Date & Vanilla Bean Chia Seed Pudding
The refrigerator door unpuckered it’s lips. And I reached in. My eyes hung droopy. The night before I indulged in a glass of wine while cooking, but obviously that turned into a bottle. My time was spent leisurely around the house. I wasted the evening away swiping through profile pictures of boys. It became a mindless exercise that I’d do when I felt things were too silent: sitting alone on my couch, in between folding freshly washed trousers, or as a podcast had just wrapped up. I had gotten comfortable with myself. I was cooking all the time. My house was always clean. I was happy. But I was ready to explore another type of relationship. One that took patience and dedication.
I scooped blobs of the gelatinous chia seed pudding into my bowl. As I cooked dinner the night before, I prepared my breakfast. Feeling decadent, I split open the pruned skins of fresh vanilla bean. I slid my knife gently down its innards and the beans clumped to the tip. They drowned in a pool of almond milk that sat quiet before being blended with sticky dates. I moved to the dining room table, avoiding my dishes from dinner, allowing the chia seeds to acquaint themselves with the sweet cream that had just been served to the bowl.
My breakfast was rich and deep in molasses notes. I was over online dating. All the men I talked to were the same. All I wanted was to meet someone who understood me. No games. No bullshit. Well traveled. Intelligent. Progressive. Plant-based. Was I asking too much? I placed the plump chia seeds in the refrigerator, complacent and ready to delete these apps. I cleaned up from breakfast and my phone chimed.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
“You cook and write about vegan food? Marry me.”
I figured I’d keep them until I met this one.
Date & Vanilla Bean Chia Seed Pudding
- 1 1/2 c of Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/3 c of chia seeds
- 5 pitted dried dates
- The seeds of one vanilla bean pod
- Few dashes of cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Top with chopped fruit, seeds, and/or nut butter
- In a blender, add unsweetened almond milk and dates.
- With the tip of a knife, split open one vanilla bean pod and scrape out bean innards.
- Add the vanilla beans, cinnamon, and salt to blender and blend until dates are liquid.
- In a large bowl, add chia seeds and stir in the blended milk.
- Allow the seeds to soak up the liquid for ten minutes.
- Stir to avoid clumps and place in the fridge.
- Allow the seeds to soak for at least four hours or overnight.
- In the morning chops up some fruit: apples, bananas, dates, or pears. Add coconut, nuts, or seeds, top your chia seeds with selected goodies, and enjoy.