Things to do with a Banana

Pantry/Crisper Essentials

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The cultivation of bananas can be traced back to Southeast Asia as early as 8,000 BCE. Bananas were gradually introduced to India, Africa and the Middle East by ancient traders and travellers. Arab conquerors carried them to the eastern Mediterranean, and eventually, European explorers encountered bananas during their voyages to the tropics.

During the 16th century, Portuguese sailors brought the fruit to the Atlantic islands and subsequently to the Americas where bananas thrived in the tropical climates of the Caribbean and Central and South America, leading to large-scale plantations. Today, bananas are one of the most widely grown and consumed fruits in the world, cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions including India, China, the Philippines and Ecuador.

bananasIn Australia, the most commonly grown variety is the Cavendish banana, known for its sweet taste, creamy texture and yellow colour when ripe. They’re grown across the tropical regions of the country in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The next favourite cultivar is the Lady Finger.

Bananas are loaded with nutrition. They’re a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C and B6, potassium – essential for heart health – magnesium and dietary fibre, including pectin which can assist in regulating bowel movements. While relatively low in calories and fat, they’re high in natural sugars which are easily digested and converted into energy. They also contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood, sleep patterns and overall cognitive function.

While bananas shouldn’t be kept in the fridge, I’ve included them as a Crisper Essential for their health benefits, convenience and versatility. I would recommend buying small or medium sized bananas for the following recipes. They are, of course, more suited to our portion size and, having the same sugar content as a large banana, sweeter.

Not only are bananas delicious just as they come, they can be easily slipped into a handbag or pocket as a take-out snack. At home they can be made into a sandwich or spread on toast. They can be cooked when firm, or used for baking when ripe. And if you happen to let them get too ripe, you can freeze them, and use them to make Banana Smoothies. (To freeze ripe bananas, peel them and chop them into chunks. Spread the chunks on a baking tray and freeze them for at least one hour or overnight until solid.)

Search a little online and you’ll find that even the banana peels can be put to good use in the garden to feed your plants and livestock, as a skin care aid and for household cleaning, among many other uses. You’ll even find ways to cook them to make vegan bacon, chutney and tea.

The following recipes cater to the whole of the banana’s life cycle from green and firm when you first get them home, to sweet and ripe a week or so later, so you need never let any go to waste.

If you like cooking with fruit, you could also check out Things to do with a Granny Smith Apple.

 

Recipes:

Banana and Lentil Curry

Instant Banana Pudding

Chocolate Banana Pudding

Fried Banana

Avocado and Banana Whip

Peanut Butter and Banana Toast

Spinach, Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Banana Smoothies

Banana Pancakes

Banana Cake-in-a-Mug

Banana and Coconut Biscuits

 

Banana and Lentil Curry

  • 1 medium banana, firm
  • 2 tbsp. red lentils
  • 1 x 165ml can light coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Mild curry powder, coriander and ginger
  • Canola oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté chopped onion with spices
  2. Stir in red lentils and sauté
  3. Add coconut milk, bring to the boil gently and simmer for 10 minutes
  4. Peel and cut banana into thick, diagonal slices
  5. Add to saucepan and simmer for a further 4–5 minutes

Variation: for a low-fat option, thoroughly blend 2 tbsp. almond meal with ½ cup water in a bullet blender and substitute for the coconut milk

 

Instant Banana Pudding

  • 1 medium banana, firm
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • ½ tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • Cinnamon
  • 1–2 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)
  • Desiccated coconut (optional)

 

  1. Place butter, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds
  2. Mix thoroughly
  3. Peel and slice the banana
  4. Add to butter mixture and stir through
  5. Microwave on high for 90 seconds
  6. Stir in yoghurt (optional)
  7. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut (optional)

 

Chocolate Banana Pudding

  • 1 banana, firm
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt
  • 1–2 tsp. cocoa
  • 1–2 tsp. honey
  • Desiccated coconut (optional)

 

  1. Peel and slice the banana and place in a small bowl
  2. Stir in cocoa
  3. Microwave on high for 90 seconds
  4. Stir in honey and yoghurt
  5. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut (optional)

 

Fried Banana

  • 1 banana, firm
  • 2–3 tsp. butter
  • 1–2 tsp. honey
  • Cinnamon

 

  1. Peel and cut banana into thick (1–1½ cm) diagonal slices
  2. In a small frying pan, melt butter and honey with cinnamon over a low heat
  3. Raise heat to medium and add banana slices
  4. Fry on each side until golden brown (approx. 2–4 minutes)

Serving Suggestion: serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt

 

Avocado and Banana Whip

  • 1 small avocado
  • 1 small banana, ripe
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt
  • 1 tsp. sugar or honey (optional)
  • 2 tsp. lemon or lime juice
  • Cinnamon and/or ginger

 

