What to Make with Your Brown Bananas?

We've all done it, gone shopping, seen those just about ripe bananas and grabbed a whole bunch. It costs a few bucks so it's not a big deal but then they begin to get those brown spots and they go downhill from there. Pretty soon the kitchen smells like a monkey's paradise and in the garbage they go. Well not my bananas! I am a repeat offender of the banana surplus in my home, but when they get brown or even black, you can bet they will make for some super sweet, delectable banana treats. 

Bananas turn brown when the starch in cells breaks down into smaller di- and monosaccharides (sugars, i.e. banana gets sweeter, perfect for dessert) and the enzyme polyphenol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of ortho-dihydroxy phenols such as dopamine. When dopamine depletes it can be converted to melanin or red intermediates closer to that compound, explaining the browning discoloration. Cutting or mashing also damages the cells, which increases browning as well. Protein content of bananas has been shown to increase by about 17% 2 days after purchase and 53% 4 days after purchase. (http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/26955/WEAVERCONNIE1974.pdf?sequence=1) What this means is that when bananas brown, the starch converts to sugar and average protein content increases, so don't throw away your bananas, make them into something tasty and a good source of protein!

My go to recipes are Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Cake and Dairy-Free Banana Sherbet (also contains sugar low on the glycemic index). If I don’t have time to make dessert right away, I cut and freeze the brown bananas so I can use them later in these recipes or banana chocolate chip pancakes.

Dairy-Free Banana Sherbet

(low glycemic index, about 30-35)

Yield: 1.5 quarts

Ingredients: 

3 each	510 grams	Bananas, Ripe
3-4 disks or ¼ cup	50 grams	Palm Sugar
1 Tbsp	14 grams	Water
1cup	227 grams	Soy Milk*
1 pinch	1 gram	Sea Salt
1 tsp	2 grams	Vanilla

1.     Freeze ice cream maker basins overnight.

2.     Mash bananas, place in blender.

3.     Heat palm sugar and water in a small saucepan until dissolved, boil one minute. Remove sugar from heat, pour onto bananas in blender.

4.     Add soy milk, sea salt, and vanilla to blender and blend for one minute until smooth.

5.     Taste your base to make sure the flavor is bold enough or sweet enough for your liking, more dissolved palm sugar or bananas can be added to adjust this recipe to your personal preference.

6.     Refrigerate base for 1 hour at least but spin into sherbet no longer than 1 day later.  

7.     Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

*Soy milk can be substituted with whole milk if desired for those who do not want a dairy free sherbet. Also, other milk substitutes such as Lactaid and rice milk (sweeter substitutes) can be used. Nut milks also add depth of flavor such as almond milk, hazelnut milk, or even oat milk.

Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Yield: 1, 8” or 9” round or square cake, 

or 1 13”x 9” cake (only about 1” tall)

Ingredients: 

1 ½ cup	170 grams	All Purpose Flour
1 tsp	1 tsp	Baking Soda
½ tsp	½ tsp	Salt
¼ tsp	¼ tsp	Espresso Salt (optional)
1 tsp	1 tsp	Cinnamon
¼ tsp	¼ tsp	Nutmeg
¾ cup	150 grams	Granulated Sugar
2 each	100 grams	Eggs
4 each	680 grams	Bananas, Ripe
½ cup	113 grams	Light Sour Cream
½ tsp	½ tsp	Vanilla
1 cup	170 grams	Mini Chocolate Chips

1.     Preheat oven to 350^oF. Grease and flour pan for baking.

2.     Combine flour, baking soda, salts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a bowl with a whisk or sift together into the bowl.

Espresso Salt from Chelsea Market in NYC

3.     In a separate bowl, mash the bananas. 

4.     Then combine eggs sour cream, and vanilla with the mashed bananas

Homemade vanilla made from vanilla bean and vodka or bourbon.

 5.     Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time with the whisk. Add chocolate chips after second addition. Whisk until just combined, do not over mix.

6.     Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-40 minutes (depending on pan size) or until cake is golden brown on top, springs back at the touch, or a toothpick comes out clean.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake plated with Nutella Powder

(1tbsp Nutella per ½ cup of tapioca maltodextrin)

Guacamole is Always Immenent

Especially with veggies like these...I found these two beauties at Wegmans in State College and boy did they make for lucious GUAC!! 

