also apparently has the following nutritional value:
2 times the protein of any other seed or grain 5 times the calcium of milk
2 times the amount of potassium as bananas
3 times more iron than spinach
and of course, copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6
Or so they say...whoever they are. Seriously though--anyone who can use the word copious to describe food, has this girl's attention.
You would think that because chia sprouts all green and sprouty looking, that the recipes out there would be mostly savory. Wrong. While the seeds can be added to breads or sprinkled on salads, most recipes I came across were for chia pudding. It's so different...how could I not try it?
These little guys can absorb copious amounts of water. One tablespoon in 1 cup of water starts out like this....
And a mere 15 minutes later, looks like this....
My mom used to make a Thai version of tapioca pudding when we were growing up--I was taking that concept for my chia pudding.
The basic recipe is super easy--just two cups of a coconut/almond/soy milk product, add 1/2 cup unsalted cashews, 1 tsp vanilla extract and agave nectar to taste. Blend in blender until smooth. Pour into a mason jar, add two tablespoons chia seeds and shake. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow seeds to fully hydrate. Pour some in a bowl, chop up a bit of fresh papaya or mango and it's the perfect breakfast to grab on the way to work.
I started wondering though, about how all the recipes out there seem to be for a raw and vegan chia pudding. I am obviously not a raw foodie, and truth be told, I'm a bit of a dairy whore. Could you make a cooked pudding out of chia? Hmmmm.
I grabbed my favorite lactose filled bevarage and gave it a try, starting with one cup of milk and 2 tablespoons chia seeds set off to the side to hydrate for 15 mins. Add another 1 cup of milk to a pan with 1 egg, 2-3 tbsp agave nectar (or any sugar), 1 tsp vanilla extract and the seeds of half a vanilla bean (thanks Shannon for the vanilla).
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until pudding thickens. Remove from heat and mix in milk and chia seed mixture. Refrigerate until chilled. Much more delightful way of getting omegas than a big spoonful of flax seed oil...iron, potassium and protein are on the house.
6 comments:
But was it good? Were they still crunchy? Do they have a flavor? The world wants to know! :)
i am intrigued....who knew? i am with colleen what was the flavor like...was it something you would want to eat morning after morning? tell me more!!!!
ditto to all they said. :O)
It was fabulous..let's see...
1. It actually flavorless so takes on the flavor of whatever you make--I saw that you can soak them in fruit juice as well
2. They are mostly soft, with a tiny crunch...like poppy seeds in your pudding
3. I have been eating some everyday..mixing it up though. A bit in my oat bran for brekkie one day, mixed in with fruit and yogurt another and a bit of the pudding after dinner on yet another...
i am fascinated
Looks delicious...when I did my vanilla pudding experiment a few weeks ago, I chose a couple of nice, fat blackberries to go on top, as well.
And, until this post, I had no idea chia was something you could eat. I thought it was just a catchy name somebody had come up with for the little figurines. You learn something new every day!
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