K: Banana “Polenta” with Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
My idea with this was to mimic a polenta patty with mashed bananas. The final meal was a nice balance of sweet and spicy, and the goat cheese complimented the eggplant and mushrooms perfectly. The amount and type of peppers can be changed to suit your preference for heat, but (as someone who doesn’t really like hot food) I found that a little bit of heat served as a nice contrast to the sweet of the banana. The egg white adds some additional protein to adhere the patty together, but it is not a critical part of the recipe.
Banana “Polenta” with Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 serrano pepper (with seeds), diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
3 ripe bananas
1 tbsp corn starch
1 cup bread crumbs + extra if necessary
1 egg white (optional)
1 cup corn meal
2 tbsps olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 shallot, diced
1 eggplant, sliced
2 large Portobello mushroom heads
2 tbsp olive oil (pan frying)
2 oz goat cheese
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mash bananas and stir in peppers.
- Add corn starch, bread crumbs, and egg white and mix. The mixture should be fairly dry and easy to shape. Some additional bread crumbs may be necessary, depending on how ripe your bananas are.
- Prepare the vegetables. To do this, mix together the olive oil, garlic, and shallots. Brush the oil onto the sliced eggplant and mushrooms, then broil on each side for 5 minutes (10 minutes total), or until the vegetables are tender.
- While the vegetables are roasting, heat up olive oil in a frying pan. Shape the banana mixture into 3” patties, coat generously with bread crumbs, and then fry for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Layer the vegetables over the banana and pepper patty, then top with goat cheese.
Here’s a picture of the banana patties frying:
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