Matcha Mint Chia Pudding & A Review

I love matcha.

I love it prepared traditionally (as much as a white, Alaskan girl can...). I love it whisked into cold coconut milk with maple syrup. I love matcha lattes, and thrown into my smoothies too! Of course the stuff can be expensive. Especially if you're buying the ceremonial, high quality matcha. 

Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.

However, there are several different grades of matcha. Simply, they can be organized into culinary matcha (used for recipes, baking, smoothies, etc.), quality drinking matcha (best for matcha drinkers who don't require a super high quality matcha for their tea...like me), and then finally ceremonial super-premium matcha (very expensive and I'm no where near rich or exquisitely-palated enough to purchase it, though sometimes I wish I was).

Matcha is so beneficial because it's basically the baby green tea leaves just completely pulverized, so you're consuming the entire leaf (as opposed to just soaking it in hot water, like most teas). Try buying regular green tea leaves in the bulk section and tossing them into your smoothies for equal nutrition but a little more wallet friendly. However, if it's the matcha taste you want, then it's best to use actual matcha. If it's solely the nutrition of the actual tea leaves though...give plain green tea leaves a try. 

Today, I've created a smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk, featuring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar. It's made with Kiss Me Organics Culinary Grade Organic Matcha, which was gifted to me to test. 

Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.

I was thrilled to try this matcha. Normally, I buy matcha from an ethnic market in Anchorage, but it's the middle of the road matcha that I use for drinking and I would never put it in my smoothies or recipes. The Kiss Me Organics matcha is great for recipes though. It lends a bold matcha flavor that's perfect in dishes. I whisked it into cold coconut milk, which was wonderful. However, I didn't prefer it to my other matcha when drinking hot tea. No surprise there though, it's not for that!

Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.

Because I don't buy culinary grade matcha, I haven't made many recipes with it, so this was fun and exciting! I can't wait to possibly bake with it and make other fun matcha infused recipes. 

I'll definitely buy this matcha again. It's $6.25 for one once. The same brand of matcha I normally buy is $13.65 for one ounce. The same brand, but culinary grade is $8.69 for one once and the ceremonial grade is $18.08 for one once, for comparison. 

Have you added matcha to your recipes? What's your favorite way to use culinary matcha? I want to make cupcakes soon!

print recipe
Matcha Mint Chia Pudding
by September-8-2014
A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar. Inspired by Detoxinista.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups non-dairy milk of preference
  • 6 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
  • 2 tsp. culinary grade matcha
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • small pinch of kosher salt
  • 6 fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Place everything in a high speed blender and blend on high for a few minutes until smooth and it begins to gel. Place in fridge for about 3 hours to set.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 cups
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.
Produce On Parade - Matcha Mint Chia Pudding - A smooth and creamy pudding made with chia seeds and non-dairy milk starring bright green matcha and sweetened with agave nectar.

German Word of The Day

Green tea --> Grüntee (groon-teeh)

Good Deed of The Day

Guess what? You ladies can keep wearing yo' bras. Damn. Check out this article on the new study that was conducted to find out whether or not bra-wearing gave women an increased risk for breast cancer. It didn't

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather

Fruit leather has been on my "to make" list since I got a dehydrator a few years ago. Admittedly, at first, I wasn't sure what the weird flat trays were for that came with the dehydrator. I ended up tossing them in the dark hole that was the back of the pantry and when we moved, I found them cracked and just threw them away. That was that. Until now.

When Todd and I go backpacking, we always buy fruit leather. It's nice to have something sweet, healthy, and satisfying but apples and berries definitely don't travel well. That's where the fruit leather comes in! The store-bought stuff is expensive and when you make it yourself it's really reassuring to actually see exactly what's in it. 

Making the leather couldn't be easier (as long as you've got some time to kill) and it's a great way to use up those apples that were shoved in the back of the fridge and essentially forsaken. Yes, I did cut many brown spots off of the organic honeycrisp apples that I payed for with my left arm. I wasn't about to waste those puppies!

Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
— St. Francis de Sales

When making these scrumptious fruit leathers...you can't be in a hurry. They're so undemanding, yet utterly swish, and definitely worth the wait. Aren't they delightful all wrapped up?

Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
print recipe
Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather
by September-4-2014
Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too! Notes: Feel free to use whatever dried berries or raisins you like.
Ingredients
  • 4 medium very ripe apples, cored and chopped
  • 2 cups sliced rhubarb (about 4-6 stems)
  • ½ cup dried blueberries
  • 1 Tbsp. molasses
  • 1 tsp. alma powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp. lime or lemon juice
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth. If you don't have a vitamix with a tamper tool, then you may have to pause it several times to push down the fruit.Coat two fruit leather/liquid trays of the dehydrator with a nonstick cooking spray. Pour about 2 cups (half the mixture) onto one of the trays and smooth over. Repeat with the second tray.Place the liquid trays at the highest slots and dehydrate at about 140 F for about 6-10 hours.The center should be slightly soft but definitely dry. The leather should be pliable and not crack too much. Store in an airtight container with parchment in between the leather strips. For long storage, put in the freezer.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 16
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!
Produce On Parade - Apple Rhu-Berry Fruit Leather - Sweet and tart, these homemade fruit leathers are chewy and nutritious with juicy apples, rhubarb, and blueberries. No refined sugar too!

Bob is ridiculously dapper, don't you think?

German Word of The Day

Fruit leather --> Obstleder (oobst-laydeh) - Okay, so I kind of made that one up. Any German speakers around? Did I make a real word!? What do you call fruit leather? Obst = fruit/Leder = leather

Good Deed of The Day

Are you near Santa Monica? If so, you must go to the first ever vegan Oktoberfest in my place since I won't be able to attend. Maybe email me with names of all the awesome vegan beers you loved? Check out the deets, here, so I can live vicariously through you and your vegan privileges. 

Vegan Mushroom Soup

Hey dears! 

On Sunday I did a guest post for my blogging BFF, Lisa, over at Je Suis Alimentageuse. I made my finest vegan mushroom soup and you definitely don't want to miss it! So head on over and scope it out.

Be sure to say hi to Lisa too! She has such a wonderful site.

Produce On Parade - Vegan Mushroom Soup
Produce On Parade - Vegan Mushroom Soup

And you thought there wouldn't be a Bob photo in this post.

Produce On Parade - Vegan Mushroom Soup

And in case you missed it, Todd and my weekend was awesome. To follow us on social media, you'll see the buttons below my mug at the top right of your screen.

New!! Vegan buttered gnocchi with baby bella mushrooms, lemon thyme, parsley, and vegan parmesan. This is super easy and quick; done in less than 20 minutes top to bottom! #vegan #whatveganeats #gnocchi
New!! Vegan buttered gnocchi with baby bella mushrooms, lemon thyme, parsley, and vegan parmesan. This is super easy and quick; done in less than 20 minutes top to bottom! #vegan #whatveganeats #gnocchi