It’s been such an age since I’ve posted anything, but I had so many Banana recipes lined up, I can’t not put them in This one is particularly unique. A friend’s mom has probably concocted it, and I had it at her place years ago. So recently I called to get the recipe…

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BLANKET BANANAS Serves 4
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Tip : The ideal banana to use for any cooking is whats known as plantains, but really, any kind will do.

INGREDIENTS
4 bananas
1/2 a can pineapple slices
4 strips bacon
1 tsp cinnamon powder
Lime juice
Salt optional

PREPARATION
Slit the bananas lengthwise. If they’re very long cut in halves for ease of handling. No piece should be more than 4 inches long. Sprinkle lightly with the lemon juice to keep from blackening.

Cut the pineapple slices into long strips and place them between between two halves.

Wrap around with the bacon strips, holding them together with a toothpick if required.

Grill, broil or fry till the bacon is cooked through.

Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and serve.
Nice as a side with a spicy main course, or even as a breakfast course.

More Banana in your food

For One-pot recipes you need to just think one of each food type, – 1 base (pasta or rice), 1 (or at most 2) vegetables, 1 meat, 1 sauce, 1 spice and 1 topping, and you’ve got combinations that work brilliantly.
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TUSCAN WHITE BEANS with SAUSAGE Serves 6
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INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried cannelloni beans (or kidney beans), soaked overnight
2 quarts water
2 medium onions, 1 cut in quarters and the other chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped sage
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION
Drain the beans. Combine the drained beans with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, reduce the heat to low.

Add the quartered onion, 2 of the minced garlic cloves, half the sage and the bay leaf. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and cover.

Allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours until the beans are very tender. Drain and measure out 2 1/2 cups of the broth.

Meanwhile cook the sausage till it has browned lightly, about 7 to 11 minutes.

Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes, the remaining sage, reserved beans and reserved broth, and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper as per taste.

Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and hot garlic bread.

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RICE and CHICKEN ONE-POT Serves 6
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INGREDIENTS
4 cups rice
4 onion chopped fine
6 Chicken legs & thigh
2 tsp. Sage
1 tsp pepper
2 vegetable or chicken soup cubes
½ tsp butter

PREPARATION

Saute the onions till golden brown.

Add the soup cubes, chicken and sage and 2 cups water and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the rice and another cup of water. Simmer till the rice is almost done, probably another 20 minutes, stirring with a fork occasionally and adding a little more water if you need to.

Check for salt if the soup cubes were unsalted.

Add the pepper and a dollop of butter just before serving.