The Chia Cookbook: Inventive, Delicious Recipes Featuring Nature's Superfood

by Janie Hoffman

Overview

Mamma Chia founder Janie Hoffman presents recipes for incorporating superfood chia seeds into flavorful smoothies, snacks, meals, and desserts.
   
Chia is a powerful little seed with incredible health benefits. In this mouthwatering recipe collection, Mamma Chia founder Janie Hoffman invites you into her kitchen to learn the secrets of incorporating this ancient superfood into modern meals from breakfast to dinner and happy hour to dessert.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607746645
Publisher:	Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
Publication date:	09/30/2014
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

JANIE HOFFMAN is the founder and CEO of Mamma Chia (www.mammachia.com), an organic line of chia-based foods and beverages. A leader in the natural foods industry, Hoffman is the author of Chia Vitality and has been featured in the New York Times, O magazine, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Details, Vogue, Real Simple, Prevention, Glamour, and the Today show. She lives with her husband on a small avocado farm just outside of San Diego, California.

Read an Excerpt

The Recipes

As you read through the recipes in this book, you’ll see that it’s possible to incorporate chia into everything, and I mean everything—breakfast foods, soups, salads, cocktails, main dishes, desserts. The seeds also complement all epicurean traditions. I’ve had the good fortune to travel to many beautiful countries all over the world. I even lived in Hong Kong for a time and now reside about an hour from Mexico. This has given me a taste for the food of many cultures, and you’ll see that multiculturalism reflected in the book’s collection of varied dishes. 

I lead a busy life and I’m sure you do, too, so these recipes are also designed to be quick and easy. There’s no special equipment required—using a blender and food processor is about as fancy as it gets—and the ingredients are easy to find. You shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time and money or slave over a stove to work nutritious, delicious food into your life, and with these dishes, you won’t have to. 

My goal has always been to expand the community of chia aficionados. When you’re on to a good thing, why not share it? Now you can also be part of the chia love train. Use this book not only to treat yourself to food that tastes terrific and boosts your well-being but also to indulge and nourish your family and friends. They’ll thank you with every delectable, delightful bite.

Chia fundamentals: from choosing to using
Everything from sourcing and storing chia to working it into a dish is very, very simple—a snap. Here are the details.

Selecting Chia
For the most versatility, I recommend that you have both black and white chia seeds on hand. Most recipes call for using one color or the other, or give you a choice between the two, but consider it a suggestion. You should feel free to choose whichever shade you prefer or to even mix them if you like (there is no taste difference). Some recipes utilize milled chia, which combines well with flour and makes a good flour substitute itself, so have that in your pantry as well—or simply grind the whole seeds on your own as needed using a spice meal or clean coffee grinder. 

There are a couple of other types of chia on the market as well. Chia oil is essentially concentrated omega-3s, though it comes to you without the seeds’ fiber and protein. The oil is mild tasting and is generally used in salad dressings and baking. Chia bran is a form of chia with the omega-3 fatty acids removed and the fiber and protein left intact. I don’t use either in this book or at home—I’m personally a fan of the whole chia seed with its complete package of nutrients—but if you’re interested in experimenting, it’s nice to know there are several chia options.

Chia is primarily a tropical or subtropical crop, so most of the seeds you’ll find on the market come from Mexico, Central and South America, or Australia. I love to buy locally, and generally do, but one of the foods I make an exception for is chia. What I’m firm on, though, is buying USDA certified organic chia. Chia isn’t a particularly pesticide-ridden product. Because of its antioxidants, it’s mostly resistant to pests if grown in its native lands, so many growers in Mexico and Central America don’t use pesticides. However, most of the nonorganic growers do use herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, and since I’ve found I’m sensitive to chemicals (and I believe Mother Earth is, too), I opt for certified organic. Organic chia can be slightly more expensive (although not always), but if it fits into your budget, look for the USDA organic seal on the package to know you’re getting the real thing. I think the benefits of organic are well worth any extra cost, and at Mamma Chia, it’s what we’ve chosen to sell ourselves: we offer USDA certified organic bagged chia, as well as certified organic chia beverages and snacks (www.mammachia.com).


