Tag: Chia

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Chia Parfait & Apple Crunch

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After both kids are put to bed, Luise and I have this evening habit of pouring ourselves a glass of yogurt or chia pudding (or both) and then diving deep into our pantry drawers for whatever nuts, seeds, nut butters, oats, honey, fruit and berries that we can find to cover the yogurt with. Some nights we even treasure a piece of dark chocolate that we chop finely and dust over. It’s a fresh and quick weeknight snack/dessert that never looks the same and quite honestly is one of the best things we know.

During the summer months, we add heaps of fresh berries but lately we have been all about apples. Usually we just add them cold, but a while back we instead tried to heat up apples, seeds and nuts in a frying pan with butter, honey, ginger and cinnamon. The soft and warm apples + crunch mixed with fresh apple pieces, cold yogurt and a drizzle of hazelnut butter in between was absolutely terrific.

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We often make a double batch of chia pudding and store in the fridge as it always come handy when the kids need a quick snack. You could prepare a quinoa or oat bircher and use as base in this recipe if you can’t find chia seeds.

Even though this is a weeknight dessert in our house, it would also work really well as a lighter dessert for fancier occasions. When layered in high glasses with a drizzle of maple or honey on top it sure looks impressive enough. Not to mention, the leftovers make a pretty bad-ass breakfast!

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Chia Parfait & Autumn Apple Crunch

As always, adapt this recipe with seasonal ingredients of your choice; plums, peaches, pineapple, berries or pears could be great instead of apples. It’s easily made vegan by leaving out the yogurt or using coconut yogurt.

Chia pudding
1 cup oat milk or milk of your choice
5 tbsp chia seeds
zest from ½ lemon

Warm apple crunch
1-2 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
1-2 tbsp honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 large apple
¼ cup / 60 ml sunflower seeds
¼ cup / 60 ml pumpkin seeds
¼ cup / 60 ml hazelnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch sea salt

Elements for layering
6 small glasses
full-fat plain yogurt or coconut yogurt
nut butter
chopped fresh apples
bee pollen, optional

Preparing the chia pudding: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, set aside for 15-30 minutes and stir every now and then. You can add a few teaspoons honey or maple syrup if you prefer it a little sweet.

Preparing the warm apple crunch: Chop the apples into small dices. Heat butter and honey in a skillet. Add apples, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and hazelnut and spices and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring every now and then until the apples are golden and soft and the seeds and nuts are crispy.

Layering: Place a few spoonfuls of chia pudding in the bottom of 6 small glasses. Then add a dollop of nut butter, followed by a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Finally top with the warm apple crunch mixed with a few fresh apple slices and a sprinkle of bee pollen. Drizzle over some extra honey or maple syrup if preferred. Enjoy!

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Green Kitchen Stories

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Coconut-Cardamom Vegan Overnight Oat Parfait with Blueberry Chia Seed Jam

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Food photography has been sparse in my house these days (Now, if we’re talking baby photography on iPhones, well let’s just say I’m killing it.) Lately, I only have 15-20 minutes for food photoshoots, so I’ve learned to be super quick when it comes to snapping pictures. I used to be militant about using my tripod, but I haven’t pulled it out in months. I used to give photoshoots a bit of planning before diving in, but that rarely happens anymore. It’s taken me a while to realize that my expectations of how things should be done aren’t always practical for the stage of my life that I’m in. This applies to life in general too. I’m going to do what I can and try to be a bit easier on myself. Perfectionism kills creativity. It’s also the killer of fun! If I only have 10 minutes to snap some photos, so be it. I’d rather share a little bit than nothing at all.

I started off this photoshoot using this darker background – it’s a scratched up piece of metal signage I found at an antique market last year (the front of the sign says “DO NOT ENTER”). I thought it was going to work perfectly, but I actually found it to be too moody for this recipe. It just looks too dark for the light, summery mood I was going for.

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So I switched to my trusty slab of white quartz instead. It’s the surface I’ve used the most in the past year. It’s heavy as heck and I actually managed to dent the hardwood with it one day (*headsmack*). Anyway, I like this clean and fresh feel much better even though the lighting wasn’t the best because I shot at noon when the sun is overhead. The inspiration for the photo came from Ashley. She did a cool multi-jar shot with homemade milk for my cookbook. Too much fun!

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In Lightroom, I made minor edits to the photo: increased clarity, exposure, whites, saturation, and removed blue and adjusted temperature. It took me about 30 seconds. There are things about the lighting I’m not super happy with and I probably blew it out too much, but oh well. Gotta pick your battles!

