Acai Berry Recipes
Rachel Ray acai berry recipes are hard to find. After searching off and on for a number of days I gave up searching but I hadn’t given up hope. I decided to experiment in my own kitchen. Often some of my favorite recipes are those I’ve stumbled across when I’ve had to switch one ingredient for another in a pinch.
The first thing I tried was an acai berry juice marinade on chicken breast. This is just a variation of an orange juice and white pepper marinade I picked up in Nicaragua or the lime juice and soy marinade I had been using for years. I should note that I always marinade for at least six hours as any less time doesn’t do much for me.
I cut the chicken breast into strips and pour acai juice and some extra virgin cold pressed olive oil over the pieces. In an effort to cut the sweetness, I added some sea salt and crushed capers. The result was interesting and got fairly good reviews. I didn’t like it as much as my stand by marinades so I won’t be likely to repeat this recipe. Also I ended up tossing much of the acai goodness down the drain which entirely defeats the health benefits of acai berry juice. Additionally, acai is more expensive than lime juice or orange juice so it was a slightly expensive experiment.
Let’s think of something else that might be Rachel Ray acai berry recipe worthy. I thought of an acai berry frozen yogurt that was quick and simple to make, but this one turned out delicious! First, because I am going to add juice to the yogurt, we need to drain some liquid so it won’t form too many ice crystals once it’s frozen. Start by draining a pint of plain (low fat) yogurt with a colander and cheese cloth in the fridge for a day. Once it’s has drained, discard the liquid, and now whip in 1/2 a cup of acai berry juice. At this point it actually makes a wonderful spread or dip.
I continued with the frozen yogurt recipe and peeled the creamy acai berry yogurt from the cheesecloth into a plastic container. Whip the yogurt with a whisk for several minutes to lighten it up, and then throw it in the freezer. After 8 hours it should be frozen enough to try. I just loved this recipe! It was a perfect mixture of the acai berry juice and frozen yogurt so that it wasn’t overly sweet like ice cream would be. I think a good variation would be to put the yogurt mixture into Popsicle cups so you have individual servings ready to eat on the go.
Last but not least, I wanted to make a recipe for the tried and true fruit smoothie, except make it an acai berry special. In a blender add ice, a frozen banana (this makes the smoothy extra creamy by allowing you to add less ice), some plain yogurt, and 3/4 cup of acai juice. If you want to make a great all around breakfast smoothie, add some wheat germ to get a bit of extra fibre and protein.
So my first attempt at acai berry inspired recipes turned out not so bad. I’m happy with two out of three successful recipes for my first attempt. Granted, my acai berry inventions are not nearly as delicious as what I imagine an acai berry recipe from Rachel Ray. I’ll keep trying though and perhaps I will eventually come up with some amazing recipes to use this amazing super food in.