  1. Peel and slice the banana
  2. Chop avocado flesh and scoop into a bullet blender cup
  3. Add remaining ingredients
  4. Process until smooth

 

Peanut Butter and Banana Toast

  • 1–2 slice/s wholegrain bread
  • 1 small banana, ripe
  • Peanut Butter
  • Cinnamon
  • 1–2 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)

 

  1. Toast bread and spread with peanut butter
  2. Peel and slice banana and spread over bread
  3. Smash banana a little with a fork
  4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with a dollop of yoghurt (optional)

Variation: omit peanut butter or substitute with butter or margarine (and honey)

 

Spinach, Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt
  • 1 small banana, ripe
  • 1 cup spinach leaves
  • 1 tsp. honey (optional)

 

  1. Peel and slice the banana
  2. Place all the ingredients in a serving mug of a bullet blender
  3. Liquidise thoroughly

 

Banana Smoothies

  • 1 small banana, ripe
  • ½ cup natural yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp. almond meal

 

  1. Place all the ingredients in a serving mug of a bullet blender
  2. Add additional ingredients for one of the following varieties
  3. Liquidise thoroughly

Variations:

  • substitute 1 cup low-fat milk for yoghurt to make milk shakes
  • place in small cup of bullet blender and reduce yoghurt to 1 tbsp. to make Banana Creams

Varieties:

§     Berry Smoothie – ¼ cup frozen mixed berries and 2 tsp. desiccated coconut (optional) (Variation: substitute ½ cup fruit juice for the yoghurt)

§     Kiwi Fruit Smoothie – 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped, and 2 tsp. desiccated coconut (optional) (Variation: substitute ½ cup fruit juice for the yoghurt)

§    Chocolate Smoothie – 1–2 tsp. drinking chocolate (or cocoa and sugar to taste) and 1 tbsp. desiccated coconut.

§     Coffee Smoothie – 1–2 tsp. instant coffee, 1–2 tsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. desiccated coconut.

§     Coconut Smoothie – 2 tbsp. desiccated coconut

§     Peanut Butter and Oatmeal – ½–1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1 tbsp. quick oats and cinnamon. (Optional: omit almond meal) (Variation: substitute chia, hemp or flaxseeds for the quick oats)

§     Bedtime Smoothie – 2 tsp. honey and ¼ tsp. cinnamon. (Tip: this variety is recommended to help you sleep.)

Tip: frozen bananas can be used to make smoothies (see above)

 

Banana Pancakes

  • 1 medium banana, very ripe
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. wholemeal flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • Cinnamon and/or ginger
  • Oil spray

 

  1. Peel and slice the banana
  2. Using a bullet blender, liquidise banana until smooth
  3. Whisk in egg with cinnamon and/or ginger
  4. Mix in flour and baking powder
  5. Let stand for 5 minutes
  6. Spray a non-stick frying-pan with oil and heat over a low heat for 3–5 minutes to heat evenly
  7. Raise heat to medium-high
  8. Pour in 2 tbsp. of the mixture for each pancake
  9. Cook for 1–2 minutes on each side until golden
  10. Makes 4–6 pancakes.

 

Banana Cake-in-a-Mug

  • 1 small banana, very ripe
  • 1 tbsp. low-fat milk
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 3 tbsp. wholemeal plain flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tbsp. (plus) desiccated coconut
  • Cinnamon and ginger

 

  1. Peel and thoroughly mash or liquidise the banana (with spices and milk)
  2. In a wide mug or small bowl, mix together mashed banana, spices, milk and canola oil
  3. Add flour, baking powder and desiccated coconut and mix thoroughly.
  4. Smooth out and sprinkle with desiccated coconut (optional)
  5. Microwave on high for 2 minutes

Variations:

  • cover 1 tbsp. sultanas (or similar) with water, microwave for 60 seconds, drain and stir into the mixture at Step 2
  • substitute fruit juice for the milk

 

Banana and Coconut Biscuits

  • 2 medium bananas, very ripe and puréed
  • 1½ cups wholemeal flour
  • ½ cup quick oats
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ½ cup desiccated (or shredded) coconut
  • ½ cup skim milk powder
  • Ginger and cinnamon
  • ½ cup canola oil (approx.)

 

  1. Sift flour and mix in dry ingredients
  2. Rub in enough oil to make a mixture with the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs
  3. Stir in puréed bananas, making a sticky batter (add a little cold water or flour as necessary)
  4. Divide mixture into two or three batches and knead lightly
  5. Press or roll out to a thickness of ½–¾ cm and cut into rounds or squares
  6. Place rounds on a baking tray lined with baking paper
  7. Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) oven for approx. 10–15 minutes until golden. Makes 18–20 biscuits

Tip: if the bananas are not ripe enough, place them in the warming oven until their skin goes black

 Tip: keep refrigerated.

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