Sometimes I am not in the mood for another green juice or I'm too lazy to pull out the blender and make a smoothie. And if a tray of granola isn't in the dehydrator as we speak and my almonds aren't in a bowl of filtered water, then I am short out of luck, in the breakfast cereal department.
In the raw food land of soaking, sprouting and dehydrating, I was hard pressed to find something substantial and quick to eat without too much prep time. Until chia seeds entered my life.
Who would have thought the little seeds that sprouted on the bodies of clay rams, cows and kittens provided more than a catchy jingle and goofy 80s entertainment?
The Aztecs did. Warriors and runners are believed to have sustained themselves for an entire day on just a tablespoon of chia.
Nutritionally, those little buggers are high in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber and calcium.
But this isn’t history or nutrition class. Think more weird science. Particularly, the fun and bizarre gelatinous effect it has on whatever it touches. It’s way cool, it‘s kind of like the blob, without the gore.
Try it. Place 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in an 8-ounce glass of water or juice and wait 15-20 minutes. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, I’ll be here when you get back.
See what I mean, isn’t that the coolest? Who knew? If you add some lemon or lime juice and raw agave nectar and you have a cool, refreshing drink.
Chia Fresca
Serves 1
Juice of 1 lemon
8 ounces cold water
1 teaspoons raw agave nectar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Mix lemon juice in water; add agave and chia seeds. Vigorously stir until all the seeds are wet and no clumps appear. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
If texture in your drink is too much for you to handle, try a breakfast pudding on for size.
Chia Pudding
Serves 4
1 cup raw cashews
3 cups water
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
¼ cup chia seeds
Place the cashews and water in a high-speed blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Transfer the cashew mixture to a bowl; stir in agave, vanilla and sea salt.
Add in chia seeds and continue to stir until all the seeds are well incorporated into the cashew mixture. Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
You can eat it right away or it’s even better placed in the refrigerator overnight and eaten in the morning. The chia pudding will have the consistency of tapioca or rice pudding.
This is kind of thick for a flan and it doesn't have the jiggle of flan, but I love the name.
Flan de Coco y Chia
2 cups cashews, soaked for 1 hour
1 cup coconut meat
½ cup coconut water
¼ cup raw agave nectar
¼ cup Chia seeds
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Puree the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer the mixture into a mini spring form pan. Chill overnight in the refrigerator or until mixture firms up.
Caramel Sauce
1 cup dates
¼ cup water
juice of one half lemon
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (not a raw product)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Soak dates in the water and lemon juice for an hour. Reserve soaking water. Process soaked dates, coconut oil, maple syrup and sea salt in a blender. Using soaking water one tablespoon at time, blend until you achieve a smooth creamy consistency. Carefully unmold the flan onto serving plates. Drizzle caramel sauce over the flan.
*This is a post I originally wrote on the Amateur Gourmet's community forum.