Our niece and nephew join the fun today as I show you how to make a chia porridge…
Yes, that’s right. It’s me. In the kitchen. 
Watch out. Things will get messy.
Chia is a great oat or wheat (gluten) substitute for breakfast and this raw food recipe for chia porridge can be adjusted to your own family’s taste.
Take a look…
Your question of the day: Where does chia and/or vanilla come from and how do you use it?
Click here, scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave your comment now!
Kevin’s Raw Food Recipes for Chia Pet Porridge (Please adjust for taste!)
2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
1/2 Cup Water
1 Handful of Blueberries / Cherries / Strawberries
1 Teaspoon Ground Vanilla Beans
2 Tablespoons Lucuma Powder
1 Teaspoon Stevia Powder
Bee Pollen to Taste
Soak chia seeds in the water for 20 min. Blend other ingredients in Vitamix. Mix together!
Live Awesome!
Kev
7:50 pm on July 1st, 2009
where do you buy lucuma and what is it
thanks,
charlotte
8:05 pm on July 1st, 2009
vanilla beans come from orchids!! I’ve seen them in hawaii!! Oh so divine! Something else that I’ve had in Hawaii that is exotic is jackfruit !!Oh so yummy! Think juicyfruit gum but an actual fruit, oh my the best ever!
8:05 pm on July 1st, 2009
Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family
that grows in southern Mexico.
The following info is “The Scoop on Chia Seeds” from the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book.
Chia seeds are high in protein, calcium, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Chia seeds absorb up to 9 times their volume in water, therefore it is important to hydrate them before consuming. If eaten dry they will absorb the fluid in your intestinal tract, which can lead to problems especially if you are dehydrated.
Chia gel helps to keep your body hydrated and provides 90% soluble fiber. When chia gel is eaten with carbohydrates, it causes a slower release of those carbohydrates in the body. This is very helpful in controlling blood sugar levels in diabetics. This slow release of carbohydrates also causes a full feeling, acting as a natural appetite suppressant.
When consumed with other foods, Chia gel helps you assimilate the nutrients in the other foods and improves elimination. It also works as a thickener in recipes and can be used as a fat substitute.
Chia gel can be added to any food or drink since they have no distinct taste. It is recommended to eat up to 2 Tablespoons three times a day for better assimilation and digestion of your food. The gel also helps alleviate indigestion.
To make Chia Gel, place 2 cups of filtered water in a one quart glass jar. Slowly add 1/4 cup chia seeds while stirring briskly with a stainless steel whisk. Let sit for 4 minutes and whisk again. Let sit for an additional
10 minutes and the gel is ready to use or refrigerate. Chia gel will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator when stored in a container with an airtight lid.
Vanilla beans come from the fruit of an orchid plant. Check out the video at http://www.reneoswald.com/videos.html (scroll down to #12) to see how to make a raw, organic vanilla powder!
8:15 pm on July 1st, 2009
Looked a little scarry! My question is where do you get the vanilla powder?
I’ll try it tomorrow and let you know what I think.
Jackie
8:20 pm on July 1st, 2009
actually the little girl was right. Vanilla does come from flowers.
8:25 pm on July 1st, 2009
Lets put Annmarie back in the kitchen?? Just a joke Kevin! I also soak the chia and put fruit, maca, bee pollen etc., but I also blend the chia seed with it all in vita-mix. Where do you get the Vanilla powder and Camu powder please? Thank you for all you do.
Love,
Kathryn (Lafayette, Colorado)
8:27 pm on July 1st, 2009
What is the name of the manufacturer of your vanilla powder?
I can only find a white colored vanilla powder and it does not smell like vanilla.
Thanks.
9:16 pm on July 1st, 2009
Brianna and Justin – What a GREAT job you did!!! Measuring and describing where the ingredients came from – VERY grown up stuff!!.
Ok – well – I haven’t tryed any of those things – yet – however, I HAVE had my smoothie “concoctions” leak out of the bottom of the blender – MANY times – just like yours
.
I am growing stevia in my garden – I bet I can dehydrate the leaves and crumble them into a powder….alright – a new experiment
– yeh!!
hugs, Dede
9:46 pm on July 1st, 2009
I’m growing stevia too this year! I can’t wait to have my own supply of green stevia powder instead of the white stuff that I think tastes horrible.
