Chia Seeds Trial One--Chia Seeds as an Egg Substitute

I've been reading about the wonders of chia seeds for a little while -- high in Omega-3s, fiber and protein.  But, I was hesitant. Really ... I'm gonna use the same kind of seeds that come with a Chia Pet in my cooking???

The folks at Nuchia sent me a sample of chia seeds to try.  Even then, I was still a little reluctant.  Some of the blog posts I've read from other vegan or gluten-free cooks reported that chia can have a strange gel-like consistency that might not work well for all foods.

I decided for my first trial to take it easy.  I used chia seeds soaked in water as an egg substitute.  (I used 1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked in 3 tablespoons water for 15 minutes.)  To ensure that it was a good test, I made one of our family's favorite cookies, the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that I created for our upcoming Welcoming Kitchen book (due out next spring, yeah!!).  I knew that it was tried and true, so if the chia seeds worked we would know right away, and if the cookies were no good, we'd know what to blame.

The verdict is in for trial one. Chia seeds worked great as an egg substitute in cookies!  More trials to come...

Next time, I'll provide a recipe!

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book,  Ancient Grains: A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Millet, Oats, Spelt, Farro, Sorghum & Teff (Superfoods for Life), is available now! Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.