Strawberry Chia Yogurt

We love hearing what other people eat. Often when we see friends and family, we have to restrain ourselves from interrogating about how they fit food and cooking into their life.

Recently we visited my bro and his family, so we asked my five-year-old nephew about his favorite foods.

"I like 'yéyé breakfast',” he said.

After some translation, we learned 'yéyé breakfast' is yogurt and granola. (My sister-in-law is Chinese, so the kids combine English and Chinese words sometimes - "yéyé" = "grandpa" = super cute).

Yogurt and granola is a classic breakfast duo. But, Natalie can't have it. In fact, she can't have any dairy.

When she was younger, she found avoiding dairy cleared up her skin almost instantly. After learning she was allergic to dairy, she's ditched it ever since.

But, what if we're part of the 99.9% of people who would miss dairy if we couldn't have it?

The salty punch of pecorino, the pungent jam of brie, thickness of cream in coffee or oatmeal - dairy, for better or worse, is part of most cuisines. Even some people with an allergy still find it hard to give up dairy.

Plus, no one wants to miss out on yéyé breakfast.

This recipe is here to help.

After a few attempts with this chia concoction, Nat added lemon juice for some tartness, and WHAM! A delicious dairy-free yogurt.

It's tasty on it's own, but we like it with granola - an alternative yéyé breakfast.

Strawberry Chia Yogurt

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground vanilla
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (about 20-22 berries)
• 2 dates, pits removed
• pinch of sea salt

Process

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend, scraping sides every so often, until well mixed.*
2. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour, but best overnight.
3. Serve with your favorite toppings. We like fresh fruit, granola and shredded coconut.

*Sometimes we have to let the frozen berries thaw out a bit - it helps make sure everything mixes well.