This is the same photo before editing…50 shades of grey!

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So that’s where my head is at with photography lately. I’d love to spend more time on it again, but right now I’m rolling with doing it under a time crunch. I’m beyond excited that Ashley is shooting the photography for my next cookbook. I honestly can’t imagine doing over 100 photos again with a baby crawling at my feet (and stealing the food). You guys are going to be blown away by the photos in the next book. We’ll have to show you some sneak peeks!

Now, finally onto the food. This is my newest overnight oat parfait creation. Six to seven years later, I’m still making vegan overnight oats on the regular. I’ll often make a large batch that lasts 2-3 days in the fridge. Or sometimes I eat it all in one day because I just can’t help myself. It’s so easy, perfect for the summer, and endlessly customizable. Make it parfait-style in portable jars and you’ll have snacks for days. Toss it in your bag and run out the door. Bring one for your friend and he/she will love you even more.

If you haven’t tried overnight oats layered with chia seed jam, you really must. It’s divine. This would be great with granola on top too.

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Coconut-Cardamom Vegan Overnight Oat Parfait with Blueberry Chia Seed Jam

Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

Overnight oats are getting fancy up in here! Coconut milk, oats, and chia seeds are mixed with ground cardamom, cinnamon, and maple syrup, and then layered with blueberry chia seed jam and sliced pear. You’ll want to eat this for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner! Chia seeds don’t lie. Also, can I just say how awesome a layer of vegan ice cream or banana soft serve would be in this?

Yield
4-6 small jars
Prep Time
15 Minutes
Cook time
25 Minutes
Total Time
40 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the blueberry chia seed jam:
  • 550g frozen blueberries (about 4 cups + 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, or to taste
  • Dash fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
For the vegan overnight oats:
  • 1 (15-oz) can full-fat coconut milk (yes you can use light, but full-fat is super creamy and delish)
  • 1 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if necessary)
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom , or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste
  • 1-2 small ripe pears, diced (for layering)

Directions:

  1. Prepare the chia seed jam: In a medium pot, stir together the blueberries and maple syrup until combined. Add a dash of salt. Simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes until softened (the berries will release a lot of water during this time).
  2. Add the chia seeds and stir until combined. Continue simmering and stirring frequently (reducing heat if necessary to avoid sticking) about 8-15 minutes longer, until most of the water cooks off and the jam reduces in volume. it will look thickened.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the  lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, uncovered, and into the fridge until cool, for at least a couple hours. For a quicker cooling method, pop the jam in the freezer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until cool.
  4. For the vegan overnight oats: In a medium container (with a lid) or in a medium bowl, stir together the entire can of coconut milk, oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, cardamom, and cinnamon until combined. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight, until the oats soften and the mixture thickens. Stir to combine before using.
  5. Layer the chia jam, overnight oats, and diced pear into small jars. Secure lids (or cover with wrap) and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The chia seed jam will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Also, leftover jam can be frozen in plastic baggies and it thaws beautifully.

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PS – Thank you for your enthusiasm regarding my 2-Day Meal Plan! I’m so thrilled by your response and hope to do another in the future.

© copyright 2015 Oh She Glows. All Rights Reserved.

Oh She Glows

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Gourmet Chia Seed Pudding (from scratch!)

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Your comments on my Kitchen Quirks story were quite hilarious. They also led to even more funny stories here at home and among our friends and family.

I got a text from a friend shortly after posting.

“I’m reading your kitchen quirks post aloud to my husband (because he is absolutely nuts about the dishwasher just like Eric is). I finish reading it to him and he goes, “Ugh, I wonder what some of Eric’s tricks are? Did he write specifics?”

There are many inquiring minds as to what Eric’s dishwashing tricks are, it seems. Eric is in the process of penning an e-guide for dishwasher enthusiasts. Ok not really, but I told him he can’t keep his secrets all to himself for ever! Plus, I need others to know what I’m going through.

When we were talking about the blog post, Eric decided to mention another one of my kitchen quirks. You know, aside from general “chaos”. Apparently, I have this annoying little habit of leaving kitchen cupboards/cabinets and drawers open while I’m baking or cooking. I’ve been doing it for years. Basically, since I started cooking.

In my eyes, leaving the drawers and cupboards open is efficient. I do it because I know I’ll probably go back to that cupboard later on in the cooking process so I see no need to close it every single time. See it’s not lazy; it’s practical! I’m all about efficiency.

