Monday, 16 June 2014

Mango Coconut Chia Pudding

I love healthy, low-fat dessert alternatives that actually taste good!
Recently in Chicago, we dined at an amazing restaurant called Baxter's where they served a Chia pudding to die for. Inspired by that, I created the below recipe for a Mango Coconut Chia Pudding I hope you'll love as much as I do.

What You'll Need:
  • Large Bowl
  • 1/3 cup chia seed
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Frying pan
  • 1/2 cup of fresh mango (or frozen mango pieces that have been left to thaw)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut


What You'll Do:
  • Empty the contents of your light coconut milk into your large mixing bowl
  • Gently pour in your chia seeds and stir thouroughly until combined
  • Stir in your cinnamon and vanilla
  • Cover and let sit in the fridge for a minimum of four hours  
  • Heat your frying pan and pour in your coconut, toast until lightly browned (I use a non-stick frying pan and find you don't need any oil to toast the shredded coconut). Once browned, place in a small bowl
  • Chop your fresh (or thawed) mango into little, cubed pieces and keep cool in the fridge
  • Once the pudding has set, you will notice the tiny chia seeds have now grown in size and the mixture is very gelatinous and thick. The seeds now look more like tapioca
  • Portion out the pudding and place your chopped mango and toasted coconut on top
  • Serve and enjoy

Super simple, super tasty and super healthy. This Mango Coconut Chia Pudding dessert is a healthy indulgence, perfect for a summertime dinner party.

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: Not going to lie here, it looks a little weird. Sort of like caviar...

Taste: 2

Ease: 2


Low Fat Potato Salad with Dill

BBQ season is here and what is better to go with your steaks, burgers and dogs than potato salad?!

This zingy, crunchy super tasty potato salad with dill will have you totally hooked! And best of all - it is low fat! Say good-bye to drenching your poor little potatoes in mayo and give this recipe a try.

What You'll Need:
  • Large pot with lid
  • Large bowl and small mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • One bag of mixed mini potatoes (I like the bags that come with red, yellow and blue)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 stalks of celery for that crunch
  • 4 Tbps of chopped green onion
  • 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbps light mayo (I used Miracle Whip)
  • 3 Tbps cider vinegar
  • 1/4 honey mustard (not the overly sweet kind. I chose a honey, Dijon mustard for a little extra bite)
  • 1/2 cup of relish (I used the basic Heinz variety)
  • 1 Tbps 'fresh' dill (I used the kind that comes in the tube...classy, I know). You can also use dried dill or dill from a fresh dill plant - up to you and what you have available at the time
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

What You'll Do:
  • Fill your large pot halfway with water, sprinkle in your salt, cover and let boil
  • Chop your mini potatoes into halves or quarters (depending on the size)
  • Once the water has boiled, gently spoon in your potato pieces
  • I boiled my potatoes for around 12 minutes, but the key is to not have them go too soft - then your potato salad with be a sad mushy consistency
  • Boil them until they are soft enough to stick a fork in without being too soft they break apart
  • While boiling, dice your celery into tiny pieces and chop your green onion. Set aside in your smaller mixing bowl
  • Combine your fat free Greek yogurt, light mayo, cider viegar, honey mustard, relish, dill and freshly ground pepper into the small mixing bowl
  • Using a spatula, stir the contents together until they are evenly distributed. Cover and set in the fridge to stay cool
  • Drain your potatoes and allow to cool on your countertop for at least 20 minutes. You don't want to pour the dressing on hot potatoes
  • Once cool to the touch, remove your dressing from the fridge and cover the chopped potatoes
  • Using your spatula, gently stir to ensure all potatoes are covered evenly
  • You can serve this right away or let it sit. You can keep this salad up to three days if you keep it cool - so this dish is great as a make-ahead dish

The STEWART SCORE:
Appearance: 1.5 - Quite pretty with the mixed colours of the potatoes

Taste: 2+

Ease: 1 (You will need about one hour or so to make)