Snack Archives - Page 9 of 9 - Coconut and Berries

Chocolate-Coated Peanut Butter Banana Pops

Even if I haven’t made ice cream in my ice-cream maker yet this summer, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been enjoying frozen treats. The heat-wave that’s hit England the last few weeks seems finally set to break but that definitely won’t stop me continuing to enjoy these delicious banana pops.

I’ve long been freezing bananas with sticks in and eating them as simple frozen pops (or lollies as we usually call them here), but seeing people around and about with decadent chocolate-coated ice creams put me in the mood for something a little more naughty! As these are homemade you can avoid all those nasty added ingredients in store-bought ice cream and feel rather more virtuous about eating them. You could even make these raw using raw almond butter for the filling and making your own raw chocolate with cacao, agave and coconut oil. Date caramel would also be a great filling if you’re not a big nut butter fan ( although just writing that sounds crazy to me!).

These involve a couple of stages but are super simple to make, and the result is so worth it.

Chocolate-Coated Peanut Butter Banana Pops

2014-05-15 02:30:03

Serves 4

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 Ripe bananas
1/4 C Salted peanut butter (or other nut butter)
Optional extras: 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 Tbsp raisins- I added all of these and loved the little chewy raisins and sweet cinnamon flavour)
2/3 C Dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp Coconut oil
4 Ice lolly sticks or wooden skewers

Instructions

Slice Bananas in half across the middle to get 4 pieces then slice each of the 4 pieces in half lengthwise to get 8 pieces.
If using extras mix them into your peanut butter now. Spread 1/4 of the peanut butter onto the flat side of 4 of the pieces, place the skewer on top and sandwich together with another half banana. See picture above. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and freeze until solid.
When ready, melt chocolate chips in a bowl over a bowl of hot water or bain marie and stir in melted coconut oil. The coconut oil makes the chocolate runnier and easier to spread.
Take the bananas out of the freezer at the last minute and spread each one with chocolate. I used a mini spatula to spread it evenly. The chocolate will firm up immediately on the frozen banana so move quickly! When bananas are completely coated place back on the tray and freeze for a short while.
Store wrapped individually in parchment paper or in a sealed container in the freezer.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

I’m submitting this recipe to the weekly blog hops Raw Foods Thursdays and Healthy Vegan Fridays

I’m a huge fan of the peanut butter and banana combination and the thick layer of salted peanut butter and crunchy chocolate coating made for a fabulous summer dessert, especially enjoyed sitting on the grass in the garden.

I’d love to make some fruity lollies but I don’t have a mould unfortunately. Any ideas for making them without?

Apricot & Almond Smoothie (with a hint of cardamom)

I adore nuts of every kind, but it’s probably only since going vegan that I’ve actually really started eating them regularly, and certainly that I’ve discovered their versatility. In the past, my encounters with nuts were probably mainly limited to chocolate coated peanuts, salted + roasted peanuts, peanut butter (the kind with sugar and preservatives…), and that’s about it.

Wow was I missing out.

They’re well and truly a staple in my kitchen now: A handful of nuts is a great snack- cashews, almonds and walnuts are my favourites; nut cheeses (see my courgette galette with cashew chèvre); an ingredient in salads and stir-fries; a key component of raw desserts; a lovely addition to baked goods, and of course nut creams and milks, among many other uses.

I’ve been buying almond milk for a long time, but only very recently started making my own at home. If you haven’t tried it yet you really must. It’s far creamier and tastes so much more like the actual nut than any stuff you’ll find pre-packaged. It’s hardly any effort either.

I’m not usually a big smoothie drinker but the warm weather has made me fancy a lighter start to the day. This cool, creamy smoothie is ideal for breakfast ( I enjoyed it alongside a little homemade chamomile muffin I found lurking in the freezer), or makes a perfect afternoon pick-me-up, or would even be a delicious dessert.

I’ve just got back from a week in Spain and enjoyed tonnes of gorgeous stone fruit- peaches, nectarines and apricots galore. What we get over here is mainly imported and of course nowhere near as good as the fresh stuff. I found a bag of the soft dried type, and although very different they worked really well in this smoothie, their concentrated sweetness making it feel rather decadent.

Dried Apricots come in two varieties: sulphured, and un-sulphured. Sulphur dioxide is often unnecessarily added to dried fruits as a preservative and is what retains the bright orange colour of the apricots. I prefer to use organic dried apricots with no added preservatives or other added ingredients. This means that they are not bright orange, but are naturally dark instead. In my opinion these are far more delicious and fruity-tasting than the artificially-preserved variety.

Apricot & Almond Smoothie (with a hint of cardamom)

2014-03-25 15:56:55

Serves 1

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 C Almond milk (preferably homemade)
1/2 Frozen banana ( I freeze peeled, halved bananas when they’re turning brown)
4 Soft dried apricots (organic, unsulphured)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Almond extract
1/8 tsp Ground cardamom (optional)

Instructions

Blend all ingredients together until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

I’m submitting this to the Weekly Blog Hops: Raw Foods Thursdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, and Wellness Weekends

Do you make your own nut milk? What’s your favourite kind of nut?

