Bananas Work With Everything From Soup To Nuts!

Bananas come in diverse shapes and colours -- from the plump red banana to the diminutive finger banana and the plantain -- but the yellow Cavendish is the one we know best. A medium banana packs 467 milligrams of potassium, nearly 3 grams of fibre and 100 calories. Some people prefer green-tinged bananas for the slightly more starchy texture and less pronounced flavour. Others eat only those freckled with brown spots, which indicate a robust banana taste. To accelerate the ripening, transfer them to a paper bag, close it and set it on the counter; the inclusion of an apple will further hasten the ripening.

A chill will slow the conversion of starch to sugar, so to prolong the lifespan of a ripe banana it is best to refrigerate it.

When an overly ripe banana looks ready for the trash, peek beneath the mottled peel. The fruit might still be suitable for use mashed or pureed, provided any black spots are removed. (To preserve for future use, slice and freeze for an hour. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to two months).

Aside from its portable snack appeal, the banana is versatile in less-obvious incarnations, particularly when teamed with nuts and dairy along with sugar and spice. Sliced bananas can be sprinkled on cereal, slipped into a peanut butter and honey sandwich or folded in to a rice pudding flecked with toasted almonds or pistachios.

Baked whole, the banana peel will turn an alarming shade of brown, though the fruit within is rendered sweet and creamy. It can be served in its split skin, topped with brown sugar and toasted nuts and, perhaps, a scoop of ice ream or crème fraiche. Very thinly sliced bananas can be tossed with brown sugar and baked at 200°C until caramelised and crisp, around 15 minutes.

Overripe bananas might still be mashed and incorporated into a baking recipe calling for banana puree, be it banana quick bread, pancakes or a sheet cake.

Brown bananas , when mashed or sliced, can also lend a mild sweetness to a spiced black bean soup or a coconut curry and a thickness to pureed squash soups. Susan Rutter healthy.youbbies@3web.net