sel et sucre

Tag: banana

  • Coconut Breakfast Quinoa

    coconut breakfast quinoa

    My parents are here visiting me in Buenos Aires, so it’s been a whirlwind taking them around to all the best sights and restaurants (and it’s also the reason why I didn’t post on Friday – whoops!). They get breakfast at their hotel though, so I’m on my own for fixing breakfast. Something quick and easy but healthy and filling is important to have enough energy to get me through until lunch with all the sight-seeing, and this coconut breakfast quinoa has been a great option. Coconut milk adds richness to the quinoa, which is similar to oatmeal in this preparation (not that I’ve given up on my favorite steel-cut oats), but with the added boost of quinoa’s higher fiber and protein – even more so if you include the optional chia seeds. This can be served warm or cold and can be adapted endlessly with your favorite fruits and nuts, and you can also use a different spice in place of cinnamon, if you’d like, or omit it altogether. Although it’s geared towards being a breakfast (and will give you a great start to your day), this would even make a delicious, healthy (vegan and gluten-free) dessert.

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  • Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

    frozen peanut butter chocolate banana bites

    Frozen bananas used to be a staple in my refrigerator for making “milkshakes” since their frozen consistency closely mimics that of ice cream. But now that I’m traveling and sadly without any method of blending, I’ve had to give up those tasty desserts. When a couple bananas were on the verge of being overripe recently, though, I cut them in slices and froze them without thinking about it. The frozen banana slices were good even eaten up plain, but I wanted something that was a bit more of a treat. So, with thoughts about my banana breakfast roll in the back of my head, I mixed up some peanut butter and honey (plus a little water to thin it out) and dipped them in that. And then, because peanut butter always calls out for some chocolate, I dipped them in a little melted chocolate, too. Dark chocolate is always my preference – here, I used a chocolate with 85% cocoa content that was too dark for eating out of hand but worked well with the creaminess of the banana and richness of the peanut butter. The result is decadent enough to satisfy an ice cream craving, while still being a healthy option. I like them in bite-sized form like this, but you can also cut the bananas in half and put them on a popsicle stick for something more closely resembling an ice cream bar.

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  • Banana Breakfast Roll

    banana breakfast roll

    I often find myself needing a quick yet filling breakfast to get me going in the morning, and I’ve posted a few of my usual breakfast recipes before. Well, here’s another recipe that fills the role quite nicely. A riff on the classic combination of banana and peanut butter, rolled in a mixture of oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, and cinnamon for a great source of protein and fiber to start your day. It accomplishes the trifecta I often strive for: simple, healthy, and delicious. This recipe can easily be customized based on what you have around – coconut flakes or finely chopped nuts would be a great addition, for example, or you could even use granola to roll in for an especially simple version.

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  • Banana Date Milkshake

    banana date milkshake

    I’ve been known to turn up my nose at traditionally healthy ingredients – I can’t stand when taste is sacrificed for health (my love is, above all, delicious food). But I feel like that’s been turned on its head over the past couple years as I’ve slowly discovered that healthy food often tastes better than its junky counterparts. As I’ve weaned myself off of processed food, I’ve found that desserts, in particular, despite being so often seen as the epitome of indulgence, are better off with minimal sugar and good quality ingredients.

    For the past few years, one of my favorite desserts has been what I call a banana milkshake. Frozen banana slices blended with milk result in a creamy delicious drink that I prefer to most traditional milkshakes made with ice cream. In the past, I’ve used honey to sweeten my milkshakes, but here I fall back on my experience studying in Lebanon where I tasted all kinds of delicious fresh juice blends and especially loved the ones where dates played a crucial role. This recipe is easily adapted – feel free to toss in some different fruits, add some spices, or change the proportions to your liking.

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  • Nutella Banana Muffins

    Nutella Banana Muffin

    I pretty much always have bananas around; they’re cheap, tasty, healthy, and a great snack when I know that dinner is still a couple hours off. But I sometimes end up buying more than I can eat and I’m tired of traditional banana bread, so I’ve been keeping my eyes open for other banana-enriched baked goods. These muffins are perfect for overripe bananas – rich and moist with just enough of a nutty chocolate flavor from the Nutella. This recipe makes quite a lot of muffins so be prepared to share.

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