Acai Bowl

 

It was inevitable that I would make an acai bowl at some point, right? Acai is regarded as a superfood for its antioxidants; I don’t think it has more than most berries, though it does have less sugar. For this recipe, I didn’t freeze all the fruit, because I felt like the mixture would be too stiff, but as a result my smoothie bowl was actually too liquid. I guess you should follow instructions; just remember that you need enough liquid in your blender to get things moving.

1 banana - sliced and frozen
½ cup blueberries - frozen
½ cup strawberries - frozen
¾ cup milk or juice - use your favorite milk (lactose-free dairy milk, soy, almond, etc.) or juice (apple or grape)
½ cup lactose-free plain yogurt - (substitute with lactose-free milk or juice if desired)
200 g (2 packets) frozen acai purée - broken into pieces
assorted toppings - nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, granola, coconut, etc.

If you haven’t done so ahead of time, slice your banana and transfer it to a small baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper. To the same plate, add the blueberries and strawberries (store-bought frozen fruit will work just as well). Transfer tray or plate to the freezer and allow fruit to freeze completely.

Put the milk and yogurt in the bowl of a large, high-speed blender with a tamper (I have a Vitamix). Add the frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, and broken up acai. With the blender on low, use the tamper to push the frozen fruit down, mixing around as much as possible. Continue to blend on low until smooth, only adding additional liquid when needed.

Divide the smoothie into two bowls and top with all your favorite toppings. Popular additions include sliced banana, nuts, seeds, granola, and berries. Serve immediately.