Chai Chia Breakfast Pudding

Are you ready to spice up mornings with a new breakfast option?  This one's from my latest book Eat Clean Green and Vegetarian.

Long term commitment… three little words that shoot alarm bells through the ears of commitment phobes across the land, quivering in their running shoes.

But LTC doesn’t just apply to human relationships. If you’ve been trapped in a dreary relationship with the same old breakfast food for the past few months then perhaps now’s a good time to shake up the monotony and slip on a new shoe for size?

You’re alarm has gone off, you slam the snooze button a couple of times, hit the shower and then not surprisingly by the time you look up at the clock hands whizzing by, it’s time to set off.  With 9am closing in on you like a whistling kettle, you pop a slab of bread in the toaster and well, there you go again.

Eating the same food every morning is like a relationship where you’re watching someone talking, you notice their lips are moving but you can’t hear anything, only your thoughts stampeding through your mind like a Spanish matador in close fitting tights and a tasseled Chaquetilla.

Eggs, eggs, eggs and more eggs? Again. Really?

If you wake up dreaming of early morning breakfast meetings so you don’t have to feel obligated to engage in the same old same old, you know that it’s time to break up with your breakfast.

Breakfast doldrums signs to look out for are:

• You never call them your favourite anymore or introduce them as your significant other.
• They no longer satisfy you and disagree with your intestines on a fundamental level.
• You’ve noticed yourself flirting with new ingredients in the supermarket aisle and are considering trying something new. You’re not going to buy it, but a flirt isn’t harmful. Is it?
• You think it’s totally normal to consider breaking up with them more than once a week.
• You’re constantly thinking about trying something different and it’s giving your appetite butterflies.

If these signs apply to you then it’s time to say cheerio to your cereal and hello to a brand new breakfast adventure.

Even though breaking up with your breakfast can be hard, and quite rightly you should never blind-side or covey it via text or phone, remember that transformational change derives its power by attending equally to our hearts and minds by integrating all elements and aspirations holistically, just as food does to our bodies, so take a deep breath, look that old square meal straight in the face and tell them you’re shaking up your breakfast routine.

And if you’re wondering what to do next, whip up this well-endowed, earthy and aromatic Chai inspired delightful breakfast pud.

Make it the night before and it’s as simple as adding your favourite kind of milk.

When it’s right, it’s right!

Chai Chia Breakfast Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 3 cups filtered water
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract alcohol free
• 6 drops liquid stevia or 2 TBS sweetener of your choice (xylitol/rice malt syrup)
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup chopped nuts for topping

Method

• Place water, salt, hazelnuts, cashews, vanilla, stevia and spices in a blender and whizz until smooth
• Transfer to a bowl and add chia seeds and stir to combine
• Cover and place in fridge overnight for the chia to absorb the liquid.
• Scatter with chopped nuts
• Serve with almond milk