Day 1: Going Bananas!

Steve:  Challenging me to come up with something new when cooking is an excellent way to get me motivated, and so when Heather and I came up with this creativity challenge, I was excited to get my first ingredient and get moving.  I have been known to come up with some strange things before, but I knew that this would take me even farther out of my culinary comfort zone which is kind of the idea.  Therefore, we present the first ingredient...

Day 1:  Bananas

When I first heard the ingredient I have to admit that I was a little unnerved.  It wasn't because I was scared to use bananas, but because I didn't want to make a dessert on the first day, and I have never seen bananas used in any other way.  I became determined to do something else with the banana, and started to think about savory foods that might go well with this fruit.  It was then that I remembered my years at Ruby Tuesday.

The banana is similar in texture to an avocado, but has a little more sweetness to it.  If I used the banana in the same way as an avocado, then maybe I would have success.  When I worked at RT we had a Turkey burger with slices of avocado on it.  That was it.  I was inspired.

Day 1 Ingredients:

1-1.5 lb Ground Turkey
3/4 cup Diced Onion
1 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs
4 Strips Crumbled Bacon
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Bananas Mashed



Directions could not be easier.  Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with hands until well combined.  Place mixture into sprayed (cooking spray) loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a food thermometer shows 165 degrees internal temperature. 

Remove from oven and let rest for at least 30 minutes.  This will help juices redistribute into the loaf.  To reheat, place skillet on med-high heat and heat both sides for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown. 

Day 1 Meal:  Turkey Banana Meatloaf with Honey Mustard Sauce and a Side of Broccoli

I know what you are saying...GROSS!  But it isn't.  It is actually pretty good.  At least I think so.  There was something about it, that made me just want to keep eating.  You can definitely taste and smell the banana, but the smokiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the fruit works really well especially with the blandness of the ground turkey.  The honey mustard sauce, which I made by putting 1 TBSP Honey with 3 TBSP Mustard and mixing with a little salt and pepper is a great compliment to it.  I think it actually brings out the flavor the banana a little more which isn't a bad thing. 

Heather will be grading on a star system from 1-5 stars, 5 being the highest.  I can't wait to hear her comments.

Heather:
Taste: 3 1/2  STARS; Creativity: 5 STARS

Well, it was definitely a taste explosion! When I first saw the plate I thought the sauce had the banana, but knowing my husband is much more creative than that, I asked if it was banana meatloaf...and when he said yes I was amazed. There were so many different flavors going on, my senses were overloaded. I think there may have been too many powerful ingredients by having bacon, banana and honey mustard. This recipe fulfilled the challenge, however I do not recommend it for our family cookbook. :)