Showing posts with label chia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chia. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Vegan Chia Seed Kheer Dairy And Gluten Free!
 |
| Vegan Kheer made with chia seeds. Each serving provides over 1 g of omega-3 and 4 g of fiber! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Kheer
My absolute favorite way to finish an Indian meal is to eat kheer, a rice pudding flavored with cardamom, saffron and garnished with nuts and raisins. But kheer is made with dairy, which I can no longer tolerate. White rice is also featured in traditional kheer, which doesnt add much nutritional value. I wanted to create a healthy version of this wonderful dish that I can enjoy and feel good about eating. I think I did it!
This recipe uses chia seeds and cashew milk to create the creamy pudding. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and are a good source of fiber and calcium. Dates and a little stevia are used to naturally sweeten this dessert without using processed sugar. Feel free to adjust the amount of cardamom and saffron to suit your taste .
Serve with Vegan Saag Aloo or any of your favorite Indian food recipes.
* * * *
Chia Seed Kheer
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Suitable for a Raw Food Cleanse
[makes six (1/2-cup) servings]
Requires high speed blender
Allow 1 1/2 days for soaking and thickening
1/2 cup raw cashews
Water to soak cashews
3 medjool dates
2 1/4 cups water
pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or to taste)
2 packets stevia powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tablespoon slightly crushed pistachios
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons seedless raisins
Soak the cashews in water for 6 hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, soak the dates in 2 1/4 cups of water with a pinch of saffron for 6 hours or overnight.
 |
| Soak cashews |
 |
| Soak dates and saffron threads in water |
Drain the cashews and rinse. Place them in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.
Place the dates and all of their soak water with saffron threads in the blender.
Add vanilla, cardamom and stevia and process until it forms a smooth cashew milk.
Taste the cashew milk and add additional cardamom or stevia if desired.
 |
| Process to make sweetened cashew milk |
Pour the cashew milk in a 1-quart container and stir in the chia seeds. Stir vigorously with a fork for 1 minute.
Let the mixture sit for another 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and separated.
 |
| Keep stirring until chia seeds are separated |
Refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the chia seeds to absorb the cashew milk and the pudding to thicken.
To serve, place pudding in small bowls and top with pistachios, almonds and raisins.
 |
| Top with nuts and raisins and serve! |
Per serving: 155 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1.1 g omega-3 and 1.7 g omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 3 mg of sodium.
Omega 3 Rich Savi Seeds How Do They Compare To Chia Hemp and Flaxseeds
 |
| Savi Seeds - Are they the next power seed? Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
What are Savi Seeds?
Known as the "Inca Peanut", these seeds have been grown and consumed in Peru for centuries. They come from the star shaped pods of "sacha inchi" plants. They are incredibly rich in ALA omega 3 fatty acid and with all the buzz about this critical nutrient, its not a surprise to see savi seeds hit our shore. Ive noticed these in Whole Foods for a while now but today I decided to buy some and report back to you.
Are Savi the Next Power Seeds?
Im a sucker for omega 3 so I had to see how they would measure up to my favorite Power Seeds: Chia, Hemp and Flaxseeds.
Where they Stand Tall
* As advertised, Savi seeds contain the most ALA omega 3 fatty acids of all the seeds providing 7 grams per ounce. Whole flaxseeds comes in a close second with 6.4 grams.
* I would give them the highest marks for "ease of eating". They are similar to roasted nuts so you can easily sit and munch on them without soaking, grinding, or sprinkling them on another food.
 |
| Savi Seeds nutritional profile per ounce 190 calories 7 grams ALA omega 3 4.7 grams omega 6 8 grams protein 5 grams fiber |
Protein
Savi provides 8 grams of high quality, "complete" protein per ounce, more than chia and flax but hemp seeds still win first place in this department with over 10 grams per ounce.
Fiber
5 grams of dietary fiber is certainly respectable but ounce per ounce, chia provides more than twice that amount with 10.6 grams. However, you are more likely to consume an ounce of savi than an ounce of chia seeds.
Where they Fall Short
There are several places where I think savi seeds fall short:
* They are roasted, not raw. Chia, flax and hemp seeds are all available raw which is important since Omega 3 is very sensitive to heat.
* They are very expensive! At retail, they cost $2.00 per ounce or 10 times the price of flaxseeds and 2 to 2 1/2 times the price of chia and hemp seeds. So as easy as they are to munch as a snack, at $2.00 per ounce, you probably wont be munching too many.
Flavors
They come in 3 flavors:
* Oh Natural - roasted with a touch of sea salt.
* Karmalized - lightly glazed in sugar cane.
* Cocoa Kissed - covered with dark chocolate.
How do they Taste?
When I opened the Oh Natural, I thought they smelled funky and rancid. They tasted a bit like peanuts but not nearly as good. I actually thought I got a bad package.
The Karmalized tasted a bit like Cracker Jacks and a little better than the Oh Naturals but unfortunately contain 8 grams of sugar per ounce of seeds. The Coco Kissed ones masked the funky taste the most and were the most enjoyable. They are made with 70% cacao and cane sugar. They contain less sugar than the Karmalized but still 5 grams per ounce.
My Bottom Line
Everyone has different tastes so you should give them a try if you feel inclined to do so. I probably wont buy them because I dont care for them.
If you want 7 grams of omega 3, (the amount you would get from 1 ounce of Oh Natural savi seeds) drizzle 1 tablespoon of cold pressed flaxseed oil on your oatmeal. Its a lot cheaper!
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad With Orange Chia Seed Vinaigrette Dried Cranberries Or Pomegranate Seeds And Almonds Perfect For Thanksgiving!
Love Them or Hate Them?
Most people have a strong opinion about these petite little cabbages. Me and the kids love Brussels sprouts and I made them every Thanksgiving when they were young. But my husbands not a fan and my daughter-in-law, who is just starting to come around, has in the past practically banned my son from eating them. But fear not, Brussels sprouts lovers, I think Ive developed a recipe that everyone can enjoy. Try presenting this colorful dish at your next Thanksgiving or winter holiday feast! Double or triple the recipe for more guests. If youd like, substitute pomegranate seeds for the dried cranberries.
Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
Last Thanksgiving I posted a Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving or Winter Holiday menu from raw appetizers to dessert. Its been a very popular post so check it out for lots of great "raw" ideas for Thanksgiving.
Amazing Health Benefits
On cup of Brussels sprouts provides over 100% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and K. Besides broccoli, it contains more glucosinolate (a phytonutrient associated with protecting our cells against cancer) than any other vegetable! They are also a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese.
This recipe also gives you all the benefits of the amazing chia seed! Each serving provides over 400 mg of ALA omega 3 fatty acid. Check out all my Chia Seed Recipes.
***
Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Chia Vinaigrette
[makes 4 servings]
2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
1 tablespoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 packed cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (or pomegranate seeds)
In a small bowl, mix chia seeds with water and stir well. Stir several more times over the next 30 minutes while the chia seeds absorb the water.
After the chia seeds have formed a gel, add zest, orange juice, olive oil, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar and sea salt and mix thoroughly. (This dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated).
Mix dressing with the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, almonds and cranberries and serve.
Per serving: 74.8 calories, 3.2 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 404 mg ALA omega 3 and 603 mg omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g protein, 11.5 g carbohydrates, and 2.7 g dietary fiber.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)