Chia Beverage

 Plant Based Milk Alternative ... CHIA

There are many different plant based cow's milk alternatives on the market. When you are deciding which one to purchase, you need to look at the labels to find the right product for you. 

 

A new product in the marketplace is  Chia Milk from Seeds of Wellness. Chia is a powerful superfood which contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids, something important for our bodies but missing in many of our diets. 

 

Nutrition 

Let's look at the nutrition of Chia Milk alternative and Almond Milk alternative:

                           CHIA MILK                 ALMOND MILK

CALORIES                31                                         39

PROTEIN              2.4g/serving                       1g/serving

CARBS                 2g/serving                        3.5g/serving

FIBER                 2g/serving                            .5g/serving

FAT                     1.5g/serving                        3g/serving

OMEGA-3            .74g/serving    

Recipes

I enjoy using Chia Milk in my recipes.  When I first started using Chia Milk, I substituted Chia Milk for a portion of the Almond Milk I would use in recipes. I started with 1/4 of a cup then increased slowly until I got to a 50/50 mix. Pictured below is Overnight Oats using Blueberries and a 50/50 mix of Chia Milk/Almond Milk. I based this off my Spirit of Spring Overnight Oats.      

 

Pad Thai Rice Noodle Rainbow

Gazing at my Forbidden Pad Thai Rice Noodles I KNEW I wanted to make a dish that was full of color. The purple noodles were calling for the rest of the rainbow to join them. with Lotus Foods Forbidden Pad Thai Rice Noodles as my blank canvas, and the rainbow as my muse, I began meal prep. From start to finish, the meal was ready in less than 30 minutes.

Preparation

I gathered veggies:

• Red bell pepper (1 diced)
  
• Rainbow carrots... Yellow and Orange (2 diced )
  
• Frozen peas - Green (1 cup)
• Onion (1/2 cup diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (diced)
  

I decided on a protein ... Tofu

I decided on a sauce ... peanut 

Peanut Sauce

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar .. omit of using store bought nut butters as there are sugars added
  
• 2 tsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp nut butter (seed butter works too)
• 1 tbsp olive oil/sesame oil so things do not stick to the pan 
• add a tbsp of water if the sauce is too thick for your taste (depends on nut/seed butter you use) 

 

Instructions:

• Prepare the peanut sauce in a small saute pan. 
  
• Saute the onions and garlic is just enough olive oil to coat the pan
• Once translucent, add the rest of the veggies and saute until el dente
• In a separate pan, fry the tofu (or use an air fryer) 
• In a pot, bring water to a boil and prepare the noodles as directed on the package. 
• Toss the noodles with the sauce and add the veggies
• Put in a bowl and top with the tofu
  

 

My rainbow is almost complete. 

To finish the rainbow, I should have some fresh blueberries for dessert!

 

 

Spicy as You Want Them Black Bean Burgers

I decided to make black bean burgers from scratch. I enjoy the Gardein gluten free, vegan black bean burgers that I have purchased at the grocery store. Since we are trying to stay at home as much as possible, I decided to make my own using the dry black beans I had in the house. I started with two cups of dry black beans and added 4 cups of water and 1 vegetable broth cube to the water. I let the beans soak for the rest of a day and over night. The next day I drained the beans then added them to a pot, added another vegetable broth cube, added water and cooked until most of the beans were tender.

Black Bean Burgers are Easy To Make

Yes, this would be SUPER SIMPLE if you used canned beans. Once the beans are ready, the meal can be ready in no time. The burgers cook relatively quickly and can be served with ketchup and mustard, hummus, or other condiments of choice. The burgers have a good texture and the meal is filling. Make them as spicy as you wish. Make them as big or small as you wish. Make the recipe to meet your needs.

 

 

Ingredients

2 cups black beans (dry) or 2 cans of black beans (drained/rinsed)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion chopped (or one small onion)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ketchup (or sriracha)
2 tbsp Tamari - gluten free soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup gluten free oats
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
(add more  oats/bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet)
NOTE: Increase/decrease spice ratio to change the heat factor to what you prefer.

 

Instructions:

• Add everything but the oats/bred crumbs to a food processor/VitaMix
• NOTE: I tend to pulse to create a smooth yet chunky mixture. You could always reserve 1/2 cup beans to fold in at the end to create the chunky full bean texture in a few bites. 
• Add the bread crumbs/oats slowly so that you do not add too much. You want to thicken the burger without drying it out completely. Add more than suggested or less depending on the moisture content of the beans. 
• Make into patties (size of choice), add a little olive oil to a pan, and fry
• I flattened and flipped after about 10 minutes 
• Serve with condiments/vegetables of choice on your bun and add side dishes of choice. 

Note: My picture is of the burgers as I ran out of buns and used bread...when COVID19 stay at home orders are lifted and stores have more product, I will have gluten free burger buns again!

Plant Based Dairy Alternatives

Plant Based Dairy Alternatives

Plant based dairy alternatives are very popular. For years nut and soy based products have filled the space in the marketplace. They are facing more competition each day. The new products fill the space for the people who are seeking dairy free and are unable to consume nuts and soy.

Sesame Milk 

Sesame milk is a great product for the consumer who wishes a product that tastes like a nut milk but is more sustainable. For the consumer who is concerned that it takes 1 gallon of water to produce 1 almond, sesame milk is a great alternative. Sesame milk contains sesame and pea protein. Each serving is 8 grams of protein and includes calcium and vitamin D.  I enjoy drinking Hope & Sesame sesame milk and using it in recipes like Sesame Milk Chia Pudding.
 

Oat Milk

Oat milk production is simple. Gluten-free oats are soaked in water, pulverized in a blender, strained, and packaged. For the consumer who does not wish to make it at home, many companies have entered the marketplace so there is a chance there are a few options in your local store! Typically, oat milk has more fiber and protein than almond milk, but its calorie count and fat content is higher. Oat milk's advantage is that it contains more B2, B12, Vitamin D, and phosphorus than almond milk helping boost metabolism, energize the body, and prevent disease. I have found that oat milk is thicker than almond milk. Some brands have a bit of oat crumbles as residue in the bottom of the carton, so I suggest you shake the carton each time before using it! I enjoy drinking oat milk and have been working on recipes using it.

When looking for oat milk in your local store, look for Malk Sprouted Organic Oat Malk Original. Malk is dedicated to conscious sourcing and has pursued The Detox Project's Glyphosate Residue Free Certification, guaranteeing the oats used in the product are not contaminated. 

Disclaimer: “This post (or portions of this post) was provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people.”