Recipe: Better Banana Bread, Low Carb Bread, Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread, Herb Bread for Sue

Better Banana Bread
Recipe courtesy of Equal and the Merisant Company.
Makes 1 loaf (8-1/2 x 4-inches) 14 slices or 3 loaves (5-5/8 x 3-1/4-inch).

1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 3 small)
7-1/4 teaspoons Equal for Recipes*
or 24 packets Equal sweetener or 1 cup Equal Spoonful *
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
4 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 egg
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional)

Beat banana, Equal , yogurt, margarine, egg, egg white, and vanilla at medium speed in large bowl until blended; beat at high speed 1 minute. Add combined flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until ingredients are moistened. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Pour batter into one 8-1/2 x 4-inch greased and floured loaf pan, or three 5-5/8 x 3-1/4-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350oF until bread is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes for large loaf, 35 to 40 minutes for the small loaves. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pan, and cool. Recipe can be doubled to make 2 large or 6 small loaves.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 128 cal., 3 g pro., 20 g carb., 4 g fat, 15 mg chol., 172 mg sodium.

Dietary Exchanges: 1 bread, 1 fat.

Low Carb Bread
Makes two loaves.

3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 cups Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour *
1 whole egg, beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Splenda (sucralose) **

Substitutions:
*or another gluten wheat flour
**or 2 tbsp sugar

Combine warm water and yeast. After yeast dissolves (3 to 5 minutes), beat in 2 cups gluten flour. Let mixture rise in a warm place until light and foamy (about 60-90 minutes). In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, olive oil, salt, and Splenda. Beat in about 2 cups gluten flour. Use ONLY enough flour to make a dough that will knead well. Mix in yeast/flour mixture. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Knead bread for approximately 10 minutes (because of the gluten, it will become difficult to knead in about half that time). Let rise until doubled (about 1 hour) in bulk. Shape into 2 loaves. Place in loaf pan or on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 F (180 C) oven about 1 hour. NOTE: Check your bread machine manual for instructions on making this bread by machine.

Nutritional Information (per slice): 262 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (21% calories from fat); 48g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 12mg Cholesterol; 156mg Sodium.

Dietary Exchanges: 6 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat

Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread
Makes 16 servings.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons diet margarine
1/2 cup currants or raisins

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl, stir together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in buttermilk and margarine until batter is blended. Don't overmix - batter should still be lumpy. Fold in currants or raisins. Spoon batter into greased and floured 8-inch round pan. Do not smooth out the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (per slice): 131 cal; 1g fat; 4g protein; 26g carb; 1mg chol; 303mg sodium.

Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 bread and 1 fat.

Herb Bread
Makes one 1-lb loaf, 8 slices
16 servings (1/2 slice is 1 serving)

1 teaspoon Fast-rising yeast OR 2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
2 cups Bread flour
1 tablespoon Dry milk
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Dried chives
1 teaspoon Marjoram
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Basil
1 tablespoon Margarine or butter
7/8 cup Water (77 -95 F)

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested in your operator's manual. (If using fresh herbs, double the amount called for.) Select the white bread mode; press start. This recipe can be made with regular, rapid or delayed-time bake cycles.
Makes one 1-pound loaf, for 16 servings.

Calories: 64
Protein: 2 g
Sodium: 145 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Exchanges: 2-1/2 Bread/Starch