Excuse me! Excuse me! I can’t hear you. I have a banana in my
ear. Just about everyone goes through the day with a banana or two
in their ear now, but the banana looks more like a candy bar. As we
pile into our cars and head off to work, cell phones in hand and up
to our ears, the freeway rush can look a little like a bunch of
monkeys at play.
Excuse me! Excuse me! I can’t hear you. I have a banana in my ear. Just about everyone goes through the day with a banana or two in their ear now, but the banana looks more like a candy bar. As we pile into our cars and head off to work, cell phones in hand and up to our ears, the freeway rush can look a little like a bunch of monkeys at play.
I laughed out loud recently when I saw some friends headed for work. The driver was on the phone with what looked like a fat candy bar nestled in his chin and the passenger was eating a banana while plugged into her music system. We honked and waved just like trained monkeys and I wished I were an artist to sketch out the cartoon left behind in my head.
When questioned, bananas are rated as a favorite. For a fast paced lifestyle, a banana is a perfect snack. Just eat one a day for the flavor, ease and nutritional fix. But there are wonderful recipes available, so this common fruit has become very versatile.
Bananas are picked and shipped green. They ripen fast and are best when they are golden yellow without blemishes. Buy a few at a time, enjoy them and then restock.
BANANAS FOSTER
This famous recipe was created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans sometime in the 1950s and is still going strong. It is a favorite winter time treat to share with friends. We consider it a clever way to get a daily dose of potassium.
4 small ripe bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons real butter
pinch of ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons banana
liqueur
3 tablespoons light rum
vanilla ice cream
Peel the bananas and cut into half crosswise and then lengthwise to make 4 sections. Brush each slice with lemon juice. In a heavy bottomed saute pan or a chafing dish, heat the brown sugar and butter until the sugar has melted. Add banana slices and cook gently 3-4 minutes, turning over once. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and drizzle with the banana liqueur. In a small saucepan heat rum just until it is warm. Ignite and pour it over the bananas, letting the flames die down. When the flame goes out, serve over ice cream.
QUICK BANANA
LAYER CAKE
2 cups mashed bananas (3
4)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons real vanilla
extract
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, unbeaten
4 1/2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bananas and milk. In another bowl, cream together the soft butter with vanilla and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and mix until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with banana mixture to the creamed mixture, beating smooth after each addition. Pour into 2 buttered 9 inch layer pans. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool. These slices are so good with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, but if you insist, you can frost with any butter cream icing.
BANANA ORANGE
BREAKFAST
(for 1-2 people)
1-2 bananas
1-2 cups fresh orange juice
pinch of ginger, or 1 small
piece of crystalline ginger
1 cup lowfat plain natural
yogurt
1/2 cup granola
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. The blender works better, but it can be done in the processor if that is what you have. Blend until the banana is smooth. Pour and serve. You will need a long iced tea type spoon to scoop out the granola that goes to the bottom of the glass.
Perhaps with a regular intake of nutritious banana you will soon be saying “Hello, hello! I can really hear you now!”
