Sharabelle bakes

Banana Project: It started as a joke by friends and family. Every recipe I made seemed to contain banana's.   When my IBS related Food Intolerances became worse, I had to give up all dairy along with other foods.   Shopping and having to read every ingredients labels got depressing.  So I decided to make my own meals and snacks from scratch.  Food became fun again, and eating less stressful.   Most of the dairy free recipes I found on the Internet, where also vegan.  It also just so happened that banana was often used as an egg substitute.   It also appealed to my sense of humour......  Maybe it's just a Scottish thing.  But as someone that mental health problems, being bananas about bananas just seemed appropriate.   Whether you are living with IBS or mental health problems, you've got to keep your sense of humour.   First Recipe: - Sweet potato & Banana Empanada The nights are getting shorter and a l...

Thank Banana it Friday or the Banana Project, came about because of a joke.  I love banana's and as a egg substitute I seem to add them to everything I bake dairy free.  I was being ribbed that I should write a book, 101 Things to do with Banana's.   My love of Banana's is now a standing joke..... I love a challenge but 101 recipes is a bit much. So Instead I decided to test at least 1 Banana recipe a week for a whole year. This weeks contribution.....  Sweet and Savoury Banana Empanada's Banana and black bean empanadas Dairy and egg free There are several variations of this recipe on the Internet, but I used the one on Vegetarian Times.  There baked not deep fried, making them perfect for my IBS.  I made the recipe in 2 stages.  The filling first , as it needed time to cool.  Then I made the Empanada dough, and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hr.  I got slightly over excited with the filling so mine...

Finally looked out my thick red winter hat this morning.  The sun might be shining brightly, but it's still freezing outside.  This is the time of year to forget about fashion and wrap up warm.  So what do you think about on brisk cold days?  Me....I can't stop thinking about the Empanada's I made yesterday.  I was walking back from the library when I had a eureka moment.  Empanada's and pies are a great way of turning left overs into another meal.  You can make them savoury or sweet.  I found the dough easier to make than short crust.  Empanada Dough recipe - (Makes 8 small or 4 large) 2 cups Flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or dairy free butter 1 egg or egg substitute 1/3 cup cold water 1 tbsp Vinegar ( I used apple cider vinegar) Place your flour and salt into a large bowl. Measure out your shortening, and cut into small pieces before adding to the flour. Using a fork, mash the shortening into the flour...