5 surprising ways to use acai

It’s Global Wellness Day (GWD) today and while most of you Amodrn readers celebrate that everyday, we still think it’s important to wave the wellness flag and encourage others to do the same.
GWD aims to show us that healthy living doesn’t have to be difficult. It suggests taking seven simple steps today, which can then be incorporated into our lifestyle:

1. Walk for an hour
2. Drink more water
3. Don’t use plastic bottles
4. Eat healthy, organic foods
5. Do a good deed
6. Have a family dinner
7. Go to sleep at 10pm

And since we all love ticking boxes, we thought we’d give you a hand crossing off number four (and six if you’re planning a BBQ) with these five surprising acai recipes courtesy of Ryan Black, founder of Sambazon (the world’s only fair trade, organic, pasteurised frozen acai product) and all-round do-gooder (seriously, look at what he’s doing for the community).
So if you thought acai was only good for smoothie bowls, think again. Being one of the only fruits on the planet to be naturally sugar free, packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavanoids (like those in red wine) and full of healthy omegas, not only is this Brazilian berry good for you, it turns out it’s good in a number of ways (BBQ sauce anyone?).

5 Recipes That Will Make You Love Acai

Cleanse Bowl

Ingredients

2 x Sambazon unsweetened frozen smoothie packs
¼ cup coconut water
½ cup fresh mango
½ cup fresh organic spinach
2 tbsp organic hemp seeds

Method

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Pour into a bowl and cover with your favourite toppings like raw/paleo granola, fresh fruits and hemp seeds for added protein.

Super Granola

Ingredients

1 Sambazon original smoothie pack (thawed)
1 cup puffed organic millet
1 cup rolled oats
1/8 cup oat flour
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup coconut shreds
1/4 – 1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey (or more if you like sweeter granola)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/8 c crystalised ginger, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch sea salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
2. In a small pot, begin heating coconut oil and honey. Once it becomes a liquid, add cinnamon and ginger. Keep on low until you need it.
3. In a big bowl, add puffed millet, oats, oat flour, flax seeds, coconut shreds, hemp seeds and salt. Stir to combine. (Note: if you like clusters in your granola, add a few tablespoons of hot water to your oatty mix, stir and let sit for a couple minutes.)
4. Next, add the Sambazon smoothie pack followed by the coconut oil and honey spice mixture. Stir to combine. Taste and decide if you’d like any more spices, or if you’re in the mood for more sweetness.
5. Grab a large baking tray and prep it with a teaspoon of olive oil (add a dollop and spread with a paper towel). Pour oat mix onto the prepared tray. Be sure to spread it even in one layer. Gently pat it down.
6. Place in a preheated oven for about 30-45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes or when you remember.

A note on crunch: depending on how crunchy you like your granola, you may want to let it cook longer. It is going to get crunchier and darker after you take it out of the oven so stop a little before you think it’s done.
A note on oat flour: No need to go buy oat flour just for this. Put a few handfuls of extra oats in your blender and blend ‘em up until they get pretty darn close to flour.

Amazon BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 Sambazon unsweetened smoothie pack
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 brown onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 sweet piquanté peppers

Method

1. In a saucepan, saute onion and oil over medium heat until translucent.
2. Once it’s ready, add the rest of your ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.
3. Pour the mix into a blender and blend until smooth.

For extra goodness: serve with sweet potato fries or tempeh burgers

Amazon Parfait

Ingredients

1 Sambazon original smoothie pack
1 banana
1/3 cup coconut water
coconut yoghurt
granola
fresh fruit

Method

1. Blend your Sambazon smoothie pack, banana and coconut water.
2. Fill your glass with layers of yoghurt, açaí, granola and fresh fruit. Top with an extra helping of fruit and anything else you might find tasty. We like cacao nibs, coconut shavings, hemp seeds, bee pollen, honey and almonds…to name a few.

Hidden Treasure Pops

“This recipe is from my brother Travis, a long time Sambazonian. He dreamed these pops up as a way to sneak extra superfoods into his kids’ diets. The greens + protein blend up so well, he and his wife sneak one or two everyday!”

Ingredients

3 Sambazon original smoothie packs
2 Sambazon unsweetened smoothie packs
2 handfuls of fresh spinach or kale
1 avocado
1 banana
2/3 c frozen blueberries
3 frozen or fresh strawberries
3 oz unfiltered apple juice
3 oz unfiltered grape Juice
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 scoop maca powder
1 scoop green powder

Method

1. Blend all ingredients until nice and smooth.
2. Pour the slush into popsicle moulds and freeze for a minimum of four hours. You can add popsicle sticks so they’re easy to enjoy.