Saturday, December 14, 2013

SIMPLE CHIA PUDDING


I’m a huge fan of chia seeds and incorporate them into my daily diet, whether it’s a tablespoon mixed in with muesli, blended in with a smoothie or sprinkled on top of a salad. My newest obsession is chia puddings, a healthy alterative to the dessert cravings I often suffer from. Very easy to make, these puddings are budget-friendly, filling and a wonderful alternative to yoghurt for my lactose intolerant buddies out there. I like making very simple chia puddings and letting the toppings shine, however you can add more ingredients to step 1, such as ground ginger, shredded coconut and/or a natural sweetener other than vanilla. 


To read more about the benefits of chia seeds and why you need these in your diet, clink on this link to see a post in January I did about this superfood; http://soulfulsandwiches.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/antipasto-salad-with-buffalo-mozzarella.html.

INGREDIENTS

  • 400ml (1 1/2 cups) light coconut milk 
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or you can substitute for oat milk, rice milk, quinoa milk, cow's milk)
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds (white or black or a mixture of both)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • To serve: (optional); 1 handful of chopped up fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc) and nuts, a drizzle of organic maple syrup. 

PREPARATION 

1. Pour the coconut milk, other milk of your choice, chia seeds and vanilla into a jar with a screw-top lid.  Screw the lid on tightly and then shake the jar vigorously until the chia seeds have mixed in nicely with the milk and none remain on the top of the lid or stuck down the bottom of the jar. 

2. Place in the refrigerator for one hour. Remove after this time and shake the jar well. Place back in the fridge for another 3 hours or until the chia seeds have become gelatinous and formed a pudding thick consistency. Serve cold, topped with a small serving of fresh fruit, nuts and/or a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / maximum 5 minutes 
Total Refrigeration time / 4 hours 

x Emily 


1 comment:

  1. I never had chia seeds in my life. But after reading about it I have decided to give it a try. These days I take cornflakes with milk for breakfast. Thank you for sharing the information about coconut milk with chia seeds.

    Regards,
    Finn Felton

    ReplyDelete