COCOCHIA PUDDING

This may be the first time I've made up my own recipe.I even thought up a catchy name for it.....CocoChia Pudding. I have taken ideas from several different recipes which used coconut milk, coconut flakes, almond milk, chia seeds....etc...all in different combinations. One recipe consisted solely of coconut flakes and coconut milk, which was chilled. It was ok but it didn't do much for me. Yesterday I decided to use coconut milk with chia seeds. A fussy sugarholic relative just stopped by so I asked if he'd be a guinea pig, try my pudding and give his opinion. He was a little bit skeptical when he heard the ingredients... but... he chowed it right down and then he even asked for the recipe!! Now I feel more confident in sharing my concoction. It is low carb, contains healthy fats and has high quality complete protein from the chia seeds. You can adjust the recipe to your suiting. In opposition to mainstream  nutritional advice, saturated and monosaturated fats are good for you. It is the carbohydrates that mess up our metabolism and encourage weight gain and blood sugar problems. In addition to the healthy fat in coconut milk, the chia seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids. I wanted to try real maple syrup for the sweetener but I couldn't get the bottle open ...so I used organic whole cane sugar. I used a very small amount...only a teaspoon

Here's the basic recipe. You can add more or fewer chia seeds and adjust or change the flavorings

1 13.5 ounce can of whole fat organic coconut milk

3 TBsp of chia seed

1 Tsp organic whole cane sugar

1/8 Tsp of powdered cinnamon

1 Tsp of real vanilla

When I opened the can of coconut milk, it had separated. The solids were at the bottom and the liquid was on top....so I put it in a bowl and mixed it together thoroughly. If the coconut milk is already mixed, smooth and creamy...then you can skip the mixing part.

Next I added the 3 Tablespoons of chia seeds. Then I added the other ingredients, saving a little of the cinnamon to sprinkle on top. Mix together well, cover and let it set in the refridgerator for about 3 hours. I like it served cold. It was very smooth, soothing and cool when just out of the fridge. The consistency of the pudding reminded me of tapioca. How easy and healthy is that! It's odd because even though it wasn't highly flavored I kept going back for more. I found it a little bit addicting. Its simple to make so try it yourself and see what yummy combinations you can come up with.