Blood Orange Chia Pudding

I saw a photo of this chia pudding while scrolling through facebook? twitter? idk, some social media something and I wanted to make it asap. The pinky hue of blood oranges never fails to lure me in this time of year.  I know I am a little behind the times sharing a recipe for the ever ubiquitous chia pudding on this here dessert and baking blog, but rest assured I have been a private chia lover for awhile now. I think it started in my bakery days when I tried to pack up a healthy "lunch" to bring to work most days, that I ate at 10am - baker's lunch time. I'd make a batch of muesli packed with oats and chia seeds then I'd top it off with some nuts and fruit.

The tapioca fan in me LOVES chewy/crunchy chia seeds and I guess they have some health benefits too, but you are going to have to consult a non-dessert blogger for those. I'm just here to share this pink pud. I'm probably going to have to make some for real tapioca pudding too. Keep your eyes peeled. 

Hope you are having a restful start to the weekend!

Blood Orange Chia Pudding

from Bon Appetit

serves 2

1/2 cup plain yogurt or plant-based milk 

1/2 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from about 2 oranges)

2 tablespoons honey, plus more to serve

1/4 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

pinch salt

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 blood oranges, for serving

chopped pistachios, for serving

Whisk the yogurt, blood orange juice, orange flower water, salt, and honey in a bowl. Whisk in the chia seeds. Cover and chill overnight.

Supreme the oranges. See a handy how-to here.

Divide the pudding between two bowls, top with orange segments, chopped pistachios and additional honey if desired.

Blood Orangecello

Since we last met, P and have I traded apartment 2b for apartment #2, in a new neighborhood across the river. We spent our first six years in this grand city in a lovely and bright studio apartment near Central Park and I will spare you all the nostalgia trip that we went on while packing up that part of our lives, but I will share this extremely insightful pearl of wisdom: Moving is hard. Not just the packing and stacking and spackling and painting. It's the

moving on

that will get you.

Even though we were ready for the change, the transition was tough. I may have shed a few sentimental tears as we waved goodbye to our giant non-functional fireplace and exposed brick wall, but onward and upward. I mean, in our new place, we have a spice drawer (!) and a big huge window in the kitchen which seems utterly luxurious after cooking in

this space

for so long. We also have an entire room just for sleeping and a separate one for eating too. This is known to the rest of the world as a bed room and dining room respectively and these things are very exciting for a couple who lived together in one room for six years.

After the chaos from the move settled, I realized a bit too late that I had missed most of citrus season. I mean, I probably ate my weight in grapefruit, but I didn't really

make

anything (unlike last year's

citrus bonanza

), mostly because we didn't have any kitchen cabinets or counters for a few weeks, but that's another story for another day. For now, there's this blood orangecello and even though our new place is still a bit, ehem, rough around the edges, it's nothing that a little sip of something boozy and some more paint can't fix.

Blood Orangecello

adapted from

Jammy Chicken

This is a variation on the ever popular Italian spirit limoncello. It tastes wonderful poured over a citrus sorbet or sip it as is. Just make sure it is very, very cold.

8 blood oranges

4 cups vodka

2 cups granulated sugar

Large glass jar with a tight fitting lid

Wash and scrub your citrus thoroughly. Use a Y peeler to remove the zest from the oranges, being careful not to get any of the white pith. Add the zest to the large glass jar. Juice the oranges and add the juice to the jar. Pour in the vodka and sugar, put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.

Store the jar in a cool, dry place and shake it everyday for a week. Then after that shake the jar about once a week for at least 3 weeks and up to 6. After 3-6 weeks, strain the mixture into a clean jar to remove the zest, then strain again through a coffee filter.

Store the finished blood orangecello in the freezer and enjoy it very, very cold.