This Super Food Fruit Salad started off pretty simple with some sweet zing-y fruit: juicy oranges, perky kiwi, sweet banana and tangy Goji berries. Cravable and energizing. But I went a bit further and made my fruit salad into a meal, I'll call this a bliss bowl. My cravings lead this recipe...
Chocolate.
Warm, nutty, brown rice.
Hint of maple.
Fresh zing-y fruit.
Chocolate.
Nuts.
Did I mention chocolate?
So my salad turned into a Super Fruit & Cacao Rice Bowl. The cacao cream/puree/pudding in this dish could easily be served all on its own for dessert of breakfast. This nutty and somewhat unusual dish is pretty fantastic if you like to get creative with your wellness meals. So start with the fruit salad recipe and add some fun, if you'd like. Click ahead to see how it all turned out!..
Super foods all around.
Cacao powder and nibs were crushed with walnuts and cashews in my Vitamix to create a super creamy puree that resembled a chocolate pudding of sorts. You can sweeten and salt to taste. I only added a tiny splash of sweetener since the fruit was sweet enough on its own. Cacao is rich in free radical fighting antioxidants! And this healthy dish is a super way to satisfy a chocolate craving (and feel REALLY good about it).
It is amazing what a little chocolate can do.
From rice bowl with fruit..
To cacao bliss bowl..
The fruit is bursting with antioxidant bliss. Vitamin C galore. Fiber. Potassium and more. This salad boosts wellness is a variety of ways including immunity-boosting and anti-aging/ free-radical fighting power. Plus all that sweetness provides a natural burst of energy. (And since there are healthy fat nuts in there too, you are slowing down digestion so that your blood sugar doesn't spike and crash.)
Fruit.
Modify it. I made this dish a meal by adding in some simple warm brown rice. You could easily use a variety of grains: warm quinoa, oatmeal, cream of rice, cream of wheat, warmed farro, warm barley or you could even serve the fruit and cacao puree over toast, pancakes, waffles or a muffin if desired! (So many options here...)
So even though it looks NEW and unusual - give this super food meal a try!
Rice. I just used basic just-cooked brown rice. Rice pudding or non-dairy milk simmered rice works too.
Cute cat. just because.
bowl bliss..
Super Food Fruit Salad + Cacao Puree. Over Warm Brown Rice.
vegan, serves 3
Fruit Salad:
2 kiwis, peeled/sliced
1 banana, sliced
1 orange, peeled/sliced
1 ½ tablespoon Goji berries
⅛ teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon raw walnuts
squeeze or lemon juice (optional)
Brown Rice:
1 ½ - 2 cups cooked brown rice
+ toss with a drizzle of maple syrup for a sweet accent
+ salt to taste (optional)
Cacao Cream:
2 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1-2 teaspoon cacao nibs (optional)
1 cup water
⅓ - ½ cup raw cashews (soaking is optional)
3 tablespoon raw walnuts
2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup (or to taste)
pinch of salt
optional: dash of cayenne
Directions:
1. Prep your fruit salad fruit. Add chopped fruit to a large mixing bowl. Toss well with all ingredients and place in the fridge.
2. Add all the cacao puree ingredients to a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) and start blending from low to high. Note: start out with just ⅓ cup cashews and add in up to ½ cup if you want a thicker puree. Blending on HIGH is the best way to fully pulverize your nuts and thicken your puree. Sweeten and salt and add cacao to taste. Place this puree in the fridge to chill for a few minutes or overnight before serving over top warm rice.
Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, use a food processor or you will need to soak you nuts before blending to soften. (Nut Soaking: Soak in hot water for 1-8 hours and drain before blending)
3. Warm pre-cooked rice, or boil and cook rice as directed on package. You can either sweeten and soften with some non-dairy milk or just serve a more dry cooked rice. Up to you. You could also substitute oats, quinoa, farro, cream of rice and more.
4. Serve! Add the grain base (warm rice) and top with the cacao puree and as much fruit salad as you'd like.
Optional: Add chia seeds, mint and/or cacao nibs over top if desired!
Nutrition estimate (per serving, 3 servings per recipe) - big bowl!
Cacao puree / PUDDING!..
Kathy Patalsky says
Starting with an little liquid as possible to blend will ensure a creamy thick consistency. You can always add more, but you cannot add less. Hope that helps! 🙂
Marissa Rath says
Hey! My "cream" didn't get quite as thick as yours looks. I soaked the nuts overnight - maybe I should have let it blend longer? It was delicious anyway but any suggestions would be awesome! 🙂
K D says
Wow, what a site! You are definitely a busy girl! Thank you for the recipes and inspiration!
Gloria Wyszynski says
I just made this for breakfast this morning and it was sooooooooooooo good!! I just substituted some fresh mango for the kewi and it was devine, awesome recipe!! also I was wondering what your thoughts are on mixing foods such as grains and fruit, I've heard some people say that certain food groups shouldn't be mixed in a recipe.
Marabella says
We compared the Vitamix with the Blendtec, and bought the Blendtec for several reasons - 99% of it is made and assembled in the USA, vs. 76% of Vitamix made in USA; fully warranted for 7 years on all parts; 3HP at peak instead of Vitamix's 2HP, it does make a difference. No sharp knife edges - important when cleaning - I got a nasty cut from a Ninja blender blade before we bought the Blendtec. And, it is several hundred dollars less than the Vitamix. Works like a charm. We have had it about a month, used it over 140 times, there is a counter on it, and have made smoothies, nut butters, ground seeds, soups, and everything else in between. And it makes awesome ice cream (better than the Vitamix).
Kathy Patalsky says
Blendtecs are great too! I'm a fan of both brands'n
bob says
Being made in America is not an indicator of quality (would be ideal to have the appliance made in Germany). Horsepower is also not an indicator of quality. Performance power is determined by the amperage of the electrical current coming into the machine plus factors like efficiency loss (for example, how efficiently the machine cools itself during usage). The blade is a big difference (2 vs 4). So which one makes the best smoothies? Both are great blenders, evidenced the large percentage of smoothie shops using either a Blendtec or Vitamix.
Marabella says
Mazde in America keeps jobs in America.
Alicia says
This salad looks so delicious! We are very interested in advertising on your blog. I didn't see your e-mail anywhere so could you please let me know what your ad rates are? My e-mail is [email protected] Thanks.
Kathy Patalsky says
Yes it is different! But if if you love rice pudding or Chocolate pudding the flavors will make sense at first bite I promise! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
My first Vitamix was the least expensive one! And I loved it! My mom hijacked it from me when I upgraded to a different version. And she uses it today and lives it! So really, ANY model will be worth it.
Kristal says
This looks so refreshing! I have a question about the vitamixers...there's so many to choose from its a little overwhelming. Which model would be a good fit for me? I wanted to get it for making green drinks in the am but also liked that it can be used for so many other things...like sorbets, soups, etc. My budget won't really allow for the high end models but I'm not sure how to select the right one for me. Any suggestions?
Natasha says
We eat fruit salad for breakfast most days. I don't like chocolate with fruit, but we have macadamia nut butter and it's amazing.
Renard Moreau says
[ Smiles ] An interesting combination; rice together with chocolate; this would be an interesting recipe to prepare for friends and family.
Lisa @ The Meaning of Me says
This looks like a great breakfast option - healtlhy, filling, and has to be tasty. Love the cat just because - my three would approve! 🙂
Christina says
This is such an interesting mix! Loving your use of brown rice, I can't wait to try it.
renae says
Wow! This is really different....I'm intrigued!!
Vegan Woman says
Oh my does this look good! puree cacao! Adorable Cat!