Chia Recipes
The easiest way to incorporate chia into your diet is to simply sprinkle ¼ to 1 teaspoon of seeds into foods like: Eggs, Muffins, Oatmeal, Quesadillas, Salads, Salad Dressings, Sandwiches, Smoothies, Soups, Tabouli, Coucous, Fruit Salads etc.
Chia Lemonade or Agua Fresca de Chia
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
Ice
Combine chia seeds and juice and let soak for
half an hour until seeds swell and juice thickens. Add lemon juice and ice for a refreshingly slushy drink.
Chia Berry Smoothie or Sorbet
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup apple juice or prickly pear nectar
16 ounce bag unsweetened frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries or strawberries)
Combine chia seeds and juice and let soak for half an hour. Whirl soaked chia and juice with berries in a blender till well mixed and smooth. Add more juice for a smoothie or serve as is for sorbet.
Another Smoothie Recipe
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup apple or orange juice
½ cup prickly pear nectar
1 cup frozen berries
1 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
4 or 5 ice cubes.
Soak seeds in juice for half hour. Process all ingredients in blender until smooth.
Chia Fruit Salad
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup unsweetened fruit juice
4 to 5 cups fruit
Add chia seeds and fruit juice to your favorite fruit salad combination. Mix thoroughly. Let sit 45 minutes as chia seeds gel. Serve chilled.
Oat and Seed Candy Bar
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
2 or 3 Tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup honey or agave nectar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or tahini
Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Spread oats and seeds on baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring twice to assure uniform toasting. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pour honey into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes or until honey reaches 275 F on a candy thermometer. When it starts to condense and thicken it is ready. Stir in butter. Pour hot syrup over oat mixture and stir to combine. Spread in pan evenly. Cut into bars. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper.
Recipes Adapted from the following Cookbooks:
From Furrow to Fire – Recipes from the Native Seeds/SEARCH Community (NSS)
Healthy Traditions: A Cookbook for Native Americans, prepared by the NSS
Diabetes Prevention Program
The Splendid Grain – Rebecca Wood
Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture, August 2007. For more information e-mail valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org.
