The word banana derives from the Arab word Banan which means finger and a bunch of bananas is actually a hand. The old scientific name is musa sapientum which means fruit of the wise men and this fruit has been grown for thousands of years evidenced by the Egyptian hieroglyphics which depict people with bananas.
There are about 105 calories in a medium banana. A rich source of Vitamin B6, manganese and potassium, bananas also provide us with phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and carotene as well as Vitamin C, calcium, zinc and iron. Followers of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet are advised to eat only ripe bananas to ensure that most of the starch has converted to simple sugars, an unripe banana contains 20 to 25% more starch than a ripened one.
Baked Bananas in Fresh Orange Juice GF SCD
4 or 5 medium sized ripe bananas (as black as possible)
1 large orange
1 or 2 tblsps raisins or other dried fruit
flaked almonds
cinnamon
There really is no need to be exact with quantities for this recipe but the combination of these ingredients is wonderful. I often see recipes for baked bananas with sugar or honey added, there really is no need since the fruit is sweet enough.
- Heat the oven to 190° C.
- Peel the bananas, chop into slices and tip into an oven proof dish.
- Add the raisins.
- Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice from one half.
- Pour the juice over the bananas and raisins and stir.
- Cut the other half of the orange into thin slices and arrange over the top.
- Cover with an enamel plate or some foil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the juice has started to bubble. Sprinkle some flaked almonds and cinnamon over the top.
- Return to the oven uncovered and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the almonds begin to brown but be careful not to scorch the orange rind.
I received a message on my facebook page from someone who is a raw food chef because she was concerned that the combination of oranges and bananas in this recipe is not a healthy option for digestion. So I decided to look into this a bit more. On the raw food diet the rules about combining foods are the key to digesting raw foods easily and make a lot of sense. Apparently combining an acid fruit with a sweet fruit is not ideal since acid can impair the digestion of starch but I've since discovered that not everyone on the diet agrees that bananas and oranges clash.
I use very ripe bananas so the starch has been reduced considerably and the oranges I use are very sweet so this should greatly reduce the chances of indigestion. Also cinnamon is a great digestive aid.
This information also raises concerns for eating bananas with pineapple..a combination which is exceedingly popular. I think it is sensible to take precautions but the best advice I can give is to try it and see. So make sure your bananas are very ripe and your oranges are very sweet, just in case!
