Chocolate Sesame Smoothie

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sesame seeds, preferably unhulled (or ¼ cup tahini)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Half of one banana
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup of milk of your choice
• Optional: 4 dates (if using large mejdool dates, you only need 2)

Instructions

1. 1
   First, if using dates, soften them by covering them in a cup of boiling water and letting them sit, covered in the hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and place the dates in the blender.
2. 2
   If your blender is powerful enough to liquify whole sesame seeds, place all the remaining ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
3. 3
   If your blender is not powerful enough to liquify sesame seeds into a smooth drink, grind the sesame seeds into a paste first, before adding them to the blender. To do this, place the sesame seeds and cocoa powder into a coffee grinder and grind them until they have turned into a very thick paste. Place this in your blender, adding all the other ingredients, and blend until smooth.
4. 4
   (An alternate option is to soak the sesame seeds overnight before blending which is said to increase our body's ability to absorb their nutrients. If your blender is powerful enough to pulverize them, soak the sesame seeds overnight, drain them in the morning, proceeding as above with the remaining instructions.)
5. 5
   Optional add-ons: a pinch of salt brings out the chocolatey flavor, 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed provides extra thickness and half of your daily omega 3 requirement, 1/2 tsp vanilla adds depth of flavor