Rosy Chia Pudding
It is spring and everything is coming up roses, including this pretty pink chia seed pudding I concocted! It is delicious, lightly sweet, loaded with antioxidants, fiber, and flavor. And it is smells like roses.
Plus, it goes together in minutes (once you’ve soaked your cashews, that is) and can stay in the fridge for up to a week. How is that not rosy?
Rosy goodness ready to be devoured
My recipe was inspired by a vanilla chia seed pudding recipe from Amy Chapin’s “At Home in the Whole Foods Kitchen.” Additional inspiration arrived with a shipment of spices I received from the oh-so-marvelous Oaktown Spice Shop. In the box were a the staples I’d ordered along with a few goodies I’d been intrigued by online but had no idea what I was going to do with, namely Beet Powder and Rose Petals.
As you might have guessed, I’m all about all things beet so when I saw that Oaktown was carrying a beet powder, I knew it must be mine. And since I was already in a pink-y mindset, the rose petals were a shopping cart shoo-in.
When they arrived on my doorstep, I’d already been contemplating making a chia seed and pudding and so I set about incorporating them into the mix. The recipe below is what I came up with.
But before you scroll down, take a few minutes to appreciate some of the ingredients that make this pudding a nutritional powerhouse…
- Beets: Betacyanin, the pigment that colors beets, is a powerful anticarcinogen. Beets are also blood and liver cleansers and can help alleviate constipation.+
- Cashews are high in good fat and protein (47% and 20%, respectively) as well as being a good source magnesium, phosphorous, iron, potassium and zinc.+
- Chia Seeds have long been valued by Native American as an endurance food. Chia is high omega-3 fatty acids (second only to flaxseed), it helps relieve constipation and is a good source of amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants. Chia can also help to reduce nervousness and treat insomnia.+
- Dates are high in B vitamins, copper, iron, potassium and magnesium. They are also high in beta-d-glucan fiber, a fiber that helps regulate blood sugar levels and can decrease cholesterol.+
- Rose is mostly used for its aromatherapeutic benefits and can have mildy sedative, anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory effects.++
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
+ From “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia” by Rebecca Wood
++ From “Rodale’s 21st Century Herbal” by Michael J. Balick
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours or overnight, divided
- 1 1/2 t vanilla extract, divided
- 1 T plus 2 teaspoons maple syrup, divided
- 8 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 T rose petals, ground in a mortar & pestle (I get mine here)
- 1 T beet powder (I get mine here)
- 2 T rose water
- Sea salt
- 1 quart plus 1/4 cup filtered water, divided
- 1/2 cups chia seeds
- Berries and a few rose petals for topping
Instructions
Drain and rinse the cashews. Take 1/2 cup of them and place them in the blender with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, a pinch of sea salt and 1/4 cup water. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness. Pour in a small bowl and refrigerate. As the cream chills it will thicken.
Add the remaining cashews, vanilla, and maple syrup to the blender along with the dates, ground rose petals, beet powder, rose water, and a pinch of sea salt.
Place the chia seeds in a large bowl. Pour the blended mixture on top. Whisk the seeds into the mixture until they are evenly distributed and you have broken up any clumps. Wait a minute or two and then whisk again. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours to thicken and chill. Serve topped with berries, cashew cream, and rose petals.
