Banana and Date Smoothie

I had this smoothie at a cafe in the Middle East over Christmas. Such a perfect combination of flavours – I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it earlier. At the time I was hungry but didn’t feel like eating a large meal. This smoothie was the perfect remedy for curbing the hunger pangs. I was determined to make myself one as soon as I got home but forgot all about it until this weekend when I rediscovered it in a café in Avalon. It was a hot day, too hot to eat a proper lunch, so once again I turned to this smoothie for a quick fix. I use full fat milk and yoghurt so I get a good combination of fat, protein and carbs in one drink. You can of course swap for low fat dairy options or soy.  Dates are high in fibre, non haem iron, selenium and potassium. They can help reduce cholesterol, improve bowel function, build blood and prevent oxidation in the body. They are also rich in other vitamins and minerals such as B complex, calcium and magnesium. Dates contain lots of simple sugars making them ideal for an instant energy boost. Bananas are also high in potassium, fibre, magnesium and B6 and in simple sugars when ripe. I like to combine these fruits with full fat dairy in an attempt to slow down the absorption of the sugars into the bloodstream. You could add a couple of prunes for extra fibre if you like. This is a calorie-laden smoothie but it tastes good and its full of good stuff.

• 1/3 cup of boiling water
• 4 dried dates (pitted)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 ½  tablespoon of organic full fat natural yoghurt
• Organic unhomogenised full fat milk

Soak the dates in the hot water for 30 minutes until soft. Then combine the dates, soaking water, banana and yoghurt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add milk to a smoothie thickness of your liking as you blend.

Maman champignon date slice

I recently completed an experiment to determine the β-glucan content in oats and barley so I thought this was an appropriate recipe to post. Believed to reduce cholesterol, β-glucan is found in high concentrations in oats and barley (you may have see the advert about porridge oats on Australian TV). Like starch, β-glucan is a chain of glucose molecules. However the bonds in β-glucan differ in spatial arrangement and consequently cannot be broken down by our digestive enzymes. β-glucan is instead destined for microbial fermentation in the colon like other dietary fibres. Due to its chemical make-up, β-glucan is termed a soluble fibre. Many studies have proven it can reduce cholesterol, possibly by binding with bile acids (which make cholesterol) and excreting them in the faeces.

Naturally lowering cholesterol is a matter close to my heart since Marcus has familial high cholesterol – the type that is difficult to manage without statins. I therefore try to include oats in the diet as much as possible. Barley actually has a higher β-glucan content than oats so I will be making sure I include more barley in the future. This is a recipe from my mum which brings oats and dates together to make a delicious and nutritious snack. I have altered the recipe slightly to bring the Glycaemic Index (GI) down a little – australian dates tend to have a higher GI than other varieties.

• 150 g dates - put in pan with water and simmer to make a paste - can use more or less of water and dates
• 150 g Flora – it does lower cholesterol after all…
• 120 ml of honey (I’m using snow gum honey at the moment)
• 280 g oats – use small oats if possible
• Handful of chopped nuts - walnuts or pecans

Line smallish tin with greaseproof paper. Melt flora with honey then add oats and nuts. Spread half on bottom of lined tin - press lightly with fingertips. Spread dates on top and add rest of mixture - press lightly with fingertips. Bake in oven until golden brown – about 180 - for about 20 -25 mins. Leave to cool and cut whilst still in tin and warm into desired slices. When cooler lift onto cooling tray and when really cold take off grease proof and leave to set.