Recently Lisa of Grandma's Briefs shared a recipe for a cinnamon coffee cake with chia seeds.
Chi-chi-chi-chia! Not just for pottery pets anymore. Once a last ditch Christmas present for Great Aunt Agnes, these seeds are now a trendy superfood.
While they may not be the cure for diabetes and obesity sometimes claimed, they are very nutritious with plenty of quality protein, antioxidants, minerals, and even some vitamins. They are considered low carbohydrate because their carb content is mostly in the form of fiber. Chia seeds have been shown to support bone health and healthy blood pressure (The two reasons I use them.)
When I originally heard about these seeds as food, the suggestion was to mix them with water or juice and let them gel a bit before drinking them down. There are much better ways to consume them, in my humble opinion.
Here is a recipe I have adapted for myself:
Blueberries, Farro and Yogurt
1 cup farro*
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon honey or agave
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Yogurt**
*This is a grain I have only ever found in health food stores. It is a kind of wheat.
**I like either plain Greek or vanilla.
Rinse the farro and combine it with water in a sauce pan. Bring to boil and the lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed (20 minutes).
Combine blueberries and sweetener of choice is an small sauce pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the chia seeds and lemon zest. Lower heat and cook for another ten minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve the blueberries, farro, and yogurt layered or swirled
together in a bowl.
My original recipe says this serves two. I would say two people with extremely large appetites, but more likely four.
Chi-chi-chi-chia! Not just for pottery pets anymore. Once a last ditch Christmas present for Great Aunt Agnes, these seeds are now a trendy superfood.
While they may not be the cure for diabetes and obesity sometimes claimed, they are very nutritious with plenty of quality protein, antioxidants, minerals, and even some vitamins. They are considered low carbohydrate because their carb content is mostly in the form of fiber. Chia seeds have been shown to support bone health and healthy blood pressure (The two reasons I use them.)
When I originally heard about these seeds as food, the suggestion was to mix them with water or juice and let them gel a bit before drinking them down. There are much better ways to consume them, in my humble opinion.
Here is a recipe I have adapted for myself:
Blueberries, Farro and Yogurt
1 cup farro*
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon honey or agave
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Yogurt**
*This is a grain I have only ever found in health food stores. It is a kind of wheat.
Rinse the farro and combine it with water in a sauce pan. Bring to boil and the lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed (20 minutes).
Combine blueberries and sweetener of choice is an small sauce pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the chia seeds and lemon zest. Lower heat and cook for another ten minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve the blueberries, farro, and yogurt layered or swirled
together in a bowl.
My original recipe says this serves two. I would say two people with extremely large appetites, but more likely four.
Hi Olga, I went on the chia bandwagon about a year ago and still have so much on hand that I think I might have to ditch some! (I brought some to Breckenridge when we moved out of the Denver house, too.) Now, I mainly use them in smoothies. I keep them refrigerated, so hopefully they'll have a long shelf-life.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done the chia thing yet, but we're now eating hemp that you can get from Sam's Club. My sister-in-law sent us a package and now Art is sold on them.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing, the thing I have never heard of. Chia seeds? Hmmm. They sound like they may be something I should look into.
ReplyDeleteI guess I need to work harder at finding ways to get chia into my diet.
ReplyDeleteOne tablespoon of chia in proportion to all the other ingredients doesn't sound like very much.
ReplyDeleteIs this something you eat instead of meat in your diet?
I have to admit I am not much for food fads. I skipped kale all together.
I pour the seeds in so get more than a tablespoon, but I am used to them. I put them in soups, salads, and mix them in with turkey burgers or veg burgers. I do eat less and less meat lately, so I suppose it is good that they are a source of protein.
DeleteNever heard of chia before. Thanks for the education.
ReplyDeleteI was buying putting the chia in water until you said "let it gel'. That's where you lost me.Your recipe sounds better.
ReplyDeleteI usually love seeing new recipes; unfortunately, I don't like yogurt. I know -- I'm probably the only one on the planet who dislikes it, but I just can't get even a spoonful down my throat. I also don't like blueberries -- yes, I'm weird! So, I'll leave this recipe here, and I'll try to find another that includes the chia. Thanks for posting this -- it reminds me how strange I am!
ReplyDeleteLike Marcia, the gel image worked on my gag reflex but the way you prepare it sounds quite good. Will check into getting some.
ReplyDeleteYou and Lisa both have me thinking I need to add chia seeds to my diet. Your yogurt looks good but I've never tried farro. I do love oatmeal and cream of wheat so maybe I could mix them into that, too!
ReplyDeleteYes, farro is a hearty sub for oatmeal here, Any kind of hot cereal would work.
DeleteI've had a bag of chia seeds sitting in my cabinet for six months and didn't really know what to do with them. Thanks for the recipe. It looks good.
ReplyDeleteI just sprinkle them on salads like poppy seeds or mix them into soups as well. They are high energy food to me.
DeleteI've never tried anything with chia seeds though I like nuts and seeds of most kinds. Do they have much of a flavor? Farro is also new to me, but I bet it would work with oatmeal too. And of course, I love blueberries and yoghurt!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.