Alternative to Banana Bread (and pssst, it's vegan!)
Plantain Bread
Preparation time: 15 minutes (most of that is mashing the plantain if you have to do it by hand like me)
Cooking time: 1 hour approx.
Ingredients:
1 plantain
A 'harty' knob of margarine (I like Pure Dairy Free)
1 heaped cup of strong white flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking power
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (if you're lucky enough to have a vanilla pod then even better)
1 small pot of fruit puree (I used Apple & Apricot Clearspring Organic Fruit Puree)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven at 350F (176C) Gas mark 4.
Mash plantain it turns to a thick pulp texture. (this is a great workout if doing this by hand, if you're lucky enough to have a blender then you can use that, but that's taking the easy way out.)
In a bowl cream sugar and margarine. Add fruit puree and plantain and mix well.
In a separate bowl add flour, baking powder and soda and mix.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well. (The great thing about using plantain instead of banana is that it should give the mixture a stiffer batter.)
Add vanilla essence.
Spoon mixture into a greased loaf tin and put in the oven.
Leave for about an hour. To check if it's cooked pierce it at the centre with a knife, if the knife comes out clean then it is done.
Once you are confident with the recipe why not try giving it a twist, add peanut butter, nutmeg, almonds and sultans etc. My favourite has to be adding finely chopped pineapple.