my dear friend elaine is a fellow foodie, but also a very talented chef! when she moved out to san francisco a few years back, it ignited her culinary craftiness.  she dabbles in everything from pickling carrots at home, to baking fresh sourdough bread.  (you can read all about it at her blog e-eats!)
when i told her about my recent infatuation with chia seeds, and how they were like a natural tapioca “bubble”…she rushed out to her local Whole Foods to investigate.  since elaine and i both used to go on Bubble Tea expeditions together, chia seed pudding was an instant new love.
i usually soak my chia seeds with water first (1/4 cup of chia : 1.5 cups of water).  after it soaks up, i add some homemade cashew milk with a little agave, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
but elaine recently shared her secret ingredient to making irresistable cashew milk: CARDAMOM!  so this morning, i Vitamixed my cashew milk and added a small slice of fresh vanilla bean and 1/8 tsp of ground organic cardamom.
usually used in Indian cooking and other “chai” goodies, cardamom is a deliciously delicate spice with a hearty substance.  it made my cashew milk have this rich, “thick” feeling, but still have a light, sophisticated flavor.
so this morning, my raw breakfast was especially “gourmet”, thanks to elaine!  :)