Friday, December 16, 2011

Lemon Chia Seed Dressing


I kinda have really been into chia seeds lately.  Have you tried using them yet? If not, give them a shot.  They are PACKED full of good for you stuff and don't have a strong flavor.   Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, protein and omega 3 fatty acids. 


Actually.... when I came home from the store my husband thought I was crazy.  Like I lost my marbles (which I swear, he must lovingly think once a day).  Our conversation went sorta like this:

Me: Look babe, I picked up chia seeds for us!  They are really good for you.
Chris:  Huh??  Chia seeds.. like the chia pet?  (starts to sing the chia pet commercial song)
Me: Yes, but now you eat them instead of growing things with them.
Chris: You've lost your mind.

So I started out adding them into our smoothie's in place of flax seeds.  We have a bag of whole flax seeds that your body can't break down unless you have put them through a coffee grinder - which we don't have.  So instead of grinding them by hand, I welcomed the idea of trying out these so-called chia seeds.  Worked pretty good!  Then I started sneaking them into all sorts of dishes... oatmeal, cookies, salmon seasoning, even vegetable sautes.   I also realized they sorta look like poppy seeds, and could be used in their place.

This dressing is one of my favorite ways to use chia seeds, it's simple and light.  And it can be used on a ton of different salads!  I served this with my Apple and Pomegranate Salad.  In an effort to be healthy, you can replace typically used granulated sugar with stevia, agave, etc.   But feel free to use whatever natural sugar substitute you prefer.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp chia seeds
1 tbsp agave syrup (or stevia/your choice of natural sweetener)

Method

Whisk together all of the ingredients and enjoy right away.  Chi chi chi chia...........!!

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19 comments:

  1. how long do you think this will keep for. i know the seeds expand a little...do you think its something you can keep in the fridge?

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    1. I wouldn't keep it for more than a week. I keep pre-soaked chia in a glass jar with water in the fridge so I can add them to smoothies and other various things. I remember I left a jar in the fridge when I went away for the holidays and when I returned I opened the jar and it smelt off, which is weird because it didn't have a smell in the first place. But there you go. The chia's consistency changes a bit after being soaked for too long anyway.

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    2. Agreed, no longer than a week! I normally only have this dressing on hand for 2 or 3 days tops only b/c we use it pretty fast.

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  2. Enjoy your recipes. One ingredient I would not use is Splenda. A much healthier alternative would be Stevia. I'm not into the chemicals. Thanks for some great recipes, I have found several that I want to try. Keep posting. I have you bookmarked now.

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  3. Thanks Beverly for reading and pointing that out! I created this recipe over a year ago, and I actually still used splenda then. Now I completely agree that there are much better sugar alternatives! For this recipe I would use agave, or if you like stevia, go for it!

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  4. My boyfriend did the same exact thing when I brought Chia seeds home.. Men.. :) I was searching for ideas for a really easy chia seed dressing recipe for my dinner tonight. I don't have any lemons at home, but I do have blood orange. I'm going to give it a shot! I may even leave the sweetner out and add some scallions! Thanks for the recipe idea! Btw: I too love cheese! I recently started making my own. Incredible!

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  5. Tanks for sharing this amazing post i like it.I like your way a explanation.here i have got many knowledgeable things thanks for that.
    Chia Seeds

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  6. What is the calorie count??

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  7. Timing is everything. There are days I need someone to deliver this to my doorstep! Loved how you enhanced it.

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    Replies
    1. That's really funny, i can totally relate!

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