CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING & CHIA SEED JAM

Food fashions, just like any fashions, come and go. Chia seeds have been a trend I've left well alone. I always thought the texture of chia pudding is horrible & the raw seeds just get stuck in your teeth.

That being said, I came up with the first recipe whilst away on holiday when GF supplies were limited to say the least, & I have to sheepishly admit that it was pretty good & i'm almost converted!
They are a useful addition to a GF diet, & apart from using them as an occaisional egg replacement, these are my 2 favourite ways to have them. I try & use ground chia seeds rather than whole ones to avoid the frogspawn issues!

First up Chocolate chia pudding. This is a great breakfast, because you're getting a good dose of protein in first thing.

200ml almond milk
25g scoop vegan chocolate protein powder.
3 tablespoons ground chia seeds
(decorated above with grated raw chocolate and a slice of orange)

1. Mix the vegan chocolate protein powder in with the almond milk (I use a hand whisk.)
2. Pour into a cup or small bowl and mix in the chia seeds. Cover and leave for a good few hours for the chia seeds to soak into the liquid.
That simple.

Ok, so chia seed jam.
I love nut butter & jam on toast, but this is a much less sugary version, and also so much quicker & easier than making your own jam, which involves using thermometers, and sterilising jars, and sealing them with wax or something.

1 cup blueberries
the juice 1 orange
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup.  (or honey)  

1 Blend all the ingredients together with a stick blender (it doesn't need to be super smooth, you just want the blueberries to be mushed up a bit.)

2 Transfer to a saucepan. Heat the mixture over a medium high heat until it starts to bubble, then reduce the heat to a very low heat (it should stop bubbling. leave on the stove for about five minutes, until it starts to thicken.)
3. Stir with a wooden spoon from time to time to stop it sticking to the bottom.
Then remove from the heat, place in a jar and store in the fridge until you want to use it.

     Nom.