Chia Seed Pudding

[calzephyr]

It's been a while since I experimented with something new in the kitchen and as always, curiosity is the mother of necessity. I wanted to know how I could add more protein to my breakfast without adding eggs and found an intriguing vegetarian example - chia seeds. Now, I’m not the most granola person out there, so when recipes for "chia seed pudding" popped up online, I was skeptical. I am all too wary of things that are supposed to be other things - tofu chicken nuggets, cauliflower rice and vegan butter - that never quite live up to what the mind imagines. It would be more honest if these things were labelled tofu nuggets, shredded cauliflower or vegan spread.

Chia seed pudding isn't true pudding. What happens is that these itty bitty little seeds - a small bag will last you forever - easily absorb three or four times their size in liquid and make a gelatinous goo. This is why pudding recipes suggest leaving it overnight in the fridge. A rule of thumb seems to be a 1:2 ratio. You can add fruit, nuts and other toppings as well. I put 30ml of seeds in a mason jar and filled it with half a cup of milk and half a cup of water just to be on the safe side, plush a splash of vanilla for flavour.

When I checked the jar in the morning, the weirdest sight appeared - the seeds were suspended in a light brown gel (from the vanilla), all neatly spaced by the what had been absorbed. It looked...otherworldly to say the least. I spooned some into a cup and it was all very bland, but not much more so than plain oatmeal. The vanilla was old and probably mostly alcohol, so I think that's why it looked and acted the way it did. The pudding adhered to itself so well that no residue remained inside the cup!

My second try at it was too liquidy and it resulted in a weird, Orbitz like beverage. I gulped it down and tried a third time, which got me closer to where it should be. Not perfect, but not goopily strange like the first try. I won't say it's super filling or anything and you may want to take it easy at first in case you discover that it gives you a laxative effect - these little seeds pack a lot of fibre!

Comments

[daryl_wor]

Oh-h-h-h, I needed that! Really enjoyed this today for a good pick me up! (Just trying the reading page for the first time.)

I've gotten so fascinated by chia seeds. When we were little chia seeds were mainly for these really odd sprout gardens in a ceramic vessel shaped like animals. The ad jingle really stuck in our heads. So I knew the word chia in line with Chia Pet.

The next thing I know they're being sold to eat. I've tried to make the pudding, or munch on some from a cup just for a new experience. I think my favourite creation are these chia bars at our market. I like them a lot and they don't give me heartburn like other bars of that kind. (They're mixed with almonds, cranberries and pumpkin seeds.)

I definitely had a good giggle at the "Orbitz like beverage" as that was the reminder I got trying to make the pudding once. And it does have that otherworldly look to it. I might give it another go. Really happy to have read this to start my day. I knew I was going to need something fun and here it is. Thank you. :)

[calzephyr]

Funny, you are the second person to mention chia pets! I always wanted one. Fortunately they still make them if I ever wanted to try. It seemed like the sort of thing that looks neat on TV but would test a child's patience.

Bleh, Orbitz....I remember trying it once and only once and never forgot!

Have you tried making your own snack bars? I find that a lot of the nut and seed ones make my mouth itch, so I bought a mold to make my own. Haven't gotten around to it though.

[daryl_wor]

hehehehe! I remember trying Orbitz, too. It lasted one try and sharing with another. I think we barely finished it together.

I have not tried to make my own snack bars. That sounds like a good project around here. I can't seem to get enough of flaxseed, too.