Chocolate Maca Chia Pudding

Chocolate Chia Maca Pudding

People are constantly looking for healthy and easy to make alternatives to artificial, cardboard-like breakfast ‘cereals’ and toast. We are the biggest lovers of breakfast here at Two Kitchens! We have more breakfast recipes on our site than any other recipes.

This one is amazing for the whole family. It is packed with chia so it is full of bioavailable plant-based, organic protein, has maca powder in it so gives instant but long-lasting natural energy, the raw cacao is another source of plant-based protein, the almonds in the almond milk add calcium and you can add whatever fruit you like to it for more fibre and fruit intake. I added bananas but you can add strawberries or other berries too. The kids will honestly love this, you can send them off to school knowing they have been given the best start to the day and if you make enough, you can save some as a snack or even dessert for after dinner – so versatile!

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp maca powder (I use Organic Burst)
1 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp organic maple syrup or other natural sweetener of choice
1 banana, sliced
Small handful organic vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Method

Put all the ingredients except the banana and chocolate chips into a saucepan and heat gently over a low heat. It will seem dry at the beginning but eventually it will all melt into itself, just keep stirring. You want it to heat but not boil as boiling chia seeds will take the goodness out of them but we still want them to soften and swell.

Once it’s ready, transfer to a bowl, wait for it to cool then leave in the fridge for half an hour. Alternatively you can make it the night before and leave in the fridge overnight. The chia will then swell even more and be softer.

Transfer to a glass or any bowl of choice and top with your favourite toppings.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Summer Berry Smoothie Bowl

Berry Smoothie Bowl

How could I ever go back to processed cereals after knowing about the amazing things I can make for breakfast and so easily? Smoothie bowls are so great because you can pack so many nutrients into them, into the actual smoothie and with the toppings. If you are weaning your baby this is also a great way to introduce nutrients and make it fun with great natural colours. The only thing you need to remember is to freeze your fruit the night before. I always keep chopped frozen bananas in the freezer because I use them all the time, as well as frozen blueberries and strawberries but you can also buy ready packed frozen berries.

Ingredients

Half cup frozen summer berries
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp almond butter
2 dates
2 acai berry capsules, opened and sprinkled in
5 tbsp almond milk

Toppings:
Chia seeds
Desiccated coconut
Granola (our homemade recipe or Lizzi’s organic granola)

Method

Put all the ingredients apart from the toppings into the blender, blend until smooth and pour into a bowl. Top with your toppings and enjoy a breakfast that takes no longer than five minutes to make.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Blueberry Chia Pudding with Coconut Cream

Blueberry Chia Pudding Coconut Cream

Antioxidants, fibre, protein, omega 3, all plant-based and easy to make. This recipe needs no further introduction!

Ingredients

Chia Pudding
250ml almond milk
Handful frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana
1 tsp maple
1 acai berry capsule
1 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp almond or peanut butter
4 tbsp chia seeds

Coconut Cream
1 mini tub of coconut cream or the cream from the top of one can of coconut milk, chilled in fridge overnight
1 tsp maple syrup

Toppings
I used granola and blueberries, you can choose whatever you like!

Method

Put all the chia pudding ingredients apart from the chia seeds into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall cup and mix in the chia seeds. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. At this time you can put the coconut cream in the fridge also.

The next morning, take the coconut cream out the fridge, scoop it into a bowl and whisk for 3-5 minutes until stiff. Add in the maple and stir gently.

Stir the chia pudding in its glass, then pour however much you want into a bowl, mason jar or glass, top with the coconut cream and toppings.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Banana Crunch Smoothie Bowl

Banana Smoothie Bowl

Breakfasts don’t need to be just cereal or toast! I love making up new smoothie ideas for a yummy, filling and nutritious breakfast. Check out our other smoothie bowls on our breakfast page.

