How to turn an everyday, taken for granted banana into something luxurious.
I almost forgot about these bananas, until my birthday this year, when my friends Jenna and Jeff invited me over for dinner. They didn't know what to serve me, so I told them I wanted campfire food. I think they were a bit thrown by this request, but you see my birthday is at the end of September, so I thought that sitting around a campfire on a cool fall night would be just the thing. We managed to come up with a delicious menu. You know- potatoes wrapped in foil and all that. I offered to bring some peaches to grill, but wouldn't you know it, my local co-op didn't have any to offer (in Sept.!) Anyway, I brought bananas instead, and a pint of gelato as a backup.
Well, my friends were quite impressed with the grilled bananas. The firmness of the bananas had relaxed from the heat of the grill, taking on a moist silky texture. Their browned sugars added a hint of caramel. Here is a stove top version that I have been making for years. They are great over ice cream, french toast, or even on their own, but this time I put them on my oatmeal with a splash of almond milk, and I have to say I felt very decadent and pleased with myself. It was almost like having a piece of rich sweet banana bread for breakfast. Almost.
This isn't much of recipe, but here it is.
bananas (1 per person)
coconut oil or butter for the pan
a squeeze of orange juice (optional)
something to sprinkle on top - sesame seeds, coconut,or toasted nuts
In a large saute pan over medium heat, put enough coconut oil (or butter if you like) to lightly coat the bottom.
Slice the bananas in half the long way and place them in the pan.
Do not move them around. You want them to start to brown before you turn them over. This will take a few minutes.
Turn them carefully with a spatula. Expect them to be a bit stuck.
After a couple of minutes on the other side, splash them with a good squeeze of orange juice (about 1/4 of an orange per banana). Remove the bananas from the pan before all the juice evaporates. Scrape any bits of banana from the pan and pour the bits and the juice over the bananas. Top with some seeds or nuts. Serve.
A splash of bourbon in the pan could be nice here, but maybe not for breakfast. I'll leave that up to you.
Well, my friends were quite impressed with the grilled bananas. The firmness of the bananas had relaxed from the heat of the grill, taking on a moist silky texture. Their browned sugars added a hint of caramel. Here is a stove top version that I have been making for years. They are great over ice cream, french toast, or even on their own, but this time I put them on my oatmeal with a splash of almond milk, and I have to say I felt very decadent and pleased with myself. It was almost like having a piece of rich sweet banana bread for breakfast. Almost.
This isn't much of recipe, but here it is.
bananas (1 per person)
coconut oil or butter for the pan
a squeeze of orange juice (optional)
something to sprinkle on top - sesame seeds, coconut,or toasted nuts
In a large saute pan over medium heat, put enough coconut oil (or butter if you like) to lightly coat the bottom.
Slice the bananas in half the long way and place them in the pan.
Do not move them around. You want them to start to brown before you turn them over. This will take a few minutes.
Turn them carefully with a spatula. Expect them to be a bit stuck.
After a couple of minutes on the other side, splash them with a good squeeze of orange juice (about 1/4 of an orange per banana). Remove the bananas from the pan before all the juice evaporates. Scrape any bits of banana from the pan and pour the bits and the juice over the bananas. Top with some seeds or nuts. Serve.
A splash of bourbon in the pan could be nice here, but maybe not for breakfast. I'll leave that up to you.
I love these bananas. We added grated coconut and raisins one night.
ReplyDelete