ESTHER’S BOX

ESTHER’S VEG BOX CHALLENGE

BANANAS

Make good use of your surplus produce with ideas from BBC Good Food’s deputy food editor Esther Clark. This month, she’s created three recipes using ripe bananas

photographs KAREN THOMAS

Most people find themselves with a banana or two lingering in the fruit bowl at the end of the week, beginning to speckle and turn brown and sweet. I like to slice them, then fry them in brown sugar and cinnamon to spoon over porridge or sandwich between brown bread with honey, sea salt and butter (childhood nostalgia!). There’s a small window of opportunity with ripe bananas – you have to catch them at the right time before they go too far. If they do go a bit too brown, you can use them in a banana loaf or bread – I like to mash mine and bake them into cookies, too. Serve them with ice cream, too – they work especially well with salted caramel flavour.

For more weekend treats go to bbcgoodfoodme.com

Baked caramelised bananas

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V

6 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthways 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar 2 tbsp maple syrup 3-4 tbsp non-alcoholic rum or whisky 40g pecans, toasted and chopped vanilla or salted caramel ice cream, to serve gas 8. Toss the banana halves in an ovenproof dish with the sugar, maple syrup and non-alcoholic rum or whisky. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt, if you like. 2 Bake for 15 mins, then remove from the oven. Heat the grill to high and grill the bananas for 3-5 mins, or until bubbling and caramelised. Spoon the bananas into bowls and scatter over the pecans. Serve with ice cream, and any of the caramelised syrup from the dish drizzled over the top.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 175 kcals • fat 5g • saturates 0.4g • carbs 27g • sugars 24g • fibre 2g • protein 2g • salt 0.5g

There’s a small window of opportunity with ripe bananas – you have to catch them before they go too far

Spiced banana & honey French toast

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins EASY V

Tip 3 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ground cardamom into a pan. Bring to a bubble, then toss in 2 bananas, peeled and thickly sliced. Cook for 2 mins, then remove from the heat. Beat 1 large egg with 300ml whole milk. Dip 4 slices of bread into the mixture, one at a time. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a frying pan, and fry the bread, two slices at a time, for 4 mins on each side. Repeat with the rest of the bread. Top with the bananas and some whipped cream or Greek yogurt.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 521 kcals • fat 21g • saturates 12g • carbs 66g • sugars 44g • fibre 3g • protein 15g • salt 1.1g

Banana & tahini porridge

SERVES 2 PREP 5 mins COOK 5 mins EASY V

Mix 1 tbsp tahini with 1 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp water. Set aside. Put 100g porridge oats in a pan with 1 banana, peeled and sliced, the seeds of 2 cardamom pods, crushed, 100ml milk, 300ml water and a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, stirring until creamy and piping hot. Divide between two bowls, pour over another 50ml milk, then top with 1 banana, peeled and sliced, the tahini mixture and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.

GOOD TO KNOW healthy • fibre • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 397 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 4g • carbs 53g • sugars 18g • fibre 6g • protein 12g • salt 0.1g