I accidentally bought fat free cottage cheese at the grocery store at the beginning of the week. There is a great difference in flavor between fat free and low fat cottage cheese. I love the flavor of low fat cottage cheese but I find it slightly more difficult to eat the fat free version by itself. To offset my mistake, I decided to make Banana Bread to add into my fat free version of my bedtime snack.Some of you may be saying, "Sean, don't you know eating right before you go to sleep makes you fat?" Cottage cheese is low in calories (80 - 100 calories per 0.5 cup) , low in fat (the 1 - 2% variety) and high in casein protein. Casein protein is digested slower and over an extended period of time and allows for a steady supply of protein while you sleep. A staple to any weight lifter's diet and a perfect nighttime snack for everyone, especially people trying to lose weight. Of course adding in a simple carb like banana bread jacks up the calorie content but a few cubes along with a 0.5 cup of cottage cheese makes for a delicious pre-bedtime meal.
Banana Bread
Original, Serves 6-8
Ingredients: (1 loaf)
- 1.5 cup AP flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.25 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 to 3 very ripe bananas (almost black)
- 1 egg
- 0.75 cup sugar
- 0.25 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.25 cup vegetable/light olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- handful of crushed walnuts (optional)
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
2) Mash bananas in another bowl with a fork or potato masher.
3) Whisk together the egg and sugars until well combined.
4) Add in vanilla extract, oil and whisk again. When incorporated well, add in yogurt. Whisk again until well combined.
5) Add in the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds. Mix until lump free but take care not to overmix.
6) Fold in crushed walnuts, if using, to the batter.
7) Grease a loaf pan and pour the batter in. Place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. The bread is done when a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
8) Cool for at least 10 minutes before eating!
2 comments:
oh i just loooove banana bread!! but i always have trouble ripening bananas.... by the time they start turning dark, they also grow mold. i don't get it! by the way, i love the "geek" info about the cottage cheese and casein! being a science geek myself, i appreciate it.
aah, banana bread again! my friends here just cannot get enough of banana bread, even when I try to tempt them with other more "exotic" desserts!
actually, I heard the contrary: eating bfore bed doesn't make you any fatter than eating in the morning or whenever. Time has nothing to do with your weight gain, it's really just the total amount of calories. At least, that's what I heard. That said, I consume my highest calorie meal right before bed!
I've never heard of eating banana bread with cottage cheese. sounds interesting! and I agree: low-fat is WAAAAAY better than fat-free, and the calorie difference ain't that much anyway!
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