Raw banana split
Once in a while, I spoil myself with a dessert for breakfast on the weekend and today was one of those days.
I would also call this raw banana split a “hormone-balancer” dessert…okay I am kidding, I just added maca powder to the mix and maca is known for helping your hormones to balance but it might have been cancelled out by all the maple syrup and dates. I know that sugar is not very good for balancing emotions and hormones, but what the heck, it’s Sunday and it’s a GORGEOUS day in Tokyo today.
The other tweak I made to my usual raw ice-cream creations is I used walnuts instead. I’ve always wanted to try them because they are full of fat which is ideal for making creamy ice-cream but if you have a regular blender, it could end up being gritty…..BUT I have my Blendtec now so I thought, “Lock and load, baby!”
Recipe (in a high speed blender):
1 cup soaked walnuts
1 cup soaked dates
1 tbs maca powder
Dash of vanilla essence
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup water (or just add bit by bit to get the consistency you want; the worst thing you could do is add too much water and it becomes too runny to freeze properly)
This was a very small batch so it took my ice-cream maker to whip it up in just 10 minutes. The end result was a very fluffy and creamy ice-cream compared to the denser consistency of cashews. I loved it! I cut strawberries and two bananas to go with the ice-cream and drizzled chocolate sauce (1 tbs cocoa powder + 1/4 cup maple syrup) over the whole ensemble.
It was a very decadent Sunday ice-cream brunch. It was a lot of fat to consume so I might not take in more fat for the rest of the day.
More updates on the situation in Tokyo:
Personally I have adopted a chill approach — I’m back to drinking the tap water (I filter it) and I stopped buying bottled water. I decided I couldn’t live with that mentality that something worse is going to happen. It seems that the radiation is contained within the Fukushima area though the evacuation zone is being widened slightly and residents are given about a month to move.
I do believe that Tokyo is safe from radiation because there have not been any more reports on contamination but there have been whispers that the rainy season may change things so I still have a stock of bottled water (3-4 days) plus I refilled my bathtub (more for earthquake reasons) again in case I need a large supply of water at a moment’s notice.
I know this sounds like we are in a state of emergency but we are not — not in Tokyo. I think it’s more like I’m preparing my home for practical reasons — nobody knew Mar 11 was going to happen so it makes sense to just be ready for a peace of mind. I slept pretty well this past week so I think I’ve genuinely begun to relax from all the drama and worry in the weeks that ensued the triple disaster.
Thank you for this post—this looks awesome, I mean rawesome!! I can’t wait to try it, but need to get myself an ice cream maker first. In terms of blenders, did you consider the Vitamix? Why did you decide on the Blendtec? And how do you like it?
So glad to hear things are normalizing for you in Tokyo! I’m wearing a purple bracelet for Japan that says “Makoto” and 3/11, so Japan is never far from my thoughts.
Love,
Kate
Los Angeles, CA
Hi Kathryn, thanks for supporting Japan….very sweet of you…:)
I didn’t really choose the Blendtec over the Vitamix….a friend was leaving Tokyo and was selling her Blendtec so I nabbed it b/c both brands are v expensive in Japan. I would imagine I would be very happy with the Vitamix too. My requirements aren’t that high – I just need an industrial blender to pulverize everything I make….apparently this Blendtec will make nut butter too so can’t wait to try it when my bottle of almond butter finishes. I have read that the Blendtec is easier to wash….and it really is….nothing sticks stubbornly on the container or cover so washing is a breeze.
OMG this looks delicious
Good job
Thanks
Thank you! One more question–I just totaled up the calories for this and I came up with approximately 1700!! Wow…and I see by your photo that you are tiny. Do you find that eating raw you don’t need to watch calories at all? I know the enzymes are a great benefit to digestion…I’m trying to lose weight and have been eating a lot of raw, but also counting calories and working out. It would be nice to eat a bit more and still lose weight!
WOW really?!! That’s shocking….Looks like I won’t be having this raw banana split all that often now….1700 calories?! That’s like a whole days’ worth of food….I’m gobsmacked..
I would like to say that eating raw doesn’t mean you don’t need to watch calories or fat intake. I think eating too much sugar from sweet fruit is not healthy either…But to each her own I guess. I’m pretty active — I work out 3-4 times a week at least….but I don’t count my caloric intake. I just try to eat raw all day and allow myself to have a cooked veggie dinner. I stopped eating flax crackers or raw bread which are made of nuts and seeds and try to stick to buckwheat based raw cereal.
I don’t consume dairy often at all so I think that helps.
Holy macerel! 1700 calories! – I did look delish though, maybe I’ll try a smaller portion
– or with stevia instead
[...] had a large serving of my raw banana split one night and the day after everything felt wrong. I couldn’t stomach raw food. I had a kiwi, [...]