Before I was on the Whole30 my breakfast would be either some sort of egg (boiled being the go-to) or oatmeal plus fruit. Since I can’t currently eat grains, I have been eating a lot of eggs. The easiest way to do this and still get out the door on time is by making a big frittata once a week loaded with veggies (often leftover from dinner the night before) that I can re-heat through out the week. This is an easy and pretty tasty solution but I still miss having a bowl of something creamy topped with fruit and nuts occasionally. My answer to this is chia seed pudding.
Chia seeds are little black seeds that are purported to have a slew of health benefits that you can read about here. Some of the juicer highlights are they are supposed to keep you full longer and have lots of healthy fats. I personally love them because they turn into delicious pudding without even the need for cooking! That’s right, you don’t even need to turn on the stove. You literally mix the seeds with liquid, my preferred choice is coconut milk, add some spices and some sweetener if you desire. You let the mixture hang out in the fridge overnight and the next morning you have creamy pudding. As long as you keep the seeds to liquid ratio 1 to 4, you are in business.
Since my milky Indian chai is off limits for me at the moment, I thought, why don’t I incorporate the the same spices into chia seed pudding. That way I could still savor the flavors I missed. I have left sweetener out of the below recipe because I can’t have it at the moment, but if you aren’t doing a Whole30 you can add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to sweeten it up a touch. Also, feel free to play around with the spice amounts. Love cinnamon, add more of it! There is really no way to screw this recipe up – which is why I’ve currently got it on a weekly rotation. I hope it adds some variety and spice to your breakfast table. It would also be a fabulous, light dessert after an Indian meal as well.
- 1/2 cup - scant chia seeds
- 1 can (14-15 oz) coconut milk (full fat or light work well)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 pods of cardomom, crushed with the green shells discarded
- Mix together the coconut milk with the spices. Then add the chia seeds and combine throughly. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight - at least 8 hours. Serve in the morning with fresh fruit if desired.
This looks like the Chia pudding my daughter makes. She tops it with Moringa powder — that’s a new ingredient to me. It’s considered a super fruit, grown in Africa, mostly Ghana. Very high in Vit A, protein, calcium and iron. This is one producer http://www.mingafoods.com/#mingaintro and other brands available on Amazon.
I have never heard of Moringa powder – thanks for the tip, Rosemary! It sounds like a total nutrition powerhouse and I will have to check it out. Have you ever tried chia seed pudding?
Can you use almond milk or cow’s milk? Will the consistency be the same since that milk is a little thinner? And when you say coconut milk, do you mean the kind in a can in the asian foods section or the actual milk section? Sorry if its a dumb question.
Yep, I mean the kind in a can in Asian foods. I think the consistency should be fine with almond milk or cow’s milk. I’ve used light coconut milk with great success and it is roughly the same thickeness of cow’s milk. Let me know how you like it!
I love making chia seed pudding and participated in a Whole 30 last year. Good for you! Also, it was great meeting you tonight.