Going Bananas- good for me?

Going bananas is actually healthy for you. When you go for a banana you are getting a rich, dense, delicious fruit that is rich in potassium and vitamin C and low in fat. Sliced over a bowl of cereal and milk, a banana can turn a hurried breakfast into a reason to pause.
  Plus, they are easy to eat. Just peel and enjoy. No cores, seeds or spines to deal with. They are indeed a friendly fruit. And luckily for us, they actually ripen better when off the bush.
  To hasten the ripening of green bananas, you may put them in a brown paper bag that is loosely close to allowing them to breath. You may store them in the refrigerator to keep them longer once ripe. The skin will turn black but the flesh will be fine.
   And you can go bananas with your cooking. The recipes bellow are some of my favorite but bananas can get you creative juice flowing. After, all, they are good for the brain!

Banana Bread
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together.
In yet anther bowl, cream the butter, sugar and maple syrup using a hand mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture and bananas to the butter while mixing until combined.
Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt mixture until mostly smooth. Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to a greased 9 X 5 X 3 inch loaf pan. Bake in a pre heated 350 degree oven for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean and the load has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool the bread in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes before turning the bread out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Serve warm or wrap tightly and serve at room temperature.  Makes 1 loaf.
Serve with Strawberry Cream Cheese

Strawberry Cream Cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup fresh ripe strawberries, trimmed and mashed with the back of fork
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sour cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend ingredients together with a fork and serve room temperature. Makes about 1 ½ cups.

Banana Oreo Shake
1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, slightly softened
1 banana, peeled
6 Oreos, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
½ cup milk
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serves 1.

Black Beans and Bananas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons mild chili powder
1 15 ounces can prepared black beans, drained
1 15 ounce can refried beans
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaf
2 bananas, peeled and mashed with the back of a fork
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat and in it sauté the onion until golden. Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and sauté another minute or two before adding the beans. Mix the beans well with the rest of the ingredients in the pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro,  banana and cheese. Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

Curried Shrimp and Bananas
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons or to taste, mild curry blend
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mild chili powder
2 cups lite coconut milk (from the can in the Asian department at most grocery stores)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined.
2 firm but ripe bananas
Heat butter in a deep sauté pan or wok over medium heat and in it sauté the onion until golden and then add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno to the pan and sauté another minute or two. Stir in the soy sauce, curry, cumin and chili powders and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes and add the shrimp to the sauce. Boil about 3 minutes or until shrimp are cooked. Peel the bananas and cut them into chunks. Stir in the bananas to the pan with the shrimp just long enough to heat the bananas and serve immediately over rice. Serves 4.

Banana Won Ton Sundaes
1 banana, peeled
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash ground clove
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
12 wont ton skins (in the produce department at most supermarkets)
A cup with ½ cup water in it
Oil for frying
4 scoops French vanilla ice cream
1 cup warm fudge sauce
Mash the banana with the lemon zest, cinnamon, clove, lemon juice and granulated sugar. Spoon a small dollop of the banana mixture in the center of each won ton skins. Brush water around the edges of the won ton skins and fold them over and press to seal the banana filling in the skin. You may leave them as rectangle shapes or pinch the back corners together to form won ton shapes. Deep fry the won tons in hot oil until golden.  Drain on paper towels. While still hot, arrange 3 won ton on each of 4 serving plates and top with the wont tons with ice cream to taste. Dust the plate with the powdered sugar and then drizzle the warm fudge sauce over the sundaes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Bananas Foster Flambé
1 stick butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas
1 dash ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brandy
Ice cream
Sweetened whipped cream
Melt the butter and brown sugar in a large heavy non stick sauté pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the orange zest and juice to the pan and then stir in the cream and vanilla. Bring to a slow simmer. Peel the bananas and slice them down the center. Then cut those pieces in half across the center to from quarters. Drop banana slices into the caramel sauce and arrange in a single layer. Cook the bananas in the sauce for 2 or 3 minutes or until tender. Heat the brandy in a small pan and ignite. Pour over the bananas. When the flame subsides, serve over ice cream and top with sweetened whipped cream. Serves 6.