Serves: 12

• Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup mashed bananas
1 tablespoon molasses
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup natural bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup raisins

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar, molasses then add bananas.
Add all dry ingredients with egg and buttermilk. Whisk until batter is smooth. Pour batter in greased muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves: 10

the recipe uses honey and applesauce instead of sugar and oil or shortening. Bread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 3 days or frozen 1 month.

• Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
3 mashed overripe bananas

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Serves: 16

• Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup yogurt
2 1/4 cups flour, all purpose
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups banana, mashed

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugar.
Beat in the eggs vanilla and yogurt.
Crush the bananas. Sift the remaining dry ingredients. Add to batter. Mix in the bananas.
Grease and flour 2 (9-inch by 3-inch) loaf pans.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
A cake tester inserted in center of cake should come out clean.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
Sauce:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup water

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously butter six 4-ounce ramekins with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Make the Cakes:
Mix the flour with the baking soda. In another bowl, beat the remaining 4 1/2 tablespoons butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat just until incorporated. Beat in the mashed bananas.
Using a large spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the batter until incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and set them in a baking pan. Carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cakes are firm but spring back when pressed lightly with your finger.
Remove the pan from the oven and with tongs transfer the ramekins to a rack; let cool slightly. Run a sharp knife around the sides of the cakes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool while you prepare the sauce.
Make the Sauce:
In a saucepan, combine the butter with the sugar, rum and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat. Spoon some of the sauce onto dessert plates.
Set the cakes on the sauce, spoon the rest of the sauce on top and serve. Serve with a few candied pecans on top of each cake.

Serves: 10

This recipe is adapted from The Foodie Physician.

• Ingredients

1 ½ cups mashed, very ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
1/3 cup reduced fat vanilla Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
¼ cup safflower or other neutral-flavored oil
½ teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

• preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the bananas, yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Add the sugar and continue to mix until combined.
2. Whisk the flours, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer and beat until just combined (do not over-mix). Stir the nuts into the batter.
3. Pour the batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the bread and cool completely on wire rack.

Serves: 12

• Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 medium mashed bananas
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease the muffin pans, or line with paper baking cups. Combine flour, wheat germ, sugar, and baking powder. Add combined remaining ingredients, mixing until dry ingredients are moistened.
Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Serves: 12

• Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups banana, mashed
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour baking pans, one (13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch) or two 9-inch, or 3 8-inch round layer pans.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes scraping bowl occasionally.
Pour into pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.
If desired, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small, over-ripe banana, peeled
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low fat milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For Cooking

Vegetable oil
Unsalted butter

For Serving
Maple syrup
Sliced bananas
Confectioners' sugar (optional)

• preparation

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, mash the banana with a fork until almost smooth. Whisk in the eggs, then add the milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour the banana mixture and the melted butter into the flour mixture. Fold the batter gently with a rubber spatula until just blended; do not over-mix. The batter will be thick and lumpy.
Set a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat until hot. Put a pad of butter and one tablespoon vegetable oil onto the griddle, and swirl it around. Drop the batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto the griddle, spacing the pancakes about 2 inches apart. Cook until a few holes form on top of each pancake and the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is puffed, 1 to 2 minutes more. Using the spatula, transfer the pancakes to a serving plate.
Wipe the griddle clean with paper towels, add more butter and oil, and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes while still hot with maple syrup, sliced bananas and confectioners' sugar if desired.

Serves: 2

• Ingredients

1 ripe banana, peeled
2 teaspoons frozen orange-juice concentrate
4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup nonfat or low fat yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon butter

• preparation

Mash banana coarsely with a fork. Stir in orange juice concentrate; then spread over 2 slices of bread and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread, forming 2 sandwiches.
In a pie plate, whisk together egg whites and milk; add sandwiches and soak for about 20 seconds. Turn sandwiches over and soak sandwiches for 20 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate. Stir together yogurt and maple syrup or honey. Set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 teaspoon butter over low heat. With a metal spatula, place the sandwiches in the pan, and cook until the underside is browned. Lift the sandwiches and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Turn over and cook until browned.
Serve with sweetened yogurt. Double or triple this recipe depending on the size of your gathering.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon sugar
4 bananas, thinly diced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk, scalded
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• preparation

