Breakfast Friday | Quinoa-Banana Skillet Bake from Straight From the Earth {giveaway}
/If there is one thing you’ve learned about me while perusing this blog it’s that I love breakfast. And this Quiona-Banana Skillet Bake is going to be my new go-to dish to serve for brunch. But it’s also perfect to make on a Sunday and dish out all week long.
Basically, I’m going to make this again + again.
The recipe actually comes from Myra [and her daughter Marea] Goodman’s latest book, Straight From the Earth. If you don’t know who Myra is, she is the co-founder of Earthbound Farm. Can you imagine being 1 of 2 people who FOUNDED Earthbound Farm?? Kind of insane.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend a few hours with Myra this past October on my tripto visit Earthbound Farm in California. We got to hear the entire detailed timeline of how Myra and Drew [her husband] started EBF on their 2 1/2 acre property in Carmel Valley back in 1984.
She told us amazing and hilarious stories about how the two packaged salad greens in their living room and how Myra’s dad would invent machines for them to use to help streamline the process. Myra was so warm and candid as she spoke about their story, like it was the very first time she was telling anyone how Earthbound Farm came to be. It was inspiring, to say the least.
During that trip Myra let us know about her latest cookbook, Straight From the Earth. This cookbook was going to be different than her previous work, in that it’s entirely vegan. She also co-wrote this with her daughter, Marea. Their goal was to highlight how beautiful, satisfying, and simple cooking with fruits and vegetables can be.
You’ll find over 90 plant-based recipes that are truly fit for anyone’s lifestyle. The book is filled with useful ingredient information, beautiful photographs, and recipes for any level of home cook. If you’re new to a plant-based diet, or are just looking to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet this cook will be a great new resource for you.
And today Myra + Marea are offering a giveaway to Edible Perspective readers!
A few recipes you’ll find inside:
- Crispy Potatoes and Tempeh Stir-Fry
- Blackberry Bran Muffins
- Spinach Salad with Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash and Walnuts
- Cabbage and Carrot Crunch Salad
- Easy Vegetable Stock
- Sweet Summer Corn Soup
- Thai Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Summer Pesto Pizza
- Plantain Tacos with Pureed Black Beans and Mango-Lime Salsa
- Banana-Coconut Cake
- Stone Fruit Crumble
And that’s just the very beginning.
Today’s post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. Product opinions are always my own. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness + behind the scenes action you see here.
This bake is similar to an oatmeal bake, except the difference in the grain. It doesn’t stiffen into bar-form but still holds together nicely when portioned into bowls. The quinoa has a nice crunchy texture and the dates and banana help glue it all together and sweeten the dish naturally.
Recipe from: Straight From the Earth by Myra Goodman [Reprinted with permission.]
Quinoa-Banana Skillet Bake
gluten-free, vegan // serves 6
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
- 2 cups very hot water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium bananas, diagonally sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 375*F/190*C/gas 5.
Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and stir well to coat the grains. After 3 minutes, add the hot water and salt. Raise the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a 9-inch/23-cm cast-iron skillet [or oven-safe, nonstick pan]. Add the bananas and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, turning to brown on both sides. It may be necessary to do this in batches. Transfer the bananas to a plate and reserve. Set the skillet aside for later use.
After the quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes, add the dates, coconut, half the sautéed bananas, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Stir well and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the quinoa mixture into the reserved skillet and spread evenly.
Combine the walnuts and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and stir to blend. Scatter the mixture over the quinoa and spread evenly to cover. Arrange the remaining cooked bananas atop the nut mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and fragrant. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
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Edible Perspective Notes:
- Next time I would reduce the oil from 2 to 1 tablespoon in the pot of quinoa.
- I omitted the sugar, except for sprinkling about 2 teaspoons of muscovado sugar on top with the nuts. The dates and caramelized bananas make this plenty sweet for breakfast and I would even omit the sprinkling on top next time. You can always add maple syrup on top if desired.
- Using just ripened, but still firm bananas will work best. Soft bananas will be harder to flip when cooking in the pan.
- As Myra mentioned, it’s easier to cook the bananas in 2 batches and they take about 2-3 minutes per side over medium-high heat. I would pre-heat the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil [for each round] while the quinoa is coming to a boil, so you have time to cook all of the bananas before the quinoa is done.
- There will be water left in the pot with quinoa, which is normal and it will absorb while baking.
- I used a 10-inch cast iron pan and it was finished in 16 minutes.
- I used pecans instead of walnuts [what I had on hand] and added fresh berries on top.
If you’d like the chance to win a copy of Myra + Marea’s cookbook, Straight From the Earth, fill out the information below for 2 chances to win!
Happy weekend!
Ashley