Thanks for the recipe…. I’ll make some tomorrow morning to see how it is.
11:02 pm on July 1st, 2009
we have been wondering what was in your bowl since we saw you at Raw Spirit and you added our grawnola to it…always love your show and hope we see you in santa rosa in July. Hugs to both of you from both of us. Shivie and Cemaaj, http://www.teamraw.com
12:05 am on July 2nd, 2009
The best place to find vanilla powder is at the Raw Food World, Matt Monarch’s company. The vanilla powder is so fresh and amazing, I highly recommend it.
Also, another great addition to the recipe would be some whole food vitamin C such as Purely C by Healthforce Nutritionals, and my personal favorite is Fruits of the Earth by Healthforce Nutrtionals, it provides a powerful array of antioxidants while being naturally pleasantly sweet too. You can purchase at the Raw Food World. I like to stir in some grape seed extract from Wellness Resources.com and maybe some enzymes, if you are feeding to a child or others.
2:17 am on July 2nd, 2009
I was introduced to chia seeds in 2000, post-op, by my dear caregiver from Guatamala, Rosa The Human Tornado!
Rosa would “gel” the seeds, then, mix them in with organic Meyer lemonade from my tree out back and command me to drink it up.
At first I was hesitant; wouldn’t all that citrus burn like heck on my newly sliced & diced innards?
In a word: NO!
Nothing could be further from the truth!
The chia “gel” could be traced as it flowed into my gut because of the COOLING EFFECT it had on my “inflamed innards”!
WOW!
I didn’t know just how inflammed I was until the chia “pulled the fire” from my belly!
WOW!
To this day, I’m an ardent supporter/ promoter of CHIA SEEDS!
I blew Matt (Monarch) away when he was out here 10/07 ’cause I have a “source” for 5 pound bags (ORGANIC) at $5 each!
LOVE LOVE LOVE CHIA SEEDS!
I heard they are one of the superfoods – due to their amino acid chains, too!
Plus, the Native Americans in So. Cal. would carry ONLY CHIA SEEDS for nutrition when hefting geodes and such to the coast to trade for wampum! TRUE!
And finally, when planning to grow my own, I learned they stink “to high heaven” when harvested, so, maybe stick with purchased seeds
P.S.:
If you’ve got a low & slow “Crock Pot” slow cooker at a 110 degree “LOW” setting, try soaking Irish Steel-Cut Oats in some cinnamon water with currants/raisins/chopped date(s)/ nuts overnight ~ Not only will the house smell WONDERFUL all night, but you’ll wake up to some YUMMY for your TUMMY!
I’m using the USDA Certified Organic Ground Cinnamon from http://www.JRWatkins.com and LOVING IT
Who knew “The Watkins Man” would go ORGANIC, too!
YES!
If I may, I’d like to request a raw & organic version of both POLENTA & RISOTTO ARBORIO RICE, if it’s even possible ~ I haven’t had success with either, yet… ANYONE? Please.
4:47 am on July 2nd, 2009
The best place to find vanilla powder is at the Raw Food World, Matt Monarch’s company. The vanilla powder is so fresh and amazing, I highly recommend it.
Also, another great addition to the recipe would be some whole food vitamin C such as Purely C by Healthforce Nutritionals, and my personal favorite is Fruits of the Earth by Healthforce Nutrtionals, it provides a powerful array of antioxidants while being naturally pleasantly sweet too. You can purchase at the Raw Food World. I like to stir in some grape seed extract from Wellness Resources.com and maybe some enzymes, if you are feeding to a child or others.
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
9:33 am on July 2nd, 2009
Hey, yellow flavor and yellow taste make sense to me. Thats synethesia!
9:40 am on July 2nd, 2009
Thanks for the inspiration! I just made a piña colada porridge using chia seeds, water, pineapple, coconut butter, and lucuma powder…YUM!
10:47 am on July 2nd, 2009
Fantastic show! Justin and Brianna were really great helpers in the kitchen and it was nice to meet more family members
Good questions too…Brianna was right that vanilla does come from a flower.
When I get hold of the ingredients I will try the recipe for myself. If you did grow stevia yourself, would it even be neccessary to dry and powder it? Couldn’t you just whizz the leaves up in the blender with all the other ingredients? Or is that not how it works? I’ve never tried it.
