chia oat bowl with fruits & toasted seeds

29th August 2024

I started revisiting these chia and oat bowls when I was last in Australia visiting family. My sisters, Donna and Shelley, would make a warm, aromatic bowl of cooked oats and chia in the morning. I would have it after a class, adding passionfruit yoghurt and extra fruits, then top it with toasted seeds. Now, when I have an early morning flight, I make a cold version in a reused yoghurt container to have on the plane. It makes great travel food or a light dinner.

Note

If you let the chia oatmeal sit in the fridge overnight, it will be fairly thick. Stir the contents together and add additional milk or yoghurt until the consistency is to your liking.

Fresh fruit. Cut the fruit into small, uniform pieces. It makes all the difference.

Something crunchy, the chopped nuts, with maple syrup, add that satisfying crunch and sweetness.

Something sweet. There is no need to add sweetener to the chia and oats, as the vanilla and cinnamon create that sweet flavour, and the sweetness comes from the toasted seeds.

chia oatmeal bowl with fruit and toasted seeds

serves 2

preparation 30 minutes

ingredients

⅔ cup rolled oats

¼ cup chia seeds

1½ cup nut milk of choice, more if needed

3 Tbsp goji berries

1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla bean

½ tsp cinnamon powder

yoghurt, optional

fruit salad (Change the fruits to what is available seasonally)

1 ripe mango

1 apple

1 banana

a handful of pomegranate

pulp of 2 – 3 passionfruit

handful fresh blueberries

nuts and seeds

¼ cup/30g roughly chopped Macadamia nuts

¼ cup/20g flaked almonds

3 Tbsp/30g sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp/20g sesame seeds

2 Tbsp maple syrup

make the chia pudding
1. In a bowl, stir the oats, chia seeds, milk, goji berries, vanilla and cinnamon together. Mix well to combine. Cover and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, or place in the fridge overnight. Add yoghurt or more nut milk, depending on your desired consistency.

chop your fruit

2. Finely chop the fruit of choice and add to another bowl. Set aside.

toast your nuts and seeds

3. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the macadamia nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds and toast until golden; add the sesame seeds and toast until the seeds start to pop. Turn off the heat and stir in the maple syrup. Set aside to cool.

assemble

4. Spoon the oat-chia mixture evenly in the bottom of each bowl. Add your fruit and yoghurt, and sprinkle over the toasted nuts and seeds. Optional: Drizzle with a spoon of this golden passionfruit elixir.

Find a little bit of sunshine and enjoy.

0

golden honey passionfruit elixir & a chia pudding

15th August 2016

A recipe created for Holmes Place magazine as part of an ongoing concept of seasonal ‘superfoods’ throughout the year.

Elixir: a substance, usually a liquid, with a magical power to cure, improve, or preserve something.

This Elixir works as a wonderful topping for your morning yoghurt or warm-cooked oats. At other times, it is mixed in with a salad dressing, drizzled over vanilla ice cream for an evening treat, as a drink, stirred into warm water or warm milk, or added to smoothies or juices for a flavour kick. Turmeric root is often used in Ayurvedic medicine for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiseptic properties. This elixir is combined with the multiple wonderful benefits of passionfruit, honey and ginger, all healing and preventive powerhouses on their own.

When buying passion fruit, the ripe fruit should be firm and heavy with wrinkled skins and have a little “give”. If the skin is not deeply wrinkled but only shrivelled and unappealing, keep the fruit at room temperature until it is.

Golden Honey Passionfruit Elixir

Makes 1 cup (240mL)

Recipe adapted from Tara O’Brady – Seven Spoons.

When passionfruit is not in season, replace it with an extra ¼ cup of honey.

ingredients

½ cup mild-tasting honey, preferably raw

½ cup ripe passionfruit pulp (approximately six fruits)

2 Tbsp ginger, grated

1 heaped tsp turmeric powder/ 1 Tbsp grated turmeric root

Zest from 1 lemon

2 pinches freshly ground black pepper

preparation

1. Grate the ginger and lemon zest. Halve the passionfruit and scoop out the pulp and seeds to measure half a cup – set aside.

