Vanilla and Coconut Chia Pudding

What do you get when you combine four simple ingredients and a rainy, lazy Sunday afternoon? 

This badass, vegan, diary and gluten free, fibre and omega-3 packed bowl of pudding deliciousness is what!  

Any part-time Instagramer will know the popularity of chia puddings amongst the health and fitness community. Chocolate flavoured, fruit topped or served in a freshly halved coconut... there's a range of flavours and ways to get your chia fix. 

Variety is always a good things, but sometimes you just want to keep it classic and simple and it doesn't get more simple than this recipe. Throw your ingredients together, let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours (if you can wait that long) and you're ready to go. 

Need even more reason to get your chia on? As an added benefit for us 9-5'ers you can mix everything in a jar in the morning, stick it in your bag and when lunchtime rolls around you have a perfectly set lunch to keep you going for the rest of the day. 

Yay for work productivity and a healthy dose of daily fibre!     

 

Vanilla & Coconut Chia Pudding

Ingredients

1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1 cup Coconut Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract


Mix everything in a jar or glass and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight until the seeds have absorbed the milk and the mix is thick and 'pudding-y'. 

Eat as is or top with berries, fruit, shaved coconut or whatever else your chia power brain can conjure up! 

Choc-Mint Nice Cream!

  

 Well hi there! I hope your having as good a weekend as I am! Oh wait, your can't possibly be because unlike myself you haven't been enjoying this summery delight!

It's Choc-Mint Nice Cream y'all!

Now I have posted about banana ice cream (a.k.a 'nice cream') before (check it out!) but this time I decided to mix it up a bit and add one of my sister's all time flavour combos to the equation. The result, the perfect treat to munch through on this glorious spring day.

 FYI I decided to top mine with a drizzle of raw chocolate sauce (simple mix of cacao, melted coconut oil and maple syrup) and some crumbed chocolate 'biscuits' (process some walnuts, dates, oats, cacao and maple syrup then shape into flat disks and bake or dehydrate until just crisp on the outside).

But now, on to the star of the show....

Choc Mint Nice Cream

4 small bananas 

Dash of milk (almond, dairy, soy, whatever!)

3 tsp Stevia (or your preferred sweetener)

2 tsp vanilla

Small bunch of mint, roughly torn up

3 tbsp cacao 

Start by slicing your bananas and placing them in a single layer in a zip lock bag. Freeze overnight or at least until fully frozen. 

Pop your frozen banana slices into a food processor with a small splash of your chosen milk and blend until it looks like soft serve. add the sweetener and vanilla and process again to combine. 

 

Split your banana mix in half and stick one half back into the food processor with the mint. Process the other half of the blended banana with the cacao until totally combined. 

Voila! If necessary you can stick your two mixes into plastic containers and freeze until they firm up to your liking or just alternate dollops of your nice cream into a hip-tastic mason jar and enjoy on the spot!   

 

 

 

To all those reading this recipe and thinking "oh, that sounds like a nice, healthy snack/meal" BE WARNED! 

Oh yes, this granola may be a mix of nutritious oats, nuts, oils, seeds and full of healthy fats, carbs and proteins but don't be fooled! It will create in you the most unhealthy of obsessions! 

Think you can have one spoon and walk away? Think again!

Surely one bowl will be enough? Wrong!

Well surely after eating the whole batch I will be so satisfied I won't want to touch the stuff again for at least a few hours? Oh you poor, simple fool!

Seriously, I am not exaggerating when I say only chopping my hands of Jamie Lannister style will stop me devouring buckets of this stuff... and even then I may just dive in head first.

As of late I have been taking the vegan/clean/natural lifestyle for a test drive, to admittedly amazing results! I feel full of energy, I eat when I want without any feelings of guilt and just feel generally happier and healthier! This weekend alone I played two full games of football (AFL, not that other rubbish) without any breaks, hit the gym for a pretty intense cardio session and still felt amazing and ready to keep running! Any who, as part of my new eating plans I have been scouring the web for inspiration when I stumbled across this recipe from My New Roots. I actually had a bag of buckwheat seeds that I was wanting to make into a breakfast granola, so you can imagine my delight at adding chocolate into the equation!

I did stick the recipe in a general, using-what-I-have-on-hand sort of way and what eventuated was a deliciously sweet (but also kind of savoury...) mixture of rainbows and puppy dog smiles!Really you can just throw in whatever ingredients you have on hand and add more and less of those things you love or just like.

