Banana Skin Bacon

 I was very sceptical when I first made this recipe but as it only called for banana skins which were bound for the bin and a few store cupboard ingredients, it was worth a try.
Being mainly vegetarian we do sometimes miss the salty chewy savouriness of meat in our recipes and believe it or not, this recipe goes a long way to satisfying that need.
Don’t take our word for it, eat a couple of bananas and try it for yourself.

Ingredients
Skins from 2 bananas
1 desert spoon oil
1-2 desert spoons maple syrup
3 desert spoons soy sauce
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Method
Prepare the marinade by mixing all ingredients except the banana skins in a bowl.
Scrape the banana skins gently with a teaspoon to remove the remaining flesh, leaving just the skins. Cut each skin into approx. six strips our whatever size you require for your recipe.
Marinate for at least 10 mins or up to several hours. Longer seems to be better.
Heat some oil in a pan and fry on each side for a few minutes until they begin to bubble and crisp up. They will become crispier as they cool.

We have used these with salad, in a wrap, in sandwiches and sprinkled onto pasta. The possibilities are endless. The paprika adds a smokiness and the saltiness of the soy sauce really is reminiscent of crispy bacon or bbq pork.