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☘️CRISPY Smashed Potatoes with Green Goddess Dip🍀 These were seriously addictive! I found all my ingredients at my local @dunnesstores. I love that they have such amazing quality Irish produce. It’s made all the difference in this recipe. Check out the full step by step below ⤵️
Goddess Green Sauce 1 avocado Handful fresh coriander Handful fresh parsley 50g (1/3 cup) cashews 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 80ml (1/3 cup) water 1-2 cloves roasted garlic (better for little tummies) Juice 1/2 lime Season with black pepper
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Boil the potatoes until cooked. They should be soft on the inside but not falling apart. Empty onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Cut a cross into each one, then smash using a glass or cup. Drizzle over a little olive oil, then roast for 25-30 minutes.
To make the Goddess sauce, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Serve the potatoes with fresh coriander leaves and dip!
👶🏻 For Babies, cut the potatoes into wedges and roast without smashing. Remove from the oven before they turn crispy to keep them really safe.
Irish Yoghurt Clonakilty Cranberry and Orange Cake.
Ingredients
Cake
125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
½ orange zest and juice
1 tsp vanilla bean extract
250g plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
100g Irish Yoghurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yoghurt, plus extra to serve
150g fresh cranberries
Topping
150g fresh cranberries
½ orange, juice
60g caster sugar
150g icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 23cm springform round tin with baking parchment. 2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. 3. In a jug, combine the beaten eggs, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla. 4. Add this mixture to the creamed butter in 3–4 additions, fully incorporating each before adding more. 5. Fold in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. 6. Fold in the Irish Yogurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yogurt until the batter is smooth. 7. Transfer ¼ of the batter to the tin. Scatter a handful of cranberries in a line over this layer. 8. Fold the remaining cranberries into the rest of the batter and spoon into the tin. 9. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 10. Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping
1. Heat the cranberries, orange juice and caster sugar in a small pan for about 5 minutes until half the berries have popped and the rest are softened. 2. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving the softened fruit. 3. Mix 2–3 tablespoons of the strained liquid with the icing sugar to make a thick icing. 4. Stir the softened fruit into the remaining strained liquid. 5. Pour and spread the icing over the cooled cake and allow it to drip slightly down the sides. 6. Top with the softened fruit.
Serving suggestion: Serve with a spoonful of Irish Yogurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yogurt.
Chefs’ tips:
If the batter begins to curdle while adding the egg mixture, add a spoonful of the flour mixture — it stabilises the batter and keeps the cake light.
Scatter a little orange zest over the icing for a bright, fragrant finish.
For a decorative flourish, add a few candied rosemary stalks on top. To make these, dip fresh rosemary sprigs lightly in sugar syrup, then toss in caster sugar and allow to dry — they look frosted and pair beautifully with the cranberry flavour.
When you think of bananas, you probably imagine the ripe, sweet ones. But raw bananas—the unripe variety—are just as powerful when it comes to health benefits. Unlike their sweet friends, they’re packed with resistant starch, fibre, and essential nutrients that make them a game-changer for digestion, weight management, and overall health.
From supporting gut health to keeping blood sugar in check, the benefits of raw bananas are seriously underrated. In this blog, we’ll discuss the banana’s nutritional value, top health benefits, and the best ways to include it in your diet.
What Are Raw Bananas?
Raw bananas are merely unripe green bananas that are starchier, tougher, and less sweet than bananas when they are ripe. They’re popular in Indian, Thai, and Caribbean cooking, usually cooked into flavorful dishes, stir-fries, or even fried as chips.
What makes them special? It’s the amazing nutrients in raw bananas. The banana’s raw nutrition consists of:
Resistant starch – A special fibre that enhances digestion and aids in weight loss.
Potassium – Sustains muscle and heart function.
Vitamin C – Increases immunity and skin.
Vitamin B6 – Required for brain function and metabolism.
Magnesium – Aids muscle repair and bone development.
With so many nutrients in raw bananas, it’s little wonder that the benefits of eating raw bananas translate to numerous areas of health.
15 Health Benefits of Raw Bananas
Below are 15 awesome health benefits of raw bananas and why you should consume raw bananas daily:
1. Promotes Gut Health
One of the greatest benefits of raw bananas is that they enhance digestion. The resistant starch in raw bananas serves as a prebiotic, i.e., it provides the good bacteria in your stomach. These beneficial bacteria are responsible for food breakdown, nutrient absorption, and inhibiting bloating, gas, and constipation. [1] A proper gut microbiome also enhances immunity and inhibits digestive disorders like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
2. Promotes Weight Loss
When dieting for weight reduction, raw bananas are to your rescue. The fibre and resistant starch content of raw bananas keep you satiated for longer, doing away with unwanted snacking. As opposed to ripe bananas, which contain more sugar, raw bananas contain complex carbohydrates, which get digested slowly, ensuring constant metabolism. Raw bananas also suppress insulin surges, leading to fat storage.
3. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
For insulin-resistant individuals or diabetics, raw bananas are a smart food choice. The nutrients in raw bananas contain resistant starch, which does not break down the carbohydrates immediately. This results in a slow release of sugar into the bloodstream, thus avoiding sudden peaks and dumps. Eating them regularly enhances the sensitivity of insulin, allowing the body to control blood sugar levels naturally.
4. Improves Heart Health
Raw bananas are rich in potassium, which is a mineral that assists in maintaining blood pressure. Potassium controls the body’s sodium to avoid high blood pressure and also lightens the workload of the heart. Raw banana nutrients also control healthy cholesterol levels by lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and raising HDL (good cholesterol), lowering the risk of stroke and heart disease. [2]
5. Controls Digestive Health
If you have digestive problems, incorporating raw bananas into your diet can be magical. High fibre content ensures smooth digestion and reduces the risk of constipation. Meanwhile, their resistant starch behaves like a natural equaliser, calming the digestive tract and warding off diarrhoea and bloating. Additionally, they are rich in tannins, which possess gentle astringent characteristics that cure loose stools. [3]
6. Enhances Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin sensitivity refers to how your cells absorb insulin and utilise glucose to produce energy. Insulin resistance is a primary cause of Type 2 diabetes. It has been found that raw bananas contain resistant starch, and consuming them makes one more insulin sensitive, thus adding them to the list as an ideal product for a diet-balanced diabetic life. [4] Regular consumption is said to fight insulin resistance and support the improved control of blood sugar levels.
7. Strengthens Bones
Raw bananas are rich in magnesium, a mineral that promotes calcium absorption and bone density. Raw bananas are also beneficial for preventing osteoporosis and ensuring healthy bones during old age. Magnesium has the function of contracting and relaxing muscles and hence is required for bone and muscle health in general.
8. Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is the cause of most chronic conditions, such as arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. [5] Raw bananas are a storehouse of antioxidants and vitamin C, which fight oxidative stress and reduce inflammation in the body. Raw bananas protect the body from cell damage by fighting free radicals, slowing down ageing, and making the body healthier.
9. Stimulates Brain Function
Raw bananas can also stimulate the brain. They contain vitamin B6, which is important for the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. These brain chemicals control mood, sleep, and thinking. Raw bananas can improve memory, focus, and overall mental health and cut the risk of neurological disorders. [6]
10. Helps Control Diarrhoea
Among the main benefits of eating raw bananas is that a raw banana helps relieve diarrhoea effectively. Raw bananas have high levels of pectin and tannins that work to remove excess water content from the intestines, compacting loose motions. Their electrolytes are also lost and have to be restored in the process. This explains why raw bananas have been particularly advocated as an unprocessed, organic remedy to deal with diarrhoea according to customary medicinal practices.
11. Keeps Kidney Stones Away
Kidney stones occur when calcium and other minerals tend to deposit themselves in the kidneys. The presence of potassium in raw bananas serves to prevent that by ensuring excessive calcium is being removed through the urine rather than deposited and forming stones. The magnesium in them also serves to maintain healthy kidneys and curb the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
12. Offers Long-Term Energy
Unlike energy-crushing candies, raw bananas are a long-lasting source of energy. Their slow-digesting complex carbohydrates deliver energy throughout the day. This is a perfect pre-workout food since it provides you with the energy you require without overdriving your blood sugar levels.
13. Supports Skin Health
Raw bananas are beneficial for your skin as well! Antioxidants and vitamin C in raw bananas fight off free radicals, preventing premature ageing, keeping your skin shining and firm, and triggering skin elasticity and healing due to the production of collagen. Mashed raw bananas applied as a face pack can calm acne, redness, and dryness.
14. Aids Muscle Recovery
If you are getting muscle cramps or pain after exercising daily, raw bananas can be your resort. Raw bananas contain magnesium and potassium, which have a significant role in repairing muscles by inhibiting inflammation and cramps. Sports athletes and health-conscious people eat raw bananas to quicken recovery after exercise and enhance the functioning of muscles.
15. Naturally Gluten-Free
Raw bananas are a very good substitute for normal grains for individuals suffering from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Raw bananas can be converted into gluten-free banana flour and can be consumed as an excellent wheat flour substitute while cooking. Raw bananas are thus a good and versatile source of sustenance for individuals seeking to do away with gluten intake yet achieve the taste of scrumptious and healthy foods.
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