Banana pancakes with berry sauce and fresh blueberries

So all of you have probably heard of the simple two-ingredient banana pancakes right? I have always wanted to give them a try, but for some reason I have just never gotten around to it. This morning I had some extra time before my lectures and decided to give the banana pancakes a try. I added a couple of extra ingredients to make them extra fluffy and filling and they turned out so good! I only very rarely make pancakes, but that’s definitely about to change, these pancakes are so fast and easy to make + they are super healthy and filling, haha pure pancake win! ;D

 

Recipe – 2 servings:

4 eggs

2 bananas

1 cup oats

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla powder

Coconut oil to cook the pancakes in

Directions:

1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth
2. Heat a non-stick pan - I prefer to make them on high heat - and add a little coconut oil. When the oil has melted pour a circle of the pancake batter onto the pan, I used about 3 tablespoons per pancake
3. Cook the pancake for about a minute or two until it is golden brown on the underside - flip it - and give it about a minute on the other side. The cooking time depends on how thick you make your pancakes
4. I choose to top my pancakes with lots of berry sauce (I added a lot more after the picture was taken) and fresh blueberries. To make the berry sauce just blend your berries of choice (I used a frozen mix of blueberries, red and black currants, strawberries and blackberries) with plain skyr/quark/yoghurt – I like to use berries that are a bit sour as it complements the sweet pancakes nicely
5. Enjoy!

Eat the rainbow

Chia overnight oats

Most of you probably already know of chia overnight oats, but if you're unfamiliar with the concept let me give you a quick introduction. Chia overnight oats are just oats, chia seeds and milk that you combine in a jar (or whatever container you’d like) and let soak overnight in the fridge to allow it to absorb the milk - there is absolutely no cooking needed! In the morning you just stir the base, add your toppings of choice and it is ready to eat, nice and easy right?

This is the perfect breakfast for me because I’m always running late (haha I love the snooze button way too much, I’m definitely not a morning person!), but I’m also one of those people who LOVES breakfast and absolutely cannot function without it. This is why overnight oats are perfect – I can prepare them the night before and actually have the time to eat some proper breakfast in the morning - and since its in a jar I can eat it on the go if I’m really late ;)

As you can tell I’m a big fan of overnight oats and this is not just because of how convenient and delicious it is, it is also very nutritious and filling. Oats are high in fibre and protein, milk is high in calcium, protein and potassium and don’t even get me started on the chia seeds - a true superfood! Chia seeds are very high in omega 3, fibre, protein, calcium, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin B and furthermore they can absorb up to 12 times their own weight in liquid, which is great for maintaining hydration and it also makes you feel full longer (great for weight loss).

 

Another reason that I love making overnight oats is that the possibilities are pretty much endless when it comes to toppings, you can basically add whatever you have available to the base. I will share a couple of my favorite combinations, but first lets start off with the recipe for the base:

Ingredients:

½ cup oats

2 tbsps. Chia seeds

1 cup milk

Sweetener of choice (stevia, honey, agave etc.) – optional

Pure vanilla powder – optional

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients, mix well and let it soak in the fridge overnight. Remember that the chia seeds soak up a lot of liquid, so don’t worry if it’s very thin.
2. I always add some form of sweetener, but it isn’t necessary and depends on your taste and how you like your oats.  
3. There is no cooking needed, in the morning you just stir the base and if it is too thick you add some more milk - I love to mix in some yoghurt to make it more creamy - and if it’s too thin then add a little more chia seeds. 
4. When the base is just right add your toppings of choice and it is ready to eat. You can mix in the toppings with the base the night before to save time, there are however a couple of things that in my opinion do not do well being soaked overnight – like bananas for example, I always wait to add them until the morning. 

Blueberry/vanilla/banana overnight oats

Simply add half a teaspoon pure vanilla powder (I add this to the base at night), 1/3 cup blueberries and 1/2 a banana (chopped) to the base and mix it well, enjoy!

