Vegan peaches & cream chia pudding

Lauren Lovatt is a vegan chef and a pioneer in the mood food movement, who specialises in plant-based meals to nourish both body and soul.

This breakfast dish from her cookbook Mind Food is a super creamy combination of chia with macadamia, made even better by the soft caramelised peaches. Prepare this breakfast the day before you want it, as the macadamia nuts need to be soaked before use and then the chia seeds need to soak up the liquid in order to be ready.

Ingredients

For the cream chia

¾ cup	macadamia nuts, soaked for at least 8 hours and rinsed
⅔ cup chia seeds	chia seeds
¼ tsp	vanilla extract
2 Tbsp	honey
½ tsp salt	salt

For the peaches

2	ripe peaches, halved and stoned
½ tsp	rapadura or coconut sugar
1 tsp	chopped fresh rosemary
To serve	50g macadamia nuts, chopped
To serve	4 Tbsp coconut yoghurt

Directions

1. For the cream chia: Blend the macadamia nuts with 300ml of water for at least 1 minute, until smooth.
2. Pour the macadamia milk into a large glass jar, then add the chia seeds, vanilla, honey and salt, whisking with a fork to combine. Transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. For the peaches: Sprinkle the peach halves with the sugar and the rosemary, then either grill or griddle the peaches until caramelised. This will take 5–10 minutes depending on the ripeness of the peaches.
4. Serve the caramelised peach halves on top of the chia with a spoonful of coconut yoghurt. Sprinkle with the macadamia nuts, roughly chopped.

TIP: You can serve this dish cold for 3 days after it is first made.

Edited extract from Mind Food by Lauren Lovatt, published by Ivy Press. Photography by Sara Kiyo Popowa. RRP $45