One morning about 4 years ago when we were living in our previous house, I headed downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Eric was still upstairs getting ready for work. As I approached the kitchen I immediately noticed something was wrong…very wrong.

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Every single cupboard and drawer in the entire kitchen was wide open. Just picture your own kitchen with every cupboard door open and every drawer open. It’s freaky stuff, right?

I stopped dead in my tracks at the edge of the kitchen.

“OH… MY… GOD…”

I was absolutely horrified. Of course, I immediately assumed there was some kind of weird Poltergeist shit going on. Or some evil force taking over my kitchen. Or both.

I turned on my heels and BOOKED it upstairs. There’s no way I was going to wait around for the drawers to start spontaneously slamming or something!!

Eric started laughing uncontrollably. He then confessed that he opened every cupboard and drawer before bed to play a trick on me. What kind of sick person does that?

So it’s been 4 years since his prank and I’m long overdue for retaliation. I’m thinking it’s going to have something to do with his beloved dishwasher. I’m open to your suggestions, as always.

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Gourmet Chia Seed Pudding (From Scratch!)

Vegan, gluten-free, no bake/raw, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

Creamy, rich, and thick chia seed pudding made from scratch! If you want to make the speedy version using store-bought almond milk and liquid sweetener, see the tip below. This is a large batch (3 cups or so), but I discovered that chia seed pudding freezes well and it thaws beautifully in the fridge. So there’s never fear of any going to waste. I like to freeze it in individual servings in freezer-safe zip bags or small glass containers, so I always have a healthy snack on hand. if you aren’t down with the tapioca-like texture of chia seed pudding, feel free to blend this pudding in your blender until smooth.

Yield
3-3.5 cups (serves 4-6)
Soak time
overnight + 2-3 hours
Prep Time
10 Minutes
Cook time
0 Minutes
Total Time
10 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 1 vanilla bean, chopped into a few pieces (optional, but recommended)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Small pinch Himalayan pink sea salt or fine grain sea salt
  • 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup or 1/3 cup packed pitted Medjool dates, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds

Directions:

  1. Place almonds in a bowl and cover with a couple inches of water. Soak overnight or for 8 hours. If you are in a rush, soaking for 1-2 hours works in a pinch. Drain and rinse almonds after soaking.
  2. Place almonds in a high speed blender along with the 3 cups filtered water, chopped vanilla bean (if using), vanilla extract, and salt. Blend on the highest speed, for about 1 minute until the almonds and vanilla bean are pulverized.
  3. Place a nut milk bag (this is the new one that I use and love) over top of a large bowl and pour the almond milk into the bag. (You can also use cheesecloth placed over a fine mesh sieve, however a nut milk bag yields the smoothest result and is faster.) Squeeze the bag and press out all the milk. The pulp will remain in the bag/cloth (you should have about 1 cup of pulp).
  4. If using dates as your sweetener: Note: I only recommend using dates if your blender can pulverize them super smooth, otherwise use liquid sweetener. Rinse out the blender. Carefully pour the almond milk back into the blender and add the pitted dates. Blend on the highest speed until the dates are pulverized and the milk is super smooth. Add milk back into the bowl.
  5. Whisk in the chia seeds (and the maple syrup, only if not using the dates). Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours, until thickened and cold. Give the mixture a good stir every once in a while to redistribute the chia seeds.
  6. I served this with granola (here is a recipe) and Banana-Mango-Lime soft serve (1 large frozen banana, 3/4 cup frozen mango chunks, squeeze lime processed in food processor until soft serve consistency). Chia seed pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It freezes well too, just thaw in the fridge before ready to enjoy.

Tips: 1) For a quicker version, simply use 3 cups of store-bought unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup chia seeds, and 2-3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Whisk everything in a mason jar and chill in the fridge for 2 1/2-3 hours. 2)  Ideas for using leftover pulp: Spread it onto a baking sheet and dry it out by baking it at 300F for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden in some spots. Cool completely. Grind it in a food processor until a coarse flour forms. You can use the toasted pulp in granola recipes or any other baked goods you see fit.

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© copyright 2015 Oh She Glows. All Rights Reserved.

Oh She Glows

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Cherry-Strawberry Chia Seed Fool with Vanilla Bean Coconut Whipped Cream

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My sister and family are here visiting this week and they brought us about 10 pounds of freshly picked cherries from my brother-in-law’s parent’s house (they have about 7 cherry trees…jealous!). It was like Christmas morning when this loot arrived. I’m eating these beauties by the fist full. Adriana is going wild over them. It’s a good, ahem berry good, week. We pitted and froze a bunch to make 1-ingredient cherry sorbet in the Vitamix (my nephews loved it) and I’m dreaming up other ways to use them before they go bad!

