We love meeting all our lovely clients and finding out about what they do, especially when what they do happens to be a vegetarian street food expert and author of their own cookbook! Introducing Wholefood Heaven, who set out on their mission in 2009 to bring healthy and high quality food to the masses via their converted van.
Husband and wife David and Charlotte Bailey started Wholefood Heaven to combine their skills, David a trained chef and Charlotte a qualified homeopath and lifelong vegetarian. Both are avid writers and enthusiasts of all things plant based.
Charlotte shared with us this delicious recipe for an Acai bowl to start the day, and it tastes just as dreamy as it looks.
We spoke to her to find out more about the benefits and background of the dish:
“Acai (ah-sah-EE) bowls are a traditional Brazilian breakfast that have become something of a trend, especially in Hawaii and LA.
As the name suggests, they’re focused around puréed acai berries – the dark-purple fruit of the acai palm tree, native to the Amazonian regions of Brazil. They’re absolutely delicious, with a taste redolent of dark chocolate, and are also laden with antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids – so it’s no wonder they’ve gained superfood status!
Alongside the acai purée, you can add whatever you like, but granola, bananas, other berries and a sweetener of some kind are the usual suspects. The acai needs to be bought in pulp form and you’ll find this in the freezer section of health-food stores.”
Ingredients:
For the acai purée
200g/7oz frozen acai purée
1 banana
2 medjool dates, pitted
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup apple juice, coconut water or Almond Milk
1 tbsp hemp or chia seeds (optional)
Toppings:
2 handfuls of mixed berries
1 banana, sliced
Handful of desiccated coconut
Small handful of dried goji berries, mulberries, cranberries or raw cacao nibs
200g/7oz of your favourite granola
Sweetener of your choice (agave or maple syrup) (optional)
Fresh mint leaves to garnish (optional)
Method:
- Put the frozen acai, banana, dates, apple juice and seeds, if using, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Divide the purée between two bowls and sprinkle over your choice of toppings. Garnish with mint leaves, if you like, and serve.
For more recipes and to order the book, visit the Wholefood Heaven blog.
