Cravings: Vibrant 3-Layer açaí bowl

I was rushing through my morning when my friend, Ėlf Ellefsen, surprised me with an exceptional breakfast. It was as pretty as it was nutritious, and I still don’t know how he knew I was about to skip the most important meal of the day.

After devouring the bowl of goodness, I felt energized for hours. It had three layers, a base of granola, covered with a frozen puree of fruit, almond milk, coconut milk and chia, topped with bright tropical fruit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C.” Undoubtedly, this vivid breakfast is a great example of the kind of variety they are suggesting. I can’t even begin to estimate the nutritional punch it must pack. All I know is it made me feel goooood…

Here is how to prepare the beautiful and nutritious breakfast bowl for yourself. Keep in mind, this is a concept, not a recipe, so don’t message me for exact quantities, they don’t exist. Sometimes the best eats are simply tossed-together works of genius. This is one of those dishes.

Ėlf’s 3-Layer Açaí Bowl

To create this work of art, look for a variety bright and colorful tropical fruit. This is just an example because Ėlf never makes them the same twice. You should customize it to your taste and the inventory at the local grocer. Whenever possible, he uses organic ingredients.

The idea is to create three distinct layers. Prepare the layers and assemble the bowl just before serving to avoid a soggy mess.

Layer 1

Granola – Such as Maple Almond Granola

Layer 2

This layer resembles an extra thick frozen smoothie. Most of these berries can be purchased frozen so they are perfect for this layer. Blend the frozen and unfrozen fruit, almond milk, coconut milk, and remaining ingredients into a mixture that is thick and pasty almost like concrete. Use the milk to thin the mixture as needed. It’s not an exact ratio. Spread on top of the granola.

Almond milk
coconut milk
honey
pineapple
black & white chia seeds
cherries
raspberries
orange sections
blueberries
strawberries
goji berries
açaí berries (Sambazon frozen packs also work well and can be found in Whole Foods)
black berries dates
Turkish figs

Layer 3

Choose bright tropical fruit and have fun, the more variety the better. Place cut fruit on top of the frozen layer. After topping off the bowl with this layer, grab a spoon and enjoy!

kiwano (horned melon)
pitaya (dragon fruit)
kiwi
pomegranate
cherimoya
mango
coconut
pepino melon
pear cactus papaya
papaya

 

 

 If you try making your own layered bowl, please share photos! We would enjoy seeing what combinations you create.