Sunday, July 20, 2014

Grilled Fruit Chia Pudding {Recipe ReDux}

I hope you're been enjoying a great July so far and all the flavours of the season. This month's ReDux theme is A Spirited ReDux:
From plain Jane vanilla extract to fancy-pants elderflower liqueur, we like to keep a little liquor in the kitchen. Show us how you like to cook, bake or mix-it-up with spirits, extracts and other alcohols. A splash of vodka makes summer sauces shine – and liqueurs brighten desserts: What’s your healthy recipe with spirit?
 
I was inspired to combine grilled fruit and chia pudding since I enjoy fruit and chia with yogurt on a regular basis. Grilling allows you to spend time outside and brings out the sweetness of fruit.
 
Last summer we had a delicious grilled pineapple dessert made by a dear friend, and at a foodie night I think it was a cajun/creole theme) we enjoyed bananas foster - these were the flavours I was thinking of for this recipe. I wanted to make something 'summery' and somewhat healthy. You can definitely play around with the spices and spirits used in the chia pudding and try different fruit on your grill.
 
Grilled Fruit Chia Pudding
Makes: 4-8 servings (depending on portion size)

Ingredients 
Pudding
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp almond extract

Fruit
oil for grilling
2 peaches, cut in half, pit removed, and sliced again to create 8 circular pieces
1 pineapple, cut into 1/2" slices (you should get 4-6 slices)
2 bananas, peeled, cut in half length-wise and width-wise for 8 slices

Directions 
1. Prepare the chia pudding the night before you plan to use it. Combine all pudding ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Wash and slice fruit as above. Heat barbeque to medium heat and brush lightly with oil. Place sliced fruit on grill (as much as you can fit). Turn 45 degrees after appropriate cooking time (below) to get nice grill marks. Then flip once, grill, and turn 45 degrees. Remove from heat.
       Grill times: peaches 2-3 minutes (8-12 total), pinepple 3-4 minutes (12-16 total), banana 1-2 minutes (4-8 total)
3. Place fruit in 4-8 dishes. Remove chia pudding from fridge, stir, and spoon over top. Enjoy!

This is great as a dessert or as leftovers for breakfast. As always, see below for fabulous recipes from other reduxers.

Happy grilling, happy summer!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com