Cheesecake Parafait

This morning I was out of silken tofu, so I had sweet potatoes for breakfast! Topped with almond butter, ground flaxseed, and a dash of cinnamon. So delicious! But it didn't satisfy me. I'm used to having a really big breakfast, and the sweet potatoes were just not enough.

I went to the kitchen and started making a smoothie out of what I have at home. At first I blended the almond milk, avocado, and berries. It wouldn't really blend, and was too chunky, even for my taste. (I like chunky smoothies sometimes.) I had to keep looking for something else creamy to add to the smoothie. My bananas were not ripe yet, and I didn't have any frozen, no greek yogurt. My only option was unripe bananas or cottage cheese. So I went with the cottage cheese; I didn't want to have an upset stomach and wanted the extra protein. It was delicious! Very thick and creamy, with some grainy texture to it from the berries. Oh and the color!

Berry smoothie:

• 1/2 frozen avocado (don't worry, if you blend it well you can't taste the avocado but it makes the smoothie very creamy and adds healthy fats to it!)
• 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Chia Pudding:

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• Pure vanilla extract
• Sweetener of choice

Directions:

Smoothie:

1. Allow the avocado and berries to thaw for about 20 minutes. Otherwise you'll have chunks of avocado in your smoothie. You can also run hot water on the avocado if it's in a bag or let it sit in hot water if it's in a container.
2. Mix everything in a blender or a food processor, adding the soft and liquid ingredients first.

Chia pudding:

1. Add the chia seeds then the milk to an airtight container. Shake very well
2. Add the sweetener, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Shake again very well.
3. Leave it in the fridge overnight or for ~5 hours.

Chia container.

Toppings: Cocoa nibs, pepitas, and chia seeds.