Cha-Cha-Cha Chia: Chocolate + Chia = Dreamlike Desserts

My crazy sweet tooth hit in full effect tonight and i'm fishing around in the kitch for something to quell the craving. Sure i could have a mango, a banana, or dare i say...a cup of peppermint tea (blah blah), but not tonight. Tonight i want chocolate...and not just a square of it! I found a recipe for raw chocolate pudding on sweetlyraw.com and it just so happened that i had all the ingredients in the kitch (yay!). So i busted out my vitamix, got my seeds a soakin', and within 15 minutes i was eating the most fahhhbulous cup of decadence...something you'd think only dreams can create. The best part of this treat, it's made with chia seeds. YES, CHIA (as in cha-cha-cha chia pets). Chia seeds (also called salba seeds) are super rich in omegas and a good source of fiber and protein. Chia can be sprinkled on your morning cereal, blended into your smoothies, and it makes a great vegan egg replacer in recipes. When chia is mixed with water it creates a gel, hence the egg replacer (to replace one egg in a recipe, mix 1 tbsp chia seeds in 3 tbsp of water and let sit 15 min to form a gel), and also why it works for this recipe...it replaces the gelatin that would be in traditional pudding.

If you are a raw dessert lover check out Heather Pace's site: sweetlyraw.com, for more of these great recipes. I did make two additions to her recipe which made a huge difference for my batch of pudding: vanilla extract and sea salt. So let's head to the kitch, put on your apron (to make yourself look official) and let the puddin' begin.

You'll need:

Blender
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup water
2 - 3 tbsp of raw cacao powder
1 1/2 tbsp lucuma powder
1 tsp mesquite powder
4 ice cubes
1 packet stevia
dash of vanilla extract
dash of sea salt
optional: an edible garnish such as cacao nibs or coconut shreds

Here we go. Put the chia seeds into a glass or jar with the cup of water. Stir or shake well and let sit about 15 min. This will thicken to a gel like consistency. Add this gel to your blender along with all the other ingredients. Blend. Pour into your serving cup(s). Garnish to your liking. I used chocolate covered cacao nibs which aren't 'raw' but are rediculously good, and if you have not had them before, you are sorely missing out...so go get some now! That's all...that's all there is to it. Eat up!

That'll make anyone sing: cha-cha-cha chocolate, cha-cha-cha chia!