Banana Blueberry Oat Buns

 

Ingredients:
1. 10 large ripe bananas mashed
2. 50g frozen or fresh blueberries (optional, you can leave them out if you run out of supplies. It won't affect the taste.)
3. 100g rolled-oats
4. 150g white wholewheat flour (or plain flour if you don't like wholewheat flour)
5. 2 TBS olive oil (optional)
6. 2 tsp baking powder
7. 2 eggs

8. tsp brewer's yeast (optional, added for more nutrition value)
9. 50g raisins (optional)

10. 50g walnuts chopped as desired (optional)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 200 °C (390°F).

2. In a mixing bowl, add the bananas and mash them with a fork.

3. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

4. On a baking tray lay with baking paper, form into desired shapes, e.g. fish with a spoon if you are baking buns or in a bread loaf pan laid with baking paper. 

5. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes for buns or double the time (30-45 mins) if you are baking a loaf of bread.

Tips:
1. As you eat them, you can tell the story of Jesus feeding five thousands with five loaves and two fish (from John 6:1-14 and Matthew 14:13-21) or Noah's Ark, depending on what animals you shaped.

Additional Information:
It's J's 5 year old birthday today. I baked it this morning for him to bring to his kindergarten and share. I am going to bake it again for his birthday party this Friday.

For everyday simple recipe, please click here:

http://familyfecs.com/2014/02/fish-shape-banana-bread.html

This is very healthy - no sugar, no butter, but they still taste super sweet because the bananas is a natural sweetener and they are full of goodness from the oats, carrot, nuts and brewer's yeast.

Rolled-ats and blueberries not shown.

Mash 10 bananas with a fork

J's finished work of mashing bananas

J completed mashing the bananas with fork



Add 100g rolled-oats



Add a handful of chopped pecan nuts



Add 150g white wholewheat flour

Add 2 tsp baking powder

Mix well



J mixing the ingredients




Form into shapes with a spoon



J adding raisins as eyes to the animals



Bake in oven at 200 degree celsius for 12-15 minutes & ready to eat :-)

J enjoying his animal buns

Bread pan laid with baking paper.

Done :-)

Easy, Tasty, Nutritious & Healthy Waffles

Makes 3-4 waffles

Ingredients:

1. 2 large ripe bananas mashed

2. 3 eggs approx. 150g total 

3. 30g rolled oats 

4. 60g Olands wholewheat flour 

5. 1/2 tsp baking powder 

6. 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (optional)

7. 1/2 tsp cardamon or cinnamon powder (optional)

8. A dash of salt (optional)

Makes 6-8 waffles

1. 4 large ripe bananas mashed

2. 6 eggs approx. 150g total 

3. 60g rolled oats 

4. 120g Olands wholewheat flour 

5. 1 tsp baking powder 

6. 1 tsp vanilla powder (optional)

7. 1 tsp cardamon or cinnamon powder (optional)

8. A dash of salt (optional)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, mash 2 large ripe bananas.

2. Add 3 eggs and mix well.

3. Add 30g oats, 60g wholewheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder, 1/2 teaspoon cardamon powder or cinnamon powder and a dash of salt and mix well.

2. Add to the waffler maker, following the instructions of your waffler maker. For mine:

3. If you like your waffles crispy, brush the plates top and bottom with a bit of oil (I use olive oil).

4. With the waffle machine lid closed, turn on the waffler maker, there will be both red light and green light.

5. Once the green light is gone, the waffle maker is warm enough.

6. Use a spoon and add the batter into the plate (1 tablespoon of batter for each little heart waffle for mine), be careful that it doesn't overflow.

7. Close the waffle maker and the green light will turn on.

8. When the green light disappears, the waffle is done.

9. Turn over the waffle (optional) and close the waffle maker. The green light will turn on again. 

10. When the green light disappears, the waffle is done :-)

11. Remove the waffle into a plate with a wooden spatula. Enjoy with a slice of banana, a strawberry, a raspberry or a blueberry on top.

Additional Information:

Stumbled upon this super easy and super healthy recipe and was initially in doubt if it really is so good. Wow, it is. Super tasty waffles with no sugar or oil added. Super nutritious with egg, oats and wholewheat flour. I can't be more happy with it. If you don't use oil to make it, it won't be crispy, but it will be very nice and chewy. So we actually prefer to make it without using oil at all :-)

If you don't have a waffle maker at home, not to worry, you can make this into pancakes. In the morning, it is much faster for me to use the waffle maker and turn this into waffles in no time, and I don't have to stand at the stove watching the pan and flipping pancakes. 

I am very happy investing in a waffle maker. There is no need to buy expensive waffle maker. My waffle maker is the economic model (the cheapest one from Føtex Supermarket).

