Thank goodness – Australian bananas are finally affordable again! Today I bought a bunch for the same price as what just one cost a few months ago. I dumped them in the fruit bowl and with great nutritional joy told my family: “Eat as many as you want!”

To celebrate I whipped up a banana berry smoothie – perfect for a filling snack on a hot Sunday afternoon.

• 1 banana
• 1 cup frozen berries (the more you use, the thicker the drink)
• 2 cups reduced fat milk
• 3 generous tablespoons plain yoghurt (I use Jalna biodynamic organic)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• Optional: 2 tablespoons chia seed (for some ALA omega-3′s)

Blend in electric blender and enjoy! The finished article is pictured above.

My good friend Katalin gave me this recipe for the most delicious way to cook dried beans. She uses black beans. So far I’ve tried it with haricot and black-eyed beans. It tastes great whichever beans you use.  I try to make a batch each week, especially at the moment when I can’t exercise and need to not over-eat. After a meal of these beans there is no room for chocolate! They taste lovely with a dollop of plain yoghurt or raita (yoghurt, cucumber and mint). I also eat them with steamed vegetables followed by fruit for a simple nutritious meal.

Katalin’s Beans

• 1 large cup dried beans
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 green capsisum, chopped finely
• 1 red capsicum, chopped finely
• 2-3 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt
• 1/4 cup vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)

Soak beans in plenty of water overnight.

Heat a little olive oil in a large fry-pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes then add celery and capsicums. Cook 5-6 minutes until softened. Drain beans and add to fry-pan. Pour in enough stock to cover. Cover and simmer on low for 1-2 hours, adding more stock or water when necessary. The beans should end up quite saucy. Once cooked add cumin, vinegar and salt to taste.

Oh my goodness, these little sweet treats are so delicious, especially with coffee or a cup of Earl Grey tea. This recipe is adapted from Bertoni’s – arguably the most popular coffee stop in Balmain.  Last weekend I spotted a local Balmain dad sipping his Bertoni coffee in Strathfield – a 20-30 minute drive from Balmain. That’s true devotion! Bertoni’s is authentically Italian and their cookbook has some fabulous recipes as well as a history of the Bertoni family and their love of good food.

Chocolate brownie is popular with adults and kids alike. But it is usually packed full of fat, sugar and calories. Here is a quick, healthier version adapted from the Healthy Food Guide chocolate brownie. This version uses wholemeal flour which gives an extra nutty flavour and texture that goes well with the walnuts. It has no butter which slashes the saturated fat to almost zero while the walnuts provide a few healthy omega 3 fats. Both the walnuts and wholemeal flour add fibre which hopefully prevents a complete pig-out of this yummy treat! The best thing about this recipe is how quick and easy it is to whip up. Give it a go…