Chia seeds have become commercially popular in the last decade, but they’ve definitely been around for much longer than that. Being one of the oldest ingredients left by Mother Nature, Chia used to be an aliment frequently incorporated in the dishes of Aztecs and Mayans. And if they managed to be so sturdy and energetic thanks to their usual Chia diet, then there is no doubt that we can only benefit from adopting some chia dishes.
How to Cook Them?
It’s probably as obvious as it gets, but Chia seeds are an oasis of health, so they must be consumed raw to get all the benefits. This is why Chia is often the foundation for many vegan dishes, which are as delicious as they are nurturing for our bodies.
The most common way to integrate the seeds in a dish is by preparing an easy Chia seed pudding, a light marvel which grew in popularity thanks to the variety of other ingredients it can be blended in and topped with.
But if you want to try something different, here are some further chia seed recipe suggestions.
Lemon Poppy Seed Chia Loaf
Many classic recipes have been improved by the inclusion of a surprising ingredient – in this case, it’s Chia seeds. Several changes have been made to this poppy seed cake, including the fact that butter was traded for the much healthier alternative, coconut oil.
The Chia seed addition gives the lemony loaf just the right amount of seeds to make it more rustic. Read the full recipe here.
Grain-Free Chia Buckwheat Pizza
Buckwheat isn’t a type of wheat, surprisingly. Although many of us have grown aware of the fact that traditional pizza crust is riddled with unnecessary gluten and yeast add-ons, we choose to accept it because it doesn’t seem like it can be swapped with anything else.
Well, now it can. This crust is created from buckwheat and completed by pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and Chia seeds.
Serrano Pineapple-Papaya Chia Smoothie Recipe
For all the smoothie lovers out there, there are countless ways in which Chia seeds can be integrated in your meal. Thanks to their neutral case, they can be blended with various fruits and other seeds. In this case, Chia seeds are given an exotic and spicy outline through the use of pineapple, papaya, and serrano. Read the full recipe here.
Kale and Farro Salad with Lemon and Chia Dressing
Thanks to Chia seeds, delicious Caeser-like salads can now be indulged in without the worries of greasy and unhealthy dressings. The Chia seeds sprinkled on top of farro and intertwined with other seeds of the likes of pumpkin and pomegranate give this dish a refreshing consistency and creaminess. Read the full recipe here.
Cornmeal and Chia Seed Crusted Tilapia
To give your fish a creative take, try rolling your tilapia in a cornmeal mixture blended from cornmeal, Chia seeds, and garlic powder. The end result will be a fish wrapped in a crunchy overcoat, guaranteed to soothe your taste buds. Just be careful not to go overboard with the Chia seeds. Read the full recipe here.
Chia seeds may have been a rarity that many considered a mere whim a while ago, but today, there is no doubt you can find these ancient havens of health in plenty of places.
