I hope you’re all having a kick ass and relaxing Sunday all in one go. Rob and I got up early and have been to the woods picking chanterelles. It started pouring down with rain, haha. We got some shrooms though so stay tuned for some chanterelle recipes soon. But first something refreshing to tie us over on those more sun filled days; hibiscus chia fresca!
What is chia fresca? Basically it’s a homemade cold drink that can be made from various juices or cooled teas mixed with chia seeds to make a yummy drink with little pieces of gel like seeds in it. Sounds weird? Yes, it does. But I promise it’s yum and I especially like to make it like this with hibiscus tea. I do add some apple juice in the mix though to add some sweetness along with a little bit of maple syrup but you can make this drink as sweet or not sweet as you like by tweaking the amounts.
I’ve also tried this drink with rhubarb mixed into the tea and then strained to get rid of the rhubarb pulp, through a sieve or muslin cloth for example. This gives that refreshing sourness to the drink that I ended up using lime juice for in my final recipe but I would recommend trying it with rhubarb if you have some lying around. It gives the drink a yummy flavour which goes really well with the hibiscus and apple.
I’d also recommend trying this with citrus flavoured water or fresh juices or iced teas as it is just very refreshing and makes it fun to stay hydrated throughout the day. The chia seeds have been great for my gut and bowel movements, hope that’s not too much information but instead can give generic for valium those of you who need a little assistance in that area some help. Also chia seeds has good fatty acids and the seeds are best had with liquids so there’s a win win in drinking this magical gel pod infused drink. Just be mindful of how much fruit juice you drink in a day though, it can make your blood sugar swing.
Now go prepare a yummy chia fresca for the week ahead and enjoy the rest of your Sunday – I know I will! x
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HIBISCUS CHIA FRESCA
YIELDS: 4-6 servings / TIME: Over night + 10 min + 2 h
2 tbsp dried hibiscus / hibiscus tea
4 cups hot water
2 cups apple juice
1/2 lime, just the juice
1 tbsp maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener
8 tbsp chia seeds
Steep the dried hibiscus leaves in the hot water over night. In the morning it should have a deep red colour and have cooled.
Drain your hibiscus tea and pour into a wide mouthed bottle or pitcher that can take roughly 2 liters of liquid.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir very well, if using a bottle it’s great to shake rather than stir.
Place your chia fresca in the fridge to set for 2 hours or more and serve chilled with a straw.
It looks strange! But I bet it tastes amazing! I will give it a try!
haha! yes, I guess it does look a little odd. I hope you like it though, promise it’s not as strange as it looks. 🙂