Beverages — Recipes POST HERE

Agua de Chia

Over the last few years I have seen an increase in the consumption of Chia Seeds. Often you will find these small, dark, sesame-looking-seeds, in health food recipes to add nutrients and protein. Personally, I love to add them to smoothies and turn them into delicious pudding. But did you know that Chia seeds are native to Mexico?

The Chia name originates from the Náhuatl word Chian, meaning oily. This seed, comes from the flowers of a plant in the mint family. There are sources that claim that it can be traced as far back as the Aztecs. Other stories share that during pre-Hispanic times villages would drink a water with chia seeds before going on long trips to gain strength and health. Today, they are consumed in many different forms during special religious holidays such as Lint, Dia de Los Muertos, and other Catholic Saint celebrations.

It is most common that you will find this seed being used in a drink called Agua de Chia. Therefore, I am sharing this delicous drink with you today. This is a good way to incorporate Chia seeds into your water with minimal effort. Plus, they are fun to drink, I like to think of them as the Mexican version of Tapioca Balls (boba).

Enjoy!

Yields approximately 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons Chia seeds
1 large lime (or lemon if you prefer)
4 cups of water
2 tablespoons of raw sugar (adjust to taste)

- In a jar incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Mix well to dissolve the raw sugar.
- Allow the chia seeds to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. When they are ready they will plump up and your drink will become a bit thicker.

That’s it!

Fell free to add Chia seeds to all of your favorite drinks! An easy way to add some protein, omega 3′s, and other nutrients into your diet.

Provecho!

References:
Salvia Hispanica. (2014, February 4). Retrieved February 11, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_hispanica

Zurita, R. M. (2012). Diccionario Enciclopedico De La Gastronomia Mexicana. Mexico Distrito Federal: La Rousse.

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Chocanela

The weather in New York City has definitely dropped and all I seem to crave is warm soups and hot drinks. My all time favorite hot drink is Mexican Hot Chocolate. Hot chocolate in Mexico can be dated back to the Aztecs and it’s definitely still a staple today.

A hot chocolate in Mexico is very creamy yet thick with dark chocolate. Today, I want to show you my version, something I like to call: Chocanela.

My grandma, in my fathers side, used to make delicious Mexican Cinnamon Tea (Te de Canela) every single day. It always brings me great memories of the cold mornings and how her tea made me feel so comforted. This is what gave me inspiration to combine my favorite hot drink with my grandma’s delicious tea.

My Chocanela, is much lighter than Mexican Hot chocolate and has the perfect subtle hint of cinnamon. Here is how it’s made (for video instructions check back soon.

Yields: approximately 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 (90 grams) round tablet of Mexican chocolate
2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
2 cups of whole milk
2 cups of water

- Bring the water to a boil and add the cinnamon sticks. Boil for approximately 10 minutes under low-medium heat.
- In the meantime, in another pot, add the chocolateto the milk and dissolve completely under low-medium heat. Never bring the milk to a boil. Use a whisk and keep whisking until everything is dissolved into the milk.
- After the 10 minutes of boiling the cinnamon tea, turn off heat and let it steep for another 10 minutes.
- Finally, incorporate the tea into the chocolate mixture and whisk until it’s all incorporated.
(Add additional sugar if desired)

Yum!! So good!

Provecho!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.