I am obsessed with chia seeds right now! Yes, those same crazy seeds that grew “hair” on terracotta sculptures back in the 80’s. Turns out, they are super healthy! They are a great source of omega 3’s and are more easily digested than flax seeds. I think I have added them to at least one meal every day for the past month!
Chia seeds look like teeny tiny pebbles, but when soaked in liquid they plump up and turn into a gel like texture. They remind me a little bit of tapioca pearls.
A few weeks ago I tried a delicious recipe for Chocolate Chia Pudding from Vegan Fling (check out Melissa’s blog—she has some great recipes and awesome photography!). I made the pudding that same afternoon and David and I devoured it! I happened to have some leftover coconut whipped cream in my fridge so I mixed in together and it became a chocolate mousse—so delicious! A few days later I saw a recipe for Strawberry Chia pudding on Love Raw—another beautiful site—and thought that the strawberries with the coconut cream would make such a pretty dessert—perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I can’t wait to continue to experiment with this—I think that you could use so many fruit combinations here. A word of warning—lighter colors show more of the chia seeds which are grey in color, so for appearance sake, you might want to stick with darker fruits! If you want to try a chocolate version of this, follow Melissa’s recipe on Vegan Fling and fold with the coconut whipped cream as directed below.
Strawberry Chia Mousse, makes 4 servings, or feeds 1 hungry husband!
1 bag frozen strawberries (10 ounces)
4 T chia seeds
4 T maple syrup, divided (or agave syrup to be completely raw)
1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
Chocolate chips for garnish if desired (why wouldn’t you?!)
Carefully remove the can of coconut from the fridge. Open (carefully) and scoop the firm fat from the top into your mixer, being careful not to get any of the liquid. Mix on high speed until it becomes firm. Add 2 T maple syrup and whip again. It will soften slightly. Transfer it into a container and refrigerate.
Thaw frozen strawberries. Transfer them to your food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to container and add 2 T maple syrup and 4 T chia seeds. Mix well and refrigerate.
Once both the coconut cream and the strawberries have chilled for 3 hours, remove from the refrigerator. Give the strawberry mixture a good stir. Add one spoonful of the coconut cream and mix it in to the strawberries to lighten the mixture. Add the rest of the coconut cream and fold together carefully. Spoon into dishes and garnish with chocolate chips. Enjoy with your sweetheart 🙂
