Banana Spring Rolls!

Well, the day that I never thought would come has indeed come. My beautiful little B is refusing her bananas, the cooked ones that is. She will eat them uncooked (she has one or two small slices each day) but any more than her "alloted" one or two slices will give her issues for days--- severe diarrhea, mucous diapers, reflux, the whole nine. So we are stuck! She has a limited amount of safe foods and with her refusing to eat many of them lately, I think it is time to dust off the measuring cups and go back to the drawing board. . . er, cutting board rather. . . once more. So tonight I bring you the first of several new variations-- banana spring rolls!!! (These are similar to Turon, a dish from the Philippines).

Pseudo Spring Roll Wrappers

3/4 cup Millet flour (sorghum or masa should also be fine)

1/2 cup Coconut flour (again, sorghum, millet or masa should also be fine)

1 5/8 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder or baking soda or arrowroot

Mix all dry ingredients together well. Add water and mix until no lumps remain in the batter. Batter will be very thing-- it will almost seem too thin. Set aside to rest for 15-20 minutes. 

While batter is resting, heat a skillet to med low-low heat. Be sure that your skillet is free of imperfection (no nicks, no peeling, etc). Have a wet but not dripping linen towel on hand. Other tools: a spatula safe for the skillet and a silicone basting brush.  I also prepared several squares of damp paper towels (you will place these between the wrappers when stacking them on a plate). Have a plate ready for the wrappers to cool on.

Once you are set up and ready to go, wipe the skillet with the wet kitchen towel until the "sizzling" sound reduces (you will still hear it, it will just be quieter). Set the towel aside. take the basting brush and begin "painting" batter on the skillet. If the batter doesn't cover completely, no worries, just go over it again. You want to make thin, even layers of batter (when wrapper has cooked, you should be able to see through it). The wrappers don't take long at all to cook; once you notice the wrapper "drying" in the skillet, gently pick it up with the spatula and flip it over. Once fully cooked on each side (will be white not brown!) place on top of a damp paper towel square on your plate. Scrape any leftover wrapper off of the pan so that your pan is clean again and start over. One batch should make at least 8-10 wrappers roughly the size of small soft tacos.  As you set the finished wrappers aside, be sure to layer the damp paper towels in between each. Cover them once completed-- you want them to be soft and pliable for the banana wrapping!!!!

Banana Rolls!

8-10 of the wrappers from above

2 large ripe bananas (be sure to use the light brown speckled ones!!!)

2 Tbsp of oil (I used canola with some and then used half and half of canola and coconut for some others)

1 cup of coconut sugar (brown sugar or maple sugar would also work quite nicely)

Shredded coconut OR quinoa flakes OR oats (all optional, I used the coconut flakes)

Cut each banana lengthwise in half and then cut each length into thirds. Wrap banana chunks (as B calls them!) in the following manner: place banana in the lower end of the wrapper. Sprinkle your sugar of choice over top of the banana (use your own discretion). Roll up the bananas like a burrito, rolling once, closing the ends in, and then completing the roll. Wet your fingers with water and dab the rolls gently to seal the ends and all seams. PREPARE ALL ROLLS IN ADVANCE OF THE COOKING!!!! Grab a pair of tongs and set aside! 

Heat the oil on low heat (especially if you are using coconut oil). Once heated, place a banana roll in the oil (with tongs!). Cook on both sides and remove from the skillet once nicely browned. If you use coconut oil, it will brown a bit darker. Roll each roll in coconut flakes (or quinoa flakes or oats) if desired and set aside on parchment paper. Repeat with all rolls. 

You can serve them just like this, but if your little one is like B and needs the banana to be fully cooked, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, line up the little rolls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes, uncovered. I knew they were cooked when the bananas felt mushy inside of the rolls (I pressed the rolls gently). These are a sweet treat, so serving them with ice cream or even by themselves would make a lovely treat or dessert. 

Enjoy! Indulge! There will be more recipes to come-- hopefully ones that are slightly healthier!!!