This papaya and fonio breakfast smoothie bowl contains creamy papaya blended with nutty-tasting fonio. A nutrient and naturally sweet smoothie to start the day.
Sunday morning breakfasts are some of the things that dreams are made of… at least in my opinion. It’s the one morning in the week that I sometimes have the privilege of enjoying on my own – in the sanctuary that is my head and mind, as the hubby and kids have a lie-in. The weather here has been miserable (to say the least), and so for this week’s sunday breakfast, it was so easy to settle for this smoothie bowl designed to take me on a mental vacation.
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Introducing the Papaya and Fonio breakfast smoothie bowl.
Ahh…this takes me way back to my childhood. We had the luxury of living beside a neighbour who had papaya trees in their back garden, which were blessed all year round, it seemed at the time, with large luscious yellow fruits which were just begging to be eaten. And ever so often, our neighbour would knock on the front door with a basket of papayas, which was always welcome in our household
If you haven’t heard about fonio, then allow me to introduce this superfood. Fonio, called Acha or “hungry rice” in Northern Nigeria is a kind of millet that has a nutty flavour – a cross between couscous and quinoa in both appearance and texture. It has been cultivated in West Africa for thousands of years, and is a favourite in salads, stews, and breakfast bowls. Fonio is said to be the most nutritious of all Earth’s grains. Fonio is gluten-free, and low in sugar, which makes it great for diabetics and those who are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. It is, in short, the perfect new grain for juice-cleansing, and those who are health-conscious.
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I have topped off my breakfast smoothie bowl with blueberries, golden kiwi, strawberries and desiccated almonds. Yum! Feel free to get creative with any toppings of your choice.
- Peel and chop banana and papaya into bite-sized chunks. Freeze overnight.
- The next morning, add the chopped fruit to a food processor and process till creamy. (I started out with a blender...which was a bad idea . so do use a food processor!)
- Add 25g of Fonio to a pot of cold water (75 - 80mls) and cook on low to medium heat with the pot covered for about 5 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed. If the Fonio is still chewy, add another 5 ml of water and cook covered until fully absorbed.
- Transfer the Fonio to a bowl, add the pureed fruits over the Fonio and top off with your desired toppings.
- Go on a mental vacation!
Is this recipe right for you?
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The information shown is an estimate, and does not replace a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Did you make this recipe?
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Please let me know how it turned out for you. Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #africaonyourplate.
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Afro-fusion Food Lover.
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