Good morning!
There are two blank canvases that tend to inspire me most frequently in the kitchen: Bread and yogurt. (Coincidence that they’re both breakfast foods? Perhaps not!) Both are perfect tabula rasa (rasi plural?) for any culinary inclinations I have the whim to throw their way. They’re exceptionally forgiving of wild palatal experiments, and entirely encouraging when it comes to trying new flavors.
This morning, I had a hankering for an unusual twist on the typical yogurt bowl: I had bananas and black sesame seeds sitting on my counter and immediately wanted to caramelize them both. Is that a medical condition, d’you think—having the sudden and overwhelming urge to caramelize everything in your immediate vicinity?
If so, I have it. And you’re looking at its (mega-delish) results.
This perfectly simple yogurt bowl can be made in 10 minutes and eaten any time of day. The black sesame seeds are full of bone-nourishing minerals (sesame seeds are one of the most significant sources of food-based calcium around), the yogurt brimming with probiotics and protein, and the banana brûlée made with skin-nourishing coconut oil. Though I used raw sugar (from Maui!) in the bananas, you could easily opt for an unrefined sweetener like honey or maple syrup (or none at all).
And then there’s the black sesame brittle. Let’s talk about how easy this brittle is: Three ingredients. No, I’m not kidding. Sesame seeds, maple syrup, sea salt. Done. In the toaster oven on high for 5 minutes. Nothing could be simpler.
I just dialed in your morning like whoa. You’re welcome!
BANANA BRÛLÉE YOGURT WITH BLACK SESAME BRITTLE.
Ingredients
brûlée bananas
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon raw virgin coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar or other sweetener to taste
- 2 pinches flaky sea salt
black sesame brittle
- 1/3 cup toasted black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
yogurt
- 1 ½ cups plain yogurt or more as desired
Instructions
- Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 425º. On a small baking tray, mix sesame seeds, maple syrup, and sea salt. Once oven is preheated, bake sesame seed mixture for about 5 minutes, checking at When the syrup is bubbling and the edges are just beginning to brown, it’s done.
- Remove from oven and use a metal or silicone spatula to scrape the brittle up from the pan and break into clumps. It will harden however you leave it, so try to remove as much from the pan as possible. You can break apart vertical clumps later—it’s more important to get the brittle up off the pan. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Peel banana and slice as you like, at least ¼-inch thick. In a medium frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium-high flame. Add banana slices and let ‘em sizzle. Sprinkle on the sugar, flipping the bananas as you go by using a back and forth movement of the pan or a spatula. Sprinkle on the salt, and flip once more.
- Let bananas sizzle and caramelize for 3-5 minutes, adjusting heat down if you see any smoke starting to rise. Once they are caramelizing and gently browned, remove from heat.
- Divide yogurt into bowls and top with brûléed bananas and sprinkles of black sesame brittle. Eat. Have a phenomenal day because you just breakfasted like a CHAMP.
