Recently back from the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, my hands are busy unpacking, sorting laundry and paying bills but my mind is flush with images — swimming against the current in sparkling turquoise waterfalls, trekking in the lush rainforest with polls in hand and tucans overhead, soaking our trail-weary muscles in volcanic warmed hot springs and taking a bumpy boat ride across an endless lake in the unrelenting wind and rain to catch a glimpse of the majestic Arenal volcano – its upper slopes wrapped in mist and cloud.
It’s not hard to be swept away by the immense beauty and biodiversity found within this small country. Nestled between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, Costa Rica effervesces with wild life, lush jungles, diverse beaches, simmering volcanoes and three principal types of forests (tropical rainforests, tropical dry forests and cloud forests). It has earned its position as a prime destination for nature tourism (or ecotourism as it is coined).
One of the highlights of the trip for me was spending an early morning observing this white-headed capuchin (that face though). I really wanted to see a monkey in the wild (or as close to their natural habitat as possible) – not a circus monkey, not a domesticated beach monkey, not a caged zoo monkey — just a monkey, monkey. And this particular day was a gift. Just me in the blush of dawn with a bottle of water and eight capuchins running amok in the trees – I was struck by their confidence and mischievous, often hilarious, antics (full of shenanigans!). It was monkey business at its best and I loved it.
But despite the high-impact beauty and marvels surrounding us, some of the more enduring images for me were the simpler ones. The slow-moving rural roads dotted with dogs, cows and roaming horses. The wind farms with successive mills grounded in green and rotating rhythmically in the rain. A set of three rocking chairs (mama, papa, baby) sitting vacant on a front porch in the scorching sun. It’s funny the things our minds grab on to – momentary fragments that inform a larger story.
Among the irresistible local charm are the small bakeries and cafes serving up Costa Rica’s finest ~ at Panaderia Marcela (in the Rincón de la Vieja Volcanic Region) we were treated to a whole new level of small batch brewed arabica coffee accompanied by a plate of delicate homemade pastries. My foodie heart almost burst.
And this was our magnificent view from the Cafe y Macadamia in the Arenal Volcanic region. The front of the cafe looks like any number of other humble establishments in the area until you walk through and exit to the rear courtyard; it’s the kind of place you want to tuck into your heart and pull out on a rainy day.
The courtyard sitting area itself offers its own kind of magic with a glass ceiling overhang, cascading vines and a floor made up of packed sand and macadamia nut shells ~ a rather idyllic spot to nibble on a couple of macadamia (they were huge!) and a slice of fresh banana bread, made on-site and still warm & melty.
Now while I can’t claim a decisive link between today’s recipe and traditional Costa Rican cuisine (although bananas are intimately linked to the country’s economy and we did enjoy a delicious slice of banana bread at the Macadamia Cafe) I will say there is more to come… my boys bought me a beautiful Costa Rica cocina y tradicion cookbook for my birthday that I cannot wait to get properly acquainted with later this spring.
Meanwhile, I think you will love this artisan style protein-rich banana bread. Although made with 100% whole grains, it is generously moist and offers fresh bursts of blueberry in every slice ~ a delicious breakfast bread, portable snack and perfect for gifting ~ ♥ ~ (also a great way to use up those frozen bananas in the freezer… I won’t identify the precise number I had lurking in mine except to say there were more than 22 and fewer than 24).
- 3 large and very ripe bananas (mine were thawed from frozen)
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 2% fat)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (make sure they are dry after washing)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine grain salt
- 1 tsp-ish cinnamon
- 1 cup whole grain oat flour (certified Gluten Free as required - see Notes below)
- ½ cup whole grain quick cooking oats + more for sprinkling on the top of the loaf before baking (certified Gluten Free as required - see Notes below)
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine: oat flour, quick cooking oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & dry blueberries in one bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl blend: bananas, butter or coconut oil, maple syrup & vanilla with an electric blender - or a few pulses of your blender/processor - (the banana does not have to be smooth, pumps are welcome) add eggs and yogurt and blend again.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing with a spoon just until combined.