If you do manage to resist eating the whole thing hot from the oven (I applaud you and your restraint!) there are 101 ways you can enjoy this granola! Serve it as a breakfast cereal with the dairy/nut/soy/whatever milk of your choice. Layer it with frozen banana 'nice cream' (see my earlier recipe here). Sprinkle it on freshly sliced fruit... 

Excuse me. I have to go... not make another batch... right now!

Chocolate Buckwheat Granola

You will Need

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cups raw buckwheat, soaked in water for an hour and then drained
1 ½ cups / 65g coconut flakes
2 cups raw nuts, roughly chopped (I used a mix of walnuts, cashews and brazil nuts)
3/4 cup chia seeds
½ tsp fine grain sea salt
¼ cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup cacao powder

 

Preheat your oven to  175°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

In a large bowl combine the oats, drained buckwheat, coconut, chia seeds, sugar and chopped nuts.

Mmmmmm... soaked buckwheat!

In a small saucepan combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and salt and heat over a low flame until the coconut oil is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cacao powder.

Trying not to eat this chocolate pool of magic as it is, pour it into your bowl with the oat mixture and stir well to make sure every nut, oat and coconut flake gets some chocolate loving. 

 

 

Dump the whole mixture onto your lined baking tray and stick in the over for about 15-20 minutes. When the time is up, grab a spatula and flip the mixture over to expose the bottom and stick it back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so, stirring and mixing around frequently to make sure the entire mix gets nice and toasted. You should be able to smell when it's ready, the nuts will be giving off a delicious toasty smell so if you see some drool pouring down your chin... its probably done! 

 

And that's about it! If you have the strength, let your granola cool in the tray before hoeing in... or just go for it. I promise not to judge.

 

Mother's Day Spoils

As everyone should know, this past weekend was Mother's Day (and if you didn't know that you are officially the worlds worst child! Just kidding! But really... for shame).

So a belated "Happy Mother's Day" to all those mums, Nannas, mother-figures and that teacher I accidentally called mum that one time...

Every year on this oh-so-special day, as part of a wider present package, I make my lovely mother a batch of her favourite Florentine biscuits. Fruity, buttery and chocolaty... I have no idea why she loves them!

 

Furthermore, this year I decided to kick the usual breakfast in bed caper up a notch by creating a delicious behemoth of bacon, french toast and Gruyere cheese. My mum loves to go for morning beach walks with her friends and they often stop for breakfast at a nice little cafe just off the sand. French toast with bacon and maple syrup is always the dish of choice. With this in mind I decided to make said meal for my mum's breakfast and was casually googling how I could present it nicely when I stumbled upon a game changer.

Recipe upon recipe detailing a concoction of crusty sourdough stuffed with crispy bacon and rich Gruyere, dipped in a custard bath and fried to golden perfection. Surely this food was that of Gods and not meant for the humble human? Could I dare follow the lead of these brave soles and venture into the crispy wonderland of digestation parts unknown? 

Short answer: Yes, and it was delicious!

 

Florentine Biscuits

375g mixed dried fruit
120g slivered almonds
200g glace cherries, chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
150g butter, chopped
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
375g dark chocolate


In a small saucepan heat the the butter and honey until completely melted and smooth then set aside to cool slightly.

Place the fruit, almonds and cherries in a mixing bowl and stir in the flour. Mix in the egg and the cooled honey mixture.

Spoon the mixture amongst a non-stick cupcake tray (I used one with heart shaped moulds)  and press down the make them even and flat. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside in the tray to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate either over a baine marie or in the microwave and dip each biscuit into the chocolate so that the bottom in completely covered. Set aside on a sheet of baking paper with the chocolate side facing upwards for half an hour or until the chocolate completely sets.

Bacon and Gruyere Stuffed French Toast

 

Sourdough bread
2 eggs
1 cup milk 
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 slices rindless shortcut bacon
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
Olive oil (or butter), for frying
Maple syrup, to serve


Using a serrated knife, cut a thick slice of sourdough (~4cm) and then cut into the side of the bread (without going all the way through!) to create a pocket inside the bread. 

In a non-stick fry pan, cook the bacon over a high heat until crispy then remove to a plate lined with absorbent paper. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the bacon and combine in a bowl with the grated cheese. Stuff the mixture into the pocket of the bread slice and pinch the edge to help seal the mixture in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla and then dip the stuffed bread into the custard mix, coating both sides until saturated. 

In a fry pan heat the oil or butter over medium heat and add the bread, cooking for 5 minutes before flipping over. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for a further 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. 

Serve with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and enjoy! 

