Cha cha cha.....Chia Seeds

Chia in its plant stage.

I could not resist the title!  LMBO!!!  I digress......


So, most of you know, I am not a fight my way through new, undiscovered lands where the trees and bushes can only be whacked down with a 45 inch super sharp blade that is swung back and forth in front of my face and body person.  No....I am a sit back, for the most part, and watch person.  Watch for a ripple on the wide ocean that is health and nutrition before all of us.  When the ripple becomes a wave, then it catches my attention and I recognize it and do something about it.  Which... what do I do?  Research, read and write.  Three of many of my favorite things to do, the latter still leaving something to be desired. 


The funny thing is that we are all VERY familiar with Chia.  Remember those commercials we grew up with?  Chia pet?  I think they still air them around Christmas.  Yep, those little seeds that you see grow into a luscious green head of hair on tweedy bird or scooby doo.  :-)  I never knew they were sooo good for us.  Kinda funny.  Like a full circle "thing."    But don't buy the Chia pet seeds to eat.  Those are not for consumption.  Fyi.  ;-)


So......the newest ripple that has turned into a wave is Chia.  So....here we go.  :-)

Aren't these just beautiful?!

My friend Lisa, introduced me to Chia.  She introduced it to me by telling me Dr. Oz spoke about it, she bought some, put some in a glass jar, labeled it and gave it to me.  Going to be honest....until a few days ago, it set prettily on my counter-top, staring at me.  Beckoning me to research it or eat it.  Neither of which I did.


Then as I have been researching new raw recipes and nutrition on the Internet (Pinterest too!!) I keep seeing Chia as an ingredient.  Ok...the ripple is getting a little bigger.  Then I go to a mom's group and a girl who I sat down beside, August brings up Chia.  Really?!  Ok, now I am completely intrigued.  So, thank you to everyone and everything that has brought me to this point.  :-)  


So, here we go........
Chia seeds contain high levels of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Once eaten by the Aztecs and Mayans, these black and white seeds are versatile, fitting into a number of different food dishes and drinks. According to healthy living website Your Natural Wellness, just 2 tbsp. of chia seeds pack 30 percent more antioxidants than blueberries and contain more calcium than a glass of milk.



How to use Chia Seeds
1. Add chia seeds to drinks. You can add chia seeds to water, juice or any other hot or cold beverage of your choosing, where they won't drastically alter the taste of the drink. Leave them for about two minutes before drinking so they absorb some of the liquid.

2. Crush chia seeds. You can sprinkle crushed chia seeds on salads, soups, cereal of juice. Not only will they add omega nutrients to your food but the crushed seeds also have a distinctive nutty flavor.

3. Sprinkle whole seeds onto your food and drink. Chia seeds go well with most foods, including fish, stew, vegetables and yogurt. When the seeds are whole, they have a neutral flavor so you can use them with both sweet and savory food.

4. Place the seeds in water or another beverage for at least 10 minutes. They will absorb a large amount of the liquid and turn into a gel-like substance. Add 1/3 cup of whole seeds to 2 cups of water or juice. Once you have the gel, you can eat it on its own, add it to stews or soups as a thickener, or mix it with an equal amount of jelly for a healthy dessert.

5. Add crushed seeds to your baked goods for extra nutrients. Chia seeds go well in cakes, biscuits, muffins or bread. Use them in baked foods as part of a wheat-free, gluten-free or grain-free diet and, as they are seeds, you can also add them to vegan goods, too.
6.  Wanting to lose weight.  Many people have reported that when they consume Chia seeds and water, as the seeds expand they feel fuller and eat less.  Which has in turn led to less pounds on the scale.

In a one-ounce sample, dried chia seeds contain 9% of the daily value for protein (4g), 13% fat (9g) (57% of which is ALA) and 42% dietary fiber (11g), based on a daily intake of 2000 calories.  The seeds also contain the essential minerals phosphorus manganese, calcium, calcium, potassium and sodium in amounts comparable to other edible seeds, such as flax or sesame.

Chia's unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.


Because of the high level of anti-oxidants in Chia it has a shelf life of over 2 years at room temperature.  That is with no chemicals or preservatives!  


