Healthy Dates & Carrot Quick Breakfast Bread

Dates & Carrot Breakfast Bread

So now I am on a health trip - trying to find ways to reduce the sugar, all-purpose flour from my recipes...did a bit of experimentation with yeast...and then found my way back to the quicker variety with baking powder & soda...

Though right now I am still continuing with the carrots & dates & banana or apple pulps combinations, this particular bread recipe had agave ( for sweetness)  which I replaced with honey...the previous recipe was a whole wheat bread which was very dense - so decided to go a bit lighter this time with a combination of flours...and since this had oats(loads of goodness)...felt I could add in a bit of AP flour...the sweetness is due to the dates and honey - both of which just barely flavours the bread - and that is good for a breakfast bread..which is where I was going with this one...
However if you would like it more like a dessert you make add more honey or dates or even sugar to the mix.

The spices in this bread brings out the flavours of dates, the slight aroma of banana...and brings to mind the Christmas plum cake...making it absolutely yummy !!!

Banana smoothie

Banana Smoothie

This year the rains have a strange pattern...it comes in fits and starts...it is certainly more scanty than earlier years...not at all like Mumbai monsoon...and since it is not a sustained rainfall there has not been any appreciable cooling down of the temperatures...we have been having more of summer like  rather than monsoon like weather...

Our regular (for the summer ) cooling drink of lassi along with our meals have been carried over to this supposedly rainy season too...and today with the heat still on, thought that instead of our mid morning regular fare of fruits, it would be great to have a smoothie...a cool refreshing healthy and yummy drink.

Smoothies are something we have had quite regularly in the recent past...earlier whenever we had to make a drink with a fruit it would be more like milkshakes - e.g. banana or mango or chikoo pulsed with milk and sugar...and there you have your typical drink...
Then the concept of smoothie was introduced...though the smoothie could be made with milk as well...the more popular ingredient is yogurt, along with or without milk, & ice.
And due to health conscious folks - sugar free sweetners, or honey etc replaces regular sugar...
I also tend to add some nuts to give it that extra punch....

Many recipes call for crushed ice ....I prefer to use frozen fruit - generally when a banana has ripened and is being ignored by all and sundry - I quickly peel it and put it in a container and freeze it for further use...sometimes it is in a muffin or bread ...and as today in a smoothie...