- Pour batter into a large loaf pan (I use a silicone pan: 10.75L x 5W x 2.5H) that has been gently greased with oil.
- Place a couple more blueberries on the top of the loaf, pressing down gently and sprinkle (if you wish) with some additional oats.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 60-90 minutes until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean - (I find tapping the top of the loaf gives me a very good indication - it should be gently firm to the touch and no longer giggly).
- To prevent over-browning with extended baking, you can tent the loaf with a loose foil
- Carefully remove pan from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 15 before gently removing the banana bread from the pan to cool on a rack for another 10/15 minutes or so before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Oat Flour: If you are unfamiliar, oat flour is simply whole grain oats that have been pulverized into flour - the flour is both fiber and protein rich - containing 7 grams of protein per ⅓ cup. Because I like the texture of whole oats, I use these as well.
The Bananas: You will not get a tasty and moist bread from yellow bananas - you want to reach for those browning bananas or better yet, use up some of your freezer bananas allowing them to thaw ahead of time.
I had a feeling it was Costa Rica! I am so glad you had an amazing experience. Your pictures capture a hint of the wonderful times that you all must have enjoyed. Been thinking of you! This blueberry banana bread looks right up our alley too. Perhaps we’ll have to reopen the banana bread challenge! Ha! Here’s to images living long in our minds and the feelings of the experience remaining close at hand! xo
Absolutely gorgeous photos Kelly!!!! The pics of Costa Rice are breathtaking. What beautiful scenery and life shots. love the one with the horses. Thanks so much for taking me to a place I’ve never been. Great inspiration for taking another trip to somewhere / anywhere. :) How fun to come back with a cookbook of the cuisine!
What is it about banana bread that is so irresistible? I love the flavor and there are so many variations; however, I’ve never seen one with blueberries and coconut oil. The combination of those flavors sounds delicious!
What a treat! I wasn’t expecting to see images from your trip here! Fantastic, Kelly! I do love myself a virtual vacation, with or without some monkey business :) What a pretty banana loaf too- girl, you make me laugh (23 bananas?!) xoxo
hey listen, my favorite line from your new book is the ice pick excavation of your freezer – and now you know why :o — look out for it in my upcoming review.
Right, you have sold me on going to Costa Rica! How absolutely wonderful!
Have a wonderful day.
:-) Mandy xo
hard to miss with beautiful Costa Rica — thank you Mandy! Happy weekend :)
Looks like an absolutely beautiful place. All your pictures are stunning. The little monkey is so cute. I remember seeing that picture on Instagram and thinking to myself, oh she must be in a zoo. How much fun to get to sit and watch monkeys actually in nature. I bet it was a joy!!! I haven’t been reading many blogs lately, but when your post popped up I was so happy to see it. Been thinking of starting something up again soon because I miss you and so many others. XXX Hope all is going well :)
That’s the best news I’ve heard this month :) I MISS U TOO! And you have far too much talent not to share it with the world. Keep me posted girl!! Yay :D (happy dance, happy dance…), x.
Kelly – what a lovely trip. I’ve always wanted to go to Costa Rica and now hearing about your wonderful trip makes me what to jump on a plane and go there tonight! Just seeing the wildlife up close must have been incredible experience for you – and I love your description of just a monkey, monkey! So glad you had a chance to relax and see all that Costa Rica had to offer – such gorgeous photos too! And I love banana bread and am looking forward to trying your version – so pretty!
thank you kindly Geraldine – I do hope you get a chance to visit sometime; the true beauty of Costa Rica lies in exploring its natural beauty so travel is a big part of the journey; don’t be shy to connect with me if you end up planning a trip, I would be happy to share some of the more important discoveries we made that may be helpful. Happy Sunday!
