Lately I have been making a really strong effort to eat health- (y)(ier)(ish) and one of the ways I’ve been doing that is by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet. Additionally, I have also been keeping a calorie budget to make sure I don’t over-indulge on too much food throughout the day, especially sugar or fried foods (my guilty pleasure).
This recipe for pan seared banana with honey and salted caramel almonds is great for a few reasons. Not only does it taste addictingly sweet – how can you possibly go wrong with banana, honey and salted caramel almonds?, but it only weighs in at about 150 calories! Plus, it’s pretty easy to make, which is good for someone like me who doesn’t like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen –yet.(I’m starting to realize that this cooking stuff can actually be kinda fun, who knew?)
The recipe below is an adaptation of one that I found on Pinterest for fried honey bananas. However, instead of using coconut or olive oil, I use a butter flavored, zero-calorie cooking spray and then add some salted caramel almonds to the mix.
The result? Awesomeness.
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Ingredients: (Per Serving)
- One banana
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- Non stick spray
- 5 Almonds – I use the salted caramel almonds by Blue Diamond for a little extra flavor.
- Cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of honey and an equal amount of water.
Crush the almonds with the side of a spoon or butter knife, or whatever else works.
Slice the banana.
Heat frying pan up using one of the higher settings. You want the pan to be pretty hot, so it sears the banana quickly on each side.
Spray the pan and then place slices in the pan, making sure to keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
When the bananas reach your desired level of seardness, flip ’em over and toss in the almonds. Wait a minute, or two, for the almonds to get a little roasted and then add the honey/water/ mix and let it simmer for a few seconds. The whole process is pretty quick.
Remove from heat, plate and enjoy!
Total Calorie Break Down: 150 calories/serving
1 banana: ~100 calories
Honey: ~20 calories/teaspoon
5 Salted Caramel Almonds: 30 calories or 5.714 calories/almond
Cinnamon: 0 calories
Cooking Spray: 0 calories
Step Three: Pour 1 teaspoon of honey into a small bowl and mix in equal amount of water.
Step Four: Heat frying pan on a high heat and wait a few min – you want the pan to be pretty hot, so it sears the banana quickly on each side.
Step Five: Spray the pan with a non stick cooking spray and then place the slices of banana in the pan, making sure to keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
Step Six: When the bananas reach your desired level of ‘seardness’, flip ’em over and toss in the almonds and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Step Seven: Wait a minute, or two, for the almonds to get a little roasted and then add the honey/water mix and let it simmer for a few seconds.
