I have kind of a history with cardamom/cardamon. Here in Saudi we add a little bit of cardamon and saffron to our coffee (it's very light, most of my non-Arab friends thought it was tea at first) and when I was younger, I used to love cardamom so much especially in my coffee, I'd even chew on the seeds when they get in my cup (apparently it helps with bad breath!) After that, I started getting heartburns, and I thought they were from the cardamon so I started avoiding them. But oh boy I was wrong, a little google search and I find out that cardamom actually relieves heartburns and aids the digestive system. Sometimes you gotta trust your ancestors! It made so much sense, Arabs used to and still add cardamon in their coffee because coffee causes heartburns and it's a way to decrease that impact.

This is probably my favorite chia pudding recipe. It has a rich cozy flavor, if you know what I mean, it's perfect for this time of the year. I gotta say that the cardamom makes all the difference. If you don't have it on hand, I really suggest buying some.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 2 cups almond milk
• dash of cardamon about 1/4 tsp
• dash of cinnamon about 1-1/2 tbsp
• tiny dash of ginger 1/4 tsp or less (depends on how strong and fresh)
• black lemon powder if available less than 1/4 tsp
• less than 1/4 tsp allspice optional
• pure vanilla extract
• sweetener of choice, I used a few drops of pure stevia

Directions:

1. In a large airtight container or mason jar, add the chia seeds and milk (make sure there's enough space for the chia seeds to expand
2. Shake very well, and check the bottom for stuck chia seeds, scrape with a spoon
3. Add the remaining ingredients and shake again very well
4. Leave in the refrigerator overnight or for eight hours

Serving:

You can simply just add any nut or seed butter you like and some toppings or layer it with a nice cream or coconut cream. Try topping it with tahini and some pitted dates!