Chia Cheesecake Pudding with Maple and Berries

Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Fruit, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)

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Recipe Redux – January, 2016: New Year, New Ingredients

With every new year comes new resolutions. One of the more popular choices is to eat healthier. A great addition to most any diet are healthier fats like omega-3 fatty acids.

There are several foods that are great sources of omega-3s, including salmon, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, sardines, fish oils, walnuts and even certain spices like basil, clove and oregano. While there are many recipes out there using salmon or walnuts, many other good omega-3 fatty acid sources are often less utilized.

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Salba, a.k.a. Chia seeds

I decided for this post to make a recipe using Salba, or more commonly known as Chia seeds. Not only are they loaded with Omega-3, these

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Chia Cheesecake Pudding with maple syrup, awaiting berries

nutrition powerhouses also contain antioxidants, calcium, fiber and protein.

Chia seeds are perfect for thickening, as they can hold as much as 10 times their weight in water! Use them to make quick-jams, or for puddings like this recipe. However, do use caution if eating Chia seeds without soaking first, as the dry seeds may cause choking issues for some if they get caught in the throat and then swell.

When storing, keep Chia seeds in the refrigerator or freezer, so to help better preserve the omega-3 fatty acids.

I topped this pudding with colorful blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. Other berries and/or fruits could be just as tasty, so feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand.

You can serve this pudding for either dessert or breakfast. Either way, your family is sure to enjoy it.

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1 cup Cottage cheese, low-fat
1/2 cup Milk, low-fat or non-fat
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain, non-fat
1/3 cup Chia seeds
4 tablespoons Maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups Berries, assorted, fresh, rinsed

PREPARATION
To a blender add the milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla. Blend ingredients together for about 30-40 seconds.

Drop a small scoop of the berries into each bottom of four serving glasses. Scoop one quarter of the prepared pudding into to each glass. Cover each dessert with plastic wrap and refrigerate the puddings for at least two hours or overnight. Top the puddings with the remaining berries and serve cold.

Makes 4 servings.

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Perfect for tomorrow’s breakfast