Raspberry Peach Smoothie Bowl

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

raspberrypeachsmoothiebowl
Why, dear god, why, is it still raining in D.C.?!?!

Clearly, I’ve lost my patience. My mind is next. It’s getting to the point where, if I’m walking down the sidewalk and the sun comes out between the clouds, I stop and bask in it for a second. I’m sun-starved.

But luckily, I’m not food-starved. That’s where this raspberry peach smoothie bowl comes in. I made it the other morning for breakfast and it made me feel a little better about the fact that the sun hasn’t shined here in weeks.

This song helps, too.

Raspberry Peach Smoothie Bowl (slightly adapted from Pinch of Yum)

Ingredients

5 ounces frozen peaches
1/2 cup water
5 ounces frozen raspberries
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/8 cup honey
a pinch of salt
raspberries, granola, nuts, coconut, chia and bananas for topping

Directions

Blend the peaches with the water, then add the raspberries and coconut milk and blend together.

Stir in the chia seeds, honey and salt. Let stand for 10-15 minutes to thicken. Serve with toppings of your choice. I also drizzled a little honey on top for good measure. Enjoy!

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Mango Smoothie Bowl with Chai Spiced Granola

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

mangosmoothiebowl
This smoothie bowl caught my eye because of the chai spiced granola. I didn’t look closely when I was reading the recipe the first time. Then, when I started to make a list of ingredients to buy at the grocery store, I realized that it was gluten-free.

That freaked me out a little because I’m a big fan of grains. I like pecans and almonds as much as the next person, but when I eat a bowl of granola, I like there to be some semblance of oats.

I decided to suspend my doubt and give the granola a try. Anything with chai spice has to at least taste good, I reasoned.

As it turns out, this granola is as good, if not better, than “regular” granola. It’s crunchy and full of spice, and the smell while it’s baking in the oven is unreal. It’s like a maple syrup pancake, a pecan roll and glass of chai tea all decided to record a song together. The notes are fragrant and delicious.

I was walking to work this morning and this song came on. I almost started laughing at the lyrics, “you can go to bed when you’re dead.” The song is about partying but I also think it works well for motivation.

Mango Smoothie Bowl with Chai Spiced Granola (slightly adapted from Downshiftology)

Ingredients

for smoothie:
1½ cup frozen mango chunks
½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
½ banana
1 cup coconut water

for chai spiced granola:
2 cups almonds
¾ cup pecans
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup cashews
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
½ tsp allspice
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ cup honey

for toppings:
½ cup mango and pineapple chunks
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup coconut flakes
¼ cup chai spiced granola

Directions

First, make the chai spiced granola. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Place your nuts and seeds (individually, one type at a time) in a food processor. Pulse until they’ve been chopped to a medium-fine texture, stopping before they turn into nut butter. Place the nuts and seeds into a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to your mixing bowl and use your hands to mix together thoroughly.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the granola mix evenly between the two pans in a single, flat layer.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the granola. Rotate your pans when you place back in the oven. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, being careful not to burn the granola. (Note: It can quickly go from golden to burned within a minute, so keep an eye on it. It won’t look any different when it’s done baking and will still be soft – that’s fine. It will harden once it cools.)

Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes or overnight (if you’re making it way ahead of time). Place in a sealed container and store for future use.

When you’re ready, make the smoothie. Add the coconut water, then fruit into a high-powered blender. Blend on high for one minute, until thick and creamy consistency.

Pour into a bowl and add your toppings. Enjoy!

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Roasted Asparagus with Vegan Romesco Sauce

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

asparagusromesco
Making this roasted asparagus taught me a lot of important lessons. One is that it’s possible to make an entire dinner while having an hour-long catch up session on the phone. Another is that you should never, ever try to remove a baking sheet with cherry tomatoes from the oven while holding a phone in one hand. It seemed like it would work at the time…

Anyway. All’s well that ends well. The lemon, garlic and coconut oil mixture that I put on the asparagus brought out its flavor. And the vegan romesco sauce is delicious; I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. I hate to admit it, but a small part of me still distrusts vegan sauces.

This one did not disappoint, though. It’s slightly spicy and packs a lot of flavor. The charred red pepper and tomatoes gives it a smoky taste.

I added some French lentils on top and sliced cherry tomatoes for color. This is the kind of dish that you’ll eat with your eyes, first.

