Banana Bread + Tofu with Kimchi and Avocado

>> Wednesday, May 25, 2011

This is going to be a short  post (of polaroids) today.

Things have been rather repetitive over here.

I guess everything's...just calm. And I like that. 

Same faces, same routine, same dreams.

Being repetitive isn't necessary a bad thing, right?

Take this banana cake for example. It's a recipe I've been making over and over again and comes from Kate (check out her stylish blog too for other recipes.)

What's different about this bread is that it uses all whole wheat flour, and still tastes as good as my usual go-to recipe! Score. The texture is moist and soft and I love sweetening it with honey and the sprinkling of cinnamon on top. Oh, big chunks of bananas is a must in my bread. How about you?

Then there's this tofu with avocado and kimchi dish which has been making multiple appearances on my dinner table.
 
Call it an entree if you like. It's pretty much one of the fastest thing you can whip up as it requires no cooking. Just some chopping and slicing of ingredients that are almost always in my fridge.

I fell hard for kimchi (pickled vegetable, usually napa cabbage) at the tender age of 8 when I first stepped into the home of my Korean neighbour. And it's great to see it named one of the healthiest food in the world by Health magazine too. 

The best thing is if you normally find kimchi a bit too spicy for your liking, the tofu and avocado make it milder to the taste and the texture is a bit of everything in your mouth - crunchy, smooth and velvety soft. They make for a delicious trio.

I'm so addictived to this that sometimes it replaces my cheesy toast or cereals as the new midnight/TV snack.

Oh, and before I go (although it's something on my mind before I began this post)...

I just found out that Green Cilantro was mentioned in Saveur's 50 More Food Blogs You Should Be Reading recently. And all I want (and need) to say is THANK YOU - to those of you who made the effort to vote for this blog. I really appreciate it as I definitely didn't expect anyone to do so and can think of at least 7853 other blogs which should have been mentioned instead.

So thank you thank you thank you. You made this cold day a little bit warmer today and put a smile on this face here :)

Here's a doggy picture and I hope he makes you smile too. He's another four legged friend that I've the pleasure of bumping into these days. Turned out he's a bit of a softie and licker too. Who would've guessed.

Banana Bread
Adapted from AllRecipe
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed bananas
  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup hot water
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together.

3. Add eggs, and mix well.

4. Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in flour, salt and cinnamon.

5. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter.

6. Spread batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.

7. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and swirl with a toothpick for a pretty marbled effect.

8. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean.

9. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

Tofu with kimchi and avocado
Adapted from Masa

Note: The quantity of the ingredients are rough estimates. It is entirely up to you how much of each of the main ingredients you want to add.
  • 1/2 packet silken tofu
  • 1/2 cup Korean kimchi
  • 1 medium sized avocado
  • Some chopped spring onion to sprinkle on top
  • 1 tsp white sesame seeds
  • ~1tbsp Japanese style soy sauce
1. Slice the tofu into even square/rectangular pieces. Slice the avocado into even wedges as well. 

2. Chop up the kimchi finely. Chop up the spring onion too.

3. Plate up - place alternate pieces of tofu and avocado on a long plate and place the chopped kimchi and spring onion evenly on top.

4. Squirt some soy sauce on the top and don't forge to sprinkle wth some sesame seeds too.

38 comments:

Umm Mymoonah May 25, 2011 at 12:09 PM  

Both bread and salad looks lovely and healthy. Congratulations on being featured in Saveur's..

Cookie and Kate May 25, 2011 at 12:35 PM  

Hooray! I'm so glad you love the bread. I'm going to make my next batch with banana chunks. Looks amazing that way.

You've convinced me to try kimchi, too. I'll have to hunt some down!

chocolatesuze May 25, 2011 at 1:26 PM  

oooh your tofu and avocado looks picture perfect and i bet tastes freaking awesome

sugarpuffi May 25, 2011 at 3:40 PM  

um, why is it that even ur tofu looks better than anyone else's? and can u believe i used to be a hater of banana+carrot cakes until recently? yeah, crazy!

oh and u totally scared me with the 11/10 pain thingy for the wisdom teeth

Ladybird May 25, 2011 at 4:03 PM  

The tofu and banana bread both look awesome! I always keep a stash of banana bread in my freezer.. yum yum yum :) Congratulations on the mention in Saveur!

Ladybird x

j3ss kitch3n May 25, 2011 at 4:06 PM  

wat a spread! i love the banana bread! yums!

Anonymous,  May 25, 2011 at 6:59 PM  

congrats on the mention in Saveur! I have tried eating kimchi before and i just can't get into it, maybe i am just too much of a sweet tooth!

Jean May 26, 2011 at 12:51 AM  

the banana bread picture brought a sense of calmness to me. looks like a relaxing yet satisfying breakfast.

birdie to be May 26, 2011 at 6:09 AM  

This meal & the bread look fantastic! I want to try making some banana bread post-cleanse. :)

Anonymous,  May 26, 2011 at 7:36 AM  

Congratulations, Viv! That is such exciting news - and so well-deserved. The kimchi tofu looks spectacular. I haven't warmed up to kimchi entirely. I love the flavors and components separately... but not always together. I think it's time to try again =) Thanks, Viv.

