretty tasty banana bread recipe. I think you’ll like this one for the light balanced flavor, and the tender, well formed crumb. This loaf slices very cleanly, and is even good toasted.

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Low Calorie, Healthy Snack That Is Savory and Fast

Can a quick snack be healthy, crispy and packed with flavor all at once?

This may seem like a bit of a stretch for some palettes, but the answer is Peri Peri Banana Rice Cakes.

Everybody trying to keep the weight under control these days has discovered those bland tasting rice cakes, more reminiscent of styrofoam packing peanuts than food. But with a bit of imagination they can serve as a foundation for something fast and pretty darn satisfying.

Take any one of the Quaker (whole grain brown rice) Rice Cakes…Apple Cinnamon, the plain, the Toffee. It’s your choice. Schmear on one tablespoon of MaraNatha Natural Roasted Almond Butter (smooth or crunchy). Then slice half a banana and arrange on top. Okay, here’s the real secrety: Smoked Hawaiian Black Sea Salt (coarse), freshly ground pepper and Mozambique Peri Peri …. a fiery African pepper rub.

So here’s the bottom line: 180 calories, 8 grams healthy fat from almond butter, 5 grams fiber and 5 grams protein.

The Mozambique Peri Peri by Urban Accents is available at quite a few upscale and gourmet markets. I buy it, and the smoked sea salt at the new Butcher Boy in Reno. However, here is their website: http://www.urbanaccents.com/?gclid=CNzHqIvJgZUCFSEbagodaHoMrQ

BTW: The Urban Accents Morrocan Road seasoning and the Tandoori are really nice too.

Enjoy!