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!

Rhubarb-Berry Compote, Yogurt & Granola Parfait

Eating out as a vegan can have it’s challenges. Nothing that can’t be overcome with a little forethought and planning though.

Despite best intentions I found myself caught out when trying to get breakfast at a UK airport recently. My usual safe-bet is porridge since I know of at least a couple of mainstream coffee shop chains which will make it up with soy milk for you. Add a banana, and if you’ve been really prepared, a squeeze pack of nut butter or some trail mix and you’re good to go. But at this particular airport none of my usual porridge spots were to be found! I traipsed around surveying the options only to find porridge pre-made with dairy milk or oats mixed with dried milk ready for hot water to be added.

I’m being a little dramatic about my little adventure as after all I did have a snack bar and banana in my bag which I settled for instead. Not ideal but not exactly disastrous.

My airport wanderings weren’t entirely fruitless either, since on the way I picked up some inspiration for breakfasts to make-over at home, this parfait being one of them. Yogurt pots with fruit and granola seemed to be all the rage, again all unfortunately using dairy.

Still with more rhubarb to get through, I combined it with an assortment of berries from the freezer- blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, some coconut sugar to sweeten and a teeny dash of vanilla to make this beautiful compote. When warm it was divine over creamy oats, and the following day it had thickened it nicely and was turned into this parfait.

The compote was delicious layered up in a jar with soy yogurt and granola and eaten with a long spoon like an ice cream sundae! I took the easy option using store-bought granola and yogurt but have ambitions to make a variation of this with home-cultured almond yogurt and homemade granola. The choice is yours.

Rhubarb-Berry Compote, Yogurt & Granola Parfait

2014-03-25 15:41:04

Write a review

Save Recipe

Rhubarb-Berry Compote

2-1/2 C Chopped rhubarb, 1 inch pieces
1-1/2 C Mixed berries, frozen or fresh ( I used blackberries, raspberries + blueberries)
1/4 C Coconut sugar
1-2 Tbsp agave (optional)
Dash of vanilla extract
Non-dairy yogurt
Nutty granola

Instructions

Combine chopped rhubarb and berries in a large pot and add coconut sugar and a couple of tablespoons water.
Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until rhubarb is very soft and berries collapsing.
Stir through vanilla and taste for sweetness. Add agave if necessary.
Leave to cool if making parfaits or serve immediately over hot porridge for breakfast or with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Putting it together

You will need (for 1 parfait): a mason jar or tall glass, 1C plain non-dairy yogurt, 1C rhubarb-berry compote, 1/3 C nutty granola.
Carefully pour half of the compote in the bottom of the jar, then half of your yogurt on top. Sprinkle over half of the granola (It sort of gets lost in the pictures but it’s delightful delving into the jar and finding the little crunchy gems). Repeat layers, reserving a little compote for the top.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

All gone!

Do you prepare food for when travelling? Or do you bank on there being good options available?

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + andTwitter!

Review: The Nutribox

Snacking gets a bad rap. It’s not terribly surprising when you consider that the most widely-consumed snack foods are high in refined sugar, salt + fat, and low in nutritional value. But, fear not! It doesn’t have to be the case, and mindful snacking can in fact be a great way to boost your intake of essential nutrients as well as keep your energy levels stable and stave off any between-meal hunger pangs.

A few months ago I came across the nutribox, a company here in the UK whose mission is to make it easier for people to eat healthily. They offer a monthly subscription service delivering a box packed full of nutritious and delicious snacks to your home or office.

Although I love to make my own snacks when possible, life can get the better of me, just like anyone and in those busy times it’s great to have healthy snacks on hand. These last few months while I was frantically revising and then taking my finals the nutribox was a lifesaver. .

There are two sizes of box available (pictured is the larger one) and in every box you get a wide range of sweet and savoury, chewy and crunchy delights, a mix of treats like raw chocolate and more virtuous snacks like dried fruit and nuts.

A lot of the products featured aren’t widely available in stores so another bonus for me is being able to support smaller businesses who are promoting healthy eating. Last weekend the allergy + free from show and V-delicious veggie good food show took place and I had the opportunity to meet the people behind many of these great products too. They’ve already set the date for 2014 so don’t miss out!

Pictured above are the treats I got in this month’s nutribox:

[I’ve linked to the individual company websites if you’re interested in finding out a bit more info on the products]

Cofresh Lentil Chips (Tomato + Basil)

Sanchi Tamari Crackers

Clearly Scrumptious Simply Strawberries

Miss Wallflower Raw “Refresh” bites

Bounce Spirulina + Ginseng Energy Ball

2 x Frank Bars (Blueberry + Chocolate, Double Chocolate)

Rude Health “the beetroot” Bar

Nakd Strawberry Crunch Bar

Trek Morning Berry Protein Flapjack

Creative Nature Super Seed Bar