Chia seeds are seeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids and contain many antioxidants and nutrients. They are high in fiber and don't need to be ground to allow your body to absorb their nutrients. They can be prepared in many different ways. Follow these instructions to incorporate them into your recipes.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Adding to the food
Perhaps the easiest way to consume chia seeds is to sprinkle them on top of your breakfast, baked goods, salads, and even meat dishes. You can add them before or after cooking, they have a nutty flavor and are also great on their own. Try some of these tips:
Step 1. Add them to muesli or cereals
If you mix them with these "grain" foods they will be less noticeable. Oatmeal, muesli and other breakfast products are an excellent base on which to sprinkle chia seeds.
Step 2. Cover the baked goods with the seeds
Bread, muffins, cereal bars and all other baked foods can be enriched with some chia seeds.
- If you add them before cooking, they will toast and mix within the dough. If you add them later, do it while the food is still hot so the seeds mix.
- Fruit tarts and strudels lend themselves well to the addition of some chia seeds without altering the flavor.
Step 3. Add them to dairy products
Yogurt and ice cream enhance the flavor of chia seeds with their nutty aroma and texture.
If you prefer jams or syrups over ice cream and yogurt, mix the seeds into them, or sprinkle them as an additional garnish
Step 4. Salads
Chia seeds are great on salads, like walnuts and sunflower seeds. You can mix them with the other dressings before serving the salad.
Method 2 of 3: As a Substitute in Recipes
Regardless of the type of food you want to prepare, the seeds can be used as a substitute for an ingredient. Make a list of the normal changes you would like to make in your regular recipes until you find the appropriate way to incorporate chia seeds.
Step 1. Replace the eggs or oil with chia seed gel
Mix a tablespoon of seeds in 55ml of water to get a lot of gel that can replace an egg or 55ml of oil. Many recipes can "withstand" a 25% replacement of oil or eggs with chia seed gel without altering the flavor.
This technique is also useful for diluting eggs for an omelette or souffle. Simply replace 1/4 of the total amount of eggs with milk and chia seeds and beat the mixture 10 minutes before cooking
Step 2. As a thickener
Since chia seeds form a gel in a liquid, you can add them to thicken a soup, stew, sauce and marinade instead of flour or cornstarch.
- You can also blend them to thicken the juices instead of fruit or yogurt.
- If you accidentally put too much liquid in your preparation, chia seeds can help solve the mess because they absorb excess liquid.
Step 3. Combine the ingredients with the chia seeds
Meatballs and meatloaf stay together thanks to chia and water mixed with the minced meat. Jellies, jams and compotes can improve their texture thanks to this property of chia.
Step 4. Use chia seeds instead of oats and pudding preparations
For their thickening properties you can use the chopped seeds to form tasty gels that give texture to porridge or puddings.
For desserts, you can combine seeds with sweetened or flavored milk, or with fruit juices. For breakfast, mix some seeds with milk or hot water and then flavor the mixture with sugar, cinnamon, or other spices
Method 3 of 3: As an Addition to Traditional Recipes
Chia seeds are very versatile; thanks to their light nutty taste they can be mixed in all recipes. In some cases it is necessary to add liquid to prevent them from thickening the preparation too much. Trials will be needed to figure out the amount of seeds to add without altering the taste and texture of your dishes.
Step 1. Mix chia seeds into your main dishes
Bean or lentil soup, slow cooking dishes and timbales are excellent bases in which to insert these seeds.
Stir the seeds into the broth or sauce and check the consistency for 15 minutes to see if you need to add more liquid. If so, use the main liquid of the recipe (milk, broth, water or fruit juice for example)
Step 2. Put chia seeds in peanut butter or other spreadable foods
Thanks to their texture and nutty flavor, the seeds are great in sandwiches, as well as increasing their fiber and nutrient content.
Step 3. Add chia to batters and breading
You can use chia seeds to enrich the breadcrumbs you bread chicken, pork and even tofu for a nutty flavor and crunchy texture. Chia seeds are also used in batter for fish or vegetable tempura.
Step 4. Try them with rice
Traditional rice-based recipes such as arancini or peppers allow the seeds to be added once the rice has been cooked. These dishes will be enriched from a nutritional point of view and the flavor will remain intact.
Step 5. Mix of dried fruit
You can make your own dried fruit snacks at home in which you can also incorporate chia seeds to improve their nutritional value.
Advice
- The seeds can be mixed with nutritious liquids for a quick and healthy snack during sports or at breakfast.
- Children can prepare their own pudding, jelly or dessert, satisfying the various tastes of the family. Prepare ingredients to add to homemade pudding such as coconut milk, fresh fruit, cinnamon, honey, brown sugar or Nutella.
- Add chia seeds to apple juice to thicken it without cooking it.
