Banana fritters with cassava and cocoa nibs

My earliest memory of banana fritters comes from Olita who was our live in housekeeper when I was a child through to teenage years. It was all very civilised in that we all came home for lunch, i.e. all the kids and Dad. That was the big meal of the day and Olita from time to time would be making up banana fritters for desert, which have to be eaten fresh and hot. Hers were made with wheat flour and dusted with cinnamon sugar. Mine are, as is the Sun temple way, far healthier with no loss of their delicate flavour.

This is a great recipe to use up over ripe bananas which can be put in the freezer in their skins for exactly this sort of use. Frozen bananas are amazing I think, in that they loose none of their fresh flavour and cut through like butter straight from the freezer. They don’t peel very easily though, so cutting straight across does help.

I chose to serve these with cocoa nibs and grapefruit segments and the result was brilliant. The two partners contributed beautifully to the end result. The cocoa nibs add a bitter little crunch and the grapefruit a freshness.

Serves 2 very hungry people

50g porridge oats

150 ml water (you could use coconut water)

2 small bananas

 2 beaten eggs

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil

50g cassava flour (or wheat, quinoa, spelt)

pinch salt

sprinkle of grated cinnamon

1 tsp crumbled cocoa nibs

Put the oats and water in the bowl you will mix everything in, and microwave for 1 minute depending upon the strength of your microwave. You want to slightly cook the oats and have them absorb all the water. Chop up the banana and add it and all the ingredients except the cinnamon. Mix thoroughly squashing the banana as you go.

Heat up the coconut oil in a large frying pan and drop the batter in, in approximately heaped tablespoon size. Sprinkle on the cinnamon.

Flip after a few minutes when a quick peek tells you the first side has browned nicely. You really need to have the cocoa nibs and grapefruit segments ready as the fritters need to be served immediately.

These fritters are sweet enough to go without any further adornment, but Mark wanted some added sweetness so I used a splash of maple syrup. Please can I ask that you stay away from all the artificial syrups. They really are so bad for your temple. Stick with the real stuff like maple syrup, agave nectar, honey etc….if you feel the need.