As a part of eating healthy, I have discovered a basic recipe for whole wheat quick breads and I keep adapting it to different ingredients to add more variety to our bread basket. It is a staple in our home now and a huge favorite as a post workout source of carbs. It is loaded with complex carbs, yogurt, eggs and fresh and dried fruit. With minimal fat and loads of fiber, it is a wonderful snack option also. I have tried making it with different combinations of fruits and nuts, seeds etc and there are some clear winners like this blueberry banana bread .

The combination of apples and figs clearly stands out. I add cinnamon powder and a pinch of nutmeg to the batter. That adds a wonderful spicy aroma to the bread. The dried figs are chopped into small pieces and as they cook, they become soft and add sweetness and a texture contrast to the bread. Sometimes I add raisins or cranberries in addition to the figs. You may also add seeds if you prefer - melon seeds or flax seeds but I like to keep the seeds out of this one.

This is a very easy way to use up fruit that is no longer fresh enough to be eaten on its own - so keeping the dry ingredients same, one can try this bread with a variety of fruits. My favorites are plums, pears, apples, bananas, carrots & pineapples. I only add 1 tsp of oil to my bread - greek yogurt is always good, fresh eggs make a lot of difference and generous flavoring with vanilla and a combination of spices makes for a delicious loaf at hand. Be generous with the fruit and if the fruit does not feel sweet enough, do add 1-2 tablespoons of honey. That will give the much needed sweetness to this wonderful loaf. This one is a keeper. Its definitely worth a try!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup instant oats

2-3 medium apples (peeled, chopped - if the apples are really big in size, use 1-2)

1 tsp vegetable oil plus more for greasing the baking dish

2 tablespoons greek yogurt

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 pinch nutmeg powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tablespoon honey

4-5 dried figs (chopped into small pieces)

1/4 cups raisins (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a loaf pan - I prefer to use a silicone pan as it is very easy to remove the bread from it.

2. In a food processor / blender, combine the apples, eggs, yogurt, oil, vanilla, honey. Blend till it becomes a fine mixture.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, oats, cinnamon powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix nicely.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well till the mixture becomes uniform. Add the dried figs in the end and mix one last time. The batter should be slightly thick. The consistency of the batter will also depend on the type of whole wheat flour you use. You may need to experiment a bit with the flour brand that you get. If the batter feels dry, add some milk to soften it a little. If it seems very thin, add a bit of flour to it, one tablespoon at a time. The batter for this bread should not be too watery. You may need to adjust this for the ingredients available to you.

5. Put this batter in the prepared loaf pan and bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes or till a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.