By weight, Chia has more calcium in it than whole milk.  For me, who is trying to give up dairy (and it has worked, I have not had a sinus infection since I quit drinking dairy milk) Chia will give me the calcium I need.


chia gel.  Chia only takes on the flavor of the foods it is being prepared in, so I don't have to worry about Chia changing the flavor of my recipe.  If I can bake with 50% less fats, then I am sold.  This is what I am going to try....


Chia Gel
1 tablespoon chia seeds
9 tablespoons reverse osmosis or filtered water (or any liquid)


Stir together the chia seeds and the water with a fork.  Let the mixture set on counterop for 10-15 minutes.  When you return your glass bowl will be filled with a thick gelatin, with the seeds suspended inside.  This can be used in place of butter and oil in recipes.  The gel with keep for 1 week covered in the refrigerator.  


You can substitute 50% of the oil or butter with Chia gel.  For example:  if recipe calls for 8 tablespoons of butter, only use 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of Chia gel.  You will notice the end result that you are baking will maintain moisture and freshness longer when preparing with Chia gel.  (very cool!)  And think about it, you are putting more anti-oxidants into your foods!!


Try this in your cookies, pancakes, brownies, cakes, breads, 


I can't wait to try this!!!


To sum it up Chia has.......

• Magnesium – 15 times more than Broccoli
• Calcium – 6 times more than whole milk
• Omega-3 – nearly 9 times the amount found in Salmon
• Fiber – more than flax seed & 2 times more than bran flakes
• Iron – nearly 3 times more than spinach
• Protein – more than soy
• Unlike fish,  Chia Seeds have no cholesterol

So, once again, this is a no-brainer!  And thank you Lisa for giving me Chia seeds!  Now I am more than ready to add them to our meals, snacks, etc.

So.....GO BUY Chia seeds and add them to your meals, snacks and desserts!!  Winding Way Farms, Amazon, Costco and Whole Foods carry them.

(There is some controversy that eating them at the table instead of cooking with them provides more nutrition to your body.  And controversy over buying Chia seeds organic.  The research I have found states that the way the Chia plant grow, spraying with pesticides is not even necessary.  The plant produces an oil that insects hate.  Therefore pesticides are not necessary.)

*How to use Chia Seed's and nutritional info from My Chia Seeds

Sprouted Ezekiel Bread

 Ok, so here is where it all begins....

(Note:  This bread is Highly Beneficial to all blood types...O, A, B, AB

Drive to your local health food store, Winding Way Farms, Downtown Farm Stand or Indy to Whole Foods.  :-)  The Carmel store has an AWESOME bulk section.

Buy the following.....(I bought more and I am storing the grains in my glass quart canning jars (wide mouth)  thank you again MK for that idea! (see below) :-) for later use).

Sprouted Ezekiel Bread
2 1/2 cups hard red wheat berries
1 1/2 cups spelt
1/2 cup barley (hulled)
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup lentils (green preferred) (omit if you are Type O or B)
2 Tbsp great northern beans
2 Tbsp pinto beans
2 Tbsp red kidney beans (substitute adzuki beans if you are Type O, A and AB)

(Note:  I was confused at first because Type O, B and A are not to eat wheat....but the first ingredient in Ezekiel bread is 2.5 cups of hard red wheat berries.  But what happens is that when the grains/seeds are sprouted the gluten lectins (principally found in the seed coats) are destroyed by the sprouting process.  Ezekiel and Essene breads are live foods with many beneficial enzymes intact.)

In the evening, combine all the ingredients above in their dry state.  I used a big batter bowl.  Then pour the mixed grains into 4 glass quart wide mouth canning jars and covered the grains with reverse osmosis water.  Make sure you use pure, clean water here.  Cut a piece of cheesecloth and place over the top of the jar and use the ring to keep the cheesecloth in place.  Let jars sit over night with the water soaking the grains.  

In the morning, drain the water off of the grains, fill again with clean water shake the jars and pour off water (use a turning motion of the jars so that the grains are all getting rinsed as you pour off the water.)  Shake the jars to get the excess water out.  Place all 4 quart jars in a tub or some sort of a container due to the water continuing to drain off of the grains.  See picture below. 

Note:  Sprouting time may take 3-4 days. 

At different times today, rinse the water 2-3 times before going to bed.  Each time shake and turn the jar to make sure all the grains are getting wet.  The grains cannot sprout without moisture.

