{chia seed pudding 3 ways}

I have been seeing dessert recipes using the incredibly healthy chia seeds popping up everywhere. The seeds are incredibly rich in antioxidants, protein and fiber which doesn't sound like a typical dessert ingredient, but I figured it was worth a shot to see what all the hype was about.  Since the prep time for a chia seed pudding is about 5 minutes I decided to try out multiple flavor combinations to see what I preferred.  The simple answer is that I prefer them all and chia seeds are surprisingly tasty with a texture similar to mini crunchy tapioca.  In other words...I get what all the hype is about.

Scroll down for the three different recipes for chia pudding that I tested out- my favorite was the simple and sweet vanilla coconut pudding, but the pistachio was a close runner up.  These recipes use either unsweetened almond milk or vanilla coconut milk, but you can substitute for any dairy you prefer such as regular 2% milk.  Regardless of which flavor chia pudding you chose to make, you will definitely need to add a small amount of sweetener to the mix.  For these recipes I experimented between maple syrup, honey or agave nectar as sweeteners and between the three I find that the agave nectar was my favorite.

Each recipe below makes two large servings.

Vanilla Coconut Chia Seed Pudding:

• 1 cup vanilla coconut milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl then transfer to serving bowls.  Place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Ideal garnish would be dried coconut chips although I tried it with shaved dark chocolate!

Raspberry Lemon Chia Seed Pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, combine raspberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, almond milk, honey & vanilla extract.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chia seeds.  Place into desired serving bowls and let set in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Garnish with fresh raspberries & lemon zest!

Pistachio Chia Seeding Pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

In a food processor, combine almond milk, pistachios and agave nectar.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chia seeds.  Place into desired serving bowls and let set in fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Garnish with chopped pistachios!

{roasted cauliflower & chickpea tacos}

Growing up in Southern California instills a love for good Mexican food practically from birth (its hilariously discussed in this UK article) and I am no exception.  My favorite is a good plate of small street tacos and I love to give them a gourmet makeover at home like these ones we made for our Oscar viewing party.  In an effort to eat a bit lighter after our two weeks of traveling, we decided to whip up this recipe for roasted cauliflower and chickpea tacos with lime crema from Two Peas & Their Pod.  We made one slight change to the recipe by pickling the jalapeños and onions in a little vinegar to give them a bit more tart crunch.  The spicy cauliflower and chickpeas made a great substitute for our normal main ingredient of meat or soy-rizo.  It's hard to believe that with all the flavor (especially from the delicious lime crema) that this could even be a lighter dish! 

{pumpkin ravioli with crispy sage & brussel sprouts}

I have owned up to it in the past, but Chris definitely handles waaaay more of the cooking around here than I do (but I do think I am valuable support staff!).  When I'm left on my own for dinner, I generally opt for some sort of ready made meal like Trader Joe's salads or sandwiches- which is fine, but let's be honest it just not that exciting.

I decided to try out elevating a some pre-made Trader Joes pumpkin ravioli and brussel sprouts with a few simple cooking steps (something even I could handle).  In addition to the pack of pumpkin ravioli and brussel sprouts, I picked up a pack of fresh sage and saved some of the pepitas from these arrangements.  Rather than boring ravioli and steamed veggies, I created pan-fried pumpkin ravioli topped with crispy sage and roasted pepitas alongside pan-fried brussel sprouts (full explanation at the bottom of the post).

This dish serves two, but could easily be doubled or tripled to use for a dinner party which means you have no excuse to not host a few friends over this holiday season!

what you need:

• 1 pack pumpkin ravioli
• 1 pack par-boiled and seasoned brussel sprouts
• fresh sage leaves
• roasted pepitas
• butter
• vegetable oil

1. Pull off about two to three sage leaves per person and quickly fry in oil following these directions. Set aside on paper towel to drain excess oil. 
2. Boil water in medium saucepan and cook ravioli for about 6 minutes. Strain and set aside. 
3. While ravioli water is boiling, place a healthy tablespoon of butter into a pan on medium-high heat. Toss in brussel sprouts until they get slightly browned on each side- about 8 minutes. Set aside. 
4. In a separate pan, place another tablespoon of butter of medium-high heat. Gently toss in pasta until slightly crispy on edges- about 2 minutes. 
5. Place pasta and brussel sprouts alongside each other on plate.  Garnish with crispy sage and roasted pepitas.
6. Never eat a boring salad for dinner again.