I recently returned from a wonderful few days in Montana. My family enjoyed the cool weather and lovely views of the Montana sky and landscape. But, most importantly, we attended the wedding of the son of some dear friends. I had some much needed time to just relax and reflect and do some leisurely cooking.
We made the drive from Hutchinson to Red Lodge (a mere 16+ hours) and it couldn’t have been more fun. I packed food to take for breakfast and lunches. In my stash, there were lots of fruit and vegetables and some crepes made at home before we left. One morning I awoke and got out the strawberries and made some strawberry chia jam. I let it cool and stirred it into some yogurt.
YUMMY!!
Then the next morning I filled crepes with it – YUMMY X 2!!!
It is so easy to make with only 3 ingredients (or 4 if you want it a little sweeter) and I love the idea of chia seeds. Did you know there are 3 grams of protein in only 1 Tablespoon? And, if you are vegetarian – what a substitute for gelatin.
I happened to use strawberries last week, but I have made it with blueberries, raspberries, and even mangos. Fresh or frozen – it doesn’t matter. I have also mixed the berries as well.
Give it a try – you might find yourself eating it right out of the jar!! It is a wonderful addition sitting on your refrigerator shelf. My refrigerator hasn’t been without it since I stumbled on the idea.
- 3 cups strawberries (or another berry or a combination of any)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 Tablespoon sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup)*
- In a small bowl, soak the chia seeds in the water (the two will become very congealed) In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the strawberries with 2 Tablespoons water. While heating, mash to desired consistency and occasionally stir as it cooks, about 10-15 minutes. Once it is heated through, take off the heat and add the chia seeds and sweetener. Stir until mixed together. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Place in a container and refrigerate. It is ready to use!! That simple!
- * I use stevia as the sweetener. I add maybe a ¼ teaspoon after I have stirred the chia seeds and the fruit together. This amount can vary, of course, due to the sweetness level of the fruit.
- Also, if you don’t like the little seeds, you can blend a tad and break them up. You can play around with it if you like and add some lemon zest or vanilla extract or a little balsamic vinegar - go ahead and be crazy!! Mix it up!! I am sure you can’t go wrong!! I just didn’t suggest it in the beginning because I thought it was so neat it was only 3 or 4 ingredients!!
Enjoy and let me know if you come up with any great combinations!
Julie
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