This banana peel bacon is a really great recipe to make if you are trying to reduce food waste. Recently I have been working on a few recipes that feature the parts of fresh produce that are normally discarded and this is one of them.
This is a quick recipe that is ideal to try if you want to experiment with healthy meat substitutes that are plant based as opposed to processed. It is also really simple and requires just a handful of ingredients meaning it is ideal for those who are beginners in the kitchen or have only just started to try recipes that are a little more creative. You will probably already have most of the ingredients for this recipe in your cupboard- it does call for liquid smoke, however, this is optional and you can still achieve that smokey taste without it using the smoked paprika and soy sauce.
Even though this recipe does require you to scrape out the white stringy parts of the banana, called ‘phloem bundles,’ you can set this aside to use in banana bread, banana pancakes or even just throw them into smoothies like this ‘Snickers’ Smoothie Bowl recipe so I would still consider this to be a zero waste recipe.
I usually use olive oil to fry these banana peels in, however, you can use any oil you prefer. Once the oil is hot cook them over a moderate heat for a minute or so on either side before transferring to the oven. I find that 8 to 10 minutes in the oven is plenty and, once cooled, they are lovely and crisp without being burnt.
It is best to use overripe bananas to make this banana peel bacon. If you are like me and prefer to eat bananas before they reach this point you can simply save the skins up in a ziplock bag or tupperware container over the course of a few days and then use them once they have started to change colour.
You can try this recipe on a cooked breakfast along with my Scrambled Tofu or my easy Courgette Fritters. It also works really well in a vegan BLT due to the size of the strips it makes! If you like this recipe and want to try out some other plant based bacon substsitutes you may like my Shiitake Mushroom Bacon recipe which is prepared in the same way!
If you are looking for more recipes to reduce waste why not give my Sweet and Sour Watermelon recipe, my Barbecue Cauliflower Ribs or my Asparagus Ends Soup a go!
If you like this recipe and want to show some support please leave a comment below or visit my Ko-Fi account to donate! x
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