Anonymous,  May 26, 2011 at 11:48 AM  

Congrats on the Saveur mention! With the gorgeous photography, you definitely deserve it :) And yes, no icky banana puree, real banana bread calls for huge banana chunks!

Yi @ Yi Reservation May 26, 2011 at 1:10 PM  

Congrats on the Saveur mention to you as well!
I was not lucky enough to have a Korean neighbor but I fell in love with kimchi instantly when I was introduced to it about 5 years ago.
Now I always have some kimchi in my fridge (either store bought or homemade). Will try to make that tofu this weekend :)

Zoe May 26, 2011 at 4:04 PM  

Both are fantastic. Banana bread is always delicious for all occasion. I'm still searching for my ideal banana bread and glad that you found this great one to share.

Lori May 26, 2011 at 8:54 PM  

What is repetitive to one is exciting to another. :) The tofu dish sounds delicious and looks beautiful too. The bread sounds like the perfect follow up. I'd love to bump into that dog any day. What a cutie!

Joanne May 27, 2011 at 12:48 AM  

I didn't know that it was possible to crave banana bread and kimchi simultaneously seeing as how they have completely different flavors...but you've made me do it!

Lisa @ Tarte du Jour May 27, 2011 at 10:22 AM  

Mmmmm... I love the tofu avocado and kimchi. Your dog made me smile! What a precious face!

Aizi May 27, 2011 at 8:52 PM  

bananas are not my thing, but it seems i will have to make this for Sam someday as he loves em.
tofu and kimchi, looks absolutely scrumptious! i have a friend who makes it herself, but she s in the States, and it does take a while to prepare... so now i ll have to get that kimchi this weekend to try out your recipe ;-)
and super congrats on your mention in Saveur magazine!

Von May 27, 2011 at 10:16 PM  

Your banana bread looks delicious- especially with that very crunchy looking top bit :D I actually don't like big chunks of banana in my banana bread! That's probably because I don't like banana that much in the first place....The tofu dish looks so pretty :D And congratulations for making it into the Saveur magazine!

Julie May 27, 2011 at 10:44 PM  

congrats my darling :) so well deserved!!

Dolly May 29, 2011 at 11:20 AM  

yumm.. banana bread... ive been meaning to make another loaf.. the 1st one i made was a tad dry.. will try out ur recipe when banana prices depreciate :(

Maria May 29, 2011 at 11:45 AM  

Congrats on the mention, I was so honoured to be on the list as well! I really miss bananas, still waiting for the prices to come down!

grub May 29, 2011 at 3:08 PM  

your polaroids are so awesome! i can't wait until the banana prices drop, i miss baking with them! but then i'll be in the tropics at the end of the year, so plenty of them there :D

btw congratulations on the mention, you deserve it :)

Alia May 29, 2011 at 9:36 PM  

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Sweet Lily May 30, 2011 at 6:43 PM  

Absolutely fantastic!
My stomach is rumbling and my mouth is salivating.....

Joyti May 31, 2011 at 3:53 AM  

First of all, I love the polaroids. So soft and dreamy and gorgeous...
And making the same, comforting foods is not a bad thing. I tend to go through phases of making the same thing too. Both the banana bread and the tofu with kimchi and avocado sound delicious.

Vivian - vxdollface May 31, 2011 at 12:09 PM  

omg! my midnight/tv snacks consist of cheesy toast or cereal too :D That kimchi, tofu & avocado looks so good!

Congratulations darling!

muppy May 31, 2011 at 2:53 PM  

My banana bread is the oven, thanks to Sugarpuffi letting me know this recipe on twitter, it looks great - i'll let you know how it goes :) I love the dog photo!

Viv May 31, 2011 at 11:06 PM  

muppy: yes do let me know :) hope you enjoyed it as much as i did!

Juliana June 1, 2011 at 6:28 AM  

Vivienne, both look fabulous. Would love to try the tofu with kimchi...great pictures as well. Have a wonderful week ahead :-)

La Bella Cooks June 1, 2011 at 11:13 AM  

I am coming across more and more kimchi recipes and I am intrigued. Your dish is so gorgeous with the sliced avocado and all. I agree that banana bread needs big chunks of banana and if you can incorporate more whole wheat in there with awesome results, then count me in! Love the pup too

Anonymous,  June 1, 2011 at 1:41 PM  

Very cute dog!

Erika Beth, the Messy Chef June 2, 2011 at 7:54 AM  

That bread sounds amazing! I love the idea of sprinkling cinnamon on top.

Jessica's Dinner Party June 2, 2011 at 4:51 PM  

Congratulations on the Saveur list! That's amazing! I'm sure I've had kimchi and avocado together at some point or another (after all I AM Korean!), but I don't think I've ever done it purposely. I should try!

Karen June 3, 2011 at 1:52 AM  

Congrats Vivienne! The tofu looks exquisite. Would love to have a slice of your banana bread with a cup of tea. Yum!

pigpigscorner June 4, 2011 at 7:23 AM  

Very unusual combination! The addition of avocado is really intriguing. Congrats on the feature!

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