Chia, is familiar to most of us as a seed used for the novelty of the Chia Pet™, clay animals with sprouted Chia seeds covering their bodies. Little is known, however, of the seeds tremendous nutritional value and medicinal properties. For centuries this tiny little seed was used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. Known as the running food, its use as a high energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It was said the Aztec warriors subsisted on the Chia seed during the conquests. The Indians of the south west would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24hr. forced march. Indians running form the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the Chia seed for their nourishment.
Chia Recipes
Sweet molded cakes
Ingredients:
Half cup whole chía seeds
2 heaping cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
PAM spray or equivalent
half cup 1% milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
powered sugar (optional)
Bundt cake mold or jello molds
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray the mold/s with PAM
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, chía seeds, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, with a spatula, beat the eggs with the oil, milk and vanilla.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture until completely mixed together.
- Fill the mold/s with the batter.
- Bake in a medium oven (350 degrees) for about 25 minutes (Individual molds should bake for a shorter period of time).
- Remove the mold/s from the oven and let cool on a rack a few minutes until the cake/s can be easily removed from the mold/s.
- Sprinkle cake/s with powdered sugar (optional)
Chia recipe for chia gel
The gel can be added to creamy/liquid food items such as jelly, jam, yogurt, mustard, ketchup, salad dressing, margarine, barbecue sauce, puddings, etc. The gel doesn’t affect flavors, offers nutritional benefits, and cuts calories by decreasing the amount of the food item being extended or displaced.
- Use a 9:1 ratio (water to whole chia seeds).
- Pour water into a sealable plastic container.
- Slowly pour chia seeds into water while briskly mixing with wire whisk.
- Wait a few minutes then whisk again.
- Let mixture stand about 10 minutes.
- Whisk again before using.
- Store in refrigerator in a covered container.
- The chia gel will keep for up to 2 weeks.
You’ll need to experiment to find the ideal chia recipe.
Chia recipe for Brownies
Brownies can be made with an inexpensive store-bought mix.
Most brownie mixes call for 2 eggs for traditional brownies, and 3 eggs for a more cake-like texture. Test samples were made with 3 eggs and 3 teaspoons of whole chia seeds. Mix seeds into batter. Bake about 3-5 minutes FEWER than the mix directions indicate.
Chia recipe as garnish
The easiest way to incorporate chia into your diet is to simply sprinkle ¼ - 1 teaspoon of whole seeds into foods like:
Couscous
Eggs (sprinkle on, or add while beating eggs)
Muffins (mix into batter)
Oatmeal
Quesadillas (sprinkle on cheese before grilling)
Salads
Salad dressing
Sandwiches (grilled cheese, peanut butter)
Smoothies
Soups
Tabouli
Another unique quality if the Chia seed is its high oil content, and the richest vegetables source for the essential omega-3 fatty acid. It has approximately three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains. These oils, unsaturated fatty acids, are the essential oils your body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K. Chia seeds are rich in the unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic, which the body cannot manufacture. When there are rich amounts of linoleic acid sufficiently supplied to the body trough diet, linoleic and arachidonic acids can be synthesized from linoleic acid.
Chia sees contain beneficial long-chain triglycerides (LCT) in the right proportion to reduce cholesterol on arterial walls.
The Chia seed is also a rich source of calcium as it contains the important mineral boron, which acts as catalyst for the absorption and utilization of the calcium by the body.
Chia, as an ingredient, is a dieters dream food. There are limitless ways to incorporate the Chia seed into your diet. Chia must be prepared with pure water before using recipes. The seed will absorb 9 times it’s weight in water in less than 10 minutes and is very simple to prepare.
There are additional benefits from the Chia seed aside from the nutritive enhancements when used as an ingredient. It was also used by the Indians and missionaries as a poultice for gunshot wounds and other serious injuries. They would pack the wounds with Chia seeds to avoid infections and promote haling. If you place a seed or two in your eyes it will clean your eyes and will also help to clear up any infections. There is a wealth of benefits beyond the information outlined in this article and treasure-trove of benefits yet to be discovered. Chia seed, having a qualitatively unique situational richness along with a profound nutritive profile is one of man’s most useful and beneficial foods and is destined to be the Ancient Food of the Future.
Article taken from http://www.rawfoods.com/articles/chia.html |
