Clean Banana Bread

I have been using the same banana bread recipe for several years.  It is a family favorite so I was very hesitant to try anything different.  Every time I make it I think about subbing in different ingredients to try to make it healthier.  I had a couple of very ripe bananas, so today is the day!  I could have started simple and just traded out the oil for applesauce, but instead I decided to really overhaul it!  This recipe has no sugar and no oil and uses whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 (depending on size) Bananas- mashed
• 3/4 Cup Honey
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar Free Apple Sauce

Makes one loaf

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.  In a medium bowl beat 2 eggs.  To the eggs add the applesauce and honey.  Stir until combined. Add the mashed bananas and gently stir.   Then pour the batter into a lightly greased loaf pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.  Let bread sit in pan for 10 minutes then flip the pan over to remove the bread and let it cool on a wire rack.

Green Waldorf Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing

Waldorf Salad was always a staple at family barbecues and picnics growing up. I don't see it as much anymore but there is a sort of nostalgia that it brings to a cook-out. So when we were planning our meal for tonight and we were planning on grilling the meat and potatoes, I thought of waldorf salad. However, we did not want your traditional, mayonnaise-heavy salad. We thought we'd turn it into a "green" salad and put the ingredients over a bed of lettuce. From there we thought we'd do a creamy vinaigrette, but decided we'd use greek yogurt versus mayo to keep it healthier. It was the perfect compliment to our spring cook-out!

First make the dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Mix all ingredients except the oil in a food processor and mix until well blended.  Add the oil in last and blend well.  Chill for 30 minutes.

Now chop up the ingredients for your salad. You can realty use whatever lettuce you have on hand, but we chose to use a blend of romaine and spinach.

Salad ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce and baby spinach
• Peeled and chopped Red Apples
• Grapes
• Celery
• Pecans
• Blue Cheese Crumbles

For the salad, use the amount of ingredients that you prefer for your salad. I like an even mix of lettuce to spinach and lots of cheese! But keep the cheese to a minimum if you are going the lighter route. The celery has quite a bite to it, so I recommend only using a small palmful of chopped celery. Lightly toss your salad in the dressing and serve. Yum!

We served this with Grilled Bourbon Pork Medallions and Rosemary Chive Grilled Potatoes.

This recipe was featured on our Appetizing April Menu. Check out the entire April menu for a variety of dinner ideas!