Ingredients

1 and a half frozen bananas (slice and freeze the day before)
1 tbsp almond butter
2 medjool dates
Splash of almond milk
Tsp chia seeds
Homemade granola or organic store bought
Some puffed brown rice

Method

Put all the ingredients except the granola and puffed rice into the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a bowl and top with the granola and and puffed rice (or puffed quinoa) and enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Peanut Butter Oats, Acai Chia Pudding & Puffed Rice Breakfast Parfait

IMG_0240 (3)

I love a breakfast parfait, as you probably already know. This was a pre-workout breakfast and really kept me going until lunch, it is just packed with energy.

Ingredients

Acai Chia Pudding:
Quarter cup chia seeds
1 and quarter cup almond milk
2 tbsp pure organic maple syrup
2 acai berry capsules opened and sprinkled in

Peanut Butter Maca Overnight Oats:
1 cup organic gluten free oats
2 cups almond milk (add more if needed)
1 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup

Handful puffed brown rice
1 banana

Method

The night before you want to eat this for breakfast, make both the chia pudding and overnight oats (separately), cover with cling-film and put them in the fridge. Do gauge whether either of them need more almond milk and add if they do.

The next morning simply layer them up and finish it off with sliced banana and the breakfast rice puffs.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Overnight Chia Oats with Strawberry Compote

Overnight Oats with Strawberry Compote

Overnight oats is this easiest thing to make and it makes such a nice change from the usual breakfast. You can also do all sorts of flavours and toppings so it never gets boring. Get a good batch of organic, gluten free oats, some almond milk, and some fruit and nuts and you’re ready to go! The chia seeds give extra goodness and protein.

Ingredients

1 cup organic, gluten free oats
1.5 cups almond milk
2 tbsp pure organic maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tbsp chia seeds
A big handful of organic strawberries

Method

Mix your oats, milk, maple, chia seeds and cinnamon in a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to eat it the next morning, make the compote by putting the strawberries in the food processor.

Layer both mixtures up in small cups or bowls, top with nuts or seeds of choice. Yummy and so great for the kids!

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Homemade Coconut Yoghurt

Coconut Yoghurt

When I first started cutting out dairy, yoghurt was the hardest thing to give up… in fact I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do it! I’ve spent a lot of time working on my coconut yoghurt recipe and have finally come up with the perfect one. I normally make my own coconut milk from fresh coconut but you can also use an organic tinned coconut milk or cream. No dairy, sugar, artificial colours or flavours, but still thick, creamy and delicious 🙂 Need I say more?

Ingredients

160g fresh mature coconut flesh
350ml hot water (or replace the coconut and water with 420ml organic coconut milk or cream)
1/3 tsp agar agar powder (flakes require different measurements so make sure you are using powder)
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp organic stevia leaf powder or 1 tbsp organic maple or raw honey
20ml baobab powder
1 tbsp of a high quality liquid probiotic, or the contents of 2 probiotic capsules
A glass jar, a piece of netting or breathable cloth, and an elastic

A note on making yoghurt

Two things are very important when making yoghurt: Firstly, the quality of the probiotic you use and secondly, hygiene. If you do not have a good quality probiotic it will not culture into yoghurt and you will merely have a nice tasting coconut cream. On the other hand, if you don’t sterilise the glass jar and wash your hands properly, you may end up culturing other bacteria. This won’t taste good and may even make you sick!

I’ve tried a few different probiotics and have found the best result with a liquid probiotic. I use Sambiotica or Nature’s Choice Ultimate Probiotic, available at Dischem.  Alternatively you can use Biogen Pre- & Probiotic capsules also available at Dischem. If you’re not in South Africa, you may need to experiment a bit to find the one that works best.

Probiotic Probiotic2 Probiotic3

Method

Firstly make sure you have a sterilised glass jar for fermenting the yoghurt. The easiest is to put it in a dishwasher, otherwise you can boil it for 2 minutes. Turn it upside down on a rack to dry. Also make sure that your hands are thoroughly clean!

Blend the coconut and hot water for 30 to 60 seconds in a high speed blender and then strain through a nut milk bag or muslin. Place the resulting cream in a saucepan. Sprinkle the agar over the cream and use a whisk to thoroughly combine. Bring up to a gentle simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes exactly. Agar needs to be heated to activate it, but over heating will destroy it and it will not thicken. Remove from the heat.