Here’s a song I’ve been jamming out to on this rainy morning in D.C. I’m going to stop now before I start ranting about the weather. But to give you an idea of how it’s been here, The Washington Post Express just ran an article explaining what the sun is to readers. Not a fan.

Roasted Asparagus with Vegan Romesco Sauce (slightly adapted from Will Frolic for Food)

Ingredients

for the asparagus:
2 lbs asparagus
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

for the romesco sauce:
1 red pepper, halved
1 cup cherry tomatoes (or any low-water tomato like Roma)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt + more to taste
2 cups cooked french lentils (cook according to your preference)

to serve: 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut of the hard ends of the asparagus. Then spread the asparagus out on the baking sheet. Toss with the melted coconut oil, lemon, minced garlic, pepper and salt. If you’re asparagus is cold from the fridge, work quickly as the coconut oil will solidify. Pop the asparagus in the oven and cook for 18 mins or until fork tender and beginning to crisp. Then remove from the oven and cover until ready to serve.

To make the sauce, set the oven to broil. Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set your peppers and tomatoes on the baking sheet. Broil for 3-5 minutes, flipping the pepper halves every 30 seconds until the outsides start to blacken. The tomatoes will pop and start to blacken. One the pepper is blackening on the outside, remove the veg from the oven. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin off of the red pepper and remove the green top, seeds and white pith. Add the pepper to the bowl of a high powered blender along with the tomatoes, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, almond butter, garlic, smoked paprika and salt. Blend until creamy.

To serve, spread your asparagus out on your plates, top with lentils, romesco sauce and sliced tomatoes. Enjoy!

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Buckwheat Waffles with Vanilla Rhubarb

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

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I started to make these waffles the other morning, but then I realized that the batter (ideally) needs to sit in the fridge overnight.

That’s okay, I told myself. A smoothie bowl is my default and I could give myself another 24 hours to look forward to eating the waffles.

Anticipation ran high by the time I brought out my waffle iron on Sunday. I woke up hungry and I didn’t even want to wait to make these. But I forged ahead.

I’m glad that I did. I’m not going to lie to you: these waffles are not sweet. They don’t even pretend to be. The buckwheat and yeast gives them a slightly sour flavor, and the word that comes to mind when eating them is “hearty.”

But that’s where the vanilla rhubarb comes in. I had never cooked with a whole vanilla bean before, but let me tell you, it makes all the difference. The vanilla is very present and complements well with the orange zest and tart rhubarb. The maple syrup adds some much-needed sweetness.

The vanilla rhubarb is the best part of this recipe. I was eating the sauce out of the pan with a spoon. Even if you don’t go the buckwheat waffle route, I would highly recommend making this sauce for other waffles or pancakes. It’s divine.

I listened to a lot of Motown this weekend thanks to my younger sister’s new Spotify playlist (which everyone should check out), “Funkay Motown Soul Jamz.” Here’s a classic for the ages.

Buckwheat Waffles with Vanilla Rhubarb (from The First Mess)

Ingredients

for the buckwheat waffles:
1 cup warm almond milk (or other milk that you like)
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 tbsp raw honey/maple syrup/agave
2 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil + extra to grease waffle iron
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup wholewheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
2 tbsp warm water
pinch of fine sea salt

for the vanilla rhubarb:
1/2 lb rhubarb, cleaned + cut into 3-4 inch pieces
1/4 cup maple syrup + extra to serve
zest + juice of 1 orange
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped

Directions

In a medium-large non reactive bowl, combine the warm almond milk and yeast. Let the yeast dissolve and become part of the milk for a few minutes.

To the almond milk and yeast, add the honey, oil and vanilla. Give it a stir. Add the buckwheat and wholewheat flours, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir until just combined, then add the water and stir one more time. over the bowl with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1/2 an hour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight (or let the batter sit on the counter for a full hour and go from there if you’re okay with slightly less developed flavour).

Meanwhile, make the braised rhubarb. Combine the rhubarb, maple syrup, orange zest + juice and vanilla bean seeds in a medium saucepan (throw the vanilla pod in while it cooks too). Let it sit over medium heat until there’s some faint bubbling. Let the rhubarb cook until soft and syrup-y, about 12 minutes. Set it aside or keep it warm until you’re ready to serve the waffles.

