By Sloane Samberson
Staff Writer
@SloaneSamberson

This past year I have become obsessed with vegan food like vegan pasta, vegan cake, vegan sushi, vegan ice cream, vegan lasagna. I love vegan food. Although I could never go full vegan (I love meat, too), my diet is about 70 percent vegan food.

A couple months ago I discovered my now favorite health blog: http://rosalieruardy.com. Rosalie Ruardy, who is from the Netherlands, is a health enthusiast (as am I) who blogs about healthy food, drinks, workouts and her travels.

Her blog is not solely vegan. She has recipes ranging from very simple, ‘The Perfect Green Smoothie Breakfast’, to very ethnic and complicated, ‘Rutabaga ‘Tagliatelle’ with Radicchio and Grilled Pear’.

My personal favorite of Ruardy’s is her ‘Vegan Banana Bread with Superfoods.’

Here is what the banana bread calls for:

• 5 big bananas
• 2 cups of oats (grind them in a blender or food processor)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried dates
• ½ cup pistachio nuts
• ½ cup goji berries
• ½ cup walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ½ lemon
• A little bit of coconut oil

You will need to prepare these tools:

• 1 tin (standard size)
• 1 mortar
• Oven (preheat to 365º F)

Follow these instructions:

1. Mix the ground oats with cinnamon, all the raisins, ½ cup goji berries and baking powder.
2. Mix the dates in your blender with the vanilla extract and almond milk. Blend until smooth.
3. Mash up four of the bananas in a bowl until smooth.
4. Stir these mixes together in a big bowl using a wooden spoon (oats, dates, banana). This is your ‘dough’.
5. Use the mortar to grind the pistachios and walnuts.
6. Add these nuts (but keep a little bit aside) to the mix.
7. Add the zest of the ½ lemon to the mix.
8. Add ½ cup of goji berries to your mortar and mix with the nuts. This is your topping.
9. Use the coconut oil to grease the inside of your tin.
10. Spoon the banana bread ‘dough’ in the tin and make it look smooth.
11. Cut the remaining banana into pieces and put these on top (keep a few pieces aside).
12.  Add the nuts topping and put the left banana pieces on top.
13. Put the banana bread in the oven for 60 minutes.
14. Wait and let it cool before you cut it.

After slicing off pieces for your family (or just yourself), refrigerate the remaining banana bread. Because the bread is made of raw ingredients, it must be refrigerated for maximum freshness.

Ruardy tops her banana bread with maple syrup or homemade banana jam. I topped mine with agave nectar.

The next time you are craving a slice, eat it warm or cold. I prefer to eat my banana bread slightly heated, so I heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds.

This superfood banana bread does not have the typical texture of banana bread. It is much more dense since its base is made of oats, nuts and dried fruit.

A slice of this vegan banana bread will keep you full all morning, and you’ll know, since it is wholesome, you will be starting your day off the right way.