Makes two 1-quart soufflés
Prepare the soufflé molds:
Butter the bottom and sides of molds. Coat the inside surface with sugar.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the bananas, sugar and rum. Let macerate at room temperature for 1/2 hour.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour, and whisk in the milk. Stir over medium heat till thick. Stir in the vanilla and sugar. Continue to cook over low heat for 5 more minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl. Cool mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Mix in the egg yolks one at the time. Blend in the banana mixture.
Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until medium-firm. Fold into the banana mixture.
Spoon into the soufflé dishes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1-1/2 cups sifted flour
2/3 cup sugar
2-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup uncooked oats
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup melted shortening
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup chopped nuts

• preparation

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of flour over the blueberries.
Sift remaining flour with sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in oats.
Blend eggs, shortening and banana.
Combine with dry ingredients. Stir in nuts. Fold in blueberries. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.
Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool before slicing.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

• preparation

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, milk, butter, bananas and vanilla. Stir until well blended and smooth. Fold in blueberries.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake on preheated, greased griddle. Turn only once.

Serves: 10

• Ingredients

For crumble:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped coarsely

For filling:
3/4 cup sugar
6 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup lime juice 6 medium bananas, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices
2 teaspoons Frangelico or amaretto
10 sheets phyllo dough
3/4 cup unsalted butter
For white chocolate sauce:
6 ounces white chocolate
1 1/2 cups whipping cream.

• preparation

For crumble:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a saucepan, combine butter and sugar. heat to melt. Remove from heat.
Mix in flour and hazelnuts. Spread on baking sheet. Bake until dry and golden, about 30 min. Cool. Break into small pieces. (can be made a day ahead).
For filling:
Stir sugar, butter and lime juice in a non stick skillet. Heat to dissolve. Increase heat to high. Stir to brown around edges of pan. Add bananas and liqueur. Stir until bananas are coated.
Transfer to a large bowl and cool. Mix 1 cup hazelnut crumble into banana mixture. Brush a phyllo sheet with butter. Fold in half crosswise. Brush with butter. Fold in half again, forming square.
Place phyllo in large muffin tins. Spoon 1/4 cup filling in center of square. Bring edges together.
Squeeze firmly at top, forming purse. Repeat with remaining phyllo forming 10 purses. Bake at 350 degrees until golden.
Serve with white chocolate sauce.
White chocolate sauce:
Boil cream. Pour over chocolate. Whisk until smooth.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 bananas
5 ounces cooked meringues
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 teaspoons cocoa powder

• preparation

Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Whip the cream till it starts to thicken. Gradually add melted chocolate while whisking the cream.
Break the meringue into pieces. Fold into the cream mixture. Slice the bananas, and fold in the cream mixture together with Grand Marnier. The mixture should be thick.
Spoon into a charlotte mold. Freeze for 2 hours. Unmold on platter and sprinkle with cocoa before serving.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup dark rum or bourbon
4 medium bananas, peeled and cut in halves
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

• preparation

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and lemon juice.
Heat to melt butter. Add 1/4 cup rum.
Fry the bananas in butter until golden brown. Pour sauce over, and cook until tender.
Arrange bananas on a serving dish. Heat remaining rum. Ignite and pour over bananas.
Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve with rum and raisin ice cream, or cinnamon ice cream.

Serves: 8

This is a dessert version of classic fried savory ravioli, dressed up with custard sauce.

• Ingredients

3/4 cup finely chopped peeled ripe bananas
1/4 cup golden brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
16 wonton wrappers
1 large egg, beaten to blend
vegetable oil (for frying)
Powdered sugar (optional)
Serve with Vanilla Custard Sauce

