Saturday, January 23, 2010

Sauteed Bananas

Don't you love recipes that take just a couple ingredients and a few minutes? This is one of those. A lovely little dessert that's super simple to make. I found it in a nifty cookbook by Mark Bittman called The Minimalist Entertains.

These directions will serve one, so multiply accordingly.

Peel one banana. Cut it in half then split in half again lengthwise. You will have four pieces.

Melt a pat of butter (about 1 T.) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Wait until foaminess subsides.

Dredge banana pieces in a bit of flour. Shake off excess flour, then

place banana in butter.
Cook until golden, turning when needed. (Bittman says this takes 10 minutes, but mine browned in about 2-3 minutes.) Sprinkle with 1/2 t. - 1 t. sugar and cook for one more minute. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.

Anything you like to make with bananas that the rest of us should know about?

Labels: , ,

40 Comments:

Blogger Carpool Queen said...

My love for the banana knows no end. I love bananas foster, bananas in a smoothie, bananas in bread, and sliced bananas floating in orange juice (a boarding school staple).

Oh, and banana splits.

January 24, 2010 at 9:00 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Carpool Queen, bananas floating in orange juice sounds lovely. And I'm trying to remember what is bananas foster. ???

January 24, 2010 at 9:22 AM  
Anonymous Faith said...

This looks like a quick and delicious dessert! I like to sweeten my oats with banana.

January 24, 2010 at 11:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I do not like to cook. HH does most of the cooking but never makes desserts. I am glad to have this recipe because sometimes bananas get too ripe for me to like to eat by themselves. This would be great when just a couple left that need easy prep for something good.
QMM

January 24, 2010 at 12:03 PM  
Blogger grace said...

minimalist. what a great word--it implies my type of lifestyle. :)
the only thing i'd add to this glorious creation is a dash of cinnamon...and perhaps some rum and vanilla ice cream. :)

January 24, 2010 at 12:53 PM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Faith -- oatmeal with banana sounds delicious. Great idea.

Queenmothermamaw, I agree, this looks like a fine way to use up those couple extra bananas you know you're just not going to get to in time.

Grace, I'll bet cinnamon and rum in this would be yummy, too. Yet another capital idea.

January 24, 2010 at 2:19 PM  
Blogger Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Hi Lynn!!! Indeed, we are all queens! How nice of you to come by to visit! Oh, I love all things royal and glittery! If you get a chance, check out my sidebar and see my newest blog that I hope to maintain consistently: Tout ce qui brille. I love all things that glitter and of course, that are French. How nice that you were able to go to France! Your sautéed bananas look fabulous. I roast them in the oven with a tiny bit of lemon juice and vanilla bean. YIKES! YUMMY! Please, so come back, Votre Majesté! Anita

January 24, 2010 at 3:12 PM  
Anonymous Velva said...

This wonderful banana dessert recipe is proof that simple is best. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have printed it out.

January 24, 2010 at 4:37 PM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Castles Crowns and Cottages, roasted banana with lemon juice and vanilla bean sounds scrumptious! Would love to hear more about exactly how you do it . . . have you posted about this? Do tell!

January 24, 2010 at 5:17 PM  
Blogger Trish said...

Never made this....but it does sound good, simple AND good! Grin!

January 24, 2010 at 5:29 PM  
Blogger The Old White Barn said...

This does sound so good - and I love simple. I'm going to follow your updates - I read your book a couple of years ago and loved it! Thanks for stopping by to see me - hope you'll drop in again.
Susan

January 24, 2010 at 6:02 PM  
Blogger Kathleen said...

Yum. Love bananas that are cooked. Like them on the grill best!

January 24, 2010 at 6:07 PM  
Blogger Karine said...

I heart banana and your recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing :)

January 24, 2010 at 6:10 PM  
Anonymous Penny said...

I love bananas foster - bananas cooked in a brown sugar and butter sauce and then flamed in rum and liqueur and served over ice cream. We had it in New Orleans once and I even bought a special flambee pan to cook it at home. Thanks for visiting. I love your blog.

January 25, 2010 at 1:11 AM  
Blogger Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Hi Lynn! Thanks for visiting my miniature site! More to come...and hmmm.....I should tell more about those roasted bananas!!! Thanks again! Anita

January 25, 2010 at 2:57 AM  
Anonymous Barbara said...

Great! Maybe with a little rum and over ice cream? Just like New Orleans' bananas foster.

January 25, 2010 at 4:25 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Susan, thanks for stopping by my blog, too. And I'm so glad to hear you read my book and enjoyed it :)

Kathleen, bananas on the grill sound really good. I don't think I've ever tried that.

Penny, thanks for enlightening me about Bananas Foster. That sounds soooo yummy. Looks like I'll be needing to buy me a bunch more bananas so I can try it. ;)

January 25, 2010 at 8:09 AM  
Blogger Mimi said...

Add some ice cream and I'm good to go.
Mimi

January 25, 2010 at 8:34 AM  
Blogger Mary Bergfeld said...