Once the coconut cream has cooled down to body temperature, whisk in the remaining ingredients. If you add the probiotic while it is too hot, you will kill the cultures. Remember that bacteria are living things so treat them as such… they like to be warm and fed 🙂 Cover the jar with a cloth that breathes and use an elastic to secure it.

Coconut Yoghurt 2

Leave the jar in a warm place for about 24 hours. If it is particularly hot, 18 hours may be enough. If it’s very cold, gently warm your oven, turn it OFF and then place the jar inside. After a day the cream will have cultured into yoghurt and you can refrigerate it. In the fridge it may culture and thicken further. You should eat it within about a 10 days, if it lasts that long!

Health & happiness.

Love,
Raine

Roll Up Maca Crepes

Maca Roll Up Pancakes

This morning I just needed pancakes, and energy. So I concocted this new recipe using ingredients that would give me energy, including maca powder. It’s basically the ‘original’ healthy caffeine. Just gives you that boost you need without the dip in energy later on that caffeine does to you. I also used almond butter for protein and banana, because who wants pancakes without lashings of nut butter and banana?! It’s also made with buckwheat flour so it’s totally gluten free, as well as dairy free and refined-sugar free. It’s a really quick, easy recipe and so yummy. Give it a go…

Ingredients

1 egg
1 egg white
1 banana, mashed
2 tbsp organic maple syrup
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1 tbsp maca powder
Coconut oil for cooking

Method

Mash the banana in a bowl, then add the egg, egg white, maple and almond milk and mix well.

Once combined, add the flour slowly, mixing the whole time, then add the maca. Mix really well.

Get a non-stick pan really hot with a little coconut oil and add 1 ladle full into the pan and flatten. These are more like crepes than American pancakes so they need to be larger and flatter. It shouldn’t take more than 40 seconds on each side with a good pan.

Serve with your choice of filling or topping from homemade chocolate sauce to almond butter or peanut butter, banana, nuts, seeds and fruit.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Vegan Waffles (Gluten, dairy & refined-sugar free)

Waffles

I finally treated myself to a waffle maker and boy oh boy was it worth it! I had some ideas for gluten, dairy and sugar free waffle recipes so I started experimenting and today’s one came out perfectly… enjoy this, guilt free 🙂

Ingredients – (serves 2. For more, double ingredients)

1 and quarter cup buckwheat flour
1 cup almond milk
1 very ripe large banana
6 tbsp pure organic maple syrup
Pinch Himalayan salt

Method

Heat up your waffle iron and let it get really hot while you do the rest.

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until really well combined.

Gently pour some of the mixture into the waffle mould and shut lid slowly. I found they turned out best when left for 7-10 minutes.

Top with maple syrup or fruit of banana ice cream…

Love,
Lauren

Chocolate Chai Baobab Smoothie Bowl

Chocolate Chai Baobab Smoothie Bowl

You all know how much I love a smoothie bowl, but up until now I hadn’t posted a chocolate one and let’s face it, everyone loves chocolate for breakfast! This way you don’t even have to feel guilty. The raw cacao is a sensational way of getting plant-based protein. I wanted to add some chai flavouring as I just love the taste and thought it would go well with this and it really did… The best ingredient in here is the Baobab. I’m a big fan of superfoods and have a cupboard where I keep spirulina, acai berries, maca, lucuma, cacao and now baobab. Read up on Raine’s explanation of Baobab here

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
Quarter cup boiling water
1 chai tea bag
Quarter cup almond milk
1 tbsp almond butter
2 dates
1 tbsp raw cacao
1 tsp baobab

 

Method

Before starting, boil the kettle and pour a quarter cup boiling water into a mug and let the chai tea bag steep in it for ten minutes. Put it next to a window so it cools down.

In the meantime, put the rest of the ingredients into a blender. Once the tea is cool, add this to the mix and blend well.

Pour into a bowl and add toppings of choice.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren