Hi readers,
No pictures today. I have stashed my extra camera battery and the charger in some "special place," and I don't quite remember that place right now. I will find it before Saturday night when my little darling who can't be about to turn 13 attends her first Winter Ball. But until then, I wanted to pass along something.
It's rare that we have fruit go bad at our house. No matter how much I buy at my weekly grocery run, it usually disappears. However, this week, I had 2 bananas that had turned brown. Many times we throw them in the blender and make banana milk, but this morning I decided to make banana bread.
Unfortunately, all my recipes called for 3 bananas, and I only had 2. So, for the 3rd banana I substituted 2 large dollops of Turkish yogurt and hoped for the best.
Heaven, I tell you!! It's my new banana bread recipe.
Banana Bread with Yogurt:
1 stick butter
1 c sugar
2 c flour
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
2 dollops of Turkish yogurt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 tsp salt
I baked it around an hour. What have you substituted in a recipe that turned out better than the original?
Campbells
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4 comments:
Where can we find Turkish yogurt in the states?
I wonder if the banana bread will be as good with American yogurt? Could that be the secret of heavenly banana bread?
Sara, unfortunately I have not done as much experimentation as you have. It is true what they say, that necessity is the mother of invention. It has not been necessary very often for me to substitute . . . however, doesn't mean that I have NEVER given it a stab . . .
Chili and spaghetti sauce are two that come to mind. Both of those lend themselves to throwing whatever you have in the cabinet into the pot and still come out a reasonable facsimile of what it suppose to taste like. (Chili powder covers any other flavor - ha.) There have been a few times when Dave and the kids have raved over the chili but I never pay attention to what I put in it because I taste as I go and use what I have in that particular dish. :)
Both the girls tell me all the time that I need to write down these chili errors. I do use paprika a lot - the Hungarian kind. It has a sweeter flavor than run of the mill stuff. (I bet you find a lot of good spices where you are!)
Oh, and I know something that a lot of people don't use but my grandmother and mother both taught me this little secret: sugar! Not enough sugar to make something sweet per say, but enough to enhance the flavor. Sugar is a big flavor enhancer and it does not take a lot. I use brown sugar with homemade spaghetti because it is milder than regular white granulated sugar. It is not as easy to overwhelm the sauce with sweetness that way. Some people cook pork neck bones in their sauce to take the edge off the tomatoes.
If you ever cook dried beans, a dab of sugar in them makes them perfect! One time, a close relative loved my beans (also cooked with ham and a whole peeled onion so it can be removed later - cooked hamburger meat added just before finishing cooking is another great addition) . . . but my relative loved my beans and when they asked me how I made them and I mentioned the dab of sugar was the secret, they gagged! Ha. Said there was no way they were using sugar and didn't believe I did.
Saying that to illustrate the point that used in the correct amounts, it makes a difference but does not make it sweet. It especially takes the tart out of dishes with tomatoes.
Okay. There is my story about strange ingredients and substitutes.
Mel
P. S. I am on an Italian cooking spree these days. Found an Italian chef I LOVE and have been using his recipes . . . Wonderful stuff and easy also! Not a lot of exotic ingredients either.
I am making gnocchi . . . that is a pasta made with cold baked potatoe!! Will let you know how it turns out. Very simple and easy.
Mel
I think if you buy Greek yogurt in your dairy section of any large grocery store, it would be very similar. Mainly, it is thicker, creamier, and healthier (all those good bacterias). I found this link : http://usa.greekreporter.com/2010/11/16/turkish-food-company-leading-seller-of-greek-yogurt-in-the-u-s/
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