Late at night a couple months ago, Mallory got a text from an old friend that read:
vegan bbq banana peel sandwiches
What? Mallory responded.
you’re welcome.
A minute goes by.
“Oh my god. I’ve been throwing away sandwiches my entire life.”
And thus began our quick realization that banana peels aren’t just for MarioKart anymore, but are an actual source of sustenance in the parts of the world where they are grown, particularly Venezuela and Brazil. It’s known as carne mechada (what a wonderful phrase!) and it is delicious! We mostly used this recipe at The Stingy Vegan as a stepping off point, but tweaked a few things and it turned out great.
Now, here’s what’s gonna happen. You’re gonna text your friends late at night and say “vegan bbq banana peel sandwiches” and they’re gonna say “what?” And then you say “We’re making them them tomorrow night. You should too!” And they’re gonna say “I’m so nervous,” but you’re gonna say “Do it. Come on!” and they’ll say “okay.” Then you’re gonna make ‘em the next night and find out that they’re actually delicious but when you text your friends and ask if they made ‘em, too, they’re gonna say “Ahhh! I was too nervous.” But it’ll be okay because you’ll have a belly full of carne mechada and an empty compost bin.
We aren't here to tell you how to live your life. But remember, for every banana peel that gets turned into a sandwich, that's one less angel that slips on it in Heaven.
Banana Peel Sandwiches (because haste makes waste, but waste makes sandwiches)
Makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients:
Carne Mechada:
4 medium to large organic banana peels
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1-2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 medium onion, diced
1 tsp high heat oil
BBQ Sauce:
3 TBSP ketchup
2 tsp liquid aminos or 1 tsp tamari
1 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 TBSP Maple Syrup OR 1 TBSP brown sugar
pinch smoked paprika
1/2 tsp hot sauce of choice (preferably Frank’s Red Hot)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp worchestire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
black pepper to taste
Tahini Coleslaw:
2 Cups Shredded Cabbage
1 medium-large carrot, shredded
1-2 green onion, sliced
1 1/2 TBSP tahini
1/2 lemon
1 TBSP water
salt and pepper to taste
2 GF buns or 4 slices GF bread of choice (or regular bread!)
Instructions:
1. Peel your bananas! Eat the bananas, or save them for a smoothie, or do whatever normal people do to with the normal part of the banana. Now, "skin" the inside of the banana peel with the side of a fork to remove the white fleshy part that sticks to the peel (see pic).
Then, take that same fork, prick the peel prongs down, and slide it down the peel, cutting it into shreds (see this pic). Chop the long strands into shorter strands and place into a small bowl.
2. Dump remaining mechada ingredients into bowl except onion and high heat oil (peanut or avocado) with peels and mix well. Set aside.
3. Mix together ingredients for BBQ sauce (or just used some bottled stuff you have in the back of your fridge!). Set aside. It should create a scant cup.
4. Combine veggies for coleslaw. Then, in a smaller bowl, combine tahini, water, lemon and salt & pepper. Mix into veggies. Add S&P to taste. Set aside.
5. Heat a medium frying pan on medium-high heat. Add high heat oil. Sauté onions for 2 minutes. Then add mechada. Stir. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to start browning. Then, add 1-2 TBSP water, cover for 1 minute (this allows the peels to soften). Uncover and continue to sauté for 5 minutes. You may want to occasionally taste test to make sure the peels aren't getting too soft (or mushy)-- you want to maintain a bit of resistance (as with life).
6. Dump in 1/2-3/4 of the sauce and stir well to coat. Heat another minute til hot and well coated.
7. Place carne mechada on your bread of choice, topped with coleslaw. You may want to add mayo, if you're into that sort of thing. Then, eat it all gone and send a friend a cryptic text about eating banana peels.