Kelly, you are such a talented photographer! I’m in awe of these beautiful pictures from holidays… they look rather like from a professional tourists’ guide! It looks like an amazing trip…
I cannot even imagine how good the local coffee must have been…. and how great this bread would taste with it. I throw away bananas so often… now that I have a big freezer I must freeze them and then make your beautiful bread! Thank you for sharing your holidays memories with us.
thank you for your kind words, I was having a heck of a time getting that sweet capuchin to hold still even for the briefest moment to capture that adorable face. Oh Sissi, without hesitation the coffee and pastries that were served to us in that home bakery environment were one of the highlights of this trip for me — even the boys who are not coffee drinkers partook in the ritual and appreciated the kindness; they ‘got’ that we were in the heart of an authentic local experience and it was a very memorable visit for our family – one that I will never forget, x.
What a magical trip! So glad you all had a wonderful vacation. Costa Rica has always been on my list of places to travel to, and reading your post makes me want to go there that much more. Those monkeys!!! How cool.
This bread is right up my alley – can’t wait to give it a try, Kelly! xo
thank you Tessa! It was a rather magical trip ~ we were celebrating two milestone birthdays in a setting we will always remember, x.
What a beautiful, transformative and peaceful experience for you and your family, Kelly. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate life and love than to journey to new places with the ones you love. Time for reflection, new experiences and to breathe deep. Thank you for this virtual trip. I can imagine the feeling of complete peace and release with the sights, sounds, smells and all the deliciousness of new flavors. What a gorgeous place. I hope to go some day. To see a toucan.. monkey and an in tact tropical rainforest = heaven. Your banana bread probably snapped you right back into the heart of your trip. Love that it is whole grain, oh so moist and blueberries!? This wouldn’t last long around here! Delicious and thank you my dear. xo
thank you dear Traci… I agree, travel is one of the best ways to share life experiences and memories – and while not every moment of every trip is smooth, that’s also part of the journey. We had such a great view of the first toucan we spotted Traci (actually, it was our bus driver who spotted it and pulled over for us) – amazing to be transported into the beauty and other-worldliness of a setting like this. A trip I will never forget, x.
Costa Rica…what a dream! It sounds like an absolutely incredible trip. How amazing you got to see those little monkeys in the wild. That last waterfall picture…spectacular. I am so glad you had a great trip.
Your blueberry yogurt banana bread had me swooooning when I saw it on Facebook. What a great recipe!
it was a bit of a dream KoKo – I have a feeling I’ll be returning there frequently in my imagination (I great place to reside, no?) :)) x I hope you’ve been keeping well lovely.
What a beautiful post! I came here to have a closer look at your rustic banana bread (such a great recipe) and was treated to a tropical vacation with stunning photos and writing to match. I especially like how you describe the simpler but impactful moments that captured your attention – ‘the fragments that inform the larger story’. You have so many talents, thank you for sharing them with us.
ah, thank you so much for your feedback Dael – it keeps me in company and friendship to be witnessed as a writer. Truly grateful that you took the time, x.
What an idyllic holiday Kelly, your photos are beautiful. The monkeys must have been better than those Saturday cartoons of our childhood, plus I bet they thoroughly enjoyed having an audience!
I was just commenting that I hadn’t made a quick bread in years, banana and blueberries were one of our favourites. I don’t have a freezer stash of bananas but I surely wish I did, the whole grains and oats sound absolutely wonderful.
heeheeh, Saturday cartoons – I love it. My husband was saying that the white-faced capuchins reminded him of a Maurice Sandak illustration. The monkeys are hilariously expressive – social yet fiercely independent at the same time. I could have watched them for days on end.
This banana bread is perfection! I LOVE the addition of yogurt and blueberries to increase the nutrient density!
Hi Bethany, thank you so much for stopping by and saying hello! I’m so pleased you like this recipe ~ revamping the classics to preserve taste while boosting nutrition is one of my favorite pastimes :) welcome to Inspired Edibles.
