Trifling With Chia

By Esther Boateng

Trifling With Chia is perfect for those moments when you have decision fatigue. What should I eat? Trifle or chia? Now there’s no need to choose; you can enjoy the best of both puddings.

 

If I had my way, every dessert menu would be a tasting menu. I’d choose 3 or 4 plates without anyone batting an eyelid. But alas, that’s simply not your average dining experience. This recipe is for those who like to enjoy more than one delicious treat at a time, without feeling guilty. It’s guilt free and full of naturally raw, wild, and minimally processed ingredients like fiber-rich chia seeds, baruka nuts, beet powder, coconut butter, turmeric powder, bee pollen, cacao, and sweet spices like cinnamon and lucuma (optional). With a little ingenuity, you might be able to eat all the colors of the rainbow in one mouthful.

 

Chia seeds may be popular but, like quinoa, can be quite bland unless you add interesting flavors to make it sparkle with personality. I made the chocolate base with a combination of mostly raw cacao and raw coconut butter. (Fun side note: you can use the chocolate base to make chocolate truffles if you make them into small bite size balls and put them in the fridge to harden.)

 

For this recipe, you might want to try adding extra flavors like orange essential oil, maca, or lucuma powder, which has an incredibly delicious butterscotch aroma. Lucuma ice cream is a popular delicacy in places like Peru, and I can see why. The subtle sweetness of lucuma powder lends itself well to recipes like ice cream, as well as other desserts that require a hint of sweetness. Other ingredients include baruka nuts, and a honey mixture that consists of bee propolis, royal jelly and bee pollen; more on this later; first, baruka nuts. 

 

In the last several months, I’ve replaced my regular variety of nuts with wild baruka nuts. I’m pretty sure my obsession with baruka nuts is the reason for the increase in my weekly grocery bill. Known as the healthiest nut in the world, with apparently more fiber and fewer calories than any other nut, baruka nuts are loaded with 3x the anti-oxidant power of other nuts, according to the exotic superfoods hunter, Darren Olien. I’ll probably grow tired of them one day, but for now, they’re a keeper.

 

The same can be said with my favorite raw honey, which contains a heavy dose of medicinal bee propolis, royal jelly, and bee pollen. This golden treat is usually reserved for recipes like raw desserts and smoothies, basically anything that doesn’t require any heat.

 

Although this dish is a dessert, I can happily eat it as part of a nutrient dense breakfast or a satisfying afternoon snack. I generally stick to the basic recipe because it’s less work. If I have people over for a bite to eat, I’ll make an effort to create decadent layers. Although it takes more time, I think it’s worth it if you want an eye-catching dessert.

 

Ingredients

 

Basic Chia Pudding:

5 oz plain yogurt (142 g or 1 single serving container)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

3 – 5 Tbsp filtered water

Pinch of salt

1 tsp maple syrup or preferred sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of cinnamon

 

Yellow Layer:

5 oz plain yogurt (142 g or 1 single serving container)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

3 – 5 Tbsp filtered water

Pinch of salt

1 tsp raw honey or preferred sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp bee pollen

Pinch of Dr. Cowan’s Garden Turmeric Powder

 

Beetroot Layer:

5 oz plain yogurt (142 g or 1 single serving container)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

3– 5 Tbsp filtered water

Pinch of salt

1 tsp raw honey or preferred sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp Dr. Cowan’s Garden Three Beet Powder

½ tsp pomegranate powder (optional)

 

Chocolate Layer:

½ cup baruka nuts (baka nuts) or 10-15 of preferred nuts

3 Tbsp raw coconut butter (coconut manna)

½ cup raw unsweetened shredded coconut

1 Tbsp Dr. Cowan’s Garden Three Beet Powder

1 Tbsp coconut oil or cacao butter, melted

4 Tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tsp bee pollen

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp maca or lucuma powder (optional)

2-3 tsp raw honey or preferred sweetener

Pinch of salt

2 drops orange essential oil (optional)

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions

 

 Basic Chia Pudding:

  1. Add chia seeds, water and salt to yogurt and stir well. The thick and creamy yogurt I use for this recipe comes in a small glass jar. This works well because I don’t have to transfer it to a mixing bowl - unless I add additional water – and I can also eat it on the go.
  2. If you make a large batch of this pudding, scale the ingredients accordingly. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until everything is well combined.
  3. Place in the fridge overnight, and it’s ready to eat the next day.

 

Yellow and Beetroot Layers:

  1. Follow directions above, adding additional ingredients before stirring.

 

Chocolate Layer:

  1. Blend the nuts, coconut shreds and bee pollen in a hand-held blender until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Put this dry blend in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are combined into a thick spreadable paste.
    1. Tips for chocolate layer:
      If you find the consistency of the mixture is too stiff, add more honey, or coconut oil to loosen the mixture. Additional coconut oil will make the chocolate layer more brittle when you remove it from the fridge..
    2. You want to avoid the mistake that I made when I got carried away and added too much extra coconut oil. When I removed my pots from the fridge overnight, the base was rock hard. So unless you want to wait 20 minutes or so for your food to reach room temperature, I would go easy on the oil.

 

Building Your Trifle Layers:

  1. If you are using the chocolate layer as the base for your pudding, spread this at the bottom of a small pot. Use the back of a spoon to make it smooth and even.
  2. Add a layer of the basic chia pudding on top of your chocolate base. Use the back of a spoon to make it smooth and even.
  3. Add a dollop of the yellow layer. Use the back of a spoon to make it smooth and even.
  4. You can start with any layer you wish. I found the chocolate base, followed by the other two layers to be the most satisfying. I decorated one of the pots with cacao nibs, sprouted pumpkin seeds, bee pollen, and baruka nuts
  5. Place your pot(s) in the fridge overnight, and it’s ready to serve the next day.

 

 

 

 


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