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4B ♦ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2006 Let’s go bananas! One of nature’s best packaged foods, the banana is popular the world around By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Lifestyle Editor Peel one and eat it just as nature made it. Slice on your breakfast cereal. Grab one on your way out the door as a mid-morning snack. Grill a bunch and add a little brown sugar. Bake some ripe ones into bread or muffins. There are more than a few good reasons why banan- as are considered the world’s most pop- * u 1 a r v? y * fruit. They come in their own containers, don’t require | refrigeration, don’t have f to be cooked, are easy on the digestive system and can even be eaten by babies. Bananas were first grown in the area now known as Malaysia, and Alexander the Great is credited i with introducing them in the Mediterranean areas. Because they are easy-to eat and easy to store, they rapidly spread around the globe and began to be grown in tropical climates around the world. Whatever, you’ve heard, they don’t grow on the trees. The banana plant is the world’s largest herb. The word banana comes from “banan,” which is Arabic for finger. They became popular in this country in the 1800 s, selling for the very high price of 10 cents each at the nation’s Centennial. Bananas have a lot to offer f afc..., jy|M*' pH^^B|^^oiri|[^3B~\' ■■ #| h, f HfMliP-aIMESBi C % 'vv f 1;; ■' t -^i x, j , .., ■ » x ' >(< * ,fcpfV’ I Journal/Charlotte Perkins Banana pudding, baked the old-fashioned way with a meringue, is still one of the best desserts around. GILBERT APPLIANCE, INC. 925 Jernigan St., • Perry, GA 478-987-2284 ■ ■ j - . - jjgSg r 9i*iC3r» nutritionally. At 120 calo ries for one medium banana, they make a good snack and energy booster, and they offer a healthy amount of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, and iron, as well as being rich in potassium. Bananas are thought by many to be a j good antidote ' to heart- burn, and by some to be a good hangover cure. They're good eaten raw, but delectable when used as a baking ingredient or des sert. Apr icot> Almond Bread Here’s a real winner from Quaker Oats. Packed with bananas, oats (which are a whole grain), apricots and almonds, it delivers great taste and nutrition. 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup Quaker oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) 2 teaspoons baking powder y cots W 1/4 cup plus f 2 tablespoons unblanched sliced almonds 1 cup mashed ripe bananas 1/2 cup lowfat butter milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 2 eggs 1/4 teaspoon almond extract Heat oven to 350 F. Spray bottom only of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Coat bottom of pan with flour; tap out excess. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add apricots and 1/4 cup almonds; mix well. In medium bowl, whisk together bananas, butter milk, oil, brown sugar, eggs and extract until well blend ed. Add to dry ingredients all at once. Stir just until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. (Do not overmix.) Pour into pan. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons almonds. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until golden brown and wooden pick inserted in cen ter comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove bread from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap cooled bread tightly in aluminum foil and store up to 3 days at room tem perature. For longer storage, label and freeze. Grandma’s Banana Pudding If you’ve ever wondered why the newer banana pud ding recipes just don’t have the flavor that your grand mother’s version did, here’s why. Grandma used to make her own custard, whip up a meringue and bake the whole thing. Here’s the orig inal back-of-the-box recipe. FREEZERS Upright (Frost free) and Chest Type Starting at •Commercial Rated •Manual Defrost •2 Lift-Out Storage Baskets •Lock with Pop-Out Key •Adjustable Temp Control •Interior Light •Defrost Drain » •Oil Cooler Dimensions 35" H x 61 -1 /4”W x 29-1 /2’ D (Cabinet depth includes door) FOOD 1 teaspoon bak ing soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 'fc 2 / 3 m cu p f sine s 1 y chopped dried apri- 00036403 * '* * * JISBh v -,v>i ™ SfSaK W *Wb&‘ - Jfl •’ • w *Jr + t?, ~ nf ■■i f vBL ** gtif %tsjdk Want to combine great fruit flavors with nuts and whole grains? Try this Apricot banana-almond bread. It takes a little longer, but it’s worth it. 3/4 c. granulated sugar 1/3 c. all-purpose flour Dash of salt 4 eggs, separated, at room temperature 2 c. milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 35 to 45 Nilla Wafers (reserve 10 to 12 for gar nish) 5 to 6 med. size fully ripe bananas, sliced (reserve 1 for garnish) Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of dou ble boiler. Stir in 4 egg yolks and milk; blend well. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasion ally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Spread small amount on bottom of 1 1/2 quart cas serole; cover with layer of Nilla Wafers. Top with layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the cus tard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make 3 layers each, ending with custard. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Meat + 2 Vegetables + Bread + Tea $6.25 J EVENINGS - Thur& Fri spm-Bpm w m \ Mennonite A Owned ! Ljudy Wenger M HOURS: Mon - Fri 11am - 2pm Thurs & Fri Nights spm - Bpm beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes or until deli cately browned. Cool slightly or chill. Just before serving, gar nish with banana slices, then stand Nilla Wafers upright around edge of dish. Makes 8 servings. Bananas Foster Let’s go bananas and let’s go gourmet. Here’s a world famous treat, to be served over vanilla ice cream. 4 firm ripe bananas, sliced in half lengthwise 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cin namon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup Myers dark nun or good quality brandy Melt butter in a heavy skillet; add the brown sugar and spices, stirring until the sugar is completely melted. Add the ripe bananas and cook until they are hot and Roast Beef Dinner $7.50 (Pi/ Jtmif, 626 Courtney Hodges Blvd. • Perry, GA 478-988-2643 HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Chiquita was right! ' Never store unripe in the refrigera tor. They won’t get ripe because the cold inter feres with the ripening process. ttow6Voij np6 bananas ca n be refriger ated for up to two weeks, according to Bananas, com. If you’ve bought B&n&riciS 3j]d w£mt to speed up the ripening process, place them into a paper or plastic bag. and they’ffget rip faster. Overripe bananas are good for baking. well coated with syrup, but not mushy. Carefully pour in the rum. If the butter is very hot, the bananas will flame on their own. Or, you can cook over medium heat, stirring, until the alcohol cooks out. Or, with a long match, carefully flame the liqueur and bran dy in the pan and cook until the flame dies out and the alcohol is cooked out. Add the juice from the lemon last. Home { Cooked Meals * Quaker Oats