Monday, October 15, 2012

{VeganMoFo} Chia Seed Pudding


Chia seed pudding.  The quintessential vegan food.  It sounds healthy, looks weird, and seems vaguely edible.
  
Fortunately, only one (well, okay, two) of those descriptors is correct...



Although chia seeds are better known as the little black things that made your Chia Pet's hair grow in the '80s, they're actually an ancient grain.  Chia seeds were a staple in both Aztec and Mayan diets, and were coveted for their ability to increase energy and stamina.    

Today, they're considered something of a "superfood."  Not only do they help stabilize blood sugar and reduce blood pressure, but an ounce of chia also contains nearly 42% of your RDA of fiber and 18% of your RDA of calcium, and is completely free of cholesterol.  In addition, these tiny seeds are made up of 20% protein, and are chock full of healthy omega fatty acids.  

Bonus: chia seeds also have the highest antioxidant concentration of any known food.

If that's not enough to make you wanna try a vaguely edible recipe.  I don't know what is.

Recipe: Chia Seed Pudding

1 1/4 c. plain, unsweetened soymilk (or non-dairy milk of your choice)
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
fresh strawberries, sliced

1) In a mason jar, combine soymilk, agave, & vanilla extract.  Cover with lid & shake to combine ingredients.  Add chia seeds & lemon zest to jar; shake again.
2) Refrigerate, stirring/shaking occasionally, until a pudding-like consistency is reached.  Four hours or overnight should do it.
3) Serve topped with sliced strawberries.  For a variation, top with fresh blueberries & a dash of cinnamon.  Alternatively, use chocolate soymilk/juice, or orange/lime zest when making the pudding - the possibilities are endless!


6 comments:

  1. love the first picture. i need to get on the chia pudding bandwagon!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Richa! I always thought chia pudding was really complicated, but I'm happy to say it's really easy - you should try it :)

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  2. These photos are stunning! I love the contrast between the black, white and red. I am still yet to try chia pudding, thanks for sharing your recipe!

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    Replies
    1. What a nice compliment, thank you! I was really happy with the pictures, but it's hard to take too much credit when the subject-matter is so pretty!

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  3. Those pictures are crazy awesome! Chia pudding is something I want so badly to really like, but I can't seem to make it happen. These pictures are making me give it a second thought, though. :-)

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  4. Wicked recipe. Thanks for this. Hope you are ok if we paste a link to it here:

    http://www.myrecipepost.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl?category=desert&item=4523089895

    Thanks,

    Shurik

    ReplyDelete

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