Any foodie will have become well aware of chia in recent months, apart from those living under a rock. It has burst into the health-food scene as one of the most nutritionally dense foods around. So what exactly is it? These tiny little "superfood" seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, as well as being rich in fibre. Originating in Mexico, these seeds are far from new. Evidence has shown that they were a staple food for the Aztecs who, needless to say, probably didn't have to pay a whopping price tag like we do nowadays! Yep... unfortunately, as with most emerging health-foods, they don't come that cheaply but, if you have a look around, an offer is always found somewhere.
Health wise, chia seeds have been shown to lower cholesterol, aid digestion (thanks to the healthy dose of fibre), and stabilise blood sugar. Studies are currently going on to see whether chia can act as a natural treatment for type-2 diabetes which could be life changing for an ever increasing number of people. How? Nothings been proven yet but it is thought that, due to chia seeds slowing down the rate of digestion, they help to prevent major blood sugar peaks and troughs.
Anyway! Enough of the science talk. This breakfast pudding contains an absolute minefield of goodness to start your day. The texture may put some people off (think cold semolina?!) but I promise you'll be won over (possibly). The recipe below gives two large servings but you can easily adapt it if necessary.
You will need:
-450ml almond milk
-80g chia seeds
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 tbsp. honey (raw if possible)
-fruit and/or nuts of your choice for topping
Combine almond milk, chia seeds, vanilla and honey in a bowl. Mix well until combined and the mixture starts to thicken (chia is incredibly gelatinous so gentle stirring for about 5 minutes will achieve this). Store covered in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight if possible. If the pudding becomes to thick, add a little water before serving.
All that's left to do is to top it! I used peaches, plums and blueberries, but any fruit would do.
This is sooo easy to make. Worth a try just for the fact that it's something a little different!
Nic
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A vegan diet may fill a lot of people with fear, primarily because it often leaves people questioning what they can actually eat! I tried a vegan diet and, I'm not going to lie, I found it incredibly difficult. The main reason was that it is very hard to find suitable vegan "on-the-go" items which won't break the bank. If you are able to plan your meals and snacks ahead then that's great but, personally, I'm not going to carry around a whole days worth of food with me! However, I was pleasantly surprised when I researched into vegan recipes and how easy it can be to adapt recipes in order to make them vegan. The internet has LOADS. However, this little beauty is courtesy of a friend of mine who very kindly passed the recipe on to me. I plan to post a lot of vegan recipe ideas in future, whether it be meals or snacks, but this vegan banana bread is so good that it had to go first!
You will need:
-225g wholemeal flour
-3 tsp baking powder
-75g brown sugar
-3 tsp cinnamon
-4 large black bananas
-75g sunflower oil
-50g dried fruit/nuts (optional)
To start with, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. If you haven't got any overripe bananas, put 4 ripe bananas in the oven at this point for about 5 minutes. If necessary, turn the bananas and leave for a few minutes longer until completely brown. Next, peel and mash the bananas and combine with the sugar and oil.
Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon (I added an extra teaspoon of cinnamon for a hint of spice) and combine well. This is the point to also add any additional ingredients. I chose to add 50g of chopped, dried cranberries but any dried fruit, nuts or even chocolate would work really well.
Bake in a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin for 20 minutes, before checking. If the bread is browning , cover with foil before baking for a further 40 minutes. Check that the centre is cooked through by inserting a clean knife and seeing if any dough appears on knife. Bake for longer if necessary but keep regularly checking. I ended up baking it for a further 10 minutes when it could've done with slightly less....you live and learn!
This loaf can be sliced and served straight away or cover and keep for up to 48 hours. A great tea time treat or handy snack for the working day. Enjoy!
Nic
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It's a sad fact that, these days, a lot of the products marketed as "healthy", aren't exactly that. Cereals are the biggest villains in this with most major brands adding copious amounts of salt and sugar to them. The same can be said for energy bars as many have synthetic perservatives, flavourings, and sweeteners. If you actually read the ingredients list on some big brand energy bars, you may as well be reading another language.
So, I've discovered a perfect home-made alternative. This receipe is perfect as a grab & go option, involves no cooking and is made of completely natural ingredients. These chocolate energy bars couldn't be easier!
You will need:
140g pitted medjool dates
150g cashew nuts
4 tbsp sultanas
1 tsp cocoa powder (or to taste)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp water
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pureé the mixture until it comes together.
I found that 1 teaspoon of water wasn't enough so added a bit more. (A word of warning: if you're going to add more water, do it in very small amounts. I added about 1.5 teaspoons extra and it became very sticky to handle!)
Line a tin of your choice with greaseproof paper. The size of tin doesn't matter;I just used a 2 litre loaf tin as it gave a good surface area to divide the mixture into 10 indiviual bars.
Once the mixture is evenly spread, place in the freezer for at least an hour before dividing them (the mixture is too sticky otherwise!)
That's it! Quick and easy and naturally sweet. As an alternative, you could add mint extract instead of vanilla to give a mint chocolate flavour. At approx. 140kcal and 15g total carbohydrate, these are much healthier (and cheaper) than shop bought versions.
Enjoy!
Nic
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