Acai and Pitaya bowls have become a huge trend not just here in California but worldwide. Pitaya (being another name for Dragonfruit) is a little more new on the scene. But one (especially a foodie) can not go post the amazingly vibrant and natural pink color this Central American fruit provides. Along with Acai, Pitaya is dubbed a super fruit due to it's high potency of nutrition. They're rich in antioxidants, vitamin c, good fatty acids, several B vitamins, calcium and the list goes on.
Since arriving in California I have had some amazing Acai bowls but trust me on this there is an art to this and one can easily turn an otherwise smooth thick and vibrant bowl into an icy, mushy mess. To me, it comes down to 2 things - quality of produce and ratios. Now maybe it's just my preference but I prefer my Acai and Pitaya to be thick, and not too icy. It needs just the right amount of creaminess with fresh and vibrant toppings. And adding the wrong kind of granola or sweetener can transform an otherwise healthy dish into a calorie and sugar loaded treat.
Quick tips
Using fruits such as berries, amps up the nutrition and antioxidant factor without overloading you with sugar.
Adding good fats such as a dollop of nut butter will help keep the energy released from the fruit sugars a lot more stable and long lasting. Whether its added to the initial blend to make the base more creamy or spooned on top as an accompaniment with your fruit. A spoon of nut butter is necessary in my opinion. (and no to mention, it tastes so darn good)
**All produce pictured is sourced from Produce Services. Produce Services is a company that provides SoCal's Restaurant Services industry (including out fav Acai spots) with their top notch produce and I had the pleasure of using their products to whip up these Acai and Pitaya bowls to show you how it's done in the Peanut Head kitchen.
For 2 bowls
What you'll need:
1 frozen Acai packet
1 frozen Pitaya packet
4 bananas (cut into coins and frozen)
2 tbsp almond butter
Fresh fruit (I used pomegranate, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp bee pollen
What to do:
Snap your Acai pack in half and blitz in your high powered food processor or Vitamix
Once the Acai is broken down to tiny pieces, add in half your frozen bananas (equivalent of 2) and blitz on high until the frozen banana has also broken down to small pieces. *You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides depending on how sturdy your machine is.
Add in 1/4 c almond milk, this helps with the texture and smoothness of your Acai.
Continue to blend until your miqxture is smooth and silky
Transfer to a bowl and place in the freezer while you prepare your Pitaya
Clean your machine and repeat the first 4 steps with your Pitaya
Remove your Acai from the freezer and decorate both your bowls with the array of toppings.
I like to spoon 1 tbsp of nut butter in the middle, place an assortment of the berries around the perimeter and sprinkle some bee pollen on top.
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