Chia Recipes and FAQ
Oriental Salad
* 4 tablespoons of Chia seeds,
* 2 chicken breasts,
* 6 cups of water (1,5 liters),
* 2 tablespoon wheat free soy sauce,
* 3 celery stalks,
* 1 tablespoon vegetal oil (15 ml),
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger,
* A pinch of pepper.
Place the Chia seeds in an oven tray and bake until lightly toasted. Set aside.
Cook the chicken breasts in 3/4 liter water together with the spices, the soy sauce and some salt. When the cooking is almost done, add the celery. When all is cooked, drain and save the broth for soup.
Cut the chicken in small squares and chop the celery in ½ cm bits.
In a salad bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the vegetal oil, ginger and pepper. Add the chopped chicken and celery and the toasted Chia. Stir thoroughly
Quinoa and Chia Salad
* 500 grs quinoa
* 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* salt and pepper
* 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped in small pieces
* 8 green onions, chopped
* 1/2 cup coriander, finely chopped
* 6 tablespoons Chia seeds, toasted.
In a large pot, place the quinoa in six cups of cold water. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until water evaporates and the quinoa is soft and slightly transparent. Put aside and let cool.
Add the lemon juice and sponge the quinoa with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Pour in a serving dish.
Mushrooms stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta
* 8 large mushrooms (120g), fresh
* 300g fresh spinach leaves
* 30g raw bell pepper, finely chopped
* 4 tablespoons (40g) gluten-free bread crumbs
* 28g ricotta cheese
* 50gr Chia seeds, toasted
* 1 teaspoon nutmeg
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
Pre-heat oven at 190ºC.
Cover a medium-size skillet with olive oil and sauté the bell pepper for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the spinach, cover and cook for 1 -2 minutes, or until the leaves are soft. Drain the excess liquid and chop the leaves coarsely.
In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, the ricotta, the Chia seeds, the nutmeg and the salt and pepper. Blend thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Stuff the mix into the mushrooms, pushing softly. Sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs over the filling.
Place in an oven dish sprinkled with vegetal spray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Chia Pastries
* 7 egg yolks
* 125 grs sugar
* 1 sachet powdered yeast
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 500 gr Chia seeds, toasted
* Powdered sugar .
Beat the yolks with the sugar, the yeast, the oil and the Chia, until even and smooth. Form small balls the size of nuts, squeeze down slightly over an even surface and sprinkle with the powdered sugar. Place in slightly greased oven tray, sugared side up. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170º C for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and serve
Stuffed Chicken
* 4 chicken breasts
* ¼ cups cream
* ½ cups chopped mushrooms
* ½ cup grated onion
* Salt and pepper to taste
* ½ cup Chia seeds
* 20 Rice crackers, grinded
* 3 tablespoons margarine
Cut the chicken breasts open, add salt and pepper.
Mix mushrooms with the cream, onions, Chia seeds and half the grinded crackers.
Use this mix to stuff the chicken breasts. Hold close with toothpicks. Place the stuffed breasts in a greased pan, dot with the rest of the crackers and sprinkle with the melted butter. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.
Chia and Fig Mousse
* 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
* 100 ml skimmed milk
* 3 tablespoons honey
* 3 tablespoons Chia seeds
* 200 gr ricotta cheese
* 100 ml white wine
* 2 fresh figs
* Fresh mint leaves for decoration
Add the honey to the milk and bring to boil; let stand for a few minutes. Add the gelatin, stirring. Wait until cool and add the ricotta cheese and the Chia. Pour into individual pans and refrigerate overnight.
Warm the white wine. Add the figs, sliced, and cook for a few minutes. Empty the cool mousse on individual plates and add the figs. Decorate with fresh mint leaves.
Vegetarian Rice
* 2 cups rice
* 3 ½ cups water
* 1 red bell pepper
* ½ green bell pepper
* 150 gr. tofu
* 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
* 8 teaspoons Chia seeds
* Olive oil
* Parsley
* Salt
Rinse the rice and soak in 3 ½ cups water. Toast the Chia seeds. Cook the rice with a pinch of salt. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Chop the peppers and the tofu into small squares. Sauté the peppers in a slightly oiled skillet until tender, add the tofu and some drops of soy sauce. Add the Chia seeds last. Add the rice and some finely chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly and serve.
Chia Nougat
* 250 g Chia seeds
* 200 g honey,
* 50 g sugar,
* 50 g peeled almonds
Toast almonds quickly in the oven. Dilute the honey in a skillet over low heat. Add sugar and continue stirring until it begins to bubble. Incorporate the Chia seeds and continue stirring for 5 more minutes. Incorporate almonds and turn the heat off. When the mix starts to curdle, pour over a flat surface and work with a kneading roll into a square of about 1 cm thick. Cut in small squares. Store in a clean, dry container.
Covered Tuna
* 1 piece of tuna loin (500 grs.)
* 3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 orange, juiced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 egg yolk
* 4 tablespoons ground black pepper
* 1 cup Chía seeds
* Olive oil spray
Mix soy sauce, lemon juice, orange juice and olive oil. Pour over the tuna and marinate for about 20 minutes. Beat egg yolk with ½ cup water.
Mix pepper and Chia in a plate. Dip the tuna in the egg yolk and then in the Chía and pepper mix. Spray a skillet with the olive oil spam and fry the tuna on all sides, over medium heat.
Q &A About Chia
Why Chia instead of other grain?
-Chia seed contains 2 times the protein of other grains and three to ten times the oil along with as much or more dietary fibre.
What is the nutritional breakdown of chia?
No other whole grain compares nutritionally, each 22g serving of chia provides:
- 3.8 g Omega-3 fatty acid (231-336% Al*)
- 3.4 g complete protein (6-7% RDA*)
- 8.0 g dietary fiber (21-31% Al)
- 139 mg calcium (10-14% Al)
- 0.5 mg copper (56-71% RDA)
- 4.1 mg iron (25-51% RDA)
- 86 mg magnesium (25-36% RDA) each 22 gram serving of Chia provides:
- 86 calories
- only 42 calories when indigestible insoluble fiber is subtracted
Can I eat Chia seeds dry?
Chia is best not eaten dry as it can have a dehydrating effect. Prevent this effect by drinking lots of fluid. Chia seed can be cold pressed into oil for cooking.
Is Chia DHA approved?
Chia seed is considered as a Dietetic Nutritional Supplement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. In addition it complies with the severe criteria of nutrients content established by this organisation to be regarded as “healthy food”.
If chia seed is so healthful why is so little known about it?
Chia was at the height of its popularity with the Aztecs, Mayas and Tehuantapecs cultures that no longer exist. Until recently chia was not being cultivated domestically, so not readily available to the public.
How does Chia compare in cost?
Developers have gone to great lengths to keep costs down in cultivating chia making it an affordable option. Omega 3 oils found in grain or seed is one-sixth the cost of the same oil found in seafood sources.
Does chia oil oxidize, therefore loosing its nutritional value?
Chia oil contains the antioxidants chlorogenic and caffeic acids which slow the rate of oxidation making it have a longer shelf life than its competition.
What forms is chia currently available in?
It is currently available in bulk seed, sprouted seed, milled seed, flour, dry cereal and oil.
Where is chia grown?
Chia is grown in the tropical and sub-tropical valleys and plateaus of Mexico, Central and South America.