Chocolate Chiapioca Pudding

Let's continue with this week's 'Ideas with Chia' - here a dessert you'll love!

I loves me some chocolate pudding and I'm also interested in using chia seeds so I was eager to try this recipe.  I have a mixer at home and I'll use it at the drop of a hat so I did a cheater version and put everything in the mixer bowl and just turned it on every five minutes until it was ready.

I can't really tell you how much sweetener to use - it's a Jersey thing...no, but really, it's personal preference.  And I kept adding agave and it just didn't taste right, so I added some Truvia and that did it for me.  Wait until it thickens up a little and add the sweetener, mix, taste and then see what more you'd like to do. 

OH - and guess what else?  I had this after dinner one night and I had energy to get up and go - so out I went grocery shopping - and I also did a lot more chores around the house that night than I usually would so this will give you some 'get up and go'.   Best of all, the Kid, who continually mocks my chia gel ate a big bowl of this and thought it was tapioca - so neener neener on her!

One morning I had forgotten to make a new batch of chia gel for my smoothie so I plopped in some of this pudding instead and it worked just fine!  Pudding Smoothie, anyone?


It tastes better than it looks!



PS:  Isn't 'chiapioca' a cute word!  I can't take credit for it though, I got that from Robert on the WB Facebook site. 

Chocolate “Chiapioca” Pudding

makes 4 servings

adapted from Maria's Delicious and Nutritious Journal

3/4 cup chia seeds

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

    (or use plain almond milk and add a little more vanilla extract)

 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

sweetener of your choice (agave nectar, Stevia or Truvia) to taste



In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and then let the pudding set up for a few minutes.

Stir the pudding every five minutes.

After sitting for 20 minutes the chia seeds will thicken up and it resembles tapioca pudding.

Print the recipe:  Chocolate Chiapioca Pudding

Chi-Asian Salmon

Let's continue with an entree we can make this week to go with our 'Ideas with Chia'...

Normally Bubba doesn't care for salmon so I've been racking my brain to find something so deliciously Asian that he can't help but like it.  I also took the liberty of removing the skin from his piece of salmon and turned out that was most of the problem right there, just couldn't appreciate a nice crispy piece of salmon skin.  So, if someone at your table is complaining, try removing the skin and see if that helps them (it's a texture thing).

This was just a great quick and easy dinner and while the salmon was marinating I roasted some broccoli to go with it.  I almost thought about making Tamari Broccoli but even I managed to realize that was a bit overboard.  Balance, balance, balance people!

Oh, and coconut sugar is my new favorite thing BECAUSE it's pretty much the brown sugar substitute of the P10 party!  So I gotta say you do want to use coconut sugar instead of just any sweetener 'cause you wanna get that awesome brown sugar/tamari thing going on.

Or, you could serve this nummy piece of fish over a bed of cool crisp greens and add a sliced avocado.  Shoot, now I gotta go make this again so I can try that....

Chi-Asian Salmon

4 pieces of salmon, about 6 oz each (or one large fillet if you prefer)

3 tablespoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chia seeds

In a small bowl mix the sugar, tamari and rice vinegar.

Pour the mixture into a ziplock bag and place the salmon in the bag. Marinate the salmon for 20 minutes.   (this would be a good time to start some veggies roasting in the oven).

Turn the oven on to the broil setting. Cover a baking sheet with foil and put the salmon skin side down on the foil.

For the smaller pieces, broil for about 8 minutes;

for the large whole filet, broil for about 15 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily on a fork.

Sprinkle the salmon with chia seeds and serve.

Ideas with Chia...

OH NO - I'm back up on the bandwagon, gonna do a little preaching about CHIA.   If you're not using chia seeds already, you SHOULD BE.  Check out the info below and think about how you can incorporate chia into your everyday meals.  I scramble chia gel into eggs, mix into my smoothies and anything else it will mix into!  My husband has noticed the difference in energy in the mornings.


and absolutely NO side effects!

<-----Yes, this picture IS embarrassing, but I do it because I love you....


Chia seeds…yes, the same ones.  Yes, really - the same ones we used to smear on little clay sheep and Tweety Birds and such a waste!  Of course, if our mothers had caught us eating them we’d probably have gotten smacked. 

