SIMPLE CHIA PUDDING

I’m a huge fan of chia seeds and incorporate them into my daily diet, whether it’s a tablespoon mixed in with muesli, blended in with a smoothie or sprinkled on top of a salad. My newest obsession is chia puddings, a healthy alterative to the dessert cravings I often suffer from. Very easy to make, these puddings are budget-friendly, filling and a wonderful alternative to yoghurt for my lactose intolerant buddies out there. I like making very simple chia puddings and letting the toppings shine, however you can add more ingredients to step 1, such as ground ginger, shredded coconut and/or a natural sweetener other than vanilla. 

To read more about the benefits of chia seeds and why you need these in your diet, clink on this link to see a post in January I did about this superfood; http://soulfulsandwiches.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/antipasto-salad-with-buffalo-mozzarella.html.

INGREDIENTS

• 400ml (1 1/2 cups) light coconut milk 
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or you can substitute for oat milk, rice milk, quinoa milk, cow's milk)
• 1/4 cup chia seeds (white or black or a mixture of both)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• To serve: (optional); 1 handful of chopped up fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc) and nuts, a drizzle of organic maple syrup. 

PREPARATION 

1. Pour the coconut milk, other milk of your choice, chia seeds and vanilla into a jar with a screw-top lid.  Screw the lid on tightly and then shake the jar vigorously until the chia seeds have mixed in nicely with the milk and none remain on the top of the lid or stuck down the bottom of the jar. 

2. Place in the refrigerator for one hour. Remove after this time and shake the jar well. Place back in the fridge for another 3 hours or until the chia seeds have become gelatinous and formed a pudding thick consistency. Serve cold, topped with a small serving of fresh fruit, nuts and/or a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / maximum 5 minutes 

Total Refrigeration time / 4 hours 

x Emily 

VEGETARIAN JUNGLE CURRY

Spring is well and truly in my neighbourhood and I am beyond happy about its reappearance. My daily walks with my energetic pups involve passing deep purple and bright yellow flowers blossoming and I can’t help but walk past them with a goofy smile on my face. Saying this, on my walk this morning all I could think of was curry and how I could not recall making one single curry dish this past winter. So I raced home and got cooking, throwing every bright vegetable into my large pot that I could find. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 5cm fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 900g sweet potato, peeled & cut into 4cm even pieces
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 3 cups (750ml) water 
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets and stalk roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, washed & chopped into small pieces
• 1 red capsicum, seeded removed and cut into small pieces
• 125g bean shoots
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves
• 3 cups cooked basmati rice 

COOKING 

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the base. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder and stir quickly to prevent sticking. Add the sweet potato and stir until the potato is well coated with the spices. 

2. Add the coconut milk and one cup of water to the pan and bring to the boil, covered. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes before adding the broccoli, carrot and capsicum to the pan. Add two cups of water, cover and bring to the boil again, then reduce to a simmer for 8 minutes, or until the broccoli and sweet potato are tender. Add the bean shoots and stir well to combine. 

Remove the curry from the stove and serve on top of rice with coriander leaves sprinkled on top. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO & COCONUT SOUP

Another hearty and nourishing vegetarian soup recipe as we head into slightly cooler weather for Brisbane town. The kumara (sweet potato) and lime work beautifully together, creating a sweetness and a tartness to this soup that the coconut milk softens. Choose light coconut milk to save a huge amount of calories! The baby spinach adds more nutrients and a welcoming splash of green, but you can omit them if you want. A simple but filling soup. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• Finely grated rind & juice of one medium lime
• 750g sweet potato, peeled & cut into even cubes
• 500ml vegetable stock, preferably Massel brand 
• 1 cup water
• 400ml light coconut milk
• a large handful of baby spinach leaves, washed & drained 

COOKING

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add onion, garlic and lime rind. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. 

2. Pour in the stock, water, coconut milk, lime juice and a generous pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.

3. Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and process/blend on high for just a few seconds until smooth (or almost smooth if you like a little more texture in your soup). Return the soup to the pan, add the spinach and stir until heated through. Add more salt & pepper if needed and serve into four bowls. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKEN & PEA CURRY

A warm curry for a chilly winter’s night. I have recently been trying to make more of an effort to cook with legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, as they are incredibly good for us (they are super rich in protein, calcium, prevent food cravings and protect the body against some of the nastier diseases). Yesterday’s dinner consisted of 1 cup of yellow split peas (as they were very cheap at the supermarket and I was interested to know what they tasted like). If you have ever eaten Indian Dhal, a lentil rich vegetable dish, this is what yellow split peas taste like – delicious and bursting with flavour when combined with exotic spices. Whilst this curry takes a while to cook (45 minutes), it is definitely worth it. Perhaps better to make on a rainy weekend, rather than a busy weeknight.

INGREDIENTS


Homemade curry paste

• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground madras curry
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 2 teaspoons water 

Chicken Curry

• 500g chicken breast fillets, cut into even sized pieces
• 1 cup yellow split peas 
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice 
• a pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 

COOKING 

1. Make curry paste by combining all ingredients in a mortal & pestle or small bowl and mixing well to combine. Set aside for later. 

2. Cook yellow split peas by placing in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 15-20 minutes or until peas are tender (you will need to taste test a few peas to judge this!). Remove from heat and keep warm. 

3. Meanwhile, cook doongara rice by bringing rice and 3 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of turmeric to colour the rice yellow. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed. Remove from heat. 

4. Cook chicken pieces in a large saucepan with sesame oil over medium-low heat. When chicken is white in colour and cooked through, add curry paste and stir well to coat all the chicken. Add the cooked split peas and coconut milk to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened somewhat. Serve warm on a bed of cooked yellow rice. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

x E