RHUBARB COCONUT CHIA PUDDING

I think the secret to chia pudding is that it is actually really cheap and really easy to make, but Tesco think they can charge £4 for a tiny bag of chia seeds and Whole Foods, nearly £3 for a ready-made pot of pudding, because it seems exotic and a bit of a faff. I bought this 1kg bag of chia seeds (I'm going to be eating this stuff for years) on Amazon for less than a fiver, and now I know how easy it really is, I'm feeling pretty smug. 

The one thing that definitely isn't a secret about chia pudding is that it's so darn photogenic (well, I think so...Darren said it looked like frog spawn, so there's that). I had high hopes for this recipe; layers of rosy pink rhubarb compote, pearly white pudding and vibrant oranges. My sludgy rhubarbs may not be as photogenic as the pudding, but they were delicious and tart and as long as they taste good, I'm okay with them being a little unloveable through the camera lens.

Without further ado, here's the not-so secret secret to perfect chia pudding.

To make 4 small pots
4tbsp chia seeds*
250ml coconut milk
2tbsp natural yoghurt
1tsp maple syrup

Cover the seeds with the maple syrup, coconut milk and natural yoghurt. Stir and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This version is intended for breakfast, so it's purposefully not very sweet. If you want to serve it as a sweeter pudding, try adding honey or a dash of vanilla extract.

I used an ethnic brand coconut milk which ended up having a few rogue ingredients like corn syrup and sweetener; it ended up resulting in quite a South East Asian flavour which, luckily, I liked. Use a supermarket brand coconut milk for a more subtle flavour.

For the rhubarb compote, top and tail a few stalks of rhubarb, slice into chunks and place in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of water, the zest of an orange and two tablespoons of brown sugar. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon and taste; add more sugar if you like it sweeter. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or until softened to your liking.

Cool the compote. If you're serving like I have, spoon a layer of cold compote into a small jar and pour over some of the chia pudding. You can top with chopped oranges and eat straight away or leave overnight to set into a thicker, jelly-like pudding.

*I used Deliciously Ella's easy-to-remember quantities, but switched out almond milk for coconut milk and coconut yoghurt for regular yoghurt. This is what I mean about it being easy; use these rough quantities and you can make this recipe exactly how you like - juice, fruit purée, all yoghurt, etc.