If you’re looking for a quick, healthy breakfast (as most of us are), give this one a shot. Created by Meredith Steele and from JamieOliver.com, this recipe is everything I’m looking for – healthy, easy to make, quick to make – and if you need be, you can also take on the go (though we don’t recommend eating on the go!).
If you don’t have time to add the cherries, don’t worry about it…we usually want to eat fruit on it’s own anyway. And instead of toasting almonds, I like to add a handful of pumpkin seeds. They are a great source of zinc (another mineral many of us are deficient in) and they had a slight crunch or chewiness to the pudding. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons pure (vegan friendly) maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (about 8) frozen or fresh pitted cherries
- ¾ cup water
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Directions
In a bowl or sealable container like a glass jar, combine the chia seeds, almond milk, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and the vanilla. Stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
In a saucepot, combine the cherries, water, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and star anise. Bring it to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer until the water has reduced by ¾ and has thickened slightly, probably about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the star anise. All this can be done in advance and refrigerated until served.
In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast almonds until golden, about 5 minutes.
To serve, pour cherry compote over chia seed pudding and top with toasted almonds.