Blueberry Chia Compote (or Jam)

I very rarely buy fresh fruit during the winter. I have limited my porridge consumption in exchange for savoury egg-based breakfasts, and I wouldn’t ever snack on a piece of fruit on it’s own without a protein/fat component (e.g. apple slices with nut butter). Instead, I always have a nice stock of frozen berries in the freezer, with blueberries being a particular favourite of mine. Berries are relatively low in sugar in comparison to most other fruits and they are very high in a number of vitamins and phytonutrients.

This quick and easy sugar-free compote is my favourite thing to have with yoghurt as a healthy dessert. By adding the chia seeds you get some additional nutrients, fibre and the gelatinous texture of a jam if you allow the compote to cool. I recommend keeping the cooking temperature low to aim to preserve some of the antioxidant-rich phytonutrients in the fruit.

TIME: 5 minutes

SERVES: 2 portions

SEASON: All seasons

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup frozen blueberries (preferably organic)

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

METHOD:

1. Place a small saucepan on the hob over a low heat, add the blueberries, chia seeds, cinnamon and lemon juice to the pan, mix thoroughly and allow to reduce down for around 1 minute, stirring regularly.

2. Add the water and keep stirring regularly for another 3-4 minutes until the chia seeds become nice and gelatinous and the mixture has thickened up.

3. If it becomes too thick for your liking, add more water gradually to get the consistency you are after.

4. Serve warm with yoghurt, on porridge, pancakes, French toast and so on. Otherwise, allow to cool, move to a jar and use as a jam.