New year, new... breakfasts?!
This month we're on a mission to get creative with our breakfasts; after all, bleak January mornings are very much in need of some livening up! To give us a bit of a boost, we've been incorporating our daily dose of matcha (aka, the superhero amongst teas) with the most important meal of the day.
Here are 3 of our current go-to breakfasts, all of which have been designed to help keep hunger at bay, and comfortably see you through the longest of mornings...
1. chia seed & matcha power pots
ingredients (serves 4):
- 8 tbsp chia seeds
- 500ml (18fl oz) unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 1 tbsp runny honey or date syrup
- 2 ripe peaches, stoned and diced
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 150g (5oz) fresh blueberries to top
- 4 tbsp chopped nuts, e.g. almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, to top
method (make these the night before you want to enjoy them):
1. Put the chia seeds and almond milk in a bowl and stir together
2. In another bowl, blend the matcha powder and honey or date syrup until evenly mixed, then stir into the chia mixture with the diced peaches
3. Divide the mixture between four bowls, glass pots or screw top jam jars and cover with cling film or the screw top lids
4. Chill in the fridge overnight or until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture has a jelly-like texture
5. The following day, top each pot with a spoonful of yoghurt and then sprinkle with the blueberries and chopped nuts
experiment away!
Experiment with different fruit, depending on what’s in season. Or, instead of fresh fruit, why not top it with fruit compote before adding the yoghurt? Yum!
2. matcha granola with berries
ingredients (serves 4):
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 100g (3½oz) rolled oats
- 80g (3oz) chopped mixed nuts, eg. cashews, pistachios, almonds, pecans
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp runny honey
- 400g (14oz) Greek yoghurt
- 140g (5oz) strawberries, halved or quartered
- 100g (3½oz) blueberries
method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3
2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment
3. To make the granola, heat the coconut oil gently in a saucepan until it melts
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the oats, nuts and seeds
5. Add the matcha powder, cinnamon and honey and mix together well
6. Spread the granola mixture evenly over the lined baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning it 2–3 times, until crisp and toasted
7. Remove from the oven and cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container
8. To serve, layer the yoghurt, granola and berries in glass dishes or individual glass kilner jars or pots
variations…
Experiment with other seasonal berries, or you could try dried cranberries, blueberries or goji berries. You could also add any of the following to the granola mix: sunflower and flax seeds, chopped dried figs or raisins, desiccated or dry shredded coconut, chopped brazils, walnuts or vanilla extract.
3. matcha overnight oats
ingredients (serves 2):
- 80g (3oz) oats
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 375ml (13fl oz) almond milk (or hazelnut, rice or oat milk)
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 2 pinches of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp runny honey/agave
- Handful of dried coconut
- Handful of blueberries
method (make these the night before you want to enjoy them):
1. Prepare the oats in advance – ideally the night before you wish to eat them. Place the oats and chia seeds in a bowl or container
2. In a separate bowl or jug, add 1 tbsp of the almond milk to the matcha powder and whisk with a hand-held whisk to make a smooth paste, then top with the rest of the milk and mix well
3. Pour the matcha milk mixture over the oats, then stir in the cinnamon and honey/agave. Cover and pop in the fridge overnight
4. When ready to eat, transfer the oats to two bowls and top with the blueberries and coconut... or whatever toppings you like!
If you give any of the recipes a go, don't forget to tag us in your creations, @teapigs, as we'd love to see!
you might also be interested in:
- Check out the Book of Matcha for more recipes
- 5 ways to survive the January blues
- How to make the perfect matcha latte