Makeover your day with this rich, yet vegan and dairy-free Coconut Maple Chai Breakfast Risotto recipe.

This Coconut Maple Chai Breakfast Risotto is for those days where you wish your day was already over by 9 AM. The kind of day that your dog has ransacked your garbage, almost ran through your sliding glass door 3 times and relieved herself inside TWICE. Oh, and did I mention that this was while you were dropping off your car first thing in the morning for that loud mystery tapping sound that suddenly started coming from your wheel well the other day?

This is the kind of cooking therapy and flavor that will make you consider something much more positive and productive than crawling back into your bed in surrender to the rest of the day.

The flavors

Vanilla, maple, coconut, and chai mingle together for a luscious and rich risotto that works some magic alchemy from the inside-out. Using coconut oil and almond and coconut milk in place of the traditional olive oil and broth keeps this recipe paleo, dairy free, and gluten-free. Maple syrup in place of the parmesan cheese makes the recipe vegan.

The Health Benefits:

The coconut delivers an abundance of long-chain fatty acids which have growing evidence of helping to boost energy and metabolism, bolster good (HDL) cholesterol, balance out blood sugar, and more (read more here). Top your bowl with some nutty hemp seeds and not only finish off the flavors but work in some of your essential fatty acids.

How to make Coconut Maple Chai Breakfast Risotto:

1. Get your milk and vanilla simmering, chai tea brewed, almonds roasted (if they aren’t already pre-roasted) and spices measured out first. Once you get cooking it will be off to the races (when you’ve had a morning like I have, though, who doesn’t want to hurry up and bring in a new day?).
2. Saute the rice in the coconut oil in a large skillet or dutch oven until the rice gets nice and coconut-y (yes, I’m making that word up), stirring continually.
3. Add in the brewed tea and continue stirring the rice as it cooks, until almost all the tea has evaporated. Add in the spices and stir until distributed.
4. Add in the simmering milk to the rice, one ladle at a time and cooking the rice until almost all the liquids have evaporated before adding the next ladle of milk. Make sure to stir constantly during this process and keep an eye on the liquid levels. It will take around 30 minutes, but this step is where risotto gets meditative and relaxing for me. There’s something that’s so grounding and nourishing about watching and smelling the rice cook up right before me.
5. After adding the last ladle of milk, keep a close eye on the moisture levels as you stir and cook and add the salt and maple syrup just as the rice is getting thick from the last liquid evaporating.  Turn the heat to low and mix in the syrup as it cooks and absorbs into the rice, about 2 minutes.
6. Remove the risotto from the heat and serve with extra maple syrup, roasted almonds, berries, and hemp seeds (if you wish).

Other delicious and healthy breakfast and brunch recipes you might enjoy:

• Fluffy Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles
• Black Bean Breakfast Enchiladas
• Diced Hash Browns
• Classic Healthier French Toast
• Crunchy Turmeric Granola
• Blender Oatmeal Pancakes with No Flour or Banana

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Yield: 4

Coconut Maple Chai Breakfast Risotto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This Coconut Maple Chai Breakfast Risotto is a spicy, creamy, and rich but healthy start to the day! 

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 chai tea bag
• 1/4 cup almonds, raw or roasted; preferably unsalted
• 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk , (vanilla is OK)
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup + 1 T for drizzling
• 1-2 T. hemp seeds, (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries, thawed if frozen

Instructions

1. Brew your tea in the hot water for 4-5 minutes then remove tea bag and set cup aside. Combine coconut milk, almond milk, and vanilla in a medium size saucepan over medium-low heat until (but never above) a very low simmer and all the coconut oil is melted. 
2. If roasting the almonds, place on a roasting tray or large ramekin in an oven preheated to 425. Roast for 8-10 minutes and until smelling nutty and browned, but not burnt. Remove from oven to cool.
3. Measured out the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom into a small bowl or cup. Set aside. 
4. Heat a large dutch oven pot over medium heat and melt coconut oil. Once the oil is liquid and pops when flicked with water, add the rice and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add tea to the mixture and continue stirring until evaporated. 
5. Add in the spices and the first ⅓ cup or so of milk mixture and stir until most of the liquid is evaporated. It’s really going to start smelling amazing about now. Continue adding in the milk but the third cup full, stirring until evaporated, adding more, and repeating the process for about 30 minutes or until all the milk has been added (you may need to turn down the heat on the milk to low once you’re down to the final quarter of so of milk). 
6. Once all liquid is pretty close to evaporated, turn the heat to low and stir in the salt and maple syrup for about 2 minutes, or until the well combined and any residual moisture has evaporated.
7. Divide mixture into bowls to serve-- about 4 for smaller portions or 2 or 3 for larger portions. Top with berries, almonds, hemp seeds (if using), and maple syrup. 

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 390Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 22gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 307mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 7g

This nutrition breakdown is an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

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