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This gorgeous Cherry-Strawberry Chia Seed Fool is a festive dessert I came up with for Canada Day tomorrow. I actually thought of it in the middle of the night last night and by some stroke of luck I remembered the idea this morning. In lieu of heavy dairy cream, I used full-fat coconut cream and whipped it with a touch of cane sugar and vanilla bean powder. So incredibly simple and delicious. For the berry part, I made a cherry-strawberry chia seed jam with maple syrup (does it get anymore Canadian?), vanilla bean, fresh lemon juice, and a secret ingredient – a teaspoon of finely grated beet for a bolder red color (but that’s totally optional). It turned out so lovely layered in parfait glasses. Many traditional fool recipes that I came across fold the berries into the cream until it’s pretty uniform in color, but I prefer the layered look so I did it my way. Then you can swirl it all together as you eat it. Total bliss! I also added some toasted sliced almonds and flaked coconut on top for some crunch. A little lemon zest would be nice too.

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Cherry-Strawberry Chia Seed Fool

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, soy-free

A vegan twist on the classic berry fool! I used whipped vanilla bean coconut cream and paired it with a delightful cherry-strawberry chia seed jam with lemon and vanilla. This dish requires some advance preparation so be sure to put the cans of coconut milk in the fridge the day before so the coconut cream can solidify. The jam also requires cooling, so you’ll need at least 2 hours to chill it in the fridge before layering the dessert.

Yield
6 parfaits
Freeze time
overnight + 3 hours
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Cook time
20 Minutes
Total Time
40 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Coconut Whipped Cream
  • 2 (15-oz) cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
  • 2 tablespoons natural cane sugar, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla bean powder or 1 vanilla bean, seeded
For the Cherry Strawberry Chia Seed Jam (makes 2 1/3 cups)
  • 2 heaping cups fresh or frozen strawberries (hulled if using fresh)
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen sweet cherries (pitted if using fresh)
  • 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean powder
  • 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated red beet (I use a microplane lemon zester), adds bolder red hue
Optional garnishes:
  • Toasted sliced almonds
  • Coconut Flakes
  • Lemon Zest
  • Fresh cherries

Directions:

  1. Chill the cans of coconut milk in the fridge for 12-24 hours so the coconut cream can solidify before use.
  2. For the chia seed jam: Add the berries and maple syrup into a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium, and simmer until the berries release their juices and soften, about 10 minutes. After the berries release water you can increase the heat even more to cook off the water. Watch closely and stir frequently. When the berries look a bit soft, stir in the chia seeds. Keep cooking over medium heat until the chia thickens the mixture slightly, about 5-10 more minutes.  Reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, vanilla, lemon, and optional grated beet. Pour into a glass container and let it cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes before covering and chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably longer.
  3. Chill a medium bowl in the freezer (this helps the coconut cream stay thick while whipping).
  4. Open the chilled cans of coconut milk and carefully scoop off the white coconut cream from each can and place it into a medium bowl. You should have 1.5-2 cups worth of cream. You can reserve the leftover coconut water for another use, such as a smoothie or you can freeze it into coconut water ice cubes (also great in smoothies).
  5. With electric mixers or a whisk, beat the cream and the cane sugar in the chilled bowl until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
  6. Layer the coconut cream and the chia jam in parfait glasses. Top with optional toasted sliced almonds, flaked coconut, lemon zest, and a cherry on top! Enjoy immediately or cover and transfer to the fridge until ready to serve. The chia seed jam will keep for up to a week in the fridge in an air-tight container, and I expect the coconut whipped cream will keep for at least 5 days.

Tip: If for some reason your chia seed jam didn’t thicken enough after chilling (this might be the case if the water wasn’t cooked off enough), stir in another tablespoon of chia seeds and chill it for another hour. That should do the trick!

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I’m keeping this short and sweet today because I have a big cookbook deadline looming. Thank you so much for your patience with my infrequent blog posts lately. I am dying to get back into it!

Wishing my fellow Canadians a very happy Canada Day tomorrow. Also, happy 4th of July to our friends south of the border. (By the way, you can easily turn this into a red, white, and blue dessert by adding blueberries.) I hope you have a fun and safe week filled with all the goodness summer has to offer!

© copyright 2015 Oh She Glows. All Rights Reserved.

Oh She Glows