A Cookable Feast

Happy Saturday, guys! SATURDAYYYYY!

Heralding Saturday as amazing is not a revolutionary declaration, I know. Most of us are pretty damn into today. I’m especially excited because here in the D, we’re supposed to have a temperature high of 60 degrees today – 60! In February! Heck yes I will be spending as much time as possible outside today!

And to top it off, I’m presenting an incredibly healthful + scrumptious breakfast recipe that will get us all revving high and ready to take on this beautiful day. Say hiya to the Turmeric-Kissed Date and Banana Smoothie Bowl with Sliced Avocado!!!

Why is this smoothie bowl so rad? It’s naturally sweetened with fruit – no processed sugar added, just bananas and dried medjool dates (BTW if you haven’t indulged in them yet, dates = seriously a healthful snack option right down from heaven. I love dunking them in nut butter). It contains turmeric, that bright spice heralded for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. And it’s got avocado, which in addition to being incredibly melt-in-your-mouth delectable is a plentiful source of healthy fats and goodies such as potassium, Vitamin K, and B vitamins.

(I’ll take any excuse to eat an avocado, especially at this time of year, as warm weather looms tantalizingly within reach and all I can think about is scarfing guacamole pool-side.)

The other smoothie toppings are all goodies, too, especially the chia seeds, which are packed with nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acid, high in fiber, and contain anti-inflammatory benefits. Yes, yes, and yes, please!

One tip that can make your smoothie-bowl experience more enjoyable: as mentioned in the recent Chocolate Coconut Banana Smoothie Bowl post, I find it incredibly helpful to use a frozen bowl – a bowl that’s been in the freezer at least overnight. It makes a world of difference in warding off smoothie soup-i-ness. I also like to have all of my toppings out and ready to go before I blend the smoothie so that when it’s ready, I can jump in and quickly top it before it starts to melt.

Another hack I find helpful when my dried dates are not as moist and sticky as they are when I first buy them is to soak them in a bowl of hot water for at least 10 minutes before throwing them in the blender. This will make them easier for the blender to pulverize.

OK, on to the recipe and the weekend and glorious smoothie-bowl goodness!

Turmeric-Kissed Date and Banana Smoothie Bowl with Sliced Avocado

-2 frozen bananas

-1 cup almond milk or other nut milk

-3 medjool dates

-1 tbs. unsweetened almond butter

-1/2 tsp. dried ground turmeric

-1 sliced avocado

-2 tbs. sliced almonds

-1 tbs. thick-shaved, unsweetened coconut

-1 tbs. chia seeds

Blend the bananas, milk, dates, almond butter, and turmeric in a blender until smooth. Pour into your frozen bowl and top with the sliced avocado, almonds, coconut, and chia seeds in whatever fun, fancy design you desire. And you’re done! Enjoy the boost of healthy, plant-powered energy!