Peanut butter overnight chia seed pudding.

Wow the name of this is a bit of a mouthful! But as you can see I'm experimenting with the chia seeds again - this time for breakfast. This is a quick and easy breakfast, it barely needs a recipe! Full of protein from the peanut butter, fibre from the chia seeds, potassium and slow release energy from the bananas - partner it with a green tea to start your day in style!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 Tbsp. Greek yoghurt

5 Tbsp. milk of your choice (I used rice milk)

1-2 Tbsp. crunchy organic peanut butter (or to taste)

1 overripe banana, mashed

1 Tsp. honey 

Throw it all together in a bowl or Mason jar and mix thoroughly - the peanut butter will be the hardest thing to get to mix and not clump. If you're really having trouble with mixing with peanut butter put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, just to loosen up. Seal with a lid or cling film, put in the fridge for at least 2 hours or preferable overnight. Then eat up! 

Banana chocolate muffins.

Have your bananas gone a little bit past their munching date? No fear, the banana chocolate muffin recipe is here! (That sounded less lame in my head). By mashing up your overripe bananas, you can create something beautiful - aided by chocolate, of course. Handy to grab as a quick breakfast, as we all know (all together now) "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". 

This recipe makes 12, and will freeze easily - just leave them to defrost naturally, they'll go soggy if put in the microwave.

Recipe adapted from The Londoner

Ingredients:

• 230g self raising flour
• 150g caster sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 large overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 Tsp. good quality vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. Nutella or equivalent (I used Whole Earth Lightly Whipped Chocolate Spread), warmed 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 C. Prepare your cupcake tins. In one bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the beaten eggs and mix well. Add in the bananas and stir until the mixture is totally combined - don't over mix or the batter will become doughy.

2. Divide your mixture between your cupcake tins, and add a dollop of warmed Nutella into each cupcake case (about 1 Tsp. each). Using the end of a spoon, swirl the Nutella around until it looks chocolatey. 

3. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly and demolish - they're really good slightly warm! 

Strawberry chia seed jam.

There's so much hype at the moment about health foods and super foods - like chia seeds for example, because of their abundance of healthy omega-3 fats and fibre, along with claims that it can combat diabetes and fight belly fat. If this is true then it must be the superman of superfoods! (sorry) 

Readily available in most health food shops, I decided to buy them… Then had no idea what to do with them. Just add it to smoothies? You can, but that seemed a bit boring. An overnight oat type thing? On my to-do list, but am currently licking out the last of the peanut butter (it would HAVE to include peanut butter, else it's not a real breakfast). So what?

Jam.
Strawberry jam.
So I have an excuse to make scones.

This particular jam is a melange of two recipes I found online, and only includes 3 ingredients:

• 400g strawberries (hulled)
• agave nectar (or honey, maple syrup - basically whatever you have in)
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds

1. Start by whacking the strawbs in a food processor (or you can chop them and mash them up at a later stage - I was just feeling lazy) and whizzing - it doesn't matter if it's not smooth, when you heat it up it'll disintegrate more.

2. Put in a pan and bring to a rolling boil for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. This is the fruit releasing pectin, which makes it go jam-like. 

3. Once thickened, (this is where you'd need to mash it if you didn't use a processor) add the chia seeds and cook for another 2 minutes. 

4. Pour into a sealable jar, and leave to cool. 

Simples.

My favourite breakfast ever.

I seem to be veering towards quick, easy meals at the moment: ones you can throw together without even getting your brain in gear. Which is nice. Means I get longer in bed.

Take this for example: 

It doesn't even need a recipe. A crumpet, toasted just-so, smothered in agave syrup. Could it get better? Why yes. A dollop of fat-free natural yoghurt and blueberries. 

Full of antioxidants, natural sugar and low in fat, this is the perfect way to start your day!

Breakfast granola.

I have been obsessed with granola since as long as I remember. I would always buy a granola pot ready made from M&S, which would set me back about £3 a time, so when I finally realised you can buy granola in cereal-sized boxes I was ecstatic. I now have it every morning, as it's a great way of getting calcium in me as well as slow release energy, perfect for a long day at uni.

I had this granola for brunch out at a lovely cafe called CJs in Canterbury (which I totally recommend!). It was so big I just couldn't finish it, much as I wanted to! 

The three simple ingredients:

• Granola of any variety, although the Dorset Cereal one is absolutely amazing
• plain or vanilla yoghurt
• drizzle of honey

I don't think I even need to do instructions! Pour the granola into a bowl, smother in yoghurt and drizzle on honey. Phenomenal.