Tropical mango/coconut/passion fruit overnight oats

Add 1/2 a chopped mango (can be added the night before to save time in the morning) 1 passion fruit and raw shredded coconut to the base and mix well.

Simple raspberry overnight oats

Add 1/2 cup of raspberries to the base (can be added the night before), mix well and enjoy :)

 

Berry love

Super antioxidant smoothie

Hi lovelies! I wanted to share the recipe for the berry smoothie bowl I made for breakfast this morning with you - not only does it taste amazing (haha I feel stupid writing that since I’m the one who made it), but it is also loaded with antioxidants and other goodies. Antioxidants have so many health benefits, they are anti-inflammatory, boosts the immune system and are even believed to lower the risk of cancer as they block the activity of free radicals, which have the potential to cause damage to cells, including such damage that may lead to cancer.

Another benefit of antioxidants are their anti-aging effects, and I do not just talk about anti-aging as in wrinkles and such related to appearance, studies have shown that the consumption of antioxidants may help prevent or even reverse memory loss.

Antioxidants furthermore works as a natural protection for your skin as antioxidants can help to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. Antioxidants can help protect your skin from the inside out by guarding your cells from damage, but this doesn’t mean that they can replace sunscreen though ;)

Ingredients:

2 bananas

¼ cup goji berries

½ cup blueberries

¼ cup pomegranate

5 strawberries

1 tbsp. acai powder

½ cup water

Pure vanilla powder & stevia to taste - optional

Directions:

Just blend it all together and enjoy! You can either drink it like a regular smoothie or make a smoothie bowl like the one pictured, I topped it with raw shredded coconut, strawberries, pomegranate, goji berries, blueberries and chia seed.

Healthy treat - dark chocolate, medjool dates and banana boats topped with berry mash

A little inspiration for a healthy treat; the banana bites are topped with raspberries mashed with a little honey, chia seeds and pomegranate. I have a major sweet tooth and snacks like this really helps me kick the cravings, so I don't binge on things full of processed sugar and chemicals - haha it doesn't always work though ;)

Love

Acai bowls and magazines = the best!

Recipe:

Blend 3 bananas (1 frozen), 1 cup mixed berries, 2 tbsp. acai powder (available online and in most health stores) and a little water to blend. 

Topped with muesli, pomegranate and blueberries  

Fruity banana split

This healthy snack is as easy as it get - you to cut a banana in half, drizzle it with a little honey or agave and top it 

with whatever fruit you like and have available. Enjoy! 

Raw `cherryberry´ chocolate bars

I absolutely love these raw cherry chocolates! The sweet berry/coconut filling is perfect with the bitter flavour of the chocolate. All credit for the recipe goes to the amazing Lonijane, you can find the original recipe on her blog:  http://www.aleven11.com/

Ingredients:

Chocolate:

100 g. raw cacao butter

6 tbsp. raw cacao powder

1 tbsp. organic coconut oil

Sweetener of choice, agave, honey, coconut sugar etc.

Berry filling:

10 cherries (pitted) and 6 strawberries

1/3 desiccated coconut

1 tbsp. organic coconut oil

a little pure vanilla powder or vanilla extract

Sweetener of choice, agave, honey, coconut sugar etc.

Directions:

1. The filling: Mix all the ingredients together in a blender, blend quickly so there is still texture left in the mix. Place the mixture into a square container lined with baking paper and pack it in tight and flat and place in the freezer for 1 hour or so.
2. The chocolate: while the filling sits in the freezer you can prepare the chocolate. On very low heat, place the cacao butter and coconut oil in a bowl over a pan of water and melt slowly. 
Once melted add raw cacao powder and mix well. Add the sweetener of choice, taste, and add more if you prefer a sweeter taste.
3. Take filling out of freezer and pull out with sides of baking paper and cut into bars then dip into chocolate mix (I dipped it several times to get a thick coating) and place in fridge to set.
4. Enjoy!!

Simple raspberry smoothie bowl

Sometimes simple is best! Smoothie bowls and old magazines 

Recipe: blended raspberries, banana and a little water topped with pomegranate, raspberries and blueberries.