There, there now, I thought the exact same thing you’re thinking right now but once I tried them and got used to it I was hooked and you will be too.  They have SO many health benefits and are easy to use.  First and most important of all – their texture is similar to sesame seeds, crispy and chewable, not at all like the nasty blackberry seeds we all hate to get caught in our teeth.  And it has a mild taste so hopefully it shouldn’t really bother you. 

And, I’m here to tell you that you can believe the hype.  I put a heaping spoonful of chia gel in my morning smoothie or eggs and I can tell the difference in energy levels and fullness.  For a mid afternoon pick me up, I eat  a spoonful of solid coconut oil rolled in chia seeds and that’s a great combo to feel full and get energy. 

This is the article I read that turned me on to eating Chia - The Chia 'Cheat Sheet' and Ten Raw Chia Recipes

The following information is excerpts from the article BUT please click the link and read all about it, I just hit the highlights.

Why would you want to eat Chia?

Chia seeds are said to have:

*2 times the protein of any other seed or grain,

*5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,

*2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,

*3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries

*3 times more iron than spinach

*copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids

They are a complete source of protein, providing all the essential amino acids in an easily digestible form. They are also a fabulous source of soluble fibre. Like flax, chia is highly hydrophilic: the seeds absorb water and create a mucilaginous gel. They can hold 9-12 times their weight in water and they absorb it very rapidly - in under 10 minutes.

Which medical conditions can Chia help relieve or support?

Chia is reported to be beneficial for a vast range of issues, for example:

*weight loss/balance

*thyroid conditions

*hypoglycemia

*diabetes

*IBS

*celiac disease

*acid reflux

*lowering cholesterol

The Basic Gel

To make a basic chia gel, simply add 1/3 cup of seeds (2oz) to 2 cups of water. Stir the mixture well, to avoid clumping, then leave it in your fridge, in a sealed jar. This will yield around 17oz of chia gel. You can begin to eat the gel almost immediately if you like. Just 10 minutes is enough time for the gel to be formed. More of the nutrients will be easily accessible after a few hours however, so many people like to make up a batch like this and leave it in the fridge. It will stay good for about three weeks. Then you can just reach into the fridge and take out some of the ready-made gel whenever you need it. You might add it to smoothies, mix it with salad dressings, puddings or granola, or simply take it by the spoonful.  


Whole SeedsYou can also sprinkle the dry seeds onto salads or add them to granola mixes. You may also want to experiment with grinding them first in a coffee grinder, to make a 'chia flour' you can then add to smoothies, soups and so on.

Chocolate Pudding

As I was making this I was reminded that these are all items I use in smoothies (well, maybe not the lemon juice) but I was curious to see how this recipe would turn out.

It certainly was easy - except for the part when the phone kept ringing while my hands were covered in avocado.  I made this in the blender and poured it into ramekins.

NOTE:  Please for Pete's sake use a less ripe banana then I did.  A regular yellow banana would sure taste a lot better.  Both Bubba and Kid said 'dang, there's an overripe banana in this, isn't there?'  :(
But otherwise, this turned out pretty good!

Chocolate Pudding

serves 4

1 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons agave
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup of cocoa
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks

Add ingredients to the blender in this order, blend until smooth.

Pour into 4 ramekins or small bowls and refrigerate for one hour or until set.

Wait for your family to be freaking out over getting to have pudding and don't tell them what's in it.

1 serving = 1 serving fat and 1/4 serving fruit

Print the recipe:  Chocolate Pudding

Pots de Creme

This is my 'go to' dessert for when I attempt to make a romantic dinner.  It's a a lovely, elegant dessert that looks difficult but is easy to make.  You just have to remember to make it earlier in the day because it takes 3-4 hours to chill in the fridge. 

