Summer is approaching here in Florida, so we are starting to crave more cooling meals (at least for breakfast and lunch). I've been experimenting with Chia seeds for the past few months after coming across a brand of milled Chia seeds that did not need to be refrigerated. For years I was using flax seeds but Chia seems to have a higher nutrient profile that packs in protein with less fat. So I've been adding Chia to my oatmeal, smoothies, hydrating them with juice and drinking them, and using them as an egg replacement in baked recipes.
Then along came a blog post from a blogger friend, Julie Cove, at Alkaline Sisters where she featured a beautiful
Chia Breakfast Porridge. I have tried to make a Chia Porridge in the past and didn't find very appealing. I figured out from Julie's recipe that I was not adding enough milk. The seeds were coming out partially hydrated, so the porridge was very crunchy and actually caused me to have stomach cramps.
Well, now I love this porridge! We were having it every day with whole Chia seeds until we ran out. Now Whole Foods is out of stock in their bulk section and in their Nutiva brand bags, and they are saying there is a shortage of supply, so they cannot say when they will get more! Wow!
It figures the day I want to photograph the Chia for my blog, I have to use milled Chia. Well, I thought the milled version was okay, but my kids didn't like it. They said it was mushy. So, you will want to try this with the whole Chia seeds first.
So here is my simplified version of the Alkaline Sister's recipe:
Ingredients (for one serving)
1 cup
raw almond milk (or commercial brand if you don't have raw)
3 tbsp
whole Chia seeds from your health food store (I like
Running Food Chia for the milled version)
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp organic Vanilla extract
1 pinch of organic cinnamon (to taste)
Garnish with fruit (I used peaches and a dried papaya)
Pour milk into a small bowl and then add the and other ingredients. Stir with a small wisk for at least two minutes so that the chia begins to hydrate but doesn't become clumpy.
Set in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
This can be enjoyed as a breakfast OR add more sweetener and enjoy as a dessert!