Remove the batter from the fridge and stir in the fine sea salt. Let the batter rest while you preheat the waffle iron. I find a higher done-ness level is desirable with yeasted waffles in general, so there’s that. Grease the waffle iron and cook waffle batter according to your maker’s directions (almost 1/2 the batter per waffle in the iron for 3 minutes or so for me). Enjoy waffles warm with the stewed rhubarb.

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Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Tahini Hot Sauce

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

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Some dishes make you think of a certain person every time you make them. Whenever I make an omelet, for example, I think about the family I nannied for in France. The dad taught me how to make an authentic omelet, and the son (who was only 11 at the time) schooled me in how to cook one for dinner. We’re not all born with these gifts.

Every time I make stuffed sweet potatoes, it reminds me of one of my friends from grad school, Stephanie. She was the one who introduced me to the concept and I’ve been looking for good recipes every since.

This stuffed sweet potato has an Asian twist. You use soy sauce and tahini to make the sauce to go on top, and you sprinkle the sweet potato with some sesame seeds, cilantro and green onion to finish.

The best part about this dish is the crispy chickpeas. I love the blend of spices and how the chickpeas get crunchy after you sauté them in the pan. I ended up saving half of them for a snack tomorrow at work.

I only made one sweet potato because I was cooking dinner for myself, but feel free to follow the original recipe and make four if you’re super hungry or feeding a crowd.

This song reminds me of Steph, too. We were both in the same photojournalism class and one of our first assignments was to wander around taking pictures of random people. I saw Lil Kemo shooting a music video by the beach in Evanston, and his manager kindly agreed to let me take a picture.15
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Tahini Hot Sauce (from The First Mess)

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, cut in half lengthwise

for the chickpeas:
2 teaspoons grapeseed or coconut oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas (roughly one 15-ounce can, drained)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari soy sauce
½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce/other hot sauce

for the ginger tahini sauce:
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
¼ cup tahini
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
1-2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce/other hot sauce
hot water to thin, about 2-3 tablespoons

for garnish:
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro (or other leafy herb)
sesame seeds
extra chili garlic sauce, or other hot sauce (I used Cholula)
lime wedges

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking dish with 2-inch sides with parchment paper. Set the sweet potatoes, flesh side down, onto the parchment. Bake sweet potatoes until they are tender all the way through, about 25 minutes.

While sweet potatoes bake, heat the grapeseed oil in medium skillet over medium heat. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the garlic powder, cumin, ginger, coriander, maple syrup, tamari, and hot sauce.

Transfer the chickpeas to the skillet. Sauté chickpeas until visibly browned and lightly dried. The spices should form a golden “crust” on the outside of the chickpeas. This should take about 5 minutes with intermittent stirring.

Using the same bowl that you tossed the chickpeas in, quickly whisk together the tahini sauce. Mix together the ginger, tahini, lime juice, tamari, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Once it’s totally smooth, add enough hot water to get the sauce to pourable consistency. Whisk thoroughly and set aside.

Place baked sweet potatoes on plates or a platter. Top the sweet potato halves with tahini sauce, the cooked chickpeas, green onions, cilantro/herbs, sesame seeds, and extra hot sauce. Serve lime wedges on the side. Enjoy immediately.

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Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

cherrydarkchocolatebowl
Cherry season is finally here, so I decided to celebrate by making this dark cherry smoothie bowl.

Chocolate and cherry is one of my favorite combinations and the ingredients take a starring role in this bowl. The coconut is a good supporting actor and the almonds add some crunch.

I’d never made a smoothie bowl with coconut water; usually I use almond milk or coconut milk. I was a little skeptical about what the end result would be, but it all turned out well. I might start using coconut water in more of my bowls, now. It gives the smoothie more of a sorbet or frozen yogurt texture.

Here is a song to celebrate the beginning of cherry season. Or, you know, just to listen to.

Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl (slightly adapted from Downshiftology)

Ingredients

2 cups of frozen cherries, pitted
1 banana
¾ cup coconut water
whole cherries, coconut flakes, sliced almonds and raw cacao nibs for topping

Directions

Add the frozen cherries, banana and coconut water to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the smoothie mixture into a bowl and top with the whole cherries, coconut flakes, sliced almonds and cacao nibs. Enjoy!

