A sesame-seed topping adds texture to classic hamburger buns.
Tiny, nutty sesame seeds, an important ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine, make a healthy addition to the diet. An ounce of sesame seeds provides 160 calories, nearly 5 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate and 14 g of healthy fats. Sesame seeds are rich in minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium and iron. The seeds add a crunchy, rich element to salads, noodle dishes and cereals, while toasted sesame paste, or tahini, lends richness and flavor to dips and dressings. Sesame oil is a valuable for cooking, but also purifies and protects the skin in Ayurveda, the Indian system of traditional medicine.
Instructions
Seeds
1. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on granola, oatmeal, yogurt or cereal, or anywhere you use chopped, toasted nuts. In homemade granola, add untoasted sesame seeds to the mix before baking.
2. Finish Asian noodle dishes with toasted sesame seeds to add texture and richness. Award-winning food writer Heidi Swanson garnishes a soba noodle dish with a healthy dose of toasted sesame seeds. Their earthy, toasty flavor makes a perfect contrast to her spicy, lemony ginger-based sauce.
3. Enjoy sesame seed candy, such as halvah or sesame crunch candy. You can buy these honey and sesame treats at many large grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets and natural foods markets. Make your own treat of sesame brittle, which is simple to whip up in your kitchen and delicious sprinkled on ice cream.
Tahini
4. Make a tahini-rich hummus dip. Traditional hummus contains cooked chickpeas, tahini, fresh garlic, lemon juice and salt, pureed until smooth. Served with crackers, pita or fresh baguette, it's a well-loved appetizer. Make a fancier hummus by adding ground cumin, roasted red pepper, parsley, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika or cooked artichokes in any combination.
5. Use tahini to make a smoky baba ghanouj. Puree roasted eggplant flesh, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and cumin until smooth, and serve along with hummus and breads or crackers for dipping. For best flavor, roast your eggplant on a charcoal grill with mesquite chips.
6. Make an all-purpose tahini dressing or sauce for salads, vegetables and grains. Simply puree tahini, fresh garlic and lemon juice, adding water until it reaches the desired thickness and salt and pepper to taste. At the end, throw in a handful of fresh parsley and puree until chopped but not pulverized. For a tasty variation, use balsamic vinegar in place of lemon juice and lightly saut the garlic in a few tbsp. olive oil. Add both garlic and olive oil to the mixture. This sauce is delicious over steamed kale.
Sesame Oil
7. Do an oil massage, or abhyanga, before bathing or showering to promote relaxation and purification. Deepak Chopra recommends rubbing refined sesame oil on the scalp, neck and feet as part of a morning routine. Sesame, almond, coconut and sunflower oils are all appropriate for abhyanga depending on your body type.
8. Soothe dry nasal passages in winter with a drop of sesame oil. Put the oil on a finger and gently apply inside the nostril. This treatment helps prevent colds and flu.
9. Use light sesame oil as a cooking oil. Its high smoke point makes it suitable for saut ing and frying. Use dark sesame oil, made from toasted seeds, to flavor Asian sauces and dressings.
Tags: lemon juice, sesame seeds, toasted sesame, toasted sesame seeds, fresh garlic, fresh garlic lemon, garlic lemon