50 banana leaf recipes

Chicken thighs poached with cumin and oregano, rubbed with spice paste, then pan-fried until crisp. Served in a tangy onion broth with banana peppers and apple cider vinegar.

Packed with vegetables, this puffy frittata makes a comforting meatless supper on a cold winter night.

Spiced Lentils with Apple Crisps and Curried Yogurt recipe

Grilled oysters on the half shell drenched in a rich curry cream sauce made with homemade fish fumet, topped with a tropical red banana salsa spiked with serrano chiles, tamarind, and fresh mint. A showstopper.

Southern-style no-bean chili with 4 lbs of beef, banana peppers, and a 3-hour simmer in beef stock with barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and a deep spice blend. Bold and beanless.

Banana and bacon sandwich layers crushed banana, crisp bacon bits, and minced apple between buttered bread with a lettuce leaf. A retro Southern lunch ready in 5 minutes flat.

Beet pesto blends roasted beets and sauteed beet greens with toasted walnuts, garlic, banana pepper, and red onion. Vibrant magenta vegetarian pasta sauce or spread that uses the whole beet, root to leaf.

Classic banana bread with three mashed bananas, eggs, and a no-frills batter that bakes into a tender loaf with a crackled top. The simple banana loaf grandma made.

Oatmeal banana walnut bread, a hearty banana loaf with quick oats stirred in for chew, creamed butter and brown sugar for richness, and walnuts for crunch. Moist, wholesome, and great toasted.

Hallacas are Venezuela's Christmas tamales: beef, pork, chickpeas, olives, raisins, and capers wrapped in cornmeal dough and banana leaves, then boiled. Holiday tradition in every bite.

Yeast-risen banana pecan bread with mashed bananas, evaporated milk, chopped pecans, and a cinnamon-sugar topping. A soft sandwich-style banana loaf, not a quickbread.

Friendship banana bread made with Amish friendship starter for extra tang and moisture, plus walnuts and a choice of orange zest or vanilla. A sourdough-style banana loaf.

Moist banana loaf cake studded with grated bittersweet chocolate, dusted with powdered sugar. Uses ripe bananas, half-and-half, and real butter for a rich, tender crumb.

Pateles are Puerto Rican green banana tamales: grated green banana and potato dough wrapped around achiote-spiced pork in banana leaves, then boiled until tender. Holiday tradition across the Caribbean and beyond.

Banana bread made with Grape-Nuts cereal for crunch, egg substitute, buttermilk, and corn syrup. A lower-fat banana loaf with nutty texture and no butter or oil needed.

Pollo pibil: chicken quarters rubbed with Yucatan recado colorado, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-baked until the meat falls apart. A Mayan pit-roasting tradition adapted for the home oven.