VANILLA CHIA PUDDING WITH RASPBERRY COULIS, AND COCONUT/ MANGO TOPPING

I had no idea what chia seeds were a few years ago, but boy am I glad I discovered them.

Those little seeds packed with nutrients have such a fun texture when mixed with any type of liquid. The best way I can think of to describe the texture once soaked, is that they become soft and gelatinous like tapioca with a crunch at the core. Nothing else has that unique, and delicious texture. The seeds have a very mild, nutty flavor, and therefore work great in recipes as they will pretty much absorb any flavor that you wish to give them, 

Chia puddings are probably one of the most famous ways to integrate them into a recipe, and it is easy to see why... They are easy to make, super nutritious, and soooo good. I have made them many times for people and was asked for my recipe so often. This variation is one of my favorites. It has a blend of flavors that work really well together. 

I sometimes find my chia puddings to be too thick, or too runny.  Mainly because the seeds tend to react differently to various types of milk, and also because some type of seeds tend to grow more than others. So if that happens to you, just add a little more milk to a pudding that is too consistent, mixing it well, until you get the nice, runny pudding consistency.  Or if too runny, just add a few seeds, and remember that they grow quite a bit, so a little goes a long way.

VANILLA CHIA PUDDING WITH RASPBERRY COULIS,  AND COCONUT/ MANGO TOPPING

Ingredients:

For the pudding:

I recipe of vanilla cashew milk (click here for the easy method How to make vanilla cashew milk)

*you could use 1 liter of your favorite non-dairy vanilla milk if you do not have a blender, (it just doesn't taste as delicious in my opinion).

2/3 cup of chia seeds

2/3 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut 

For the raspberry coulis:

1 1/2 cups of raspberries

1/2 tablespoon of coconut nectar

For the topping:

2 ripe mangoes, skin and core removed, chopped into cubes

1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

In a large container, combine the vanilla cashew milk, the chia seeds, and the shredded coconut. Make sure to mix well as the chia seeds will otherwise get clumpy.   

Seal, and put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to overnight, so that the chias expand and work their magic. Mix well before using. 

Once the chia is set, make the coulis by blending the raspberries and the coconut nectar together in a blender until very smooth.

To serve, split the pudding into 6 individual bowls.   Put an even layer of coulis on each one.

Top the puddings and coulis evenly with the mangoes and coconut flakes. 

Serve cold.

This will make 6 servings.