Tag: blueberries

  • Beetroot & blueberry smoothie bowl

    I tend to have food phases, where I eat lots of the same type of food for some time, then move on to something else, and return to it some time later.

    A while ago I was eating about 500g of fresh tomatoes with roasted pumpkin seeds every morning.

    Now, it’s red smoothie bowls. The basic recipe: a basis of cooked beetroot, berries and an apple. Sweeten with dried fruits or a piece of banana. Top with banana, pure cacao and more fruits.

    I buy the ingredients from the store; beetroots precooked and berries frozen. This way, my meal is ready to go in a matter of minutes.

    It’s a great feeling starting off my day with half the daily recommended dose of fruits and veggies already down! (And, tip for parents: my 2-year old daughter loves smoothies too!)

    Red beetroot blueberries smoothie bowl:

    • 2 cooked red beetroots
    • 2 handfuls of frozen blueberries
    • 1 apple
    • 3 dried apricots, prunes, or dates (more or less to taste)
    • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (nuts work as well)
    • Optionally: 1 tablespoon flax seed if you need extra fiber
    • Just enough water so that your blender will run smoothly

    Cut the larger ingredients in blender-suitable pieces and… go!

    Top with whatever you have in stock, more fruits, cacao, crunchy muesli, oats, nuts or seeds.

    Pro tip: add Yogi Tea Curcuma Chai spices by cutting open the tea bag 😁.

    Enjoy!

     

  • Frozen fruit, blender… ice cream deluxe

    Frozen fruit, blender… ice cream deluxe

    This is just incredible. So easy, delicious and dare I say… healthy! Definitely a winner.

    It started when I wanted to recreate vanilla ice from frozen banana slices. I simply put the banana slices in the blender, added cream and vanilla flavor and.. wow! It worked!

    For this variety, I used frozen mango, blueberries and raspberries but really you could use anything your freezer (or the one at the supermarket) has to offer.

    I put them in the blender together with some thick coconut cream. For the cream, use santen (creamed coconut) and add some hot water so it becomes thick but fluid, like cream.

    The trick is to use the ice cube function or simply pulse your blender and to work quickly. Use a wooden or plastic spoon (metal will damage the blender blade) to quickly stir the fruit in the blender after every few pulses, creating a rather homogenous blend. So pulse-stir, pulse-stir, work quickly before the ice cream melts.

    Any leftover coconut cream can be used as topping alongside some beautiful berries and mint leaves.

    I really, really love this ice cream and am amazed that it takes nothing more than real fruits, a spoonful of coconut cream and 5 minutes of my time.

  • Blueberry banana overnight oats

    Blueberry banana overnight oats

    A new craze: overnight oats with topping. Dear friend Eva (check her out here: evennaareva.com) served it last week when we had breakfast together.

    The basics: soak oats overnight in water or some ‘milk’ (almond, rice, coconut). When using water, you may find that adding a bit of honey and salt or vanilla sugar may improve the taste. I like to add dried coconut and chia seeds as well and leave that in the fridge overnight.

    Good to know: oats contain phytic acid (fytinezuur), which inhibits the uptake of nutrients in your body. So phytic acid is not something we want. Actually, the whole idea of overnight oats is to pre-digest them, making them more beneficial for the body. Adding acids such as fresh fruits, a squeeze of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to your oats before soaking overnight will aid this pre-digestion and hence help you benefit more from the other foods you eat! Many overnight oat recipes skip this, but it is actually pretty essential to the whole thing ;).

    Next morning, add toppings to your liking. My favorites from this recipe: apple, banana, blueberries, nuts, raisins, flaxseed and pumpkin seeds. Super nice bonus: thick coconut milk. But I keep that one for extra special mornings :).

    Recipe for blueberry banana overnight oats:

    In the evening, mix together:

    • Oats
    • Chia seeds
    • Coconut
    • Water or veggie ‘milk’
    • Optional: salt/honey/vanilla/sugar/some syrup/cinnamon
    • Something acidic (I use lemon juice)

    Next morning, add:

    • Freshly cut fruits (apple, banana, blueberries)
    • Raisins
    • Seeds and nuts
    • Cinnamon
    • Cacao

    There are no measurements here as I truly don’t measure often. Just play around and you’ll be fine!

    When in doubt about the amount of fluid, here’s a hint: you can always add but it’s hard to discard (well and just a pity).

    Hmmmm ?