 

Just Peachy!

So it has been a while between posts... apologies for my laziness!

But what better way to get back into the swing of things than with a peach- coloured feast of tiered cake, macarons and cupcakes!

And flowers. Don't forget the flowers.

Melt in Your Mouth Good!

Just a quick recipe post for you this morning!

It's quite appropriate really since these little babies can be whipped up, baked, cooled and filled all within an hour. Perfect for an impromptu gathering or when PMS strikes and you have cravings which demand satisfaction. No judgement here!


So, if you're missing some buttery, sweet, tartness in your life - I now present to you your salvation: Passionfruit Melting Moments. 

Passionfruit Melting Moments 

Makes ~15 


250g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plain flour 
1/2 cup icing sugar
2/3 cup cornflour 
1 tsp vanilla extract


For the Passionfruit Filling 

70g butter, softened
150g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pulp of a passionfruit


Preheat your oven to 170 degrees C and line two trays with baking paper.

In a electric mixer beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and pale in colour. Add the flour and cornflour and continue to beat until well combines and you have a dough form.

Use your hands and roll golf ball sized chunks of the dough into balls. Press gently with your palm to slightly flatten (be gentle! We aren't making pancakes here) then place on your baking trays and lightly press with the back of a fork to get those signature grooves on top. **

Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes or until firm and then remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To  make the filling, simply beat the butter, vanilla and sugar together until light and fluffy and then slowly add the passionfruit pulp whilst beating.

Once your biscuits are completely cooled pipe a small amount of icing on the base of half the biscuits and sandwich them together with the other half.

Voila!



**Note**

For an even more eye-catching look you can pipe the biscuit dough onto your trays using a star tip however this dough is quite firm and so you will need to use a very strong piping bag! Anything less will pop from the pressure of squeezing the dough out and let's be honest, no body is after any extra chaos in the kitchen. 

 

 

 

Every now and then you just get the craving for something rich, decadent and possibly swimming in alcohol or chocolate.

Then there are those other times when you simply want something light and sweet which won't leave you feeling like an elephant has taken refuge in your stomach cavity!

This cake is perfect for such instances and hence I decided to artfully name it the "Almond Cloud Cake". Incredibly cryptic name right?!

Almond: 

Well, you may notice the bunch of nuts stuck around the outside....

Cloud:  

Just like those pillows of the sky, everything about this cake screams light and fluffy, from the delicate sponge to the aerated cream coating!

Cake: 

Umm... yeah that one is just too self-explanatory.

Almond Cloud Cake

 

 

 

For the Sponge:

 

2 tsp plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Cornflour
4 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the Custard Filling:

4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
25 plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
350ml milk (whole fat)

300ml whipping cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract 

230g flaked almonds 

To Make the Sponge

 

Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced) and grease two 20cm round cake tins with spray oil. Line the bottom and sides of each tin with baking paper. 

In a one cup measuring cup place the flour, bicarb soda and cream of tartar. Fill the remainder of the cup with cornflour (so you have a total of 1 cup of dry ingredients!)

In an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar for 10min. It will become incredibly aerated,creamy looking and at least doubled in volume. Add the vanilla and beat for a further minute.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to knock the air from the mixture, until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched.

 Place baking paper on wire cake racks to cover and turn the sponges onto the wire racks but don't  lift off the cake tin!  (this will allow the resulting trapped steam to keep the cake moist!). Leave the  sponges to cool completely. 

To Make the Filling

 

Whisk the yolks and sugar until light in colour and thick then add the flour, whisking to incorporate.

Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan (or microwave) and then slowly pour into the egg/sugar mix, whisking continually to make sure the eggs don't scramble. 

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over med-low heat, whisking constantly to prevent the mixture sticking to the bottom until the mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking and whisking for a further two minutes until the mixture is thick and remove from the heat.

Stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl and cover with clingfilm (so it is actually in contact with the custard) to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate until completely cool. 

 

To Assemble

Spread the almonds evenly over a baking tray and toast under an oven grill until lightly browned. Set aside to cool completely.

Whisk the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until firm peaks start to form and then set aside.

Place one of the cakes on your serving plate and, if necessary, trim the top with a serrated knife to ensure it is flat and level. Spread the the top with the chilled custard filling and place your remaining cake on top and press down gently to sandwich the cakes and filling together. 

Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream all around the cake, both top and sides, and use your hands to press the cooled almonds around the sides of the cake. 

You can leave the cake as it is or decorate the top with your choice of chocolate, fresh fruits or wherever your imagination takes you!