To get ready to roll, make sure the eggs sit on the counter for a bit to come to room temperature.  Then, make a small pot of coffee double strength - for example,  2 cups of water and 4 scoops of coffee.  You can freeze the extra to make coffee ice cubes for cold drinks.  Also go through your cupboards and see what assorted wine/martini glasses you have.  You could even use non-cute ones, but any small glass containers will make this look so fancy!

picture courtesy of Ree Drummond

Oh by the way, you pronounce Pots de Creme: “Po de Krehm”

Need to chill for 3 to 4 hours before serving

Pots de Crème

courtesy of Pioneer Woman Cooks!

makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups  semi sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 oz strong HOT coffee

Whipped cream

Begin by throwing chocolate chips into the blender.  Crack in four eggs right on top of the chocolate chips.  Add vanilla and a healthy pinch of salt.

Put on the lid and turn on the blender.  As soon as the mixture is blending, remove the circular disk from the blender lid and slowly pour in 8 ounces of strong, HOT coffee.

The mixture will slowly expand and rise in the blender…just make sure you keep it in a slow stream and you’ll be fine.

picture courtesy of Ree Drummond

After you’ve added all the coffee, continue blending for a minute or two (no chocolate chunks left), then turn off the blender.

Now, traditionally, Pots de Creme is served in little “pots", but let's use assorted wine/martini glasses instead. Just pour the mixture into all the glasses, leaving plenty of room to add whipped cream later.

Now place the glasses into the fridge for 3 to 4 hours at least so the mixture will firm up.

Top with whipped cream before serving.



Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce



Sliced apples and bananas with
Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce

 Gee oh boy oh yeah....can't wait for Valentine's Day...(yes, Sheldon, that's sarcasm).  But if you're thinking about treats and want to make sure you can enjoy yourself, try this recipe out!

Don't be fooled by 'makes one cup' because I cut up a plate full of apples and bananas and we still have plenty left over....I also think this would be awesome over pancakes.  How about serving it along with either Orange Cake or Mexican Chocolate Coffee Cake...oh let's just face it.  I'd probably put this on vegetables if I thought my family wouldn't stage an intervention.  I think I'll try this over Greek yogurt.

Notes and stuff: 

use at least 60% cacao dark chocolate - I used dark chocolate chips

Double boiler - no need for fancy equipment, just use a saucepan with boiling water and set a glass/ceramic bowl on top (like Corell - remember that?)  I still have one:

Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

8 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao), roughly chopped

1 cup coconut milk, canned

Gently melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth; remove from the heat. Meanwhile, put coconut milk into a small pot over medium heat and keep stirring it in the pan until it steams, don't let it boil.  Remove from the heat immediately and let it cool for a few minutes. Then slowly and gently mix the milk into the bowl of chocolate until smooth and well combined.  

If you are going to use it shortly, set the bowl back on top of the warm water in the saucepan to keep the sauce warm and drizzly.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Let it cool before putting in the fridge.

To reheat, gently stir the sauce on low heat gently until it is warm and serve.

Nutrition:  per serving (about 2 Tbsp): 90 calories (70 from fat), 7g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 1g protein, 9g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 5mg sodium

So good...so warm...so lovely....

Grain Free Burger Bun

The top half is the bottom bun and the
lower half is the top bun

 Let me tell you about my new favorite website with great recipes:  Free Coconut Recipes.  I found a lot of things on there that I can't wait to try, like breakfast muffins, desserts and smoothies.

When I saw this recipe I was head over heels, instantly.  It seemed to good to be true.  But it was even better than that.  And it was heavenly to have a sandwich again! 

This recipe makes 2 pieces, a top and a bottom bun.  I doubled this batch and made two sets so Bubba could have a turkey burger in his lunch and I used mine as sandwich bread and we both thought this was just great!  And it was very easy to make.

I only had coarse ground almond flour so mine looks a little coarser than yours might.



Single Burger Bun

Servings: 1
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients for one single bun:
1 egg 
1 tablespoon coconut flour 
1 tablespoon blanched almond flour 
1 tablespoon coconut oil (olive oil or melted butter) 
Pinch salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Optional:
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast 
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add all ingredients and blend together using a hand blender or small food processor. Let the batter settle for a few minutes to thicken (important!).

Split the mixture into two and spoon onto oiled parchment paper to make two 3-inch diameter pools of batter. Top with additional seeds if desired.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Use each piece as top and bottom of a burger bun.