The Pudding of Peace - Banana Matchia

The 411 on Matcha Powder

1. Matcha originates from Japan and is basically green tea leaves ground finely to a powdered form.
2. So because you're actually consuming the whole tea leaf, it's nutritional benefits are much more potent than that of only green tea.
3. Matcha contributes to lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and is full of antioxidants (~20 times more than blueberries) to fight cancer and ageing.
4. It enhances mood, reduces stress and aids in concentration.
5. It's caffeine content varies with some having as much as coffee but because it's a natural source it won't give you any of those 'jittery' side effects.
6. It's a great metabolism booster providing sustained energy and endurance, possibly aiding in weight loss.
7. The chlorophyll in matcha makes it an excellent body and blood cleanser.
8. When mixed with water it has a slight bitter, earthy vegetal taste, like a glass of full-bodied green tea.
9. Tip: When making matcha tea use hot water at 60-80°C because boiling temperatures will accentuate its bitterness taste. 
10. Oh and did I forget to mention that it improves memory?

Banana Matcha Pudding
Serves: 1 greedy little piggy ready to jump-start their morning

Ingredients
1 banana
3/4 cup coconut milk (do not use dairy milk)
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon matcha powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
1. Blend banana and milk together, before adding in matcha powder and vanilla extract.
2. Thoroughly stir in chia seeds and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
3. Serve with extra bananas and shredded coconut.

Sayonara!

Apple, meet Kiwi. Chia, meet Jam.

You know what's amazing? When you can take what you learn from uni/school and apply it to real life. Seriously. And no I'm not talking about calculating how much I'll need to pay for 1 movie tickets if 3 cost $60.

So maybe I am just a bit of a nerd or a bit of a food science lover, but what I learnt - and remembered - is what makes jam, well, jam, and the secret is pectin. While I won't go into chemistry details, it's basically a thickening agent that traps water and sets jams and jellies giving it its gel-like texture.

Generally jam recipes not only call for powdered pectin, which is highly refined and processed, but also a ton of sugar for it to work its magic so it's not the healthiest option out there. A little birdie told me though (aehm, the internet), an all-natural alternative is of course chia seeds, since these little buggers can also produce the similar thickening effect by absorbing liquid. Say what?

Now I wanted to go for something different than the typical raspberry, strawberry or blueberry jam and so .. being economical I used my near-bruised apples and kiwis! Sounds random huh? You won't know what you don't like unless you try it though!

I was definitely thinking on my feet with this one, but this jam came out pretty successful - I'll be damned. Yep, this is definitely my jam. Bam.

Okay I'll stop.

Kiwi Chia Jam
Yields: Just under 2 cups

Ingredients
1½ cup apples, peeled and diced

1½ cup kiwis, diced (around 4 kiwis)

1/4 cup honey/maple syrup

1/3 cup water (or apple juice)
6 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method

1. Add all ingredients except chia seeds and kiwi in a small pot and stir to combine over medium heat, bringing it to a boil.

2. Cover and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the apples are softened.

3. Add in the chopped kiwis and cook for another 5 minutes over low heat.

4. Mash the apples and kiwi thoroughly together and stir in the chia seeds. Optional: puree or blend if you don't want chunky bits.
5. Cook for another 10 minutes until it thickens, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking to the pan.

6. Let it cool completely before funnelling into an air-tight container or preserving jar. Refrigerate overnight to let it thicken and set. 

Tomorrow, spread it on toast, mix in your yoghurt, add it to a smoothie or make a PB&K sandwich! I think the last option sounds best doesn't it? 

Au revoir!

Jaffa Breakfast Jar

Earl Grey tea, the perfect tea blend of bergamot orange, has always been a favourite to pick me up during those sluggish Winter mornings or warm Summer afternoons. It's a very soothing tea for me and I love the subtleness of the sweet citrus flavours.

One rainy Spring however, I thought, why not combine this distinct flavour with some cacao/chocolate? Because you know chocolate tastes amazing with anything pretty much. 

And ta-da, another weird clean creation by yours truly, somewhat reminding me those Jaffa lollies I used to buy from the supermarket as a kid - you know those round little confectionery balls with a soft chocolate centre and hard red orange-flavoured casing? If in doubt, ask Google.

I've come to enjoy the somewhat bitterness/blandness of tea so the Earl Grey will be quite evident in this recipe, making it less sweet and creamy as ordinary chia pudding. To help you if you're a particularly sweet sweet tooth though, feel free to add in extra sweetener (when serving) to suit your tastebuds, substitute some of the chilled tea with extra milk or maybe even chuck in some mandarin/orange pieces with it to soak overnight!

Earl Grey Chocolate Chia Pudding
Serves: 2 

Ingredients
1 cup brewed and chilled Earl Grey tea
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup/honey

Method
1. Combine tea, milk and chia seeds together in a jar, before adding in cacao and maple syrup/honey.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight but stir every 20 minutes for the hour so that the chia seeds don't clump up.

Good morning and good day!

Transformation Tuesday + PB&J SORBET - AKA The Majin Buu

Some of you guys probably would have seen this post yesterday on Instagram but I'll do some explaining any-hoo.

I absolutely love being in the kitchen. Nothing gets me more than trying to think of new ways to incorporate super foods into my life. I find it so fun experimenting with different tastes and combinations and it's always such a sense of accomplishment to me when my finished 'product' comes out a success. 