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Sorrel Rice Bowl with Poached Egg

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

sorrelbowl
A recipe doesn’t have to try hard to get me to like it. All it has to do is say the words “poached egg” and I’m sold.

I’ve had my eye on this recipe for sorrel rice with poached egg for a while. It comes from Jessica Koslow, the mastermind chef at Sqirl in L.A. I’ve always wanted to go there and try their toast and breakfast bowls. Brown rice porridge with toasted hazelnuts? Avocado toast with hot pickled carrots? Yes, please.

Since I can’t (at the moment) bring myself to Sqirl, I decided to bring Sqirl to me. Thankfully, Bon Appetit helped me make this dream a reality by publishing the recipe for Koslow’s sorrel rice with poached egg.

I was worried about where I would find sorrel, but then I saw it when I went to the farmers’ market last Sunday. If you can’t find it at the grocery store or market, you can substitute kale. Just make sure you add more lemon juice, because sorrel is very tart and kale is more subdued.

Something I’ve been doing lately when I cook is tasting all the ingredients as I add them to the dish. Well, besides raw egg. I think it’s a good way to see how the flavors will all come together.

I also like smelling the ingredients as they cook. I’ve never experienced anything like the sorrel pesto, preserved lemon, rice and dill. It’s spicy and it definitely wants to be noticed. But it’s also comforting; you’ll want to curl up around the bowl in a chair and breathe in the lemon scent.

Here is a song to guide you through your egg-poaching, sorrel rice bowl-making experience. It has a lot of spunk, just like this bowl.

Sorrel Rice Bowl with Poached Egg (from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain brown rice
Kosher salt
1 cup (lightly packed) sorrel or kale leaves (ribs removed, if using kale)
¼ cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
1 large watermelon radish or 2 red radishes, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
½ preserved lemon, flesh removed, peel finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
2 oz. feta, preferably sheep’s milk, crumbled
hot sauce
flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Directions

Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, 45–50 minutes. Drain rice, return to pot, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Spread out on a baking sheet and let cool completely.

Purée sorrel, oil, and 1 tbsp. water in a food processor until smooth; season with kosher salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring 2” water to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat so water is at a gentle simmer and add vinegar. Crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently slide egg into water. Repeat with remaining eggs, waiting until whites are opaque before adding the next (about 30 seconds apart). Poach until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to paper towels as they are done.

Toss radish with 1 tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl; season with kosher salt.
Toss rice, preserved lemon, 1 tbsp. dill, remaining 1 tbsp. lemon juice, and ⅓ cup sorrel purée in a medium bowl; season with kosher salt and pepper and mix in more sorrel purée, if desired.

Serve sorrel rice topped with poached eggs, radish, feta, hot sauce, more dill, and sea salt.

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Chia Açaí Smoothie Jar

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

chiaacaismoothiejar
Drinks in jars, drinks in jars, how beautiful are thee…

Okay, I’ll stop now before I record a song and end up posting it here. But you get the idea.

For this smoothie jar, you layer crushed strawberries and blueberries with vanilla chia pudding and an açaí smoothie. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t.

It’s easy to make and you can do it ahead of time, so when you wake up in the morning you have something to look forward to. Unscrew the lid and top with some vanilla granola, blueberries, strawberries, coconut and bee pollen, and you’ll have a delicious breakfast that it worth getting out of bed for.

I just bought a mint plant so I used some of the leaves in this jar and on top. If I can keep the mint alive for more than a month, I’m going to start growing other herbs at home.

Here is a song that’s been stuck in my head lately. It’s about fate and destiny and following your heart, which is important if you’re about to make a big life change.

Chia Açaí Smoothie Jar (slightly adapted from The Awesome Green)

Ingredients

for the chia pudding:
4 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup almond milk
drop of vanilla extract

for the açaí smoothie:
1 açaí smoothie pack pack
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp almond butter
2 tsp unsweetened desiccated coconut
3-4 fresh mint leaves
¼ cup almond milk
*Optional: 2 tsp bee pollen (use hemp hearts for the vegan version)

for the fruit layer:
fresh mixed berries, mashed with a fork to obtain juice and chunks (I used strawberries and blueberries)

to garnish:
fresh fruit, bee pollen, coconut flakes, vanilla granola, mint leaves

Directions

Put the chia seeds, almond milk and vanilla powder into a medium bowl, mix to combine and set aside for 15 minutes, until the seeds absorb all the liquid.

