I got this great little recipe from my Evolve teacher.  Yes, this is made with chia seeds (like from the famous chia pet).  And don’t be surprised that it looks a little funny, but it’s a pretty refreshing and tasty little treat, especially topped with fresh fruit!  Very healthy too so no guilt!  When Scott saw it in the fridge, I believe his exact words were, “I’m not eating that.”  Haha!  It’s good though – very much like the consistency of tapioca pudding!

Simple Vanilla Chia Pudding (serves 6)

Pudding ingredients:

   – 2/3 cup whole chia seeds

   – 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

   – 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

   – 3-4 drops vanilla stevia*

   – 1 tsp lemon zest

Toppings:

   – Banana, thinly sliced

   – Fresh Strawberries, thinly sliced

   – 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Put chia seeds, almond milk, vanilla extract, stevia and lemon zest in a 1-quart glass jar with a lid.  Tighten the lid and shake well to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. The mixture will become very thick and pudding-like. When ready to serve, give it one last good stir. Spoon into bowls and top with fresh strawberries, banana and coconut.  I bet other berries would also be tasty (blue berries, raspberries, black berries, whatever you have on hand).  Enjoy!

* By the way, I could not find the vanilla stevia at my HEB and had to go to Whole Foods where I found it on the baking isle along with the sweeteners and sugar.