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Calling all orange blossom lovers! If you are a fan of this delicate Middle Eastern ingredient, you will absolutely love this chia pudding. Soaked in a creamy cashew milk, sweetened with dark agave nectar and flavored with orange blossom water, the chia seeds absorb the liquid to yield a creamy pudding. The inspiration for this recipe is the traditional Lebanese Muhallabia pudding, usually made with milk and rice powder.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1/3 cup raw cashews
  
  
• 1 cup water
  
  
• 1 Tbsp orange blossom water, available at any Middle Eastern food store
  
  
• 2 Tbsp agave nectar
  
  
• 2-4 Tbsp chia seeds, depending on how thick you want your pudding to get

Directions

• Blend the cashews, water, orange-blossom water and agave nectar in a blender until smooth, about one minute.
  
  
• Pour the milk into a bowl and add the chia seeds. Stir until they are evenly distributed in the liquid.
  
  
• Set aside to thicken in the fridge or on the counter, stirring occasionally. If on the counter, refrigerate the pudding after about 20 minutes. I like to drink this right after it’s done, stirring regularly to prevent the seeds from sticking and sinking to the bottom of the cup.

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Joanna Steven is co-author with Tonya Kay of raw vegan nutritional analysis eBooks available at Kayos Market. She contributes to the Raw Divas and Raw Mom websites, has been published in Get Fresh! and writes her own blog.