Jello with Pistachios and Chia Seeds #FoodnFlix

I love watching movies but I am pretty stuck in my favorite genres, and fantasy is not one of them. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself eagerly watching Pan's Labyrinth, a 2006 film that has been dubbed the best fantasy film of all time for our February Food and Flix film. Katharina at Pretty Cake Machine chose this movie for us.  This film is set in 1944 in Spain, during the war. Captain Vidal, a soldier of Franco's, is sent to flush out the anti-Franco rebels hiding in the mountains.  Here is where we learn of Captain Vidal's completely sadistic mind, as he kills two farmer's who were hunting rabbit in cold blood.  Captain Vidal is married to Carmen, who is pregnant with his child but very ill.

While the movie's disturbingly graphic on the horror's of war, it is juxaposed with the story of Olfelia, who is actually a princess from another time.  A faun comes to help her rejoin with her family from the past, by doing a few tasks.  During these tasks, Olfelia has to defy her mother, whom she loves very much.  The fantasy portion of the movie is intense, with creatures that are horrifying but helpful. Olfelia trusts them, perhaps too much.

So how does this movie fit with cooking?  There were a couple of food scenes that show lavish food spreads of food, vegetables and meats, the rabbits that were found in the farmer's knapsacks after they were killed, and of course, the food scene where Olfelia is warned NOT to eat a thing, no matter how tempted she might be. In this scene, the Pale Man, whose eyes are embedded in the palm of his hand, is surrounded by luscious looking foods, all mostly reds and purples (maybe looking like blood?) and this is where I took my inspiration.

My mother in law had a wonderful jello mold that I took when we were cleaning out her home.  The glistening jello salad by the Pale Man caught my eye and I decided to create something around that.

Jello with Pistachios and Chia Seeds

by Our Good Life

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hrs

6081008

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 4 pkgs unflavored gelatin
• 8 pkgs stevia
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 1/4 c chia seeds
• 1/2 c chopped pistachios
• 1 c cold water
• 3 c hot water

Instructions

Soak chia seeds in 1/4 c water. In one cup of cold water in an 8 cup heat resistant bowl, pour gelatin on top and let soak for ten minutes. Heat 3 cups of water to boiling. Pour hot water into gelatin. Stir well. Add food coloring to desired color. Add in almond extract. Pour 1 cup of the gelatin mixture into your jello mold or 8 by 8 inch metal pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place the remaining jello in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir the chia seeds and pistachio into the 3 cups of jello. Chill for an additional 30 minutes. Pour the 3 cups of jello into the mold. Refrigerate another two hours.

To unmold, dip the metal bottom and up to the jello line into a basin of hot water. Rest for about 10 sections. Check to see if the mold is loose enough to come out. Check in 10 second increments. Place plate on the bottom of the mold and invert.

Serve with whipped cream.

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