Thursday, September 21, 2017

Baked Bananas with a Cuban Flair @LucyBurdette

a market in Havana


LUCY BURDETTE: You all are going to be reading a lot of Cuban recipes in the next year. I'll tell you why: The eighth Key West food critic mystery (coming out next summer with Crooked Lane Books,) takes place at a Havana/Key West conference. Hayley Snow's mother, Janet, has been awarded the catering contract and Hayley herself has been pressed into service for the weekend. I've just sent this off to the publisher--whoo hoo--and thought I would celebrate with this easy, sort-of-Cuban side dish.

Often in Cuba and in Cuban restaurants, fried plantains are found on the side of meat and rice dishes. But I discovered a version of this banana recipe in the Nantucket Open-House Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase and loved it.(Confession: I don't love plantains.) And, it's a lot easier than frying individual slices of plantain, important if you are working on a lot of other dishes.

Ingredients


5 to 6 Bananas
Half a stick of butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or squeeze a half
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum
Cinnamon sprinkle if desired

Heat the butter and other ingredients in a small saucepan. Pour over the bananas, that you will have laid out in a 11 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes until the butter is bubbling and the bananas are just beginning to brown. That's it!

These were delicious with the pork roast that I'd made but I could see them going with a lot of other main dishes. They look like you've gone to a lot of trouble when they're really easy as pie. (Not piecrust, as Sheila would attest.)





Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mysteries--find them wherever books are sold! Find her on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest--Instagram too...


14 comments:

  1. That does look good, Lucy! My little brother was given some plantains a couple of weeks ago. He made banana bread with it. And gave us some. I do not think plantains were meant for that. I had one slice and that was it. Haven't the heart to tell him that substitution doesn't work.

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    1. Oh that's interesting! How did it seem different from regular banana bread?

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    2. Plantains are more rubbery and less sweet. I guess they didn't mix in as well as bananas do. It was just off-tasting to me. However, my husband would warm a slice and eat it and it was just fine for him.

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  2. Sounds wonderful, Roberta ~ I can't wait for the new Haley book!

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  3. This looks terrific, Roberta/Lucy! I have already printed it out and am off to share. We are working hard to increase our fruit and veg intake and this will make it easier. XO

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    1. Anything baked in butter and brown sugar--and rum--has to make the item go down easier:)

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    2. Yes I agree with you that butter, brown sugar & rum would help anything go down easier!
      And Libby, I was thinking of Bananas Foster too when I was reading the recipe. Yum

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  4. I, too, am under-impressed by plantains.
    But bananas? They are just fine. And this sounds like a tasty cousin to bananas foster.

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    1. I wondered if I was the only person who isn't thrilled by plantains. Maybe you need to grow up with them?

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  5. This sounds really good. I like to split bananas in half, sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar and grill them for a few minutes on each side. Hot bananas topped with vanilla ice cream are really good.

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  6. When I saw the photo of your books, I couldn't believe it has been at least 14 years since I first read one of your books. The golf series you did with the slightly neurotic Cassie Burdette. They were such fun. Will you ever bring an older, but not necessarily wiser. Cassie back?

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    1. what a good friend you are! thanks for reading all those years worth of books:). it's been a truly amazing adventure...

      I did put Cassie briefly into a Key West book--was it DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS? She must have a baby by now...

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