Add all the smoothie layer ingredients into a blender and process to obtain a creamy mixture.

To assemble the jar add half of the mashed fruits, then a layer of chia puding, top with acai smoothie and garnish with fresh fruit, vanilla granola, bee pollen, mint leaves and coconut flakes.

Proceed the same with the second jar, then serve or put lids on the jars and refrigerate. Enjoy!

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Grapefruit Arugula Salad with Sesame Pistachios

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

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A few years ago when I was just starting to cook, I discovered Naturally Ella‘s blog. I fell in love with her recipes, partly because they’re so accessible and partly because they include ingredients that I like to use. Most of her dishes are plant-based or vegetarian, and at the time, I didn’t each much meat.

Over the years, I’ve turned to the blog when I need lunch or dinner inspiration. I know that I can rely on Naturally Ella for good salads and main dishes that make the most out of vegetables. Like me, she’s a big fan of avocado, and it shows up in a lot of her recipes.

This salad doesn’t have avocado, but it does have something else that I hold near and dear to my heart: grapefruit.

It also has sesame pistachios, which is a new favorite thing of mine. You toss the nuts with some warm honey and sesame seeds and roast them in the oven until they’re slightly brown and crunchy. I love the way they taste with the goat cheese and tart grapefruit.

I have a feeling that this is a salad I’m going to keep coming back to again and again. It’s (relatively) quick, fresh and the perfect amount of sweet.

Here’s a song I’ve been jamming out to today. It’s pretty catchy.

Grapefruit Arugula Salad with Sesame Pistachios (from Naturally Ella)

Ingredients

for the pistachios:
1/2 cup pistachios meat
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon honey, warmed

for the salad:
1 large pink grapefruit
3 to 4 cups loose arugula
½ cup thinly shaved fennel
2 ounces goat cheese

for the dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grapefruit (or lemon) juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325˚. In a bowl, toss together pistachios, sesame seeds,honey until almonds are well coated. Spread out into a single layer on a parchment covered sheet tray. Roast for 14 to 16 minutes until sesame seeds are starting to brown. Remove and set aside, letting cool completely.

While the pistachios are roasting, supreme the grapefruit and place in a bowl along with the arugula, fennel, and goat cheese. One nuts are done and slightly cool, add roughly half to the salad.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, pour over salad, and toss until the salad is mixed and well coated with dressing. Serve with the extra pistachios.

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Coconut Chia Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

coconutoatmeal
I’ve been making a lot of smoothie bowls lately. So yesterday, I decided to switch up my breakfast routine.

This oatmeal caught my eye because of the caramelized bananas. I usually associate them with Bananas Foster. When I was growing up, my mom would make it every year for New Year’s Eve. I love the smell of brown sugar and banana as it cooks down in the pan.

It felt kind of weird to make caramelized bananas in May, but I got over that quickly. The flavors and textures in this bowl are, as my friend Rachel would say, “banging.” You have the soft but crunchy caramelized bananas, the rich dark chocolate, toasted coconut and the creamy chia oats. There’s a lot happening, but it all works together to make something amazing.

I’m making myself hungry just writing about it.

So anyway. I would recommend making this oatmeal as soon as possible. You can get creative with the toppings and add other things like honey, bee pollen or crushed flowers. I realize that those last two things are probably ones that you don’t have lying around. But if you do, all the better.

Mondays are tough, especially if you had a really good weekend before. This song is helping get me through.

Coconut Chia Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas (slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest)

Ingredients

for the oatmeal:
1 cup old fashioned oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
1-2 ounces dark chocolate
chopped almonds, toasted coconut, hemp seeds and or chia seeds for topping

for the caramelized bananas:
2 ripe, but firm bananas, sliced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, combine the oats, coconut milk, water and chia seeds. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then simmer over medium low heat, stirring often until the liquid has been absorbed and the oats have thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. If your oatmeal gets too thick, just add more coconut milk.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add the coconut oil and the brown sugar to the skillet. Once the pan is hot, but not smoking, add the banana slices in a single layer. Cook for 1 minute per side or until the banana is just caramelized. Carefully remove the bananas from the pan. Divide the oatmeal among two bowls and top with the warm caramelized bananas. Add the chocolate and any other desired toppings. Enjoy!

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