But you know because I am always in the kitchen I do tend to get really messy ... and lazy ... Bottom line is: I love cooking but I HATE cleaning. Hate it.

And as a result my kitchen bench is usually a pig sty full of different jars, half opened packets and packaging everywhere. (As you can see above). Oh and I absolutely hate those packages that quinoa, chia seeds, flour etc always come in because you actually have to CAREFULLY reseal them every-time or they lose their quality - #aintnobodygottimefodat.

I finally decided it was time for a makeover so yesterday (hence Transformation Tuesday) I invested in some beautiful pint-sized mason jars - you know, those things that everyone is so into these days because they're so cute and perfect and fun-sized yet 'sah indie'. After an hour or too this was my result:

What do you think?!

I think next time I'll buy some bigger sized mason jars to store more inside, but hey look how neat my bench is now! The near-impossible was possible. I now have so much more space to work with and don't have to worry about annoying paper packages everywhere. I swear I could just stay in my kitchen all day gazing at my kitchen bench with all its prettyfulness - breakfast, lunch and dinner times just got way more exciting. 

Is it weird that while so many girls my age spend money on clothes to look good and things to decorate their rooms with, I instead spend my money on ways to neaten my kitchen? You could say that I do spend money on looking good too .. through food to nourish my body :)

Okay now enough with today's rant and to today's clean creation.

This one's pretty similar to acai bowls and my previous blueberry froyo post but is more like sorbet because it requires less liquid and without the protein powder content. 

Even though I call it PB+J there actually is no jam in it (I know, I breathe dishonesty) but the blended berries do give a similar taste to jam anyway right right right? You get what I mean. And the peanut butter just goes well with anything so it's a given that these two combo's go together like a house on fire.

Oh and do try use coconut milk if you can, the lauric acid in it makes it just that much better. 

It was so pink + thick + chunky (+ it's so FLUFFFFFFFY) it was just a big ball of goodness - hence the title 'Majin Buu'  (for all you awesome kids who, like me, was raised watching Dragon Ball Z haha).

This snapshot could have been so much better but fear got the better of me when I was taking photos. I rushed to take it as soon as I finished blending/decorating because I didn't want it to melt in todays warm weather before it was too late :(
#firstworldproblems

PB+J Sorbet
Serves 1
Ingredients
Just over 1 cup frozen strawberries (any other frozen berry is fine also)
1/4 cup coconut or almond milk
1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter or PB2
1 teaspoon acai/berry powder (optional)

Method
Blend, blend and blend! Make sure you do so thoroughly and get into all the nooks and crannies :)
Dig in before it melts!

Lots of love,

The Gluttonous Nutritionist

A Bircher Muesli as Sweet As Pumpkin but not

Bircher muesli is always a nice energising way to start your week especially when it's a warm one rather than with hot oatmeals. It's so versatile, packed with heaps of goodness and super easy to prepare if you're short for time in the morning.

With this I decided to combine the delicious flavours of sweet potato and the juicy apple together and wow I was not disappointed. For this recipe, if you don't have sweet potato butter (refer to past post) you can always substitute for pumpkin butter or sweet potato/pumpkin puree (if you do then you may need to add sweetener). 

A lot of Bircher muesli recipes call for either milk or apple juice for the oats to absorb. It's up to you which liquid you prefer, neither skimp on taste. Milk will make the Bircher muesli creamier while juice will make it refreshingly sweeter - however I personally am not a fan of adding apple juice because generally bottled ones are packed with artificial sugars (and I don't always have time to home-make my own apple juice).

Happy Monday everyone!

SWEET POTATO APPLE BIRCHER MUESLI



Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup no fat Greek yoghurt
3/4 cup almond milk or apple juice
1/4 cup puréed/mashed sweet potato or pumpkin (can substitute for sweet potato/pumpkin butter)
1 large apple, unpeeled and grated
2 tablespoons raisins/sultanas/cranberries
1/2-1 teaspoon mixed spice (omit this if using sweet potato/pumpkin butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Top with: extra grated apple, nuts, seeds, dried fruits

Method
1. Thoroughly combine mashed sweet potato/pumpkin with the yoghurt and vanilla extract.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before serving.

Yo Yo It's Blueberry Protein Froyo Time

I really should be preparing for my exams but somehow I found myself in the kitchen ... again. This is a really easy to make chilled breakfast or snack that's packed with protein, two servings of fruit and calcium. It's so thick and fluffy (and purple!) it's like frozen yoghurt/ice cream so it's perfect for the days as they warm up in here in Melbourne. 

BLUEBERRY PROTEIN BOWL 
Tastes like: Creamy blueberry frosty froyo/ice cream.

Ingredients
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup protein powder (I used Nature's Way soy protein powder, vanilla)
1/8 cup no fat Greek yoghurt
1/4 cup skim milk (any)

Method
1. Mix together protein powder, Greek yoghurt and skim milk until completely combined, this is crucial!
2. Chuck in frozen blueberries and blend together (I found using a blender stick easier) until your desired consistency - I left some of the blueberries still intact to give the 'froyo' a bit more texture.
That's it. Finally top to your liking.
I went for bananas, dessicated coconut, almonds and dried mulberries.