2. Pour the honey into a jar, add the passionfruit pulp, ginger, turmeric, lemon zest and ground pepper – stir to combine well.

3. Allow to stand for 30 minutes before using, or an hour if you can, then cover and refrigerate. The longer it sits, the more the flavours balance and settle. Stir before serving. Use within 1 week.

Chia Pudding with Berries & Golden Honey Passionfruit Elixir

Serves 2

chia pudding

2 Tbsp chia seeds

½ cup almond milk/or nut milk of choice

¼ tsp vanilla essence

serving options

1 cup Greek-style yoghurt or choice of non-dairy yoghurt

2 – 4 Tbsp Golden Honey Passionfruit Elixir

Fresh seasonal fruits, such as sliced peaches/nectarines, strawberries and raspberries, washed and chopped

2 – 4 Tbsp chopped almonds/granola

To make the chia pudding

1. Place the chia seeds, vanilla essence and nut milk in a jar. Screw on the lid, shake a few times and refrigerate for 30 minutes or preferably overnight. Stir again before serving.

2. When ready to serve, divide the yoghurt into two individual bowls and evenly spoon over the chia pudding. Drizzle the Golden Passionfruit Elixir over the top, arrange the fruits and berries, and garnish with fresh mint leaves, toasted almonds or your favourite granola.

Goodness shared by Stacey

0

grated apple oatmeal with tahini sauce

24th November 2015

because it’s still THAT sort of weather…

or should I say… ‘It WAS that sort of weather’…

grated apple oatmeal with tahini sauce

A favourite with my daughter as a light meal before she goes to school, her preference is served with a spoon of thick Greek yoghurt and a drizzling of honey.

Serves 1

ingredients

1 tsp each goji berries, sunflower & pumpkin seeds (soaked overnight)

1 large apple

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

tahini sauce

1 Tbsp tahini

2 Tbsp water

½ tsp honey/maple syrup

¼ tsp cinnamon

preparation

1. Drain the berries and seeds, set aside.

2. Grate the apple with a box grater, leaving the skin on. Toss immediately with lemon juice to prevent browning.

3. Sprinkle over the ground flax seeds, goji berries and seeds – set aside.

4. In a small bowl, combine the tahini sauce ingredient, adding water until pouring consistency is achieved.

5. Drizzle over the apple oatmeal and serve immediately.

Goodness shared by Stacey

1

creamy oats with maple roasted pear & toasted macadamia

11th September 2015

If you keep walking past the plum-tree, the mulberry, quince, and further down past the peach tree, right next to the two different variety of apple trees, there is a small, but a rather abundant pear tree with the most charming, bite-sized pears. After much research, I discovered it may be a Beth, a late Summer producing pear tree.

I was out early one misty morning, as I like to do. Walking the garden after my silence practice, watching the light change – I ventured out just as it became light enough to see, to take in the moist air, the morning chorus and the silence of the garden. Always with my camera in hand as the light is so soft and magical at this time. It was a particularly misty, magical morning, as Sintra is known for. I could almost touch the clouds moving past. It was just me, the ducks and swans, and this pear tree.

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

creamy oats with maple roasted pear & toasted macadamia

The roasted pears are subtle and delicious. They make a wonderful sweet dessert with ice-cream or yoghurt. You can use any sort of nuts or seeds. I had brought two big bags of macadamias from my recent trip to Australia and have been using them in everything. I love their smooth, buttery flavour.

serves 2

porridge

1 tsp ghee or a mild tasting oil

¾ cup steel-cut oats, small or large

1 cup water

1 cup nut milk, of choice

⅛ tsp fine Himalayan salt

roasted pears

3 small, firm, ripe pears

1 Tbsp ghee/oil

2 Tbsp maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice

for serving

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

½ cup macadamias, roughly chopped

cinnamon powder for sprinkling

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.

roast the pears

2. Peel the pears, cut in half and core. Place on the baking sheet, drizzle with ghee and maple syrup, then toss gently – roast for 25 – 30 minutes or until browning. About 6 minutes before the pears are ready, place the nuts on a separate, or if there is room, on the same tray and continue to roast until golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

to make the porridge

3. In a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, melt the ghee, add the oats and stir around in the ghee until a nutty aroma fills your kitchen.

