Said politely or so, how many times has anyone said that? Or me monkey, I eat bananas, or he’s the top banana. Are you bananas? We haven’t given them any justice.

Bananas are one of the most popular and important fruit of all in the world. They are grown in the tropics and widely consumed and valued worldwide for its flavor, nutritional value and availability throughout the year. They are thought to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. Alexander the Great saw bananas on an expedition to India, and then taken from the Canary Island to the New World in the 19th Century, they soon spread to the mainlands and began to appear in the US markets. Bananas are now grown in more than 100 countries around the world.

The banana plant is a gigantic herb that springs from an underground stem and forms a false trunk 1 to 20 feet high. The trunk has sheaths and is crowned with rosettes of 10 to 20 oblong spikes that flower and then emerges downward to become bunches of 50 to 150 fruits or fingers, these are clusters of bananas. After it has fruited, it is cut down and replaced by others in the form of shoots or suckers which arises every 6 months because they only produce one bunch of fruits. This cycle continues for many years.

Bananas are highly portable and easy to consume and can be eaten directly, which makes them the perfect snack, topping or addition to any meal start or ending or for a quick burst of energy. Being a tropical fruit, they have a soft pulp inside their peel, come in a range of colors including green, red, yellow and brown, and mostly consumed eaten fresh, they are used in many cooking varieties whether they are ripe or immature,

On the other hand they are very low in protein and fat and do contain a fairly decent amount of fiber (about 3 grams) which helps increase the feeling of fullness therefore reducing one’s appetite. Studies have shown that they are weight loss friendly as one banana has approximately only 90 calories. Bananas are fairly nutritious and contain high amounts of fiber and antioxidants, the nutrients in them also benefits digestive and heart health, but many have doubts due to their high sugar and carb content.

The green bananas are high in starch and resistant starches, (as much as 22%), as it turns yellow to ripen, the starch turns into sugar. When they overripe, enzymes start to break down the pectin and the fruit becomes soft and mushy.

Bananas are also high in potassium which is important because many people aren’t getting enough in their diet. Potassium plays an important role in blood pressure and kidney function. Overall, like most fruit, bananas are an incredibly healthy food.

We always had and always do consume bananas of all sizes and shades of green and yellows on the counter. Today and every day unless I can talk her into sharing an omelet with me, MaMa has her banana with her Honey Nut Cheerios or Maple and Pecan Bunches of Oats. She really loves her bananas. The recipes incorporating bananas are endless; I could go on forever and ever compiling recipes; cake and frosting, bread, ice cream, cookies, fudge, cookie bars, fried bananas, smoothies, salads, in your cereal, your lunch, purse. Bananas are completely portable and loved by all. The only time I remember bananas being a strange thing, was when I was in Queens, N.Y. 25 or so years ago, with a load of bananas and I had rejected cases and I decided to hand them out to the kids playing on the street of the boroughs. 90% of them didn’t even know what a banana was and just ate the whole thing without peeling it. True story folks, these kids and parents had never left their 3 or 4 block radius, and it was not a really good part of Queens then. Check out “crazyforcrust.com” for the new “66 + Banana Recipes” for overripe bananas by Dorothy Kern, I just love the variety of recipes from appetizer, drinks to after dessert.

The Recipes

~If your are craving something sweet, delicious and simple, something that can be stored in the freezer for a quick, fun and satisfying snack, it will become your new addiction…and be so fun to make especially quarantined.

Frozen Banana Bites Prep time 30 min. Ready in 2 to 2 1/2 hours

1 cup peanut butter

4 bananas, sliced into 1-inch rounds

8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

1 tbsp shortening

1/3 cup toffee baking bits or shredded coconut, chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper

2. Spoon a thin layer of peanut butter on top of each banana slice. Insert a toothpick through the peanut butter layer into the banana. Place the bites on the baking sheet; freeze for 30 minutes to overnight.

3. melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler, stirring frequently, scraping sides to avoid scorching. Cover another baking sheet with wax paper.

4. Remove 2 to 4 banana pieces from the freezer at a time; coat each bite with the chocolate mixture. Plae coated banana bites on the second sheet; sprinkle each with one of your toppings. Repeat until all bites are finish. Return to freezer to set for at leat one hour. When ready to serve, allow them to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes and enjoy.

~A smoothie is refreshing, healthy and tasty. This is truly a “5 Star winner.” You can also use frozen bananas instead of ice, almond milk instead od regular milk or go all out with greek yogurt.

Banana and Peanut butter Smoothie Prep. 5 min. Ready in 5 minutes.

2 bananas, broken into chunks

2 cups of milk

½ cup peanut butter (Hey, there’s peanut butter cup ice cream in the freezer aisle, just sayin’)

2 tbsp honey, to taste

2 cups of ice

Directions:

1. Place all your ingredients in a blender. (Check the appliance graveyard! It could be hiding in the back somewhere)

2. Pulse and then blend until smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.

~Cooked like a grilled cheese, but filled with melted peanut butter and slices of bananas,

this is a sweet, warm breakfast idea. Try using Nutelle spread, chunky peanut butter or drizzling honey on your bananas and even making a stuffed French Toast and eaten with warm syrup or grilling your sandwich in savory butter and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. YUM!

Grilled Banana Sandwich Prep time 12 min. 1 portion

cooking spray

2 tbsp. peanut butter

2 slices of whole wheat or your favorite bread

1 banana, sliced

Directions:

1. Heat griddle or skillet on medium heat, and coat bottom with cooking spray.

2. Spread 1 tbsp of peanut butter onto one side of one slice of bread, place banana slices on top, add the other slice of bread on top of the bananas and press firmly together. Fry sandwich until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.

~As you can see our hero, the banana and his sidekick, “Super” peanut butter are almost always paired together, it’s your imagination that can take this fantastic duo to the next level, and with so many options out there, recognize that they do offer essential nutrients that can have a protective impact on your health.

~I hope you are all keeping safe. Your comments, ideas, recipes, love and questions can be dropped in Scrappychef@yahoo.com. ~and the last words…..~My mother always used to say:”The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana.”~Betty White

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