References:

https://www.valdemarsro.dk/bananpandekager/

Easy Healthy 2-Ingredients Strawberry Ice-cream

 

Makes 2 scoops

Ingredients:

1. 1 handful of frozen strawberries (make sure that the big ones are sliced in half)
2. 1 frozen banana in slices

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender (if you are using a Magimix blender, use the dessert program and stir with the spatula).

2. Scoop it out using an ice-cream scoop on a serving dish and enjoy :-)

Vegetable Smoothie Vitamin Bomb

 

Pure Vegetable Smoothie Vitamin Bomb

Serves 2 glasses

Ingredients:

1. A handful of spinach
2. A handful of kale
3. 1-2 carrots chopped
4. 1 inch of ginger diced
5. 1/2 cup fresh skimmed milk or water

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a power blender and blend.

Additional Information:

This is a vitamin bomb. It actually tastes good on its own, at least to me. After drinking, you will feel very good. It's like your body is thanking you :-) 

It is very simple. You only need 2 - 3 main ingredients: spinach, kale and carrots. Adding any others (cabbage, beetroots, tomatoes, raspberiies, blueberries, etc.) are just bonus adding to variety and depending on what are available in your pantry.

J likes to add a banana to sweeten it, while I drink it without any sweetener.

I love my Magimix power blender. It has been with us for many years and is still working as well as ever. Worth every penny :-)

You can get Magimix from Magasin Departmental Store. They have discounts on Magimix power blender on a regular basis.

Try it :-)

References:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-vegetables-to-juice#TOC_TITLE_HDR_12

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2019/06/06/nutrients-in-spinach-kale/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kale-vs-spinach

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition-pictures/best-salad-greens-for-your-health.aspx

Today's Vitamin Bomb contains spinach, kale, carrots, ginger, raspberries, fresh milk (and banana for J)

Vitamin Bomb is ready :-)

Bottoms up :-)

Homemade Berry-Fruit Yogurt Bowl

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1. 1 banana
2. A handful of fresh or frozen raspberries or a mixture of different berries

3. 100 ml natural yogurt

4. 1 tsp nut butter (optional)

5. 1 dried date pitted (optional, if you want to make it super-duper sweet :-))

Toppings:

1. 1 chopped strawberry (optional)

2. 1 handful of nuts and/or seeds (I use sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds here)
3. A handful of chocolate chips (I use a mixture of milk chocolate, white chocolate and raspberries chocolate)4. A handful of muesli.

Directions
1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Sprinkle with mixed seeds and raisins and serve :-)

Additional Information:

This week the children are hooked on yogurt bowls - how our breakfast rotation goes!!!

This berry-fruit yogurt bowl takes less than 10 minutes to make 3 bowls (including chopping up 1-2 strawberries) or 5 minutes to make 1 bowl, and is a healthy, tasty and nutrients power-packed breakfast filled with antioxidants, protein, good fat and good bacteria from the natural yogurt acidophilus. This is also one of the cheapest natural yogurt from the Danish supermarket and it is organic. 

Adding banana as the natural sweetener and adding the berries, and viola, it turns to a yummy fruit yogurt, minus all the preservative from the store-bought ready made fruit yogurt. You can substitute the berries with any of your preferred fruit.

To make 3 servings, we use:

Ingredients:
1. 2 bananas
2. Handful of 100g raspberries or a mixture of different berries

3. 200 ml natural yogurt

4. 1 heap tsp nut butter (optional)

5. 3 dried dates pitted (optional, if you want to make it super sweet :-))

We try not to buy store-bought fruit yogurt as much as possible. They look very attractive to kids, but they are full of processed ingredients, chemicals and preservatives. 

Do not be fooled by the ingredient called "Naturlig aroma."

Naturlig aroma, for example, is a processed ingredient: A natural flavoring substance is a flavoring substance that has been produced by suitable physical, enzymatic or microbiological processes from vegetable, animal or microbiological material, either in its original form or processed. A much better flavoring is to add real fruits into the yogurt ourselves.

If we absolutely needs to buy store-bought fruit yogurt due to lack of time, then the product below is one of the best ones:

Here is how to make the homemade fruit yogurt:

Here are the ingredients.

This is the yogurt we use. It is organic, natural with only 0.4% fat, and one of the cheapest in the Danish supermarkets.

Blend everything together in a blender.

Add the desired toppings and ready to serve :-)

Healthy Banana Cookies with Oatmeal & Almonds

Makes 10 cookies

Ingredients:

1.  2 large ripe banana smashed

2. 200 ml rolled oats

3. 1 tsp vanilla powder

4. 2 tsp cinnamon powder

5. 40 g almonds chopped

6. 30 g chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.

