Açaí Bowl
The first time I had an açaí bowl was while visiting Oahu a few years back for my niece Cristen's wedding. (It was also the first time I enjoyed a poke bowl!) Now one can't walk down the streets of New York City, LA, even our little village of Nyack without spotting signs for the Brazilian super fruit. The best one I've had this side of the Pacific was at Nekter in Costa Mesa (where I was staying with my brother and sister-in-law last August). Catherine and I would stop in every morning on our way to Occidental to visit Bella and Max. We were addicted. My favorite was the Açaí Peanut Butter bowl. The recipe below is my interpretation of the delicious Nekter creation. Once we returned to New York, I made sure the freezer was well stocked with unsweetened frozen açaí packs. Bella had been making açaí smoothies over the summer, so we had a few packs. Now we have no less than 2 bags at all times. I'll warn you, it's super cold--it's basically a smoothie in a bowl--but this super food is super good!
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the açaí bowl:
2 frozen unsweetened açaí packets
1/2 cup almond milk or coconut water
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
1 handful of kale or spinach
1 teaspoon of agave nectar, maple syrup or honey for sweetening
For the toppings:
Granola (I use my favorite Hungry Granola, which has coconut flakes, dates, chia seeds, oats, raisins, etc.)
Mixed berries and sliced banana
Preparation
Add the almond milk or coconut water, banana, açaí, and blueberries to a blender. Blend on low speed until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Transfer to a bowl and add toppings.
