Will Run For Flax Chia Vanilla Pudding

a great excuse to eat maple syrup

Summer vacation is O-V-E-R!  That means no more lemon poppyseed pancakes, waffles, or delicious baked goods for breakfast.  Who has time for that when they're scrambling to lesson plan ( I would never do this.  No.  Not me), walk the dogs, pack a lunch and eat breakfast?  It does mean breakfasts that can be prepared while multi-tasking, travel well and can be eaten well after they have been prepared.

Flax Chia Vanilla Pudding

(serves 2)

ingredients

1 C soy milk (or milk of your choice)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp ground flax

1 Tbsp vanilla paste

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups mixed fruit (e.g. strawberries, bananas, mango, pineapple)

1 tsp maple syrup 

Warm milk over medium heat milk until hot and steamy. 

 Add chia seeds, ground flax, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Allow to simmer for approximately one minute. 

  Poor into a wide shallow bowl.  Allow to cool (at this point I usually put the whole bowl in the freezer because I'm impatient). 

 Once mixture is cool whisk until desired volume is reached.  

whisk mixture

Top with mixed fruit and maple syrup.

breakfast in no time

If all of the above seems like a little much and you remember to plan ahead simply place all of the ingredients in a bowl (with the exception of the fruit and maple syrup) and allow to soak overnight.  Whisk (or not if you don't mind a gelatinous chunk).  Top with fruit and maple syrup.

Will Run For Rosemary Infused Chocolate Pudding

When I think of rosemary chocolate isn't necessarily the next ingredient that I think of.  You say rosemary I say roasted potatoes, cream of leaky potato soup, rosemary mint soap not chocolate.  When I saw the latest issue of Alive Canada's Natural Health and Wellness Magazine at The Wellness Shoppe the cover recipe was dark chocolate and rosemary pudding and suddenly chocolate and rosemary seemed like a brilliant combination (no I wasn't drinking).

I could have just followed the recipe but I was looking for an excuse to make chocolate avocado pudding and this was it.  Who needs table cream, cane sugar and chocolate when you have avocados, maple syrup and rosemary (and who are we kidding a chocolate bar barely makes it through the front door before it is in my belly)?

Rosemary Infused Chocolate Pudding
(4 small servings)

ingredients

1/2 C unsweetened soy milk (almond, coconut or dairy would also work)

1 heaping TBSP fresh rosemary

2 large ripe avocados

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Begin by roughly chopping rosemary. 

straight from the garden

 Combine rosemary and milk in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for approximately five minutes.  Remove from element and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (the longer it sits the stronger the rosemary taste will be).  Strain.

infuse the milk with rosemary

Combine all ingredients in a blender (if you don't mind chunky guacamole texture you can skip the blender).  Blend until well combined.  You will likely have to scrape down the sides (a great opportunity to lick the spoon) and continue blending.

don't cut your tongue on the blender blades

Divide into four small bowl or use avocado skins.  Chill for 1-2 hours or eat immediately if you are impatient like me.

Will Run For Maple Rice Pudding

Today Pace Bunny and I officially started training for the www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com !

We are only running the 1/2 marathon and have decided to call it the FULL (it doesn't seem like a big deal when you say your are doing half of something) 1/2 Martini Marathon (we're taking training very seriously as you can tell). 

After running a marathon that Pace Bunny is still having flash backs about* and a 10K that made me think I should buy a florescent purple wind suit, a sweatband and take up mall walking we decided to train for the 1/2 with the goal of having a  finish line photo where we don't look like death or sausages stuffed into our running gear (Pace Bunny's shorts were pretty short today and since when is there a gap between my running shirt and shorts).

*(NEVER take copious amounts of Immodium before running 42 kilometres regardless of how many times you have to visit the portapotty before the race begins)

How is all of this related to rice pudding?  On a cool summer day (or what was a cool day) rice pudding makes a pretty good post run snack.  

  

Maple Rice Pudding

ingredients

1/3 C maple syrup 

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2 C soy, dairy or nut milk  (I used Unsweetened So Nice)

1-2 TBSP vanilla bean paste

1/4 C dates or raisins chopped (soaked in just boiled water for 5-10 minutes)

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2-2 C cooked brown or white rice (depending on how creamy you like your pudding)

In a medium saucepan mix maple syrup & cornstarch.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil and then simmer for 1 minute (it's important to stir or you could potentially end up with a burnt mess...yuck!).

Add nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste.

Add cooked rice.

Pour into serving dishes (or eat it directly from the pot) and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Candied walnuts would make a great addition to this recipe as well.  Yum!

You could switch this recipe up by substituting some coconut milk for soy milk and adding fresh or dried mango and pineapple.  You could add an assortment of spices such as cardamom, allspice, cloves, etc.  Have fun with it.