4. Pour in the water, nut milk and salt, and bring to boil, stirring continuously for about 15 minutes. Keep stirring until the oats are creamy and tender, then turn off the heat and stir in the ground flaxseed.

5. Divide the porridge amongst the bowls, place a roasted pear half or two on top with a scoop of the caramelized syrup mixture off the tray. If desired, drizzle over a little more honey or syrup and a drizzle of melted ghee. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts and cinnamon powder.

Goodness shared by Stacey

0

vanilla citrus pannacotta with honey hazelnut cookies

15th March 2015

early morning light in the garden…

‘Thus yoga is not something which is confined to morning or evening meditation, but something which is all the time.’ – The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

citrus pannacotta

A lovely light dessert for a special occasion, served drizzled with an orange, infused honey cardamom syrup and a crunchy honey hazelnut cookie, it can also be equally delicious with seasonal berries or fruits.

Yields 8 small glasses depending on the size of your cups.

Recipe inspired.

for the pannacotta

¾ cup almond milk

600ml coconut milk

4 Tbsp light brown sugar/sweetener of choice

¾ tsp agar agar powder (if using flakes will need to add more)

1 tsp vanilla essence

one vanilla bean pod

1 batch of citrus syrup (recipe below)

preparation

1. Combine the nut milk and agar agar powder in a saucepan and scrape the vanilla bean along its length with a knife and add that bean “paste”, along with the bean itself to the pot (when using vanilla essence stir it in at the very end) – allow to sit with no heat for 15 minutes, then add the sugar, coconut milk and whisk together.

2. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat and slowly bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

3. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla essence – let sit for 10 minutes and then take out the vanilla bean pod. (I keep the pod and add to the blender when I make nut milk.)

4. Pour equal amounts into small jars. If wanting a cold dessert place the pannacotta jars in the fridge, otherwise they will happily set outside at room temperature within the hour.

5. Make an extra batch of syrup, (recipe below). I double the syrup, glaze the cookies first and use what is left for the pannacotta.

To serve, garnish with fresh mint, orange zest and drizzle with a serving of honey orange-infused syrup and serve with a honey hazelnut cookie. (recipe below)

honey hazelnut cookies

Recipe slightly modified from Good to the Grain and brought to life by Noa.

I love these biscuits with toasted hazelnuts and warm honey and orange infused syrup which is brushed onto the still-warm cookies.

Makes 15 x 3- inch round cookies.

ingredients

½ cup raw hazelnuts, skin on

115 grams/4 ounces unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

dry mix

¼ cup whole spelt flour

1 cup white spelt flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp fine salt

syrup

¼ cup honey

5 pods cardamom, smashed

zest of 1 orange

2 Tbsp orange juice

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Rub one baking sheet lightly with butter.

2. Spread the hazelnuts evenly on a baking tray and toast them in the oven for 16 – 18 minutes, until the nuts are fragrant and dark brown but not burnt. Remove from oven, cool, grind them, skins and all, in a food processor until finely ground.

3. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the butter and ground hazelnuts and rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers. The dough should barely just come together.

4. Move the dough onto a work surface and press it together, then using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of about 4 mm. If the dough seems to be cracking, push it back into place and continue rolling. You probably won’t need any additional flour to roll out the dough as it will be quite dry.

5. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut the dough into circles and transfer to the buttered baking sheet. I fitted them all snugly on one tray.

6. Bake for 20 – 24 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through. Watch them closely towards the end and be careful not to over bake.

While you are waiting for the cookies to bake make the syrup:

7. In a small saucepan over a low flame, melt the honey, cardamom and orange zest. Do not allow the syrup to boil as you don’t want to reduce the honey and risk crystallization. Stir the syrup and remove from heat, letting it infuse for 15 minutes, then add the orange juice.

8. To glaze the cookies, brush each one twice while they are still warm to give a chance for the glaze to soak into them. The leftover syrup can be drizzled over the pannacotta.

Delightful as they are or as a special treat, serve with a vanilla pannacotta.

Goodness shared by Stacey

1

chia oat bliss breakfast bowl

28th June 2014

I love this fresh green.

Rainy days after many sunny, warm ones.

I love that there is no school, no rushed mornings.

I love this berry-filled brunch enjoyed together in the garden.

I love the splashes of sun surprises on cloudy days, the wet ground and the smell of pine and eucalyptus in the air.

So much beauty.

Daily walks and adventures.

Brightly lit nights.

A moon that is almost full.

This is a simple, satisfying and very delicious breakfast. It can be ready in less than fifteen minutes. The chia seeds are expensive but a little goes a long way.

Chia seeds contain high amounts of complete protein and omega-3 fats, antioxidants, excellent-quality fibre and great levels of calcium, iron, potassium and zinc. They have a wonderful binding quality when in contact with liquid and because of this gel-like consistency it acts as a binder in your digestive tract which helps regulate your bowels and improves digestion.

Oats are a wonderful source of protein, high in folate, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and zinc. Oats are the only grain that contains both soluble and insoluble fibre. This helps moderate blood sugar levels, has been shown to fight heart disease and lower cholesterol. They are also known for their cleansing properties. By soaking the oats it increases their digestibility, enabling the nutrients to be better absorbed by your body.

chia oat bliss breakfast bowl

Serves 3

There are so many ways of serving this. Sometimes if I am short of time and short on a variety of fruit, I mash a very ripe banana in the bottom of a bowl, sprinkle a few nuts and seeds, and then layer in the chia mixture with a drizzling of honey. For a quick dessert; chocolate and hazelnut version sounds delicious by adding cocoa powder to the chia mixture drizzling with maple syrup, sprinkling on cacao nibs and coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts.

ingredients

½ cup rolled oats

1½ cup almond milk

a drop of freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 Tbsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp each soaked overnight sunflower, pumpkin seeds and goji berries

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

Serve with a mixture of the following

yoghurt or nut milk of choice

1 mango, 1 apple, 1 banana, finely chopped and 1 cup fresh blueberries and raspberries (you change the fruits to what is available seasonally)

a handful of raw granola, dates or raisins

drizzling with honey, strawberry sauce or maple syrup

fresh mint leaves from the garden

preparation

1. In a small bowl or jar, stir together the oats, milk, lemon juice and chia seeds. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes, or place in the fridge for 8 – 12 hours. It will keep for 4 days in the fridge.

2. Add the seeds and goji berries to the oat-chia mixture, sprinkle over the ground flaxseeds and mix well to combine.

3. Add yoghurt or more nut milk, depending on the consistency you like. I prefer my chia mixture to be in between, if you prefer something on the runny side, you can increase the amount of nut milk.

4. Start chopping your fruit of choice.

5. Place a few spoonfuls of the oat-chia mixture in the bottom of each bowl. Layer over some fruit, another layer of the oat-chia mixture, fruit, and so on. Sprinkle over raw granola, toasted coconut, drizzling of strawberry sauce, honey, granola, fresh mint leaves or whatever toppings you desire.

Find a little bit of sunshine and enjoy.

My daughter was soaking this in the evening in a screw-top jar, in the morning layering in the fruits and yoghurt, screwing on the lid and enjoying later that morning at school.

