By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Cookbook review: 'Chia Crazy' puts the spotlight on an ancient superfood
215ab094e13623ad9519f52ea5ab64190df7b2305adfea3fb20b3ca19c98902f
Vanilla Chia Pudding is from "Chia Crazy: Clean Eating with the World's Greatest Super Food" by Britney Rule and Cheri Schetselaar. - photo by Jeff Peterson
CHIA CRAZY: Clean Eating with the Worlds Greatest Superfood, by Cherie Schetselaar and Britney Rule, Familius, $19.95, 136 pages

Up until a few years ago, one could be forgiven for thinking chias only use was as green sprouty hair on kitschy terracotta figurines.

However, in their new book, Chia Crazy: Clean Eating with the Worlds Greatest Superfood, mother-daughter bloggers and cookbook authors Cherie Schetselaar and Britney Rule give a handy guide to the variety of ways this ancient superfood can be used to amp up the nutritional value of day-to-day recipes

Like their previous books, Grain Crazy and Quinoa Crazy, Chia Crazy is a handsomely put together volume with plenty of thoughtful touches.

That includes full-color photos for most of the recipes and color-coded chapters, which make it easy to dive into. And with sections like Chia 101 and Clean Eating 101, its written at a level where people just starting out in the world of healthy cooking wont feel at all intimidated.

Whats more, Schetselaar and Rule do a fantastic job of selecting recipes that families will actually want to try, making the sometimes difficult transition to clean eating that much easier.

In fact, some of the recipes seem downright decadent, with fresh fruit, whipped coconut cream, peanut butter, dark chocolate and honey among the ingredients that frequently pop up.

Theres even an entire section on drinks and smoothies, including standouts like an Almond Joy smoothie and a creamy melon slushie.

Beyond just a collection of recipes, Chia Crazy works as an introductory guidebook to the principles of using chia grinding it to use as a thickening agent or turning it into a gel for drinks or as an egg substitute, etc. so that home cooks will be able to experiment on their own with ways to incorporate this ingredient into their families diets.

Little factoids, helpful hints and even historical details about chias uses among ancient civilizations like the Aztec and Maya round things out, helping to make Chia Crazy probably the only book about chia that most family cooks will ever need or want and a perfect companion to Schetselaar and Rules other books.

*****

Vanilla Chia Pudding

Serves: 2

I am a big fan of both tapioca and rice pudding, and this treat reminds me of a combination of them. This pudding is quick and easy to make, and it would be a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. You can enjoy it as soft serve after cooling it for an hour, or you can chill it for four hours or overnight for a thicker pudding. We loved every bite of it!

cup canned coconut milk (full fat)

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

cup chia seeds

1 cup fresh (or frozen and thawed) raspberries

In a mason jar, combine the coconut milk, almond milk, syrup and chia. Put on the lid and shake the jar several times to evenly distribute the seeds.

Place the covered jar in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Take the jar out of the refrigerator and shake or stir. Cover again and place back in the refrigerator. It will be ready to eat as a soft serve after another 30 minutes of refrigeration. If you want it to be thicker, wait at least 4 hours or chill overnight.

Once the pudding has reached your desired consistency, top with raspberries and devour.

Chia Crazy, by Cherie Schetselaar and Britney Rule
Sign up for our E-Newsletters