Chia recipes? also--to blend or not to blend?

spud_chick

After finding it out of stock everywhere locally and most places I shop online, I finally got ahold of a bag of chia seeds today! It was starting to look like I'd have to arm wrestle someone for them.

I have read about chia and people's like/dislike of the texture. I would like to try some recipes that take advantage of the gelling properties of the seed, such as 'puddings', and also baked goods since it appears to be useful for adding moisture without extra fat. I know lots of people like to down them as quickly as possible before they swell up, but I'm looking for real chia-based recipes.

Also, there seems to be contradictory info on whether the seed should be buzzed with liquids in a blender to grind the seed when making these pudding-y recipes, or whether the seed should be left whole inside its little glob. Anyone know why that is? Is it a flavor thing or a nutrition thing?

Your thoughts and experiences? Thanks in advance!

wftiger

You do not have to blend them. If you let them sit in water it will gel up and you can drink it. Yes there are seeds but they are tiny. I put them in my protein shakes. Thickens them up a bit.