TROPICAL CHIA PUDDING

Chia seed pudding is my go to recipe if I know I won't have much time in the morning to prepare a healthy breakfast. It really is a healthy, handy time saver as it's made with as little as 3 ingredients and literally takes a few mins to throw together the night before, you can even take it with you to go the next day.

There's many other reasons to love chia seed pudding, not only are chia seeds gluten free, they're also packed full of; nutrients, antioxidants, fibre, omega-3 and minerals to name a few benefits! As well as making a quick and easy breakfast it can also be eaten as a healthy snack or dessert (what's not to love about that?). 

Ingredients (Serves 1):

For the pudding:

- 1/2 cup of chia seeds

- 2 cups of almond milk

- 2 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 passionfruit (optional)

For the topping:

- 2 tbsp coconut milk yoghurt (I used Coyo)

- 1 passionfruit

- Coconut chips 

Method:

1.) Combine all the pudding indigents into a jar and stir. Close the lid tightly then shake vigorously.

2.) Come back to your fridge to stir your jar a few hours later (I forgot this step this time and you can see the chia seeds stuck to the bottom so learn from my mistake!)

3.) Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

4.) Serve with fruit and nut toppings of your choice.

What's so great about this pudding is that you can add whatever fruit/nut toppings you like and combine with different milk/sweeteners to give you a variety of flavour combinations. I had some Coyo yoghurt so decided to go for a totally tropical theme as I'm currently into breakfasts that give me that sunshine feeling before I start my day (see Healthy Chocolate Oats). This beautiful coconut and passionfruit combo certainly had me dreaming of warmer climes and served as a welcomed reminder that Summer is not too far away!

HEALTHY CHIPS

Yes it's true, chips can be healthy - music to my carb loving belly! If like me, you get home from work and crave something stodgy and warm but not too oily or junky, these baked chips are the one for you.

Baked potato chips are also an excellent carb loaded raw till 4 dinner option for anyone transitioning to a raw diet, it's like having a guilty treat your used to eating, without feeling gross and heavy afterwards. I myself am trying to incorporate more healthy foods into my diet and am looking at raw till 4 diets to gain some meal inspiration.

Instructions:

1.) Pre heat your oven to 200c (fan assisted).
2.) Simply cut up 4 baking potatoes into fries (eat as many potatoes as you need if your on raw till 4 otherwise save half or eat them with something else).
3.) Line two oven trays with baking paper (depending on how many potatoes your baking).
4.) Sprinkle on any spices or herbs. I used garlic granules and mixed herbs on mine.
5.) Bake for around 30-40mins, turning over halfway through cooking time.
6.) Serve with healthy condiments (see below) and lettuce leaves for wrapping.

You can beef up (or should that be veg up?) your chips as much as you want, by adding your own spices and herbs like oregano, rosemary, paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, chilli powder etc. Serve with sauces such as chilli, vegan mayo or ketchup - just like regular chips! Obviously you have to choose your condiments wisely - low salt, sugar and fat are the way to go. You can even make your own raw sweet chilli sauce here.

I love to wrap my chips in the lettuce leaves then dip in my ketchup or mayo. Feel free to add your own salad/veggies on the side too.

If you have any raw till 4 eating tips or great healthy vegan/raw food recipes let me know in the comments below! Look forward to sharing my healthy eating journey with you guys!

FRUITS OF THE FOREST BAKED OATMEAL

Oats, oatmeal, porridge - it doesn't matter what you call it, this breakfast is for everyone because it's basically like eating cake (alright healthy cake) for breakfast. Ok so you don't like berries, add tropical fruit if you don't like fruit add pb and chocolate, it's entirely up to you - just make sure you bake it! This adds an entirely new dimension to oats and I absolutely love it.

Ingredients:

- 12tbsp oats
- 2 mashed bananas
- 100g frozen berries
- 1.5 tsp baking powder (I like to use Doves Farm Organic)
- Tbsp chia seeds
- Tbsp flaxseed
- 1.5 cups of almond milk
- Tsp vanilla
- Tbsp agave syrup
- Handful of berries for topping (frozen or fresh)
- 2 tbsp almond butter for topping
- Casserole/oven proof baking dish

Instructions:

1.) Preheat oven to 200c (fan assisted ovens).
2.) Put all the ingredients listed into an oven proof crockery dish, minus the toppings. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
3.) Bake for around 20-25mins until the top is slightly golden and crispy but the middle is soft.

This to me says Winter in a bowl. It's one of those extra special breakfasts that can be shared with family over the holidays or the weekend when you have a bit of extra time to spare. Baking it in a casserole dish adds to the homely, rustic feel of this dish that instantly transports you to a cosy country farmhouse!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers! I still have lots of festive recipes to share with you guys so keep popping back over the Holidays!

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

This is the best smoothie I've made so far (if I do say so myself). Yes possibly even outranking my beloved peanut butter and chocolate smoothie (recipe for this will be hitting the blog in the near future!). What's not to love about blueberries, they're a superfood containing vitamin K, C and fibre to name a few. They're also full of antioxidents, I like to think of them as natures pearls, nutritious sweets if you will.

Ingredients (makes 2 small servings or one large):

- 3 frozen bananas

- 1 pack of frozen blueberries

- 2 tbsp flaxseed

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

- 1 cup almond milk 

- Dash of water

- Small handful of frozen blueberries to add on top

- Sprinkling of chia seeds 

Instructions:

1.) Add all the ingredients to a blender and set on high. If your blender won't handle frozen fruits try using fresh fruit and adding ice for a similar effect.

2.) Decorate with more frozen blueberries and chia seeds on on top

What you can't see in the pictures (as my belly got the better of me - oops!) is the layer of soya vanilla Provamel yoghurt I poured on top. This goes seriously well with blueberries so be sure to give that a try! 

This smoothie got me thinking about the perfect smoothie consistency, mainly because I was arguing with my other half about it, I'm a thick gal myself (watch it!...) and he likes his on the runny side (1st world problems I know). So after much debate we came to a happy medium by adding a dash of water. 

Do you have a preference between thick and creamy or smooth and runny smoothies? What do you add to gain that perfect consistency? Let me know below, would love to hear your thoughts!

THE GREEN GRINCH SMOOTHIE

A perfect one for all you raw foodies out there, or if you just fancy a seasonally apt green Grinch smoothie to start your day right. I promise no Grinches were harmed in the making.

This smoothie may be green but it's also sweet, perfect for kids or if your trying to add more greens to your diet but your not quite used to the taste - I know drinking greens is usually something you have to gradually ween yourself on to and the best way to do that is by adding a few fruits to sweeten the mix.

 Look at that colour!

Ingredients (Makes 1 cup):

-  1 large ripe banana

-  2 cups of spinach

-  1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk

-  0.5 tsp vanilla

-  4 dates pitted and chopped

-  Ice to taste (depending on how cold/solid you like it)

-  Dried fruit to top

Instructions:

Mix everything in a blender until it becomes a smooth puree. You shouldn't be able to see any spinach or dates whirling around!

I found I was still hungry after just one cup so you could always double or even triple the ingredients depending on how much you want to make. Alternatively, pour the smoothie into a bowl (big wooden bowls are ideal) and add your own fruit, chia seeds, flax and protein powder on top, for a superfood smoothie that's nutritionally dense.