I love my cast-iron skillets. They are my most favorite thing in my kitchen. I love how they cook everything so even and retain heat. They move from stove-top to oven and back again with ease, and they are super easy to maintain. Also, no scary chemicals like in many of the non-stick pans on the market. Finally, using a cast iron pan actually adds iron into your diet! How cool is that? Hands down Lodge is the best and I recommend you buy the one that is already seasoned for you. Refer to their website for use & care. I’ve decided to devote a whole category to cast-iron skillet cooking. You can find the first recipe here.
Skillet Banana Bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Pinch ground allspice
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnut (depends how nutty you like it)
1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat the oven to 350F. Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the bananas and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and fold in with a spatula until well blended. Gently fold the nuts and sour cream into the batter until just blended, being careful not overmix.
Lightly butter a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet; place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. To serve, flip the bread out of the pan or serve it from the skillet, sliced into wedges.
