Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd [no-cook!]

This recipe is part 1 of 2. Part 2 will be coming tomorrow. I figured I would give you a heads up so you can get all the ingredients for this first part today. Maybe you can even whip it up tonight? Just be sure you don’t eat it all because you’re going to need it tomorrow!

You with me?

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

On with the show.

For probably the first time ever recorded in history I had a container of strawberries sitting in the fridge that were slowly going bad. Granted, it was 2lb container and they were already treading the line of being slightly too ripe when I bought them, but anyway, I bought them. I never pass on organic strawberry sales. Everrr!

Instead of sending the ruby red strawberries to the freezer I decided to use them in a recipe. It’s rare that fresh strawberries do anything other than go straight to my mouth.

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

I knew I needed to make curd for Friday’s recipe and that’s when it hit me. Strawberry curd!

Is there such a thing? There must be.

After sifting through loads of recipes I was left with a bunch of notes but no real game plan. Did I want to make this vegan? Did I want to use egg yolks + butter? Did I want to use a mix of egg yolks + starch? Blah, blah, blah. #bloggerproblems

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

I was skeptical of using only starch, but I also didn’t want to use 3-4 egg yolks just for some dang curd. I’m kind of egg crazy if you didn’t know.

And then I got to thinking about…

The mysterious + magical chia seed! Said to cure all of your ailments and halt polar ice cap melt. [I kid.]

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Can you make curd with chia seeds?

Why the heck not?

You can make chia pudding and chia seed jam, so why couldn’t you use these tiny gems to thicken up some curd? Guess what? You can!

And do you know what the best part is!?

You don’t have to cook the curd in a pot on the stove! All you have to do is blend the ingredients, pour into a jar, and throw the mixture into the fridge overnight. By morning you’ll have yourself a jar full of sweet + tangy chia curd. Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd to be exact.

The chia seeds [I used the white kind!] are used to thicken the mixture by absorbing most of the strawberry juice. The coconut oil helps add a bit more body to the curd, keeps it from having a slimy texture, and also helps to thicken since coconut oil hardens when chilled. The curd ends up perfectly smooth and the taste is extremely bright + fresh.

I’m pretty sure you are going to love it.

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Print this!

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd

gluten-free, vegan // yields ~12oz

• 1 1/2 cups hulled + halved very ripe strawberries
• 2-4 tablespoons agave nectar, or coconut nectar or honey [if not vegan]
• 3 tablespoons softened unrefined coconut oil
• scant 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons white chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon black chia seeds

Combine all ingredients into your blender, starting with 2 tablespoons of sweetener. Blend on low working to high for about 20-30 seconds. Scrape the sides and blend on high for another 15-25 seconds until completely smooth. Taste and add more honey if desired.

Pour into a sealable jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. If the mixture became hot in your blender leave the lid off until it’s cooled down a bit. Keep stored in the fridge for about 10 days and use as a topping on pancakes, waffles, muffins, etc.

Notes:White chia seeds can typically be found bagged, right next to the black chia. You can also find “chia shots” that are mini packets of chia seeds if you don’t want to invest in a whole bag. I suggest buying two packets if you go that route. I mixed mostly white but a little black chia for the best color. Feel free to use all white or all black, but note with the black it will look quite a bit darker [but taste the same]. Be sure to use ripe + juicy strawberries. If they are hard and tart it won’t turn out nearly as well. No subs for the chia seeds. If you want your curd to fully set + hold its shape you could try adding in 2 teaspoons of arrowroot starch [or corn starch] and simmering in a pot while stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes.

Strawberry Lemon Chia Curd | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Now all you have to do is hold your pants on until tomorrow and keep this in your fridge! Mmmk?

Ashley

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs - mayo free!

Please help me with something.

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs (mayo free) | edibleperspective.com

I can hard-boil eggs but I cannot for the life of me peel them.

I’ve read all the “tricks” and still nothing works. After I peeled these eggs the whites were left looking haggard. I’m not even sure I would have served them to guests because it looked like a small child poked + prodded every single one.

What is the DEAL? I feel like this never used to happen until I started buying organic, hippy, happy-dancing chicken eggs. I know you’re supposed to wait at least 10 days before hard-boiling from the time they were laid, and these were, so what gives? I shocked them in the ice bath, they were fully cooked, I waited until they were chilled. What am I missing? I also swear that brown eggs are harder to peel than white, even though I know there is no difference in the actual egg.

HALP!

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs (mayo free) | edibleperspective.com

Now that I got that off me chest we can talk about the recipe.

Deviled eggs have never been more addicting. Never heard about the addicting nature of deviled eggs before? Well then, you must make these.

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs (mayo free) | edibleperspective.com

I wanted to do something different with these deviled eggs. I wanted them mayo free. I wanted them simple. I didn’t want you to have to scoop them into a pastry bag and fancily squeeze out the filling to look like flowered frosting.

So, instead!

I whipped up the yolks with feta and a little bit of milk. = no mayo needed

I stuffed them with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and more feta. = Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs

And that was that.

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs (mayo free) | edibleperspective.com

Print this!

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs

gluten-free // yields 16 egg halves

• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 8 medium [oil packed] sun-dried tomatoes, blotted well + chopped
• 8-10 small kalamata olives, pitted + chopped
• black pepper

To hard-boil the eggs: Place eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat off and cover with a tight fitting lid. [If using an electric cooktop place the pot on a cool burner.] Let sit covered for 12 minutes. While you wait prepare an ice bath in a large heat-safe bowl. Drain water and place eggs in the ice bath and place in the fridge until fully chilled.

Remove the eggs from the bowl. Lightly crack the shell and peel the eggs, rinsing with cold water after peeling. Slice the eggs in half and place the yolks in a large food processor. Add 3/4 cup crumbled feta and 2 tablespoons of milk and turn on until it starts to cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add a bit more milk if needed to come to a thick and creamy consistency [not runny]. Turn on again until fully combined.

Scrape contents into a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of feta, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives, and black pepper. [Salt shouldn’t be needed with the saltiness of feta and olives, but taste and add if needed.]

Spoon into the halved eggs, place on a plate, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

notes: Can be made 1 day ahead, but assemble on day of serving and be sure to keep both the egg whites and stuffing in airtight containers in the fridge. If you have leftover stuffing try adding it on top of a salad or on toast.

Greek Stuffed Deviled Eggs (mayo free) | edibleperspective.com

Yeah, now you see what I’m talking about with the haggard looking eggs. Don’t judge. Just eat.

Ashley