If you're wondering what an acai bowl actually is then let me tell you in the simplest way. An acai bowl is basically just a really thick smoothie that you can make look pretty with a variety of different toppings of your choice - both for decorative purposes but also for added yummy-ness. Personally I love making acai bowls because not only are they full of goodness that our bodies love, they taste pretty good too. They're an energising and filling breakfast option also. You can be as adventurous as you want with ingredients or keep it minimal; the internet is not short on recipes.
My favourite acai bowl is the 'berry bowl'. It's super easy to make, tastes f*cking awesome, is definitely aesthetically pleasing on it's own (purpled-pink in colour) and let's not forget that it's completely healthy!
Ingredients:
- X2 frozen bananas.
- 1 cupful of frozen blueberries.
- 1/2 cupful of raspberries.
- 1 tbsp of chai seeds.
- 1/2 cupful of unsweetened almond milk.
Pretty basic ingredients right? Just incase anyone was wondering I will explain the ingredients. The bananas are essential to give the mixture a creaminess and are also packed with vitamin B6 which can help protect against type 2 diabetes. The blueberries are what give the mixture it's vibrant pinky-purple colour along with the raspberries and are great antioxidants and also a good source of fibre and copper. Plus they are one of my favourite fruits and give the 'nice cream' a sweeter taste. The raspberries are also great antidioxidants. The word frozen in the ingredients list is essential to produce the nice-cream effect; keeping the mixture thick and of the same consistency as ice cream. Chai seeds are used to add more texture to the mixture but also for their amazing health properties; highly nutritious, loaded with fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients. The almond milk makes it easier for the frozen fruits to blend, adds a slight 'nutty' taste that isn't strong enough to overpower the other ingredients and is the healthier alternative ingredient to using any dairy products.
When making my acai bowls I prefer for the 'smoothie' portion of the bowl to essentially be dairy-free ice-cream AKA 'nice-cream'. It's really easy to make; infact you can make one using just three simple steps.
STEP 1: Freeze your bananas and berries the night before so they are completely frozen by the next morning.
STEP 2: Add all of your ingredients into the blender.
STEP 3: BLEND - until a smooth but thick consistency.
Pour into a bowl of your choice and there you have it, your very own berry nice-cream! Now the fun part of decorating with toppings.... I chose to keep it simple adding some sliced strawberry pieces, a small handful of blueberries, some granola and cocoa shavings and to finish a sprinkle of oats.
Hope you enjoyed this little recipe..
Jodie
x