11:06 am on July 2nd, 2009
Thanks again for writing out the recipe! I can’t stream your vids often (slow broadband) so I REALLY appreciate when you write stuff. It’s always such great content on RH!
10:08 pm on July 2nd, 2009
Funny, AnnMarie. I don’t much like stevia either. I thought I was the only one. I’ve always thought it tasted like Sweet N Low. Yes, even the green stuff. Yikes.
12:20 am on July 3rd, 2009
Great recipe, will try it.
One of my raw foodist friends gave me another yummy recipe: soak chia in almond milk along with goji berries, raisins and all kinds of nuts and seeds like pumpkin, sunflower etc., can also add small pieces of Majdool dates, dried prunes, figs or apricots as sweetener…. just be creative. Sometimes I soak almonds and blend them in vitamix with water and add rest of the seeds, nuts and pitted dates in last few seconds and pour them over chia seeds, leave them for 20 – 30 minutes. Yummy!
5:35 am on July 3rd, 2009
Can anyone can answer this question for me?
Can you overload yourself with chia seeds? If you put it in and on everything that you eat/drink for the day, is that a no no?
Thanks for answering.
Great show.
8:23 am on July 3rd, 2009
such a cute show today! I was laughing at the yellow taste, yellow flavor bit– u guys are adorable! Cant wait until u have kids!
8:31 am on July 3rd, 2009
ummm–I eat A LOT of stuff other people find yucky but I dont think Id eat that stuff!! Now we know y AnnMarie is in charge of recipe WED! What would happen if you processed the chia seed gel with the fruit? It sort of looked like a swampy liquidy monochromatic soup instead of a pudding,but hey, if u like it– cheers!
8:56 pm on July 3rd, 2009
I soak chia seeds overnight, then refrigerate. I then use them in what I think is a good-tasting and nutritious green breakfast pudding which I make in the Vita-Mix; it usually consists of cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, kale, lettuce, sprouts (whatever greens and sprouts I have on hand), 4 – 6T hemp seeds, 1/4 c flax seeds, ground, 2 T chia seeds, soaked, and avocado, including a piece of the pit, as recommended by Victoria Boutenko. If the pudding is too thick, I add water. I usually start with the items that have more water, such as cucumber, zucchini and lettuce; then add kale or collards and sprouts; then a piece of avocado pit, the chia, ground flax and hemp seeds, which I first stir in (so they don’t stick to the lid), then whiz; and last, the avocado which gives a smooth and tasty texture. I usually make enough for 3 days as a timesaver. If I’m also making greens/carrot juice in my Green Power juicer, I add the fiber strained from the juice (but not the pulp). This breakfast (or lunch) pudding is very satisfying and energizing. It’s easy to grab a jar if I’m running errands and will need something nourishing before I return home.
12:10 pm on July 5th, 2009
Susana, Would you share your source for the 5# bags of Chia seeds. The Price for organic, to me sounds amazing. I would really like to order some. Thanks, Ginny: ufdatuda at yahoo dot com
8:04 pm on July 6th, 2009
Vanilla comes from an orchid, it’s 1 of two orchids that are use in cuisines. And it’s the 2nd most expensive herb (saffron is 1st).
Vanilla power, well comes from vanilla, all you need to do is have a vanilla beans and crushed it until its powdered.
Signature: Looking for premium natural vanilla beans at a bargain? Drop by at http://www.myvanillashop.com for best value.
8:14 pm on July 7th, 2009
Flax seeds do that too, they are a little easier to come by. Do you think it would be an okay replacement or does the chia have a specific taste that you are going for?
1:31 pm on July 8th, 2009
Hey, I am not sure if anyone else has commented on this or not because I haven’t had time to read all the comments, but I just wanted to mention that I noticed you left out the bee pollen because of Justin’s pollen allergies. But(unless he has a severe life threatening allergy) eating bee pollen or raw, unfiltered LOCAL honey is one of the best things you could do for pollen allergies. I just did a quick google search and found this article about curing allergies with Bee Pollen… http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/bee-pollen-cures-allergies.php
Of course they recommend starting with just a few grains and then working up to a teasppon or two a day, so you were probably right to leave it out for now since he hasn’t been taking it regularly, but I just thought that it deserved mention that bee pollen might actually be able to treat his allergies…