Good_Things_Magazine_AprilMay_2017

T

he current wellness trend has brought humble

nuts and seeds into the limelight as gourmet

ingredients – and rightly so. Gratifyingly

versatile with an indulgent richness, they lend

themselves to a myriad of dishes both savoury and sweet.

Nuts and seeds hide many talents under their skins, and

are an excellent source of nutrients and minerals. And the

fact that they’re free from gluten, wheat and dairy makes

them ideal for those with intolerances, or who choose to

follow paleo, vegan, or many other special diets.

The store cupboard heroes can be blended into

smoothies to deepen fl avour, sprinkled over salads to lend

texture and crunch, or fi nely ground for a nutritious take

on a tart crust. Nuts and seeds add moisture to baked goods,

improving crumb tenderness and extending their keeping

qualities. For an extra rich nu  iness, toast before you grind.

goodthingsmagazine.com 67

NUTSHELL

Food writer and blogger Natalie Seldon shares her passion for

nuts and seeds with a host of delicious vegetarian recipes

Tropical chia

layer dessert 

V / GF / DF

If I could bo le the aromas

of tropical heaven, then

create a dessert out of

them, this would be it. With

its delightful contrast of

textures, it’s a real feast for

the senses – a simple yet

impressive way to taste a

li le bit of paradise. 

Serves 2–4

INGREDIENTS

For the chia layer

• 400ml can coconut milk


• 4 tbsp desiccated coconut


• 4 tbsp white chia seeds


• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  or extract
  For the tropical layer


• 1 ripe mango, peeled, stoned,
  and chopped into chunks


• 1 tbsp coconut-almond or
  almond butter


• 3 tbsp maple syrup


• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh
  ginger, peeled and roughly
  chopped


• 1 lime, zest and juice


• 4 passionfruit, seeds and pulp
  To serve


• 1–2 passionfruit, halved


• 1 tbsp coconut (fl akes or
  desiccated), toasted

METHOD

1. For the chia layer, mix
   together the coconut milk,
   desiccated coconut, chia seeds
   and vanilla in a jug or bowl and
   leave to thicken.


2. For the tropical layer, put the
   mango fl esh, nut butter, maple
   syrup, ginger and lime zest and
   juice in a high-speed blender
   and process until smooth,
   then remove and stir in the
   passionfruit seeds.


3. Spoon half the chia mixture
   into the base of two large (or
   four small) glasses or bowls.
   Cover with half the fruit mixture,
   then repeat the layers.


4. Top each dessert with half a
   passionfruit and some coconut,
   and serve.

Veggie_MATTCathy ZP.indd 67 03/04/2017 20:51