Lynn, I just stopped by to say hello and stayed much longer than I planned. You have a lovely blog. I'll be back often. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

January 25, 2010 at 8:52 AM  
Blogger teresa said...

mmmm, this looks fantastic!

January 25, 2010 at 10:01 AM  
Anonymous Juliana said...

I love banana this way, as do not like them fresh...we used to make banana this way back in Brazil...will do it again...thanks for the remind :-)

January 25, 2010 at 11:13 AM  
Blogger Berji's domain said...

Am I the only one without the banana love?
There are times I wish I did like them but sadly the smell really turns me off. But what a lot of creative uses people have for them!

January 25, 2010 at 11:19 AM  
Blogger ~~louise~~ said...

Hi Lynn!!! What a refreshing notion; sauteed bananas. I must admit, I have a weakness for Banana's Foster. I can see me whipping up a batch of yours to hold me over until I feel like lightening the kitchen on fire!!! Thanks for sharing...

January 25, 2010 at 4:13 PM  
Blogger Pam Ryder said...

Hi Lynn! Doug's fondest memories of his grandma included "fried" bananas. Still a great "go-to" treat!

January 25, 2010 at 10:08 PM  
Blogger Ingrid_3Bs said...

Lynn, my children adore bananas in anything. Sauteed and roasted bananas are two of the simpliest things I make. You know how people add chocolate syrup to things? We add sauteed or roasted bananas. The kids will eat them like just like that.

I never used a "recipe" so I like that you gave me one. (Having a recipe makes me feel better.)
~ingrid

January 26, 2010 at 8:44 PM  
Blogger Ingrid_3Bs said...

Did you figure out bananas foster?
~ingrid

January 26, 2010 at 8:44 PM  
Blogger VK said...

Yum. A good topping for ice cream.

February 1, 2010 at 10:15 AM  
Blogger Amanda said...

I am in a funk tonight. And... my cabinets are somewhat bare. But what do I have? Two bananas. I think wandering to your blog was a good decision.

February 4, 2010 at 3:59 PM  
Blogger Katy said...

Yummm..committing this one to memory. Generally we have bananas in the house so this is an excellent way to make a fast, easy, and delicious sweet. Thank you for this post.

February 14, 2010 at 3:14 AM  
Blogger Michelle said...

I love saute bananas but you know what better? Saute Plantains....so good!!

February 16, 2010 at 12:25 AM  
Blogger Tereasa said...

Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog. Since writing that post, I have written a few more articles. It was fun, but I find motherhood so much more rewarding. I will continue to write off and on as God wills.

By the way, the article in Above Rubies was heavily edited... One of the bummers of writing for someone else.

Finally, I agree with Michelle. Plantains are the bananas I prefer to fry. I learned a lot about bananas in Ecuador. My favourite... Platanos Fritos!

February 16, 2010 at 4:42 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Wow, Michelle, I have never tried plantains, sauteed or otherwise. Have you posted about this? I would love to read more.

February 16, 2010 at 8:21 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Tereasa, thanks for coming by to visit :) Now you and Michelle have me really curious about plantains. I'd love to learn more. Have you posted about this anywhere?

February 16, 2010 at 8:26 AM  
Blogger Michelle said...

Plantains look like a much abused, LARGE banana and the blacker they are the better! You can easily find Plantains in the Hispanic Markets or grocery stores.

I've got a great idea! Lynn email me you email address and I'll run it by you.

February 16, 2010 at 8:37 AM  
Blogger Tereasa said...

Find plantains right next to the bananas in your local produce section. They are not as easy to peel as regular bananas. You may have to employ the help of a knife. Don't judge the end by the beginning. Raw plantains are awful! Slice and fry the plantains just like you did the regular bananas.

Did you know that there are over 30 varieties of bananas and most of them are grown in Ecuador? Add that to your knowledge of useless kitchen trivia. LOL!

February 16, 2010 at 9:31 AM  
Blogger Tereasa said...

By the way, plantains are also a great addition to skewer meals. Just slice them into coins and bbq them on the skewer with your favourite meats and veggies!

I used to eat a soup in Ecuador made with bananas, probably plantains, and seafood. I'll have to look that one up. Now that you have me craving my favourite South American cuisine, that is! :)

February 16, 2010 at 9:33 AM  
Anonymous tasteofbeirut said...

I did not like cooked bananas usually because I thought they looked frumpy; until I saw a recipe in a French chef blog in which he keeps the banana in its skin and cooks it in butter and caramel

March 2, 2010 at 8:21 PM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Taste of Beirut, that sounds like a glorious way to eat bananas. I would love to learn more about how the chef does that :)

March 2, 2010 at 10:07 PM  
Blogger Joanna said...

I make a Banana Stuffed French Toast that is always a crowd pleasure at brunch! Your banana preparation is very much like the filling for it!

March 11, 2010 at 6:09 AM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Joanna, banana stuffed French toast sounds yummy. I'm going to see if I can find out how to make that :)

March 11, 2010 at 12:49 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home