You are going to do this for the next 2-3 days.  Keep watching, you will see sprouts sooner than you think!

When you start to see the beans sprout, it is time to make bread!!

(Note:  DO NOT refill the jars with water and let them soak in the water.  You are letting them sit upside down at an angle with NO added water in the jars for the next 2-3 days.  Sitting them at an angle allows for air flow which will allow for the sprouting process.  I just left mine sit out on the counter top.)

The goal is for the sprouts on the grains to be the length of the grain, the beans will just start to show sprouts.  Do not rinse before you grind, you don't want the grains too wet.

Note:  After 2 days of sprouting, hard red wheat berries become very sweet.

Make sure you save your cheesecloth squares for next time.  I used wowgreen dish soap and hand washed them and layed them out to dry, until next use.

So, now for mushing time. (Note:  If you store your yeast in the refrigerator get it out and bring it to room temperature now.)   I am just using my food processor with my S blade.  I added half to 3/4 of the grains from 1 jar in my food processor and began processing. 

You will want to stop and scrape down the sides after 30 seconds.  The little sprouts fly off and stick to the side of the food processor, so you want to make sure they are getting mixed up with the grains.  You will notice a "live" smell from the grains (sort of reminds me of in the summer when the farmers cut and bail hay, that smell).  You want to process the grains in the food processor for about 3 minutes, the grains will actually resemble a ham salad texture.  The dough will form into a ball in the food processor, keep you eyes on it now..... then the dough will break apart.  You want to stop processing then (do not over process).  Place the dough into your kitchenaid mixer bowl, if that is what you are going to use to knead the dough or some large bowl. 

If you have a grain mill you can use it here, but I have read it is good to oil your blades first.  And always make sure to clean, dry and store your blades to your mill in an area that is not damp, otherwise your blades will rust. 

Ok, there are soooo many different opinions, ideas and options on what to do next, but I am just going to blog for now on what I am doing.  Then I will give later ideas.

I am going to make 2 loaves.  1 Regular Ezekiel and the second Cinnamon Raisin.

So, I place the dough I just processed into my large kitchenaid mixer bowl and added the following.....

1/2 cup honey (I use organic raw)

1/3 cup organic canola oil (can probably use vegetable here, but if you have vegetable oil try to make the switch to organic canola)

2 Tsp salt

2 Tbsp yeast (room temperature, never use cold)
Ground organic barley (flour)***

Start Kitchenaid mixer on Speed 2...if the dough is too dry add warm water by a tablespoon at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.  Shot off mixer and scrape down the sides as you go.  Knead for 10 minutes, stopping at 5 minutes and allowing your mixer to cool down for a few minutes.

Place a drizzle of about 2-3 lines of evoo in the bottom of your bread pan you are going to bake the bread in.  Now take half of the dough out of your mixer and place it in the oiled bread pan, smooth the top of the dough.  

Now add the following to the remaining dough in the mixer...

1 cup organic raisins

1 Tablespoon organic cinnamon

Knead just until the raisins and cinnamon are incorporated in the dough.

Now, oil a second bread.loaf pan with evoo.  Place the remaining dough in this pan, smooth the top.

Preheat your oven at the 400 degree setting for 1 minute.  Turn oven off and place both loaf pans in the oven.  Let them rise for 1 hour or until the dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the bread pan. 

Remove from oven, preheat oven to 300 and let the loaves bake for 1.5 to 2 hours.  (If you have time try 250 for 3-4 hours, the lower and slower the bread bakes preserves the freshness of the sprouted grains.)

Some have suggested to wait a day or 2 before serving as the flavor intensifies.  We will store ours in the refrigerator as I have a nasty mold allergy.  :-)

I will keep you posted as I enter this new adventure!!!!  Happy sprouting and baking!!!!  We will be eating bread that is sooooooooo full of nutrition, I can't wait!!

I will also being attempting my hand at Essene (Bread).  I will post more later.

Remember bread baking is an art not a science.  If this does not turn out the first time, try again!

***Ok, so I made this and the bread turned out waaaaaaay too dense and moist.  So, I started buying Ezekiel bread for Meijer.  While I was reading the ingredients, I noticed that they use barley flour...so that is the missing puzzle piece...you have to add the barley flour to dry up the "dough" before baking.

I will post more as I try this with the barley flour.  :-)