2. Chop the almonds with a knife or a food processor.

3. Mash the bananas well with a fork in a large bowl.

4. Add rolled oats, vanilla powder, cinnamon powder, almonds and chocolate chips and mix well.

5. Press and squeeze tight and form into bite-size cookies and flatten.

6. Bake for 15 mins or until golden.

7. Cool and serve.

Additional Information:

Still in love with banana bread. Little FECS got this recipe from the Føtex supermarket. It's Danish constitution day today, a national holiday. So we baked this in the morning. It turned out very delicious, but a bit on the soft side. The original recipe asks for 40 g of chocolate chips. I have reduced it to 30 g and the cookies were still fully infused with chocolate chips and very sweet. The original recipe asks for 30 g of almonds, but I increased it to 40 g.

References:

Recipe from Danish supermarket Føtex.

 Add 3 large bananas into a mixing bowl

 Mash the bananas thoroughly well with a fork or a food processor

 Add 2 tsp cinnamon powder and 1 tsp of vanilla powder

 Add 200ml or 2 cups of rolled oats

 Add 1/2 cup of walnuts

 Mix and squeeze the dough well

 Form into bite-size cookies

 Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 15 minutes

Naturally Sweetened Wholemeal Banana Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1. 2 Tbsp (14g) ground flax seeds
2. 6 TBS (90 ml) water
3. 3 medium ripe bananas
4. 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
5. 5 (50 g) dried dates pitted
6. 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
7. 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking powder
8. 1 tsp (5 g) vanilla powder/sugar
9. 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon powder
10. 1.5 cup (150 g) white whole wheat flour
11. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
12. 1/4 cup (25 g) chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl (or straight into a blender), add ground flax seeds and water and mix well. Leave for 5 minutes until it gels.

2. Preheat the oven to 320F/160C and lightly grease a loaf pan.

3. Once the flax seeds have gelled, add the bananas, pitted dried dates, olive oil, vanilla powder, cinnamon powder and blend until smooth (on my Magimix blender, I sometimes use the smoothie function, sometimes blend on number 1 and slowly turn up to 2, and blend until smooth).

4. Add the nuts into the mixture in the blender and pulse to chop them into smaller pieces.

5. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the baking soda, baking powder gradually and mix well.

6. Add the chocolate chips and gently mix them. Keep some chocolate if desired to sprinkle on top.

7. Slowly sieve in the flour and gently mix until partly combined.

8. Transfer into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle cinnamon powder and chocolate chips on top.

9. Bake for 60 minutes or until the top is golden, the bread starts to pull away from the sides, and a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Let cool, slice and serve :-)

Storage: 

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days. Wrap individually and store in the freezer for up to one month.

Additional Information:

I made some banana walnut bread tweeting the recipe from Pick Up Limes the other day. It was so well-received. Today, I decided to use dried dates instead of sugar, and it tasted superb. So I am recording this recipe down for myself to remember. Everyone at home likes it. If you don't have dried dates, you can substitute with 45 g of sugar.

You can substitute the baking powder and the baking soda with 10g of fresh yeast, if you let the dough rise overnight in the fridge for 6-24 hours.

References:

https://www.pickuplimes.com/single-post/2017/02/03/One-bowl-Moist-Chocolate-Banana-Bread
https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-banana-bread-recipe/
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-the-simplest-easiest-recipe-139900

 My overripe bananas

White wholewheat flour

In a large mixing bowl, add ground flax seeds and water and mix well. Leave for 5 minutes until it gels.

Once the flax seeds have gelled, add the bananas, pitted dried dates, olive oil, vanilla powder, cinnamon powder and blend until smooth (on my Magimix blender, I sometimes use the smoothie function, sometimes blend on number 1 and slowly turn up to 2, and blend until smooth).

Add the nuts into the mixture in the blender. Use the pulse function to chop them into smaller pieces.

 Now it's done :-)

Transfer to a mixing bowl, add and gently mix in the chocolate chips. Then sieve in the flour and gently mix well.

 Transfer to bread loaf pan.

 Sprinkle some cinnamon powder and chocolate chips on top.

 Bake at 160-degree celsius for 40 minutes or until the top is golden, the bread starts to pull away from the sides, and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Now it's done :-)

 Let cool.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool further.

 Slice and serve :-)

Sometimes when I couldn't wait one hour for the bread to bake, I will just make them into rolls. It takes on 15 minutes to bake them in the oven at 160-degree celsius

 The rolls before going into the oven.... sprinkled with cinnamon powder and chocolate chips

Now it's done :-) The rolls after going into the oven. Let cool and serve :-)