• preparation

Gently mix bananas, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, walnuts and pecans in medium bowl (do not mash bananas).
Lay wonton wrappers on work surface and brush edges with egg. Spoon 1 1/2 heaping teaspoons banana filling into center of each wrapper.
Fold wrappers diagonally over filling. Press edges to seal. Place on baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. (Ravioli can be prepared 6 hours ahead.
Cover with plastic and refrigerate.) Add enough oil to heavy large skillet to reach depth of 2 inches.
Heat over medium heat to 350 F. Working in batches, add ravioli; cook until golden brown, about 45 seconds per side.
Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels; drain.
Arrange ravioli on serving plate and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with Vanilla Custard Sauce.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds lamb shoulder, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons hot curry paste
1 (14-ounce can) coconut milk
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup cubed bananas
Serve with rice and curry

• preparation

Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet and brown lamb and onion on high heat.
Stir in curry paste, coconut milk, and tomato sauce. Add water to cover meat. Simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours. Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer until lamb is tender.
Serve with rice and chutney.

Serves: 6

Small bananas wrapped in French crepes.
A French carribbean recipe known as TI FIGUES EN PYJAMAS

• Ingredients

12 tiny bananas
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
12 small crepes
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup chocolate sauce

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the bananas. Saute in butter until evenly brown but firm. Sprinkle brown sugar over bananas. Continue cooking to make a caramel with the sugar. Pour dark rum over the bananas. Ignite the rum. Transfer the bananas to a platter. Save the cooking juice.
Roll each banana in a small crepe. Cut the ends of crepes extending beyond the bananas.
Butter an oven-proof baking dish. Line the banana crepes in the dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes. Arrange the bananas in a serving platter. Combine the chocolate sauce with the pan juice. Serve with the banana crepes

Serves: 2

• Ingredients

2 cups peeled and sliced peaches, cold (frozen peaches should be thawed)
1 cup chopped mangoes, cold (frozen mangoes should be thawed)
1/2 cup mango nectar, cold
1/2 of a banana
2 teaspoons sugar or honey (optional)
2 ice cubes

• preparation

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy cold.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

1 cup peeled and diced rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 medium banana, peeled
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
2 tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sliced strawberries

• preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb and sugar.
Stew over medium until rhubarb is tender.
Puree the sliced strawberries, rhubarb and banana in a blender until smooth. Strain.
In a small bowl, mix gelatin with orange juice. Stir to dissolve, and let soften for 5 minutes.
Warm gelatin over low heat. Stir into rhubarb-strawberry puree.
Add sugar, and stir to dissolve.
Freeze in ice cream maker. Scoop sherbet into bowls.
Top with strawberries.

Serves: 6

A refreshing delicious treat from Guadeloupe made with passion fruit.

• Ingredients

12 passion fruit (maracudja)
2 cups water, boiling
6 to 8 ounces sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
raspberry coulis (recipe follows)
sliced bananas


RASPBERRY COULIS

2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Puree raspberries with sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Coulis keeps 2 to 3 days, covered and chilled.

• preparation

Cut the passion fruit in halves. Remove pulp. In a large bowl, combine pulp with the boiling water. Set aside for 10 minutes. Strain the juice through a fine strainer. Add the sugar to the juice. Stir to dissolve. Add cinnamon and vanilla.
Chill the mixture before freezing in the ice cream maker. When the sorbet is thick and smooth, spoon in a decorative mold or individual molds.Freeze.
Unmold on plates.
Spoon raspberry coulis on the platter. Decorate with sliced bananas

RASPBERRY COULIS
Puree raspberries with sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Coulis keeps 2 to 3 days, covered and chilled.

Serves: 6

TOSTONES are fried using green plaintains. Cut them staight down into 1 inch circles.
These are salty and are usually seasoned with some white pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder.

THEN there's PLATANOS which are cooked using ripe with black skin or yellow plaintain. sliced sideways and pan fried untill golden brown. These are the sweet kind.

Puerto Ricans usually serve tostones them with rice and beans .

• Ingredients

2 cups vegetable oil for frying
3 plantains, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste

• preparation

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat with 1-1/2 inch of vegetable oil until hot enough that the oil sizzles when a plantain is added. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

Cut plantains diagonally into 1-inch slices. Fry the plantains in batches until tender and just golden, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

While the plantain slices are still warm, place them one at a time between two sheets of wax paper, and flatten by hand to 1/4 inch thick. Return flattened slices to the skillet, and continue frying until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt and garlic powder.