If you’re a foodie, you know all about acai bowls.  They’re a frozen smoothie made of acai (pronounced ah-saw-ee) berries, assorted fresh fruit and honey, topped with more fresh fruit, coconut shavings and sometimes, granola.  Acai berries come from the Amazon rainforest, and are reputed to be a powerful antioxidant.  I’m not qualified to attest to the health benefits of acai, but the acai bowl is the most delicious thing I’ve had in a long time; it’s like eating a fruit smoothie/sundae for breakfast.

There are no hard and fast rules about what goes into an acai bowl, other than the acai berries themselves (which are available in the freezer section at Whole Foods, as well as at other grocery stores).   All you need is a blender, acai berries, honey and fresh fruit.

If you look online you will see a profusion of gorgeous, perfectly-styled acai bowls, created by people who love to photograph food (not that there’s anything wrong with that!)  Your acai bowl doesn’t need to look like it’s ready for a close-up.  Most of us don’t have that kind of time in the morning, especially moms putting these together for kids heading back to school.  (It’s coming, moms.  Hang in there.)  I just dumped the fruit I liked on top of the frozen acai mixture from the blender, and had at it.  I didn’t use granola – but that would be a good addition for extra fiber – and it was refreshing and filling.

This may be a Brazilian berry, but it’s very American to find something new and good, and embrace it as our own.  I hope you’ll give the acai bowl a try.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 10 minutes