Go Green With Mint Chip Banana "Nice" Cream
Grow Your Garden Within
It's St. Patty's Day (or the day after if you're reading this in my morning email), take a minute and make sure everyone in the room is wearing green, and pinch them for me if they're not! It's fun to get festive and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but it isn't just a day to fill up on green beer. I like to think of it as a celebration of new life, growth, and going green with your health--both with the foods you eat and the thoughts you cultivate!
“The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s green where you water it!”
Rather than comparing yourself to someone else or wishing you could be somewhere else, focus inward on personal growth and contentment! If you want to become a better version of yourself, you've got to put in the work! Sow the seeds of success by treating your body right and making healthy choices, practicing gratitude, going the extra mile to help someone else, speaking kind words, and thinking positive thoughts! Your garden will begin to grow green and tall! Focus on blooming where you are planted. Take advantage of opportunities right at your fingertips, no matter what your circumstances are. Wishing won't get you there, but action, dedication, and the right mindset will!
The End of the Rainbow
Since I went plant-based--from eating less meat, to no meat, to no animal products at all, dessert options became more and more limited. It was a struggle for real. Enter, "nice" cream! One of the best things about going plant-based (besides having an endless stream of energy, great digestion, solid sleep, and clear skin) is getting creative in the kitchen and finding new ways to make the same foods I was eating before, only clean, nourishing, whole food versions!
Go Bananas!
I think it's safe to say that we all love ice cream. Some of us are vanilla people, some of us are chocolate people, and then there are the best-of-both-worlds, I-want-it-all, "chocolate-vanilla-swirl" people. No matter what type is your favorite, most ice creams are loaded with refined sugar, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients that can be less than friendly to our insides...and our outsides. The good news is, you can make your own ice cream right at home, without an ice cream maker, and only one simple ingredient--bananas!
Simply let your bananas ripen until they are leopard-spotted, peel and chop, and place them on parchment paper and pop them in the freezer, as pictured below! After they are frozen, I like to store them in a mason jar in the freezer. (If you store them like this before they are frozen they will just clump and stick together.) Whenever you go to make nice cream or a smoothie, grab out however many banana chunks you want and store the rest!
Check out my blog post on the benefits of Fruit vs. Refined Sugar, and scroll to the bottom to see why bananas are best for digestion and fuel when spotted and ripe!
Mint Chip Banana "Nice" Cream
raw, vegan, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, gluten-free, oil-free, heavenly
I like to think I've got a bit of Irish in me, considering my name is Erin, and it's your lucky day, because I've got a pot of green deliciousness for you at the end of this rainbow! For St. Patty's Day, I decided to put a twist on the classic banana nice cream recipe by adding a healthy dose of green! Spirulina is a nutrient-packed superfood that also happens to make a fantastic food dye. Sprinkle in one of my other superfood favorites--cacao nibs--add a dash of mint, and you've got yourself a completely guilt-free, mouth-watering treat.
ingredients:
serves 4-6
6 ripe, frozen bananas
1 tsp spirulina powder
fresh mint leaves
or one drop food-grade peppermint essential oil
or peppermint extract to taste
1/8-1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
method
Before you even begin, make sure that you let your bananas ripen until they are leopard spotted.
Peel bananas and slice into chunks so that they will be easier to blend, and place on parchment paper in the freezer overnight or for a few hours.
Place frozen bananas in food processor or high speed blender. *Important: Allow to thaw for a few minutes before blending so that appliance will not overheat or blades become dull.
Once blended smooth, add in spirulina powder until desired hue of green is achieved.
Add in mint leaves or peppermint extract to taste, or one drop of food-grade peppermint essential oil. *Important: A little bit goes a long way with essential oils. Be very careful not to add more than one drop!
Once your nice cream is a uniform green color, sprinkle in however much cacao you want and pulse until mixed in.
Pour into dish and top with a bit of extra cacao and enjoy this refreshing, soft serve as is, or pop in the freezer for a future sweet treat!
options
For the full scoop and to check out other fun variations of this simple recipe, check out my classic Banana "Nice" Cream blog post!
Also check out my Top 10 Superfoods to read up on spirulina and cacao, and for other nutrient-dense mix-ins and toppings for your nice cream!
Spring Has Sprung
We've Marched right into spring with a wave of warmer weather than usual this year--birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, the days are finally longer--and there's no better time to turn over a new leaf and Go Green! Pun intended. Do yourself a favor and whip up a healthy and equally delicious dessert that'll do your body good! Cheers, and may the Luck O' The Irish be with you!
