So, if you and I were having a conversation in real life right now, it might go something like this:
I would start waxing lyrical about a recent culinary creation (most of my friends appear to tolerate this quite well). In this case, I would be talking about the mango chia custard I made at the weekend.
You might be surprised. Custard? Isn’t that a comfort food kind of thing? For winter?
I would enquire as to whether you have been outside recently in Dunedin? It does actually appear to be winter.
We would then lapse into the conversation all Dunedinites are having at the moment, about the appalling lack of summer and the nagging feeling of being ripped off when waking every single day to grey, windy, drizzly skies. We could work ourselves into a frenzy over global warming, lamenting the summers of our childhoods – to the extent that we might be in need of some comfort food. Bringing us back (in a not-at all-obvious segue) to custard.
I have been thinking about making some kind of raw, plant-based custard for a while, but I was waiting for really juicy ripe mangoes and stonefruit to arrive. Well, they’re here. I’ve made this with both peaches and apricots; both are delicious. I – or I should say we (as it’s been super-popular in my house) – love it. When my nieces came around, it officially passed the taste test for three out of three children; both they and my son gave it the definite thumbs-up – this is an unusual success rate.
To me it is the ultimate in comfort food. If I was just getting over a cold or flu, and starting to feel like eating again, I would want this. I would stumble out of bed, fling these ingredients in the blender, and then collapse onto the couch to consume a large bowl of it, while pining for Oprah and Days of Our Lives.
I love chia seeds. They are tiny nutritional powerhouses – they contain fibre, protein, iron, calcium, antioxidants and are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (which are really helpful in supporting mental health and cardiovascular health). They’re also super-useful in the kitchen as, being mucilaginous (when mixed with water, they become moist and sticky) they can be used to bind ingredients together or as a substitute for eggs. Even though the amount included in this recipe is very small, I try to include them in my diet in a range of ways – in smoothies, on cereal, in baking, in salads. As they have no real flavour of their own, they can be added to almost anything.
Mucilaginous is your new word of the day. I challenge you to find a way of dropping it into a perfectly ordinary conversation. Just don’t say “I saw this wonderful recipe for mucilaginous mango custard today” – no one will want to read my blog if you do.
Mango Chia Custard
1/4 cup coconut cream or milk (or more, depending on desired consistency)
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
3 ripe peaches or apricots, stones removed
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup raw macadamias (see note)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)
Stir the coconut cream/milk and ground chia seeds together in a small bowl and set aside for ten minutes or so to thicken.
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.
Serve as you would regular custard – with fruit, or in a trifle – it is particularly delicious layered with honey cashew cream.
Makes approximately 1.5 cups.
Keeps for up to two days in the fridge. If you don’t devour at all at once, while learning everything you need to know about life from Dr Phil and his teeny weeny wife.
Note:
I used a high-speed blender but if using a regular blender, you may want to soak the macadamia nuts for a couple of hours to soften them slightly. Drain well before using.
A printable version of the recipe is here.
