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This banana bread is the perfect way to use up bananas with brown, spotty skins. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the bread. It is mixed in one bowl, with no mixer needed.

Makes: 1 loaf (about 10 slices) · Prep: 15 minutes · Bake: 55 to 65 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
• 1/3 cup (75 g) melted butter or neutral oil
• 3/4 cup (150 g) brown or white sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan or line it with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
3. Stir in the melted butter, then the sugar, egg and vanilla.
4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir to combine.
5. Add the flour and fold gently until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips if using.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack before slicing.

Tips

• If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
• Wrapped well, the bread keeps for 3 days at room temperature or up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Selling your bakes? Read our guide to pricing homemade food products.

More from our kitchen: No-mixer pizza dough and shakshuka.

Shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern dish that has become a favorite in home kitchens everywhere. Everything cooks in a single pan, and it is just as good for a slow weekend breakfast as it is for a quick weeknight dinner.

Serves: 2 to 3 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste
• 1 can (about 400 g / 14 oz) crushed or chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and some black pepper
• 4 to 5 eggs
• Fresh parsley or coriander, chopped
• Crumbled feta, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and chili flakes. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Pour in the tomatoes, add the salt and pepper and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
4. Use a spoon to make small wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well.
5. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are as runny or firm as you like.
6. Sprinkle with herbs and feta and serve straight from the pan.

Serving ideas

Serve with crusty bread, warm pita or toast for dipping into the sauce.

Tips

• Use a lid so the tops of the eggs cook through without overcooking the bottom.
• Add spinach or chickpeas to the sauce to make it more filling.
• The sauce can be made a day ahead. Reheat it and add the eggs just before serving.

More from our kitchen: Classic dal tadka, moist banana bread and the kitchen essentials every home cook needs.

Dal tadka is one of the most loved home-cooked dishes in India, and for good reason. It is simple, nourishing and full of flavor. Soft cooked lentils are finished with a “tadka”, a quick tempering of spices in hot ghee that is poured over just before serving.

Serves: 4 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), or half toor and half masoor dal
• 3 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 green chili, slit
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• Juice of half a lemon
• Fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

For the tadka

• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 dried red chilies
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing), optional
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

Instructions

1. Rinse the dal in several changes of water until the water runs mostly clear. Soak for 20 minutes if you have time.
2. Cook the dal with 3 cups of water, the turmeric and salt. In a pressure cooker, cook for 3 to 4 whistles. In a pot, simmer covered for 25 to 30 minutes until very soft, stirring now and then.
3. Mash the cooked dal lightly with the back of a spoon or a whisk until creamy.
4. In a separate pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and cook the onion until soft and golden. Add the ginger, green chili and tomato and cook until the tomato breaks down.
5. Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the dal. Add hot water to reach the consistency you like and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt.
6. For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add the garlic and dried chilies and cook until the garlic is light golden. Turn off the heat, then add the asafoetida and chili powder.
7. Pour the hot tadka over the dal. Finish with lemon juice and fresh coriander.

Serving ideas

Serve with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or warm rotis, with a simple salad of onion and cucumber on the side.

Tips

• Do not let the garlic brown too much, or it will taste bitter.
• Dal thickens as it cools. Add a splash of hot water when reheating.
• Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More from our kitchen: Shakshuka, no-mixer pizza dough and stock up with our spice pantry starter kit.