 I usually don't buy into the "vine ripe" tomato marketing ploy, but these were by far the ripest, sexiest tomatoes I've seen in months. The plum, beefsteak, and sweet cherry tomatoes just could not measure up this time.

These avocados were little treasures among a bunch of unripe rocks. I'm sure I get awful gawks and stares as I grope every single avocado to find the absolute best in the bunch, but as it always goes, some are just too firm and the rest are so mushy I could plunge my thumb right through the skin. But these, they had just a slight mush factor, I thought, "Well, they may have some brown spots on the inside but I'll make due." Boy when I sliced these babies open did I look like a chef in J B Prince. How often does a vegetable make your day? Perfect creamy yellow to crayon green on the edge, and tender but firm enough to yield perfect avocado chunkage. It was for sure a lucky day for me in the produce department!

So now that I've teased you with my perfect produce and the picture above that is sure to tantalize any guacamole-lovers senses, I feel it is only the right thing to do to share the recipe:

"Sexy" Guacamole 

Tools: sharp knife, cutting board, spoon (not for mixing)
Ingredients

2-3 each	Ripe Avocados
1/2 cup 1/4 - 1/2 cup 1 tbsp 1 clove	Ripe Tomatoes, diced (don't have to be on the vine) Red Onion, small dice Shallot, minced Garlic, minced
1 each	Lime, zest and juice
1 each	Jalapeno, small dice
3 tbsp	Cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp	Salt Pepper Garlic Powder, optional

1. Wash your hands really good :). 

2. Half and pit avocados, use tablespoon or metal kitchen spoon to scoop out the tasty flesh, chunking it as you go so that you don't have to break it up as much later.

3.       Place all ingredients in a medium bowl after you chop/dice as directed above.

4.     Combine with your hands until uniform and break up larger chunks of firmer avocado as desired. Sure you can use a spoon, but A)Spoons are not as fun, B) When someone gives you permission to play with your food, you should do it, no matter what your age, and C) Your hands have a great sense of touch to better seek out those avocado chunks and make them smaller. 

5. Either eat all of the yummy guacamole you just made, share it (if you're nice), or store it as shown below. 

Scoop the guacamole into the container, bang it on a hard surface to release air pockets. Then place plastic wrap right on top to protect your precious snack from air because air makes it brown and no one likes guac that looks like it should be going out rather than coming in. Yes, I went there! However, you should know that slight browning is from oxidation, it does not mean your guacamole has gone bad or that the brown part is spoiled, just stir in on in with the rest and you'll barely notice. 

Welcome to Foodle

Hello! Welcome to my food blog and thanks for following. My name is Rochelle Cooper, I am an alumnus of the Baking & Pastry Arts Programs at Johnson & Wales University. I also recently graduated with my M.Ed. in Higher Education from The Pennsylvania State University. Soon, my family and I will be moving to Florida and I cannot wait to start work as a pastry cook in The Sunshine State. I get a vast majority of my ideas from the everyday ingredients that bring back memories of good food and good times. Neoclassic and savory-sweet themes excite me in new and upcoming pastry trends. My favorite dessert to make is ice cream; I really like creating exotic flavors. 

This blog is a spin off of a previous blog of mine but I'm digging the new title I have going on here.

Foodle

This is not to be confused with the site Foodle.com  which only shows this logo on the entire page (super useful site :P):

Also, not to be confused with the mix dog breed of a Toy Fox Terrier and Poodle (though very adorable):

In my mind, a foodle is a doodle of food. A lot of times when chefs are working on a new dessert or an extravagant wedding cake we draw out the idea to further inspiration, similar to an artist. 

I like to dabble in art but of course my favorite medium is food. The only thing better than art is eating it!

Sometimes, in a foodle, things may not make sense to other people or other chefs, the only thing that matters is that what comes from it delights and excites the customer, client, or patron.  I view these people as my audience and sometimes I even like to give them a little show. Food with an action is so unique and enchanting to people, whether your specialty cake has a neat effect or your plated dessert has smoke trapped with it below a glass which is lifted in the customers presence for a mouthwatering smokey experience. 

In the next few days, I will be uploading old posts from my last blog that I feel it is important my followers have. But shortly after, you can look foreword to seeing many new posts with yummy recipes, funny tales, and pictures to go along with it! 

Thanks again! Enjoy!