If you’re a cooking lover, you couldn’t miss the chia seed trend. These tiny black and gray seeds from Mexico are considered superfoods because of their high omega-3 content, their richness in fiber and protein. But do you know how to cook them?
Cooking chia seeds
Small but mighty in benefits, chia seeds can be eaten raw or cooked in savory or sweet recipes. Chia seeds are best known for their hydrophilic properties. Indeed, they can absorb up to 12 times their weight in water. Thus swollen with liquid, the chia seeds take on a particularly interesting gelatinous texture.
But the small seeds are also perfectly eaten “dry”, sprinkled in a salad, muesli or granola for breakfast. They can enhance cookie dough or puff pastry for a savory or sweet pie. No matter, as long as we can draw all the benefits.
Chia seed pudding
This is the perfect recipe for a high-fibre, nutritious breakfast. The chia seed pudding is reminiscent of a rice pudding in its texture. However, it has the particularity of not requiring cooking. It is therefore an ultra-simple recipe to adopt every day. For two people, simply mix 3 tablespoons of seeds with 250 ml of vegetable milk (coconut is the best), add a touch of sugar or agave syrup according to your convenience, then add let it sit for a good hour or overnight if you prefer to do it in advance.
Top your pudding with fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.) and dried fruit (hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds). That’s it, all you have to do is enjoy!
A chia seed drink
We don’t think much about it, but chia seeds are also perfectly suited to making original and healthy drinks. You can choose to add them to any fruit smoothie or detox juice to add a touch of originality. It’s up to you whether you prefer to mix them or add them at the end to benefit from their amazing texture. It is this last option which is favored in the chia frescaa very popular South American drink in Europe.
To make it, all you need to do is mix 2 tablespoons of seeds in 350 ml of water. Add the juice of half a lemon and a touch of honey if you wish. Let the drink rest in a closed jar for around fifteen minutes in the refrigerator. And for a fruity version, discover the recipe for chia fresca raspberry right here.
Chia seed crackers
What if chia seeds found their way into the aperitif? This is the ambition of this recipe for chia seed crackers accompanied by a fresh vegetable cheese spread shared on the culinary blog Amande et basilic. A simple and delicious recipe, perfect for a vegan aperitif to share. To make the crackers, you will need flour, oatmeal, seeds of all kinds (chia, squash, sunflower, etc.), olive oil and fruit kefir. To discover the recipe in its entirety, click here.
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