Banana.com would like to congratulation our recipe winners for each month who receive our Banana.com Elite Gourmet Fruit Basket!

Winner - Sheena Orames - Bruceville, Indiana

French Banana Bread Sundae Sheena Orames - Bruceville, Indiana
- French Banana Bread Sundae
- Banana Bread:
- 1/2 c. shortening
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 or 3 smashed rotten bananas
- 3 tbsp. sour milk or water
- 1 tsp. soda
- 2 c. flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup pecans (if desired)

Coating for Bread:
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sweet caramel sprinkle (spice from Pampered Chef!)
- Vanilla Icecream
- Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 banana (cut in slices)
- 1 tablespoon sweet caramel sprinkle
- Decoration:
- 1/2 banana (cut in slices)
- caramel sundae topping
- chocolate syrup
- pecans

Banana Bread:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together as written. Place mixture in greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, a little longer if you used a lot of rotten bananas. Let cool.
After your bread is cooled get your 2 eggs and scramble, add cinnamon and sweet caramel sprinkle. Dip 1 or 2 slices of your bread in the mixture. Put the bread in a frying pain over medium heat and flip when the bottom side is golden brown. About 3 minutes on each side. While your bread is cooking start your sauce. Get out another frying pan and add your butter and start melting over medium heat. Add your brown sugar and sweet cinnamon sprinkle. Let brown sugar dissolve. Add banana slices and pecans. Then saute mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes.

After your bread and sauce is done you are ready to put your sundae together. On the plate I usually put caramel sundae topping and then put lines of chocolate syrup. Run a toothpick thru your lines of chocolate to make a design.

Then put your bread on the plate. On top of your bread put 2 scoops of vanilla icecream. Put your sauce over the ice cream. Garnish with more caramel sprinkle, pecans, and sliced bananas. Enjoy Sheena Orames - Bruceville, Indiana

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Winner - Jeanine Martel - East Jordan, MI

Delicious Banana Treats
Rice cracker (or other preferred base)
- 1 teaspoon tahina (ground sesame seeds )
- 1 teaspoon almond butter sliced or mashed bananas

Method:
Pour tahina over cracker to fill the holes. Spread almond butter on cracker. Arrange banana on top.

Goody Paste
- 1/4 Cup Almond Butter
- 1/4 Cup Tahina
- 1/4 Cup Applesauce
- 1/2 t. Ground cinnamon
- 1/4 t. Ground ginger
- Bananas

Method:
Mix all ingredients (except for bananas) any way you wish. Spread on any thing you like. Slice banana on top.
This treat is eaten by us as a TV snack. The Goody Paste is used by all the kids as an alternative to the high sugar Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Also: It is low calorie, no sugar, gluten free and all ingredients can be bought organic.) Jeanine Martel - East Jordan, Michigan

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Winner - Corinne Lawson - Jacksonville, Fl

My Momma's Simply Wonderful Banana Nut Bread Recipe
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Soft Butter (butter at room temp)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Cup brown mashed bananas
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 to 1 Cup Chopped Nuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, baking soda. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Then take out of pan and cool on wire rack.

Don't throw those rotten bananas away!! The best bananas for banana nut bread are when they are almost black. Dark brown/black bananas are really sweet, and they help keep the bread nice and moist. Also a good brand of vanilla extract is essential. Using a top quality vanilla extract makes a world of difference when baking. I use Rodelle. It was around eight dollars a bottle for 8 oz. but well worth the price.

This was my mom's recipe. I make this all the time. My family loves banana bread. A loaf of this bread doesn't last long at my house. My five year old son, Daniel, always leaves the last two bananas, and then hounds me to make him some bread when they are ripe. ENJOY!

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Winner - Meera Ramdeen-Boodoo - Trinidad

Curried Green Bananas
- Hand of Green Bananas (about 10 or so)
- 1 Small Onion - Chopped (Medium or small)
- 2 Pimento Peppers - Sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves – chopped small
- 2 Teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1 Small tomato - quartered
- 2 Teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Piece of hot pepper (optional)
- Vegetable cooking oil
- 2 Cups of water

Method:
Put some oil on your hands first. Then peel the green bananas. Slice then into discs / rings.
Put about 2 pot spoons of oil into pot (preferably cast iron or similar type) on low heat. Mix curry powder with ¼ cup of water to form paste.
When oil has warmed up (test by putting in one piece of onion – when it gets burnt quickly the oil is good – take out burnt onion) pour in curry paste and let it cook for about two minutes in oil. Stir around gently. Put in sliced green bananas and stir to get curry onto slices. Add Onions, Garlic, Pimento and Pepper (if using). Mix and continue frying for about three minutes to release flavors. Sprinkle salt over mixture. Mix. At this stage you should have a curry mixture. Add the water and cover the pot. Allow the dish to come to a slow boil on low heat. Ideally you should get the curried green bananas soft, cooked and with a curried sauce. When it is soft and has some sauce turn it off. Serve with White Rice or Indian Breads.

You could add more water only if you think the bananas are not cooked. It will be cooked but firm.
You could add other herbs like cilantro and green seasonings.

In the Caribbean, we use pepper for flavoring and since it is a vegetarian dish many says it tastes like curried shrimp. Enjoy!