OMGOSH, Kelly,
Costa Rica is STUuuuuuuuuNNING. Fabulous photos.
Is the monkey in the wild? Unreal.
Oh, and the banana bread looks “Out of this world!” xx
well hello Kim – thank you for dropping by with your sunshine. I think of you often… I hope you are well, xo.
Sounds wonderful Kelly! I transported myself to your little cafe with that description…ahhhh. Banana bread is a staple around here and I’m always playing around with healthier ways to make it. Recently I used a Gluten Free flour blend with dark chocolate chips and reduced sugar. I made them into muffins and the kids LOVED them. Sadie is gluten sensitive ( as I’m sure the rest of us are) so I use an alternative as much as possible. I love the sound of the Oat Flour! On my way to FarmBoy for my next batch! Thank you for the impromptu getaway on a snowy Sunday morning :)
hey sister! I was so delighted to discover your note, thank you for lighting up my day. I too crave banana bread… it’s one of those foods that just brings a rush of memories and feeling of warmth and love…And that baking smell….the old comfort thing I guess. I hope you find the oat flour close by – it has become increasingly popular so hopefully you won’t have too much difficulty. With the United Nations declaring 2016 the international year of the pulses, the other trend I’m noticing is more and more lentils/legumes appearing in flour form – chickpea flour, black/white bean flour etc. offering a nutrient advantage over many other refined grains; something else to explore for your GF family. Sending love your way, x.
Kelly…thank you for the beautiful post and virtual vacation! I can’t wait to make the bread.
With love,
Adele
Good Morning Adele – thank you so much for dropping in; you know it always makes my day to hear from my readers, I greatly appreciate you taking the time. I hope you get a chance to make this bread and that love it as much as we did! (now long gone :)) x
What a beautiful post Kelly! You have such a way with words, I always look forward to reading you. And these images are just gorgeous – we would love to visit Costa Rica one of these days (and I’ll be sure to take along your recommendations if we do – pretty sure I’m destined for that macadamia oasis!). Sounds like you enjoyed a variety of activities and experiences including sighting that adorable monkey, monkey ;-) undisturbed nature is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Your banana bread is not only healthy to boot, I just love how you’ve finished it with oats and bursts of blueberries… I’m thinking the yogurt must keep it so tender too. Lovely idea Kelly. Looking forward to your next installment of Costa Rican cuisine!
and you have such a way of lighting up my heart Elizabeth… thank you, as always, for your warmth and for taking the time to connect as well; blogging has many great moments but it also has its share of lonely days. Thank you for filling mine.
Oh Kelly, these photos and your writing make me want to hop on a plane to Costa Rica right now. It’s stunning! And how neat that you got to see a monkey in it’s own habitat.
This banana bread looks perfect. I love that’s whole grain and made without refined sugars. I’m also really excited to see what you make from that cookbook. I’m not that familiar with Costa Rican cuisine but I can imagine it’s amazing!
thank you so much Sarah! I can’t wait to explore my new cookbook too… I have a sense of what I want to focus on but I also love the back stories that inform authentic cuisine; something to be treasured.
oh, shoot. Quick super quick REACTIONS… (if you could fix that typo, it is giving me the creeps)
apologies
LoL – had to read through 3 times before finally spotting it! all good ;-)
Wonderful to learn you went to Costa Rica! You know, that is one place we considered to go next month for our 16ht wedding anniversary, but… we had to go for plan B, which is no travel this year… too many expenses on our horizon and plans to take the whole family to Hawaii in June took a more important spot in our schedule
but it is a place I know I want to go – zip lining is supposed to be amazing in some places, and I definitely want to do that. You would love some parts of Sao Paulo. ONe of my friends lives in a spot surrounded by forest and the little monkeys are everywhere. Truly mischievous they are! And quick super quick reactions
now, back to the banana bread! I made one version from giada that mixed blueberries in the batter and yeah, we loved it – but your version is definitely better, many notches above, because your version a real inspired edible… HA!