Berry , Coconout and Sesame Smoothie

Berry Coconut Sesame Smoothie Rich and creamy with a hint of nutty taste from sesame makes a great recipe for a quick smoothie ready in 5 minutes. Serves 3 Ingredients: Strawberry, Coconut milk, Sesame seeds, add as many ingredient tags as you need.

Boston is known for its unpredictable weather. When I was surprised of early spring this time, snow happened just when it was about to be the time for cherry blossom. Well, happy that weather is settling down a bit and  50 F is fair enough to go out comfortably with  minimum layers. I usually have a list of seasonal recipes, well , how much I end up making is a different story.

Now coming to the smoothie story, My son shine had an early release and he had a plan for his play date. All his mind was on the play date that he didn't even focus on lunch. I knew that he will be famished when he is back home and  would need an energetic healthy drink to cope up with swim lessons later. I had made this berry smoothie a bit ahead and I was relaxing ( read as acting as if I don't care much about him). The boy came home and immediately he was opening the refrigerator. Mom I see a colorful drink , is it for me ? I said No , Dad wanted me to make a healthy drink for him as he will be heading to Gym, A reply came back as a bullet " Even I have swimming today, i too need energy mom". Exactly what I was waiting for.

Sometimes I do this kind of tricks to him as you know, kids of this age , have a kind of ego, no matter how you tell , they are not ready to follow until they reallywant to. You need to do some tactics :) :) . Let go sometimes helps a long way. He gulped down a glass of drink in no time and wanted a refill. If you are looking for more options check here .

I like to add sesame seeds where ever possible . They are a good source of iron, copper , manganese, phosphorous , magnesium . Also they are rich in calcium and dietary fiber. For vegetarian , these tiny seeds are as good as gold. Little bit every days makes a great impact in your health.More probiotic and calcium and protein from yogurt  and  minerals rich coconut milk together contribute to a healthy drink here.


Ingredients

Strawberry ........................................1 1 /2 cups (fresh / frozen)
Plain Yogurt ....................................... 1 cup ( refer notes for vegan)
Sesame seeds ..................................... 1 tbsp heaped
Coconut Milk ..................................... 1/4 cup
Honey .............................................. 2 tbsp ( or any other sweetener)

Method

• Wash and hull the berry, place everything in a blender and blend until done.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Transfer to serving glasses and serve immediately.

Note:-

• I recommend serving immediately as the frozen berries tend to release more water later.
• Use berries of your choice.
• Replace yogurt with non diary yogurt and sweetener for vegan and lactose free smoothie.

Chickpea , Soy and Rice Crackers

That was enough of rest after spraining my leg and almost 2 weeks of  boring days as I was advised to stand only for critical needs. Looking at the positive side , I have charted out up coming recipes, watched a lot of movies, lots of pinterest time etc. When 'sonshine' was complaining about routine snacks , I had to make this, you got me, I can shoot and blog this.

This idea of crackers had been there for almost an year.Don't ask me why I waited for an year, that's just me , the lazy me. If you are aware of thattai , a traditional snack from TN,which is a deep fried version, you will agree with me on the basic idea. But then I wanted something that is real healthy so that I can pack this for school snack. The whole thought process started from here. I chose chickpea and soy bean flour and a bit of rice flour for that crispness. Toppings and flavors depends on what you like, I have settled on garam masala and for that little bit of nuttiness, some sesame , flax and nigella. Now you have the protein from soy and chickpea and you know the benefits of sesame and flax.

The first try wasn't a successful one by any means. After 5 of my trial and errors  method approach  , I got the perfect recipe in terms of combination and quantity of ingredients.Any kids party or movie time or game day, this will be perfect with a dip. In case you are looking for more snack options,
Falafal with Thahini
Cheese balls with greens
Milaga Bajji / Stuffed Mirchi bajji
Panner and mint pinwheels
 Some more here

 If you have a rainy day like the one I have now , make yourself a cup of masala chai & a bowl of crackers , enjoy every bit of the rain , by slowly sipping the cup of chai and some crackers in between , don't forget to play some mild & soothing music. That's all , you can be in your own world. After I click the publish button ,exactly this is what I'm going to do with some Illayaraja's (Raja Sir) songs and more rain, drenched trees with new new buds...... I know I will be in a different world.

Ingredients

Chickpea flour ...................................................... 1 cup
Soy bean Flour .....................................................1/4 cup
Rice Flour ...........................................................1/4 cup
Ground red Chile / paprika ...................................1/2 tsp
Garam masala .....................................................1/4 tsp
Salt .................................................................. to taste
Oil...................................................................... 1 tbsp + little extra
Warm water ....................................................... 1/4 cup

Topping
Sesame seeds .....................................................1 1 /2 tbsp
Flax seeds ...........................................................1 1 /2 tbsp
Nigella seeds....................................................... 1 1/2 tbsp

Method 

•  In a wide mixing bowl mix everything except for water.
• Rub the mixture with oil thoroughly, with your palm.
• Add water slowly and make a smooth dough.
• Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Line baking tray with parchment paper.
• Divide the dough into three equal sized3 balls.
• Now, take a rolling board and place a piece of parchment paper on it.
• Grease your hand with some oil, flatten a ball of dough  slightly with your palm and place it on the rolling board.
• Cover with another parchment paper and gently roll the dough to a thin disc of 1/8th inch thickness.
• Sprinkle some sesame, flax and nigella over the top, and gently roll the pin over it to secure them in place.
• Trim the edges and Cut the disc into  vertical strips.
• Transfer to the lined baking tray. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.
• Spary / brush some oil on top of the strips.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tray once after 10 minutes.
• Cool them on a wire rack and store in a airtight container.

Notes

• You can find the soybean  flour , chick pea flour and rice flour  from any Indian Grocers and so is Garam Masala.
• Keep an eye on the oven after 15 minutes.