Goodness shared from Stacey

0

tapioca pudding (vegan)

15th September 2013

This is a lovely creamy non-dairy dessert which leaves you so satisfied and refreshed. The recipe originated from Anna, who made it a few years back. I remember she had made it in one bowl instead of individual glasses and decorated the fruit in the design of a mandala. It was beautiful! She printed out the recipe for me, but it disappeared into the pages of one of my many cookbooks. I came across it the other day, folded and tucked away in one of these pages. It seemed appropriate to make it for our Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) dinner. When we lived in Israel, we would share this evening together with their family for many years. So a little bit of their essence joined us and our dear friends in our celebration. And we celebrated as we would have with them, in the tradition of picking cards for the coming of the New Year.

tapioca pudding

If you don’t like coconut, you could easily replace the coconut with your choice of home-made nut milk and the toasted coconut with nuts. Use any fruit in season or your own favourite combination. The tapioca needs constant attention and involves much stirring, as it can scorch the bottom of the pan, so allow it to keep you focused and patient.

Makes 8 -10 servings

ingredients

2 cans of coconut milk (not light)

filtered water

½ cup small pearl tapioca (not instant)

½ tsp rock salt

⅓ – ½ cup maple syrup, or sweetener of your choice

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

for the topping

1 ripe mango, diced

1 cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup toasted dried shredded coconut

preparation

1. Pour the coconut milk and 1 full can of water (a good way to rinse out all the coconut from the can) into a medium-sized, thick-bottomed pot.

2. Add the tapioca, salt and scrape the vanilla bean along its length with a knife and add the bean “paste”, along with the bean itself to the pot (if using vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean, stir it in at the very end after the pudding is completely cooked).

3. Over medium heat, slowly bring the mixture just barely to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking at the bottom.

4. Stir in the sweetener, then reduce the heat to medium-low and bring to a gentle simmer, cook, stirring frequently, until the pudding has thickened and the tapioca pearls are completely translucent – 25 – 30 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.

6. Remove the vanilla bean and spoon into individual serving bowls. Garnish with fruit and sprinkle with the toasted coconut just before serving. It is surprisingly creamy, light, soothing and refreshing. You can serve warm or chilled. The tapioca tastes its best when served warm.

Goodness shared from Stacey

0

millet porridge – a new breakfast

14th May 2012

I had used up all my oats, so when making my morning porridge, it occurred to me, why do I need oats when there are so many delicious grains in front of me. Recently, I have been reading many posts using a variety of combinations of quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat or rice as a porridge form. Just remember to choose grains with relatively similar cooking times. For my first experiment, I decided on millet and amaranth with a few spoons of red quinoa, because I love the earthy colours. It was so delicious with a drizzling of maple syrup, banana, a handful of raw granola and my freshly made almond and hazelnut milk. My husband preferred his with a drizzling of ghee and an avocado chopped in. Definitely enjoying this tomorrow again, but this time I will soak the millet tonight, ready for my morning feast.

Millet is a gluten-free, easily digestible grain that is one of the most outstanding alkaline foods in the world, as well as one of the least allergenic. It is wonderfully nutritious, contains an abundance of minerals and vitamins, and is a complete protein of any true cereal grain. Millet is rich in fibre and silica, which detoxifies the intestines.

Millet

calms and settles

soothes…

and fulfils…

millet porridge

Preparation – 25 minutes

Generously serves 2

ingredients

½ cup millet

¼ cup amaranth

2 Tbsp red quinoa

1 – 1½ cups water

pinch rock salt

to serve

homemade almond milk

raw granola

preparation

1. Rinse grains well and place in a saucepan, pour in water, add salt, then bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until the water is absorbed – about 20 minutes.

2. Place in a bowl, pour in the milk of your choice, drizzle with maple syrup, add nuts and chopped fresh fruit. It is really good sprinkled with this raw granola.

Goodness shared from Stacey

1

Indian rice pudding

24th February 2010

I wake up at 4:00 a.m. to a still-sleeping house. I relight the oil burner on my altar and offered gratitude to my teachers, family, friends, and everything in my life. There is so much to feel gratitude for! I start my silence practice, finishing just in time to hear the birds singing their welcome to the morning. I go down to the quiet of the kitchen and start making this creamy, soothing, comforting rice pudding.

