By PreparednessMama on * 9 Comments
I recently purchased 55 pounds of chia seed and I’ve been learning how to use it. Chia packs a nutritional powerhouse with a whopping 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain, plus abundant amounts of omega 3 and omega 6, which are essential fatty acids. How can you make sure that you use this wonderful seed to it best benefits? Add them to your daily diet and use these chia seed recipes from around the web as a starting point.
Properly packaged, chia seed will store for up to 5 years. My family needs to eat 1 pound a month if we are going to rotate it properly. Good thing there are a bunch of recipes online!
Once the seedsabsorb water they create a mucilaginous gel that can hold 9-12 times their weight in water. This absorbs rapidly – in under 10 minutes and can be used to your advantage while cooking, adding moisture to baked goods and as a thickening agent.
While doing my research I discovered that there seem to be several common ways to use chia seed in recipes. It looks like it can be used just about any way you might be able to imagine!
- To thicken – Chia seed works as a thickener in stews, soups and eggs. You can add it to gravy, yogurt and in jam to cut down on the amount of sugar needed.
- In baked goods like pancakes, crackers, breads, cookies, scones, muffins and pizza crust. Be creative!
- Chia can be used as a filler in meats and oatmeal.
- In green salads as a topping and in dressings to add texture and tickening.
- In smoothies and drinks to boost the energy, nutritional value and to thicken.
- As a breading for fish or chicken to add a nutty flavor.
The most basic way to use chia seed is to make a gel and incorporate it into your recipes. TechyGran has directions on how to make chia seed gel and several recipes to use it. Click through to find these recipes: Christmas Chia Cloud Pudding, Coconut Cranberry Chia Carob Chip Cookies andSmokey Pinto-Chia Burgers.
Chia pudding is another simple way to utilize seed. It has the consistence of tapioca pudding and really does have a lot of variety in preparations. Domesticate Me has directions for making chia seed pudding with unsweetened almond milk or Greek yogurt. You can substitute any milk(ish) product.
Once you know how to make this, I promise you will not be able to stop experimenting. This has become my new favorite way to eat chia seeds. You really must see the scrumptious and inspiring photos of Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding and the suggested toppings – never a dull breakfast or snack – Yum!
- Blood orange segments and pistachios
- Mixed berries and lemon zest
- Diced mango, toasted coconut, and dark chocolate shavings
- Sliced Bananas with cinnamon
- Blueberries, toasted almonds and maple syrup
- Granola and dried fruit
Chia seeds excel in baked goods. They can be used in place of poppy seeds or as their own filler. Here’s a recipe from Margaret’s Dish for Lemon Chia Seed Scones that I can’t wait to try. Tablespoon dot com has a “to die for” recipe for Banana Peanut Butter Chia Seed Muffins.
The Fresh Loaf adds chia gel to her bread recipes and finds it helps the bread to stay fresh longer. Read: The Bread That Would Not Die. So basically, you can add chia seed to any variety of baked goods to add nutritional value.
Chia seed really shines in drinks and smoothies. Black Dog::Food Blog has a recipe for the unusual and tasty combination of Lusciuos Blueberry Cinnamon Smoothie. Chia Fresca is simple to make too.
Learn about chia seed storage methods and how to grow and use chia sproutsat these previous posts from PreparednessMama.
Other chia seeds recipe collections:
31 Healthy & Delicious Chia Seeds Recipes
24 Healthy Smoothie Recipes with Chia Seeds
What are your favorite ways to use chia seed in recipes? Share your recipe or link in the comment section below.
Shared with – Healthy Happy Green & Natural –
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