Cardamom Carrot Pudding — Kate's Healthy Cupboard

I am so excited to share this guest post with you! This delicious pudding recipe was created by Abby from the Yes to Yummy Blog. Abby is a 15 year old girl (yes, just a teenager) that decided to take her health into her own hands...literally! She went from being a bit overweight to a bit compulsive with her eating. She was tired of her calorie restrictive diet and eating chicken breasts everyday. This led her down the Paleo road and to renewed health from eating grain free and enjoying high amounts of healthy fats. She took an interest in healthy cooking and enjoys sharing her recipes with others. I know I can learn a thing or two from her. She visits a butcher regularly and is far more versed in meats than myself! Check out her recipes ranging from lamb kebabs, pork carnitas, duck breasts to parsnip hash, arugula pesto and cauliflower couscous!! She has numerous other sweet treats as well and today she is sharing one of them with us!

Below is a small blurb about her journey and her mission. You can read more about her and her story on the blog.

I've always loved food, although not always of the healthiest sort. After being a little overweight for years, I decided to experiment with cooking nutritiously in an attempt to improve my eating habits. I wound up losing some weight, but more importantly, I felt so much healthier as a whole. Now, I want to show people that conscious eating can be exciting, creative, and above all delicious with my recipes. If a teenager can live happily and healthfully without eating processed food, I think anyone can.

Summer is finally upon us, and I couldn't be happier. I love stepping outside and feeling the sun on my arms, then being wrapped in a blanket of perfect warmth. Sure, only about 20% of summer days are actually like that where I live, but a girl can idealize.

When the weather heats up, the last thing you want is a big, heavy breakfast. Unfortunately, eggs don't often qualify as light, cool, and refreshing. They get pretty boring after a while, too, and aren't the best choice for those with autoimmune conditions or problems with inflammation.

This breakfast pudding is the solution to all of your problems. It's gluten-free, grain-free, casein-free, nut-free, and paleo, and can easily be made completely dairy-free and vegan. It's simple to prepare and is mostly hands-off. You can whip up a big batch on the weekend and have a healthy, delicious breakfast available all week long.

First, grate three large carrots in the food processor or with a box grater. I'm lazy; I used my food processor.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of ghee or coconut oil (for dairy-free and vegan) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the carrots, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Afterwards, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 30 to 35 minutes more. Give it a shake or stir every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning.

Once the carrots are done, add them to a blender or food processor with 1 14-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk, 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon of liquid stevia OR 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Blend until completely liquefied, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour the carrot and coconut mixture into a large container, and stir in 3 tablespoons of chia seeds. You can ground them if you want, but I like leaving them whole.

Put the pudding container in the fridge, and wait at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) before eating. Garnish with raisins, a little more cinnamon and/or cardamom, and a dollop of coconut cream, if you like.

So, why chia seeds? Well, they're high in omega-3 fatty acids, are excellent sources of manganese, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and have a boatload of digestible fiber. They're everywhere these days--I've even seen them at Stop and Shop--but if you can't find them, you can always order some off of Amazon for a fairly low price.