My dear friend, Kristin, sent me this recipe in one of her amazingly magical letters. I wait for one of these letters to arrive in the post from Oregon, America. When one does, I am full of excitement in anticipation of what it holds and the knowledge of what it will inspire. Her letters become small magical packages and are filled up with her essence and her expression of her daily life, her solitude, her path to the Eternal Truth, and full of my dear friend. Sometimes I find feathers from her walks, recipes painted on the back of a postcard, leaves she has pressed, shells she has found, paintings she has painted, or little pictures from her daughter, Luna. On this one occasion, she sent me this recipe.

In Winter, we make it weekly, starting early in the morning. The children slowly wake up at different times and silently join, taking turns in stirring, breathing, and the silence. When it is ready, we sit together and have it for breakfast before we all head off in our different directions – them to school, Jonathan to work, and me to the garden.

I am writing it exactly how it was sent to me (except I have recently added saffron).

‘This recipe takes time, dedication, and focus, but the best results are beyond ‘worth the wait’. Be prepared for an hour of continuous stirring. The stirring is done in a clockwise spiral direction or a figure of eight clockwise. While stirring, you must have no outer distractions such as the radio, stereo, reading, conversation, or television. The idea is to feel what you are doing and to stay focused. Prayer, recitation, breath exercises, singing, or meditation are advisable and encouraged.“

Indian rice pudding

A note to those avoiding dairy products. I have made this with homemade almond milk – using 2 litres and simmering until the rice is cooked. The result is still delicious, but it does miss that rich creaminess that the cow’s milk gives.

ingredients

3 – 4 Tbsp ghee

1 cup organic white basmati rice

12 cups/3-liters organic full-cream milk

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

1 pinch saffron (15 threads)

1 vanilla bean

½ – ¾ cup maple syrup

handful sultanas/currants (optional)

preparation

1. Melt the butter/ghee in a heavy-bottomed large pot over medium heat; add the rice and stir-fry until it is transparent, then add the milk, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and saffron.

2. Scrape the vanilla bean along its length with a knife and add that bean “paste” along with the bean itself to the pot.

3. Take a wooden spoon and dip it in the milk. Note how high the milk comes up to the spoon. Set this spoon aside.

4. Take a new spoon (wooden) and stir continuously on a high flame until the milk boils about 10 -15 mins; turn down the heat to medium-high and continue stirring for 25 to 30 minutes more.

Remember to keep stirring!

5. When the pudding has thickened and reduced by 25% from the original wooden spoon measurement, pour in the maple syrup – continue to stir slowly but constantly to prevent scorching. After about 10 – 15 minutes, you will feel the right thickness and creaminess has been achieved.

6. The pudding continues to thicken after cooling, so remove from heat and add the sultanas if using.

When serving, sprinkle with cinnamon powder and or toasted almonds. This pudding is lovely served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Goodness shared by Stacey

Recent Posts

puddings, oat & chia bowls

chia oat bowl with fruits & toasted seeds

29th August 2024

chia oatmeal bowl with fruit and toasted seeds

golden honey passionfruit elixir & a chia pudding

15th August 2016

Golden Honey Passionfruit Elixir

Chia Pudding with Berries & Golden Honey Passionfruit Elixir

grated apple oatmeal with tahini sauce

24th November 2015

grated apple oatmeal with tahini sauce

creamy oats with maple roasted pear & toasted macadamia

11th September 2015

creamy oats with maple roasted pear & toasted macadamia

vanilla citrus pannacotta with honey hazelnut cookies

15th March 2015

citrus pannacotta

honey hazelnut cookies

chia oat bliss breakfast bowl

28th June 2014

chia oat bliss breakfast bowl

tapioca pudding (vegan)

15th September 2013

tapioca pudding

millet porridge – a new breakfast

14th May 2012

millet porridge

Indian rice pudding

24th February 2010

Indian rice pudding