Angela Day
The one fruit I am never without is bananas. They make my breakfast smoothie creamy and delicious and if I haven't had time to eat, I grab a banana to enjoy on the run.
I hardly ever have overripe bananas, but when I do I can't wait to whip up a batch of banana muffins which taste even better a day after they were made.
A classic combination is bananas and caramel, which is known as banoffee and is a match made in heaven. A banoffee pie is simple to prepare using just five ingredients: crushed biscuits, bound with melted butter and layered with caramel, sliced bananas and cream. What could be easier?
The banoffee Swiss roll here is just as easy and delicious, and your family will love you for making it.
Bananas have many health benefits too. They can help alleviate leg cramps and give you an energy boost if you are feeling low. They are also good for treating constipation.
A trick I've learned if you have a mosquito bite, is to rub it with a banana peel. It will relieve the itching.
If you are looking for a quick way to protect your stomach ahead of a night out on the town, then eating a couple of bananas beforehand will do the trick.
So try one of these easy-to-prepare banana recipes and boost both your health and energy levels.
BANOFFEE SWISS ROLL
3 eggs
125g castor sugar
125g cake flour
half a tin of caramelised condensed milk
250ml cream, whipped
2 bananas, mashed
sugar to taste
castor sugar for sprinkling
Beat the eggs and castor sugar until thick and pale and doubled in volume. Carefully fold in the flour.
Spread the mixture into a 25x30cm Swiss roll pan that has been lined with baking paper and greased.
Bake at 180degC for 10-15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven.
Place a piece of baking paper on a damp tea towel and sprinkle it with castor sugar.
Turn the Swiss roll on to the paper. Remove the backing paper. Trim the sides and roll up the Swiss roll. Keep covered with the damp towel until cool.
Unroll and spread with a layer of the caramel. Fold the bananas into the whipped cream, adding sugar to taste. Spread over the caramel. Carefully roll up again.
Sprinkle with extra castor sugar and serve.
GREEN BANANA CHUTNEY
Makes 500ml
15ml oil
1 large onion, chopped
15ml chopped ginger
10ml chopped garlic
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
5ml curry powder
5ml cumin seeds
5ml mustard seeds
125ml vinegar
160ml sugar
5ml salt
250ml water
250ml sultanas
4 green bananas, peeled and sliced
250ml coconut flakes
125ml chopped coriander
Heat the oil and fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli over a medium heat until soft.
Add the spices and fry for a minute.
Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, water, sultanas and bananas and bring to a simmer.
Simmer until the bananas are soft and the mixture has thickened.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut flakes and coriander.
It is delicious served with curries and should keep in the fridge for two weeks.
BANANA NUT MUFFINS
Makes 12
4 ripe bananas, mashed
180ml white sugar
1 egg
5ml vanilla essence
80g butter, melted
375ml flour
5ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
125ml chopped pecan nuts
Combine the bananas, sugar, egg and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter.
Sift the dry ingredients, then add this to the banana mixture. Mix lightly until just combined. Fold through the pecan nuts.
Spoon the mixture into a well-greased muffin tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180degC for about 20 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins and cool on a cooling rack.
(Note: this recipe has been edited to include the flour in the list of ingredients. Our apologies for the oversight. - IOL Lifestyle Editor)
BANANA CARAMEL BUNS
Makes 12
750ml self-raising flour
100g butter
3 bananas, mashed
1 egg
100-125ml milk or buttermilk
half a tin of caramelised condensed milk
Put the flour in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Combine the banana and egg and add to the flour with enough milk to form a dough.
Roll out the dough in a rectangular shape on a floured surface.
Spread with the caramel condensed milk.
Roll up from the long side to form a log. Cut the log into 12 equal slices and place each slice, cut side up, in a muffin tin which has been well greased.
Bake at 180degC for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove and cool for 5 minutes before removing the buns and placing them on a cooling rack.
GLUTEN-FREE BANANA CRUMPETS
Makes 8-10
250ml gluten-free rolled oats
5ml baking powder
60ml ground almonds
pinch of salt
15ml castor sugar
1 banana, mashed
150ml milk
oil for frying
fried bacon for serving
extra sliced bananas for serving
maple syrup for serving
Put the oats in a food processor and process until finely ground. Place in a bowl and add the baking powder, almonds, salt and castor sugar.
Mix together the banana and milk and add to the oats. Mix well and then set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the pan.
Cook over a medium low heat until browned on one side, then flip over and cook on the other side.
Remove and keep warm. Repeat until the batter is finished. Serve the crumpets with bacon, bananas and maple syrup.
ANGELA DAY
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.
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