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Chia green superfood smoothie
This superfood cleanse-style smoothie makes a supersatisfying snack. The apple juice and grapes give it just the right amount of sweetness, while the ginger and lemon provide a nice kick. If you add in a small handful of raw almonds and enjoy the whole recipe for yourself, you’ve got the perfect meal replacement. 
Serves 2 

3⁄4 cup 100% pure apple juice (not from concentrate), at room temperature
1 tablespoon white chia seeds 
1 cup firmly packed fresh baby spinach or baby kale 
1 cup seedless green grapes, frozen 
1⁄2 cup chopped, peeled or unpeeled, English cucumber
1⁄4 Hass avocado, peeled
1⁄4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 small lemon)
2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger 

In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the apple juice and chia seeds and let stand for about 20 minutes. (Makes about 7⁄8 cup apple-chia gel.)

Place the apple-chia gel, spinach, grapes, cucumber, avocado, mint, lemon juice, and ginger in a blender. Cover and puree until smooth. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately. 

Table of Contents

chapter one
juices, smoothies, and shakes

serrano pineapple-papaya smoothie 
cayenne-chia lemonade 
tarragon-mint cooler 
pomegranate, grapefruit, and ginger fizz 
mango lassi 
chia green superfood smoothie 
chia-berry shake 
“bananas foster” chia smoothie 
chia, dark chocolate, and mint shake 

chapter two
healthy mornings

hia-peach jam 
amazing chia banana nut muffins zucchini-chia muffins 
fajita-style chia breakfast wrap 
sticky brown rice with sunny-side-up egg 
overnight caprese baked egg 
hot madras tofu-chia scramble with greens 
roasted turkey, thyme, and chia breakfast sausage patties 
chia and herb–sweet potato hash browns 
cinnamon apple orchard hotcakes 
peach melba amaranth porridge 
blueberry compote parfaits 
chia, white chocolate, and macadamia granola bars 

chapter three
snacks and small bites

honey-sesame chia snack mix 
chia spiced california walnuts 
truffle cauliflower “popcorn” with chia seeds 
gluten-free sun-dried tomato chia crackers 
tarragon-mustard kale chips 
yellow squash and zucchini flapjacks 
plantain chips with avocado-chia dip 
fresh cherry tomato–green onion salsa 
smoky baba ghanoush 
eggplant “caviar” 
cumin, chia seed, and cucumber raita 
chia hummus with sun-dried tomatoes and za’atar 
baked shiitake, spinach, and artichoke dip 
roasted tomato compote with chia yogurt cheese 

chapter four
salads and soups

aspberry–chia dressed arugula salad with mint and almonds 
bocconcini and tomato salad with chia–white balsamic vinaigrette 
ancient grains salad with roasted asparagus 
farro salad with mizuna, goat cheese, and goji berries 
purple potato salad with avocado-chia dressing 
spiced watermelon feta salad 
chia gazpacho 
creamy coconut ginger-carrot soup 

chapter five
main dishes

grilled veggie sandwich with chia dijon-balsamic spread 
spicy vegetarian korma with cashews 
grilled tofu skewers with chia soy-ginger sauce 
tuscan white beans and baby kale 
black bean and yam enchilada bake 
shrimp skewers with chia romesco sauce 
grilled halibut with chia pesto 
salmon on brioche with chia tzatziki 
mediterranean pasta with tuna 
mole-style chicken stew 
linguine al limone with grilled chia-chicken meatballs 
thai-style sweet-and-sour chicken thighs 


chapter six
desserts, sweet nibbles, and cocktails

figs with blue cheese and almonds 
chia plum leather 
coconut-cranberry chocolate truffles 
pb&j cookies 
gluten-free chocolate almond cookies 
key lime chia cheesecake 
apricot hazelnut blondies 
papaya, berry, and basil sorbet 
chocolate chia–covered strawberries 
tart cherry–chia mimosa citrus pomegranate-peach margarita 
spiked blueberry chia fizz 
heirloom bloody mary vegetable garden-to-table mojito