Talking About Food And Cooking

Chia seeds are a great addition to many recipes, both for texture and for substance. Unfortunately, many people don't understand how to properly use them. If you'd like to incorporate chia seeds into your diet but aren't sure how, these tips will help. Here's a look at a few things you should know about using chia seeds in your kitchen.

Proper Preparation

When it comes to using chia seeds, there are two things to keep in mind. The preparation is going to depend on the type of recipe that you're using them in. For liquid-based recipes, such as smoothies or yogurt dishes, you'll want the seeds to be soaked. The same is true when you use them as a replacement for eggs. When you soak them, they become thick and resemble a gel-like consistency.

If you are using them in baking recipes as a flour substitute, you can grind them into a fine consistency and replace portions of the flour with it. While chia seeds have a nutty-like flavor when you use them whole, you won't notice a flavor difference if you use them in a recipe in either of these ways.

Making Egg-Free Recipes

Chia seeds are a great substitute for eggs when you're baking. You can replace an egg in any baking recipe with a mixture of two teaspoons of ground chia seed soaked in a quarter-cup of water.

Adding Bulk in Flour Mixtures

Ground chia seeds mixed into a flour of any kind will add bulk to the flour mixture. You can grind it to the same texture as the flour and combine it with traditional flour for most of your favorite baking recipes.

Binding Meatballs

If you're making meatballs and you want to skip the breadcrumbs, ground up chia seeds will hold your meatballs together just as well as breadcrumbs would.

Other Uses

Chia seeds are versatile enough that you can use them in a multitude of ways, from puddings to smoothies to coatings on breaded nuggets or similar foods. Overnight refrigerated oatmeal with chia seeds is hearty, filling and full of texture from the seeds. Finally, if you like granola, you can include chia seeds in the granola for an added crunch and flavor.

As you can see, chia seeds are a great ingredient to keep in your kitchen. If you have decided to start working them into your diet, these options will help you get started. You can buy chia seeds online through a site like www.sincerelynuts.com or get them from a local grocery supplier.