Perhaps you can’t get enough of Avocado Toast, or perhaps you are just fed up with all the hype! Perhaps you view it as a generational thing, given how much grief millennials have been getting about it.
I happen to think Avocado Toast is delicious, especially when topped with some tomatoes and basil (see here for some great variation on this theme). but avocados don’t come cheap. They are one of the pricier produce out there, and it seems that they are not the best choice environmentally speaking either.
So, to offer an alternative to the Avocado Toast craze, I offer you Banana Toast! Cheaper than chips and easy to make. Plus, unlike Avocado Toast that may not work with things like chocolate chips, Banana Toast is friends with chocolate, cinnamon, raisins, craisins, coconut flakes, different protein powders (if you like to mix them in with the banana) and all that good stuff!
All you need is a good piece of bread – I love sprouted kinds – and a fork to mush that banana. Spread the love and accessorize!
Banana Toast, via Eat the Vegan Rainbow
Banana Toast
1 SERVING
What you’ll need:
1 banana
2 pieces of bread (whole grain and/or sprouted recommended)
Optional: any topping of your choosing (raisins, craisins, chocolate chips, cinnamon, coconut flakes, brown sugar,…)
What you’ll do:
Toast the bread.
While bread is toasting, mash the banana with the fork until well mashed.
Spread the mashed banana over the toast, and top with any topping of your choice and enjoy!
Reboot Smoothie with Blueberries, Peanut Butter Powder, and Oatmeal, via Eat the Vegan Rainbow
Some of you may know that I am not a real food blogger – and by real I mean a person who does food blogging, recipe development, food photography and cookbook writing full time. I started blogging about two years ago as a way to share some of the recipes I’ve been enjoying. For me, this was a way to combine my love for cooking and my love for writing. But: I do have another huge love in my life, one that overshadow all else, and it is love of science, especially the kind of science done at the interface of chemistry and biology. So, my real job is guiding one of the best chemical biology programs on the planet.
This job comes with an opportunity to travel to meet other scientists in the field, so we can share and learn from each other. Recently, I went on a trip which scientifically I enjoyed very much! However, the plane rides were bumpy, and they were delays, and stress, and long flights, and really limited food options at the airports. Which means that for couple of days my diet was OK, but not great. Plus: I tend to eat too much when I travel. Snacking helps pass the time, and although I know it is not healthy, it is what I do.
By the time I get back home, I am usually beyond exhausted sometimes due to the trip itself, but oftentimes because the amounts of salt, fat and sugar I consumed. That’s why I developed this wonderful smoothie to help me reboot and rebalance myself.
The smoothie comes together in a snap, like they all do, and uses blueberries, bananas, oatmeal and peanut butter powder. The peanut butter powder is something that you can now find in your local grocery store. It is made from roasted peanuts after all the oil haas been removed, which means that it has less calories and less fat, but more protein per serving than peanut butter. This powder retains all of the peanut aroma, and you can use it for smoothies, baking and even cooking things like Pad Thai. I like using it in this smoothie because it adds a nice punch of protein to it.
Bananas are an essential smoothie ingredient, no matter what. They add sweetness and creaminess to it, and make the smoothies rich, so much so that you will think you are getting spoiled. If you do not like bananas, this smoothie can be made with roasted sweet potatoes (yummy!), and even canned pumpkin purée. Bananas are full of vitamin B6, which is the essential cofactor of many enzymes that regulate our metabolism, and when it comes to vitamin B6 one banana goes a long way (more than 30% of your daily value)!
Blueberries are also key to the final flavor, and I recommend that, if you can, get frozen wild blueberries, preferably from Maine. This, of course may not be possible where you live so you can use any blueberries you have on hand, or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or sweet cherries for that matter. The fruit you use can certainly be bought frozen, and I do this all the time as it ensures I have perfect fruit ready to go for whenever I need a smoothie. You can also use fresh in which case you may want to add a couple of ice cubes into your smoothie mix before blending if you prefer your smoothies icy cold.
Finally, just a bit of oatmeal will enhance the creaminess, and add more sustaining power to the smoothie. One serving will fuel you for a while!
One note on the blenders and the order in which you add the ingredients. Some of you may have industrial strength blenders that can handle anything. The one I have is good, but not fantastic and for my blender to work well I have to add liquids first, then things that are softer, then things that are harder. The order below is based on this principle, and you don’t need to follow it unless you have the kind of finicky blender I have.
Reboot smoothie with blueberries, peanut butter powder, and oatmeal, via Eat the Vegan Rainbow
Reboot Smoothie with Blueberries, Bananas, Oatmeal and Peanut Butter
What you’ll need for one very generous single serving or two smaller ones
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened, vanilla flavor or plain)
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons peanut butter powder
What you’ll do:
Place the almond milk, chopped banana, blueberries, oatmeal and peanut butter powder into a blender. Close the lid and blend until smooth. Let the blended mix sit for about 10 minutes to allow the oatmeal to soak and soften. Then pour it out and enjoy!
Eat the Vegan Rainbow 