banana – Adeline Alley

If you are on Instagram, you have surely seen millions of perfectly staged pictures of smoothie bowls. Never once did the thought of pouring my smoothie into a cereal bowl and eating it with a spoon appeal to me. Just drink it like a normal person! But finally I realized a few good things about the bowl concept. First, you can arguably make a lot more of the smoothie–never a bad thing in my book. You can also put lots of crunchy, delicious toppings on it, making it feel like more of a meal than just a drink on the go. This morning I decided to take the leap. I made one of my favorite smoothie combos slightly thicker than usual and loaded on the toppings. The result? Absolutely delicious. I’m a believer.

Creamy Green Smoothie Bowl

-1 c kale (or spinach)

-1/2 avocado

-1/2 banana

-spoonful of peanut butter

-squeeze of honey

-1/2 c to 1 c almond milk

-toppings: shredded coconut, crushed plantain chips, toasted almonds (or anything you like)

Blend everything but the toppings and pour it in a bowl. Place the toppings on–arranged in lines, obviously for Insta. 😉

I’ve been seeing different recipes for these banana “pancakes” floating around the blog-o-sphere for while now, and to put it nicely I was skeptical. With only three main ingredients–bananas, eggs, and baking powder–these didn’t sound too appealing to me, but everyone was making them! And it wasn’t just the health nuts anymore! I had to try them, and…they’re awesome! Ok, they definitely aren’t your average pancake, but they’re warm and fluffy with a delicately sweet flavor. Plus you can add in any extras that you like–I like to add a little vanilla extract to mine and top them with toasted walnuts or berries. Hop on the bandwagon; it’s a good one!

Banana Pancakes

-1/2 banana

-1 egg

-2 pinches baking powder

-1 pinch salt

-butter or Earth Balance as needed for cooking

-syrup, nuts, berries, etc. to top

In a shallow bowl, smash the banana until completely smooth. Then mix in the baking powder and salt. Next add the egg and mix well. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add butter or Earth Balance and cook your pancakes. I usually get about six silver dollar sized pancakes out of one batch. Your pancakes will not form bubbles on the top to tell you when to flip them, so make sure you keep an eye on them! Serve with syrup, toasted nuts, berries, or whatever sounds good to you! Enjoy!