Getting kids (and some adults, let’s be honest!) to eat their fruits and vegetables can be a major hassle. Explaining the nutritional advantages seems to have no effect on people so we must, alas, resort to jugaad - trick them into eating their fruits and veggies! Our latest series hides fruits and vegetables into recipes making them healthier, more nutritious and tastier! Welcome to Hide and Stay Hidden with Fruits and Vegetables! This ‘nice’ cream is made with bananas but is such a great alternative to traditional ice cream!
Why is it nice?
It’s nice because anyone can have it! Traditional ice cream is made with dairy. If you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, that means you can’t have ice cream. Even if you’re simply watching your calorie intake you might be reluctant to have ice cream. This recipe works for everyone! Since it’s made from fruits, it’s not as high in calories as regular ice cream. Bananas are also chock full of nutrients especially potassium.
Is nice cream really as good as ice cream?
I won’t lie to you and say that it tastes exactly like ice cream but it is very close to a creamy sorbet! The blueberries lend a beautiful colour along with a tart flavour that helps mask some of the banana flavour. What’s key to a good nice cream is flavour. Get the right flavour combination and you’ll have a winner on your hands. I chose to include peanut butter and the result was a nice cream that reminded me of a PB&J! We used to get peanut butter and jam pre-mixed in jars when I was growing up and my sister and I loved eating it by the spoonful. That’s exactly what this nice cream tastes like!
Equipment
There’s absolutely no cooking in this recipe but we do need a powerful mixer. The Wonderchef Sumo Silverado 1000W Mixer Grinder does the job and then some! With a square base, this mixer is so sturdy that you won’t have to hold the lid in place with your hand while mixing! Bananas and blueberries might seem like easy enough ingredients to blend but you would be surprised at how often you’re left with chunks of banana. The Sumo Silverado has a powerful 1000W motor so you don’t have to worry about chunks at all! Despite the powerful motor, the mixer is surprisingly quiet, which is really important because some recipes like smoothies, soups and juices can take a really long time to blend and you don’t want to bust your ears in the process!
Variations
The base of any nice cream is bananas, so that’s a must. However you can substitute the blueberries for any berry of your choice. Strawberries are easily available and taste fantastic with bananas. You could even do a chocolate version with cocoa powder. Once you’ve blended the bananas you can also mix in some chocolate chips, nuts, crushed cookies, caramel sauce or sprinkles before freezing the nice cream.
RECIPE CARD
Serves: 3-4
Time: 5 minutes + 5 hours Freezing Time
Ingredients:
- 3 large Bananas
- ½ Cup Blueberries
- 1 tbsp Peanut Butter
Method:
- Add all ingredients to a large blender.
- Blend for 1 minute or until you get a smooth mixture.
- Transfer the mix to a freezer safe bowl. Freeze for 4-5 hours.
- Scoop and serve!
Author: Sneha Sundar is the creator of You Dim Sum, You Lose Some; a philosophy she adopts both in and out of the kitchen.
