Piña Colada Smoothie

Though I've gone vegan since creating this smoothie, it's delicious and had to be shared with the world! No, it's not alcoholic, but the ingredients are reminiscent of the tropical cocktail. I originally used a Siggi nonfat vanilla yogurt, but after further thought, the ideal protein (despite the higher calorie and fat count) would be Siggi Coconut yogurt!

Piña Colada Smoothie
By Caroline Mac

Ingredients:
1 Siggi yogurt (I recommend nonfat vanilla or 2% coconut)
1 banana, frozen
2 pineapple rings, frozen
1/4 c Protein Plus Unsweetened Almond Milk
Squirt of lime juice
handful of shredded coconut
1 t chia seeds


Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes in the freezer to allow chia seeds to thicken the smoothie. 


Enjoy!

~Caroline~

Overnight Oats with Chia

After making my chia breakfast bowl, I decided the next step would be to create a recipe for overnight oats! This dish tastes very similar to the chia bowl I posted, but I'm definitely going to work on coming up with some other combinations. Despite the flavor similarities, I ended up enjoying these oats so much that I'm sharing it with you!

Strawberry Overnight Oats with Chia

By Caroline Mac

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 bananas

1/3 c quick cooking oats

2 T chia seeds

1 c unsweetened soy milk

1 t unsweetened cocoa powder

Cinnamon and vanilla extract, to taste

Fresh Strawberries for topping

Step 1: Mash bananas so that they're still a little chunky. Combine all ingredients except for the berries in a bowl and let soak overnight in the fridge. 

Step 2: Spoon into bowls and chop strawberries for topping. Serve cold. 

Enjoy!

Chia Seed Banana Breakfast Bowl

Ch ch ch Chia!

Chia seeds have been the food of the moment for a while and I understand why. Apart from having the chia kombucha, these strange little black seeds haven't made it into my every day diet... until now. I learned the basics of making a successful chia breakfast pudding from Oh She Glows and took some liberties to create my own vegan version of her delicious recipe.

Chia Banana Breakfast Bowl
By Caroline Mac, after Oh She Glows

Serves 2-3 (It's really filling!)

Ingredients:

Chia Mixture:
4 T chia seeds
1 1/4 c unsweetened soy milk
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 t vanilla extract
Cinnamon to taste

Topping:
2 T dried cranberries
2 T raw almonds, chopped
Fresh fruit (I used blueberries and strawberries)
Cinnamon to taste

Step 1: Whisk all chia mixture ingredients together until a relatively homogenous mixture has formed. Cover and let sit overnight in the refrigerator to allow the mixture to thicken.

Step 2: Combine almonds and cranberries in a small bowl and fill with water until mixture is covered. Let sit overnight.

Step 3: Drain cranberries and almonds. Spoon desired amount of chia mixture into a bowl and top with almond-cranberry mixture and a handful of fresh berries or other fruit of your choice. Finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve cold.


Note: This recipe barely skims the surface of chia possibilities. Try playing around with toppings and seasonings until you find what you love!

Enjoy!

~Caroline~