Sunday 10 July 2011

Honey, I Just Skewered the Breakfast

Spiedini di Pane e Banana con Miele, Pistacchi e Cannella
Skewered "Banana Sandwich" with Honey, Pistachio and Cinnamon




I got inspired to make myself a crazy breakfast this morning and it was all thanks to the best food-stylist in the universe, Matt Armendariz and his book "On a Stick!"... so if you are taking a look at this Matt-I hope you approve! Basically, I was thinking of those yummy fried bananas that were a guilty pleasure at Chinese restaurants back in the 80's, but which are oh-so passé now...which doesn't make them any less yummy! But I wanted to do something fun and cool and much lower fat... and I wanted it for breakfast!


There are only 2 steps to preparing these little treats. Step 1 is the easiest... take a small glass, about the same diameter as a banana and use it to stamp out little rounds from your bread. Sure- I had leftover wonderbread from making my berry dessert, I admit it! I am sure any bread will do- in fact, I can imagine a nice, nutty wholemeal bread going really well with banana! Step 2 is a little more detailed and it involves preparing a little flavored butter for us to toast our little rounds of bread in. I made this by melting a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan and adding a couple of slices of ginger and a couple of slices of orange peel to it. Keep the heat low, but stir the ginger and peel around in there for 2-3 minutes until it picks up the flavors and then set it aside until you have toasted the bread- which I do, as usual, in a dry Teflon pan. 

Once the bread is lightly brown on both sides, add a little of the infused butter and a very light sprinkle of sugar and stir until golden brown. The touch of sugar will caramelize and make the mini rounds of toast extra crunchy... delicious! Now thread them on to skewers, alternating with slices of banana. Return to the pan, add a little more butter, and get the edges of the toast crisped up too... clever, huh?



And that's it! Your fun little breakfast skewers are ready to be drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and slivers of pistachio! A sandwich on a stick and a salute to the inventor of the genre!

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