The Chia Seed Cookbook: Eat Well, Feel Great, Lose Weight

239 Pages·2013·7.96 MB·English

by  MySeeds Chia Test Kitchen

Copyright © 2013 by Emily Morris and Carole Morris
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data [TK]
ISBN: [TK]
eISBN: 9781620879597
Printed in China

INTRODUCTION
CHIA SEED BREAKFASTS
Super Simple Ways to Add Chia to Your Breakfast
Yogurt Berry Chia Parfaits
Easy Chia Eggs
Easy does it omelet
Breakfast Cookies!
Sunday Fruited French toast
Almost Instant Chia Oatmeal
No Yolk Deviled Eggs: Sweet Potato and Avocado
Sunny Sweet Potato and Chocolate Chip Chia Muffins
Breakfast Chia Crumple
Easy Chia Oat Squares
Peanut Butter Chia Waffles
Lemon Chia Cheesecake Pancakes
3 Chia Smoothies for you!
Spicy Chia Sausage Patties
Quick and Versatile Chia Waffles
Banana Bran Chia Muffins
CHIA SIDE DISHES, SANDWICHES, AND BURGERS
Easy Creamy Pear Coleslaw
Portobello Mushroom and Chia Strawberry Salad
Cranberry Chia Couscous
Plum Chia Salad
Ginger Crisp Chia Salad
Faux Spinach Soufflé
Awesome Apple Chia Salad
Chia Tabbouleh Salad
Spicy Orzo and Veggie Chia Salad
Fun Melon Chia Salsa
Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Zesty Lime Chia Salsa
The Pizza Burger
Crispy Apple Chia Burger
Chia Garden Burgers
Southwest Chia Bean Burgers
Portobello Pepper Pita
Vegetarian Chia Lunch Wraps
Creamy Avocado Chia Wrap
Tuna Avocado Spread
Light ‘n’ Easy Chia Panini
CHIA DINNERS
Garden Chia Pasta
Grown-Up Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
Tropical Sunshine Shrimp Salad
New Waldorf Chia Salad
Chia Ravioli One Pot Dinner
Peach and Bulgur Chia Crunch Dinner
4-Can Speedy Chia Chili
Quick Chia Taco Salad
15 Minute Chia “Szechwan” Stir-Fry
Citrus Scallops and Veggie Stir-Fry
Almost Cuban Chia Picadillo
Chia Curry
Over-Stuffed Chia Potatoes
Presto Pesto and Chicken
Rice Goes Wild!
Ginger Pineapple Chia Crunch
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Spicy Chia Veggie Soup
Fresh Chia Lime Soup
Salad Dressings
Creamy Lemon and Lime Dressing
Apple Cider Vinegar & Oil Dressing
Lemon Vinaigrette
Creamy Raspberry Vinegar Dressing
Strawberry Chia Chef Salad Dressing
“French Dressing”
Creamy Yogurt Chia Dijon Dressing
“Just a Little Kick” Southwestern Chia Dressing
Honey Lime Chia Dressing
CHIA DESSERTS
Chia Snickerdoodles
Frozen Raspberry Chia Pie
Marbleized Chiffon Cake
Ultra Chewy Chia Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chia Triple Fruit Crisp
Chia Super Strawberry Cake
Easiest Chia Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Sophisticated Chocolate Orange Cake
Chocolate Orange Sauce
Oh-So-Lemon Cupcakes
Not-so-Sweet Lemon Frosting
Chocolate Chia Banana Swirl Bars
Cocoa Chia Cheesecake
Apple Gingerbread
Diabetic Chia Fruit Parfaits
Light and Fluffy Chia Blueberry Cake
APPETIZERS AND SNACKS
Plum Tomato Chia Brochette
Easy Spinach Chia Pesto
Cranberry Pomegranate Zippy Chia Relish and Panini
Light Black Bean Dip
Warm Chicken and Spinach Dip
Easy Chia Lemon Hummus
Chocolate Prune Nibbles
Chia Watermelon Slice Popsicle
Chocolate Banana Fudgies
Raspberry Watermelon Popsicle
CHIA BEVERAGES
Chia Fresca
Green Tea With Mint, Lemon, and Chia
Chia Concentrate Beverages
Fruited Chia Teas
Hot Chia Beverages
The MySeeds Chia Test Kitchen is pleased to introduce the chia seed to you!
Y
ou may have read about these tiny, healthy seeds, but do you know
just
I how good they are for you, and how versatile they are?
The chia plant is a relative of the mint plant. It makes tiny, flavorless seeds in
either white or dark brown. (Though the colors range into gray, black, tan, and
off-white—every chia seed has a different pattern on the shell.) The different
seed colors have slightly different nutritional properties. For instance, the black
seed has slightly more fiber, while the white seed has slightly more protein. The
black seed also has a higher concentration of the antioxidant Anthocyanin, which
helps prevent free radical damage and signs of premature aging. Anthocyanin is
the plant pigment that gives dark colored foods their hue. For optimal nutrition,
MySeeds always mixes together black and white chia.
The chia plant produces an oil in the stems and leaves that insects and other
pests can’t stand. When the plant itself is safely and naturally repelling pests,
there’s no need to use pesticides. Since chia grows in hot, sandy, dry, and poor
soil, it doesn’t compete with other crops. These factors contribute to making chia
easy to grow in an all-natural way.
Unlike almost all other foods, chia has no flavor of its own. When raw, it tastes
like nothing at all. This means you can’t hate it, but it can get boring since
there’s no flavor. Fortunately, chia does not dilute or replace flavors when you
add it to foods you already like to eat. Instead, it will distribute the flavor, or
even take on the taste of the food it’s in. For example, if you add chia to
chocolate pudding, then it will be chocolaty. Add it to strawberry yogurt? Then it
will taste strawberry.
This introduction will help you understand chia so you know exactly how to use
it to get the results you’re looking for.
Chia Gel
Throughout the book, you’ll see chia gel as an ingredient. Chia gel forms when
the chia seed is exposed to water or non-acidic liquids. The soluble fiber on the
outside of the seed shell hydrates and forms a bead of gelatin around the seed.
You’ll see chia gel used in several ways throughout the book. It can be used to
substitute butter or oil, it can help combine flavors together, and it can function
as a flavor-extender for things like salad dressings.
Chia gel is also super easy to make with this simple ratio: “9 to 1.”
That’s 9 parts water to 1 part chia.
1 tablespoon dry chia seeds
9 tablespoons filtered water
Put your chia seeds and water in a resealable container, shake or stir to prevent
clumping . . . and in about 15 minutes you’ll have chia gel! The gel will keep for
about a week in the fridge in a covered container. (If uncovered, it will dry up.)
Every tablespoon of dry chia goes far in the kitchen, so it’s a great value too.
Why “filtered water”?
Chia gel is not supposed to taste like anything; however, the gelling action can
sometimes magnify flavors. If there were any unsavory flavors in the tap water,
they could be more pronounced in the gel, so for best taste, it’s important to use
pure water.
It’s this amazing gelling ability that makes your digestive system treat ordinary
water as it would food. The stomach has to strip the soluble fiber away to access
the water. This means the gelled seeds stay in the stomach longer, to help it
continue sending “I’m full” signals to the brain.
Chia can help you with so many goals—from losing weight by keeping you
feeling full longer, to providing steady energy with its high protein content, to
kick-starting your recipes with extra nutrition while cutting out fat. But how can
just one tiny seed do all of this? Check out the top ten ways that chia can help
your health.