Since chia is all over the place, and that everyone is talking about it in the nutrition world as a miracle little seed, I decided to try it out too. I used to sprinkle it on top of yogurt or fruits, but I never cooked with it or never made anything out of it. At least now, I can have an opinion for myself. I love to try new things when they get that much press, I am thinking it cannot get all that bad.

Chia is supposedly very nutritious, lots of proteins, fibers and amino acids. It’s good for me because I do not eat many proteins, so I thought this would supplement my needs. The fun part in this, is to play with it and make something interesting and pleasurable to the palate. If I don’t like something, it could be the most nutritious thing on earth, I will not eat it. So if it’s good and nutritious, that’s a winner because one without the other one doesn’t work.

I have been reading about chia and how to prepare it. Since it’s a very absorbing little seeds that expands, it needs to be in contact with some liquid. I used coconut milk here, but any other dairy or non dairy milk will work (almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, etc…). Yes, it did expand and those little seeds look like caviar with a transparent shell or some dark fish eggs.

I was a bit skeptical when I took the first bite, but then I liked it. I think the more you eat it the more you like it. I don’t know why but I feel good after I eat chia and I have no idea why.

Ingredients for 3-4

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1.5 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut
• agave nectar or stevia to taste
• 2 tbs raw pistachios
• 1 banana, sliced
• dark chocolate (optional for decoration)

Preparation

In a mixing container, mix all ingredients together, except the bananas. Mix well and let rest for about 30 min until it thickens. Place in individual cups and refrigerate for about 6 hours.

Place banana slices on top and sprinkle with some additional pistachios, shredded coconut and dark chocolate

If you are not a cook, nor a pastry chef, this would be for you…How a dessert can more simple? Besides, it’s quite light, so in my book all the attributes to be called a perfect dessert. I think as a “petite chose sucrée“, a little sweet thing to serve when you have unplanned guests and no time to prepare a more complex dessert. You can also eat this as a snack with tea, the cups are small, about 2 1/2 inches height so in a few spoonfuls, you’re done.

I believe that you should not skip on anything, not fat, not sugar, so obviously not dessert either but eat small portions. That is the key to maintain a healthy body, and keeping a weight down (and of course exercising). I don’t believe on those restrictive diets that will make you lose weight, make you moody and miserable, then gain all the weight back, due to uncontrollable cravings. Maybe that is my French background that is talking this way, but so far it has shown to be efficient.

Of course, there can be many variations, such as replacing the banana with pears, pineapple, or any other fruit you like. Also, instead of the caramel, you can use chocolate, since chocolate and banana have been made for each other. For the caramel, you can use the one you buy at the store, I found some delicious caramel à la fleur de sel in a small jar at the Rainbow Market, that added a nice touch to it.

This pudding will be classified in my “ à refaire souvent” (to be made often) category due to its easiness and deliciousness ratio. It’s creamy, flavorful and light…just the way I love my desserts.

Ingredients for 4

• 4 slices brioche
• 1 banana, peeled and sliced
• 4 tsp caramel
• 4 tbs raisins
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs rum

Preparation

In a mixing container, combine eggs, sugar, milk, cream, rum and vanilla. Mix well to obtain a homogenous consistency. Using some small glasses (the ones than can be placed in the oven of course), start putting together the pudding. lay banana slices at the bottom of the glasses, then add raisins (previously soaked in rum), add brioche and proceed the same way with the other layer.

At the end of the process, you need to finish up with the brioche on top and not the banana. Pour the egg/milk mixture on top to cover the brioche.

Cook in a bain-marie (water bath) for about 25 minutes at 380F until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool, sprinkle with vanilla powder or powdered sugar and eat cold (not lukewarm) or at room temperature

I am not sure this can be called pudding, but a friend of mine came for dinner some time ago and I served her this as a dessert, and she said with enthusiasm “Oh Silvia! j’adore ton pudding!!”, so I figured she must knew what she was talking about and decided to call this a pudding. Is it a pudding, technically speaking? I don’t know.

I am not really a sweet tooth (I’m sure you are doubting this statement due to the quantities of desserts I made lately) but I do enjoy fruit based desserts like this one…and do take great pleasure to make them maybe even a little bit more so than eating them. The great thing is that I have the sweetest, kindest, and most adorable neighbors anyone can dream of, who happen to have a passion for desserts and sweets, so that is the perfect world. I bake, they eat. Everyone is happy. Actually I haven’t baked too often recently, but I promised them I will. I am always delighted to please anyone and more so someone I really appreciate, like my neighbors.

Those are small bites, so you can serve about two or three each, they’re light and always a pleasure to have a after a heavy meal. I think no matter how heavy a meal is, something sweet needs to be served, even if it’s fruit. We have a saying in French” Il faut toujours laisser une petite place pour le dessert” (you always need to leave a small space for dessert) but I know, the size of the space depends on the sweetness of your tooth!

I had a lot of mangoes and a whole coconut that needed to be used, but this dessert works with other fruits as well, like pineapple, peaches, and pears too! Any fruit can be combined to coconut which to me is like a magic ingredient. If you don’t have a whole fresh coconut, the dried one works fine. I also made brioche again, so instead of just eating it for breakfast, I used it in the pudding. Try a pudding with brioche instead of the bread, the texture is softer, and I just love the idea that I am biting in a slice of brioche instead of bread. Muffin silicon molds would be perfect for those bites

So if you don’t live on the Islands like me, but feel like taking a trip there, you can start with this dessert, the coconut and mango will definitely give you that feeling.

Ingredients for 6 mini puddings

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbs sugar
• 7 tbs coconut milk
• 2 oz milk
• 3 tbs shredded coconut(fresh or dried)
• 1 tbs rum
• 3 slices brioche
• 1/2 mango, peeled and cut in small slices
• 5.20 oz (or 150 g) sugar for the caramel

Preparation

In a mixing container, mix eggs, sugar, coconut milk, milk, shredded coconut (or coconut flakes), rum.

Cut brioche slices in rings about 1 cm thick and the size of your mold.

Start making caramel. Let sugar melt in a pan at medium heat and let it brown to desired color (do not burn, the caramel will be dark and bitter).

Divide the caramel in the molds, add mango slices, then brioche and pour egg mixture. Fill to the top of the mold.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F until the top of the brioche is golden brown (about 20 minutes)

Remove from the oven, let them cool. Flip puddings over (with the mango slices on top) and serve at room temperature with vanilla or caramel ice cream.