Oxygen USA – July-August 2019

oxygenmag.com 23

pinches salt. (Thin if needed by stirring in warm water 1 teaspoon at a

time.) Use sauce on grain bowls, steamed vegetables, sweet potatoes

or grilled chicken and fi sh.

5.AS A HEART-HEALTHY MUFFINA good chunk of the calo-

ries in tahini hail from unsaturated fat, and a study in The American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that replacing 10 percent of the

dietary calories that come from saturated fat with unsaturated fat

improves the markers associated with heart health. Tahini Banana

Bread Muffi ns: Stir together 2 cups whole-wheat pastry fl our, ¾

teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, beat

2 eggs, then stir in 3 mashed bananas, ½ cup brown sugar, 1⁄3 cup

tahini, ¼ cup melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Combine wet and

dry ingredients, then fold in 1⁄3 cup dark chocolate chips. Divide bat-

ter among 12 muffi n cups, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake 20

minutes at 350 F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out

nearly clean.

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD

Open

sesame! Try

these recipes

that use tahini

as a main

ingredient.

Why you should

try tahini

Tahini is peanut butter’s Middle Eastern kissing cousin, and this ses-

ame seed paste is fast becoming a pantry staple. Here are fi ve ways to

use this nutritional overachiever that go well beyond humble hummus.

1.AS A MOOD-BOOSTING BREAKFAST BOWLTahini has more

fi ber than most nut butters, and a study in the journal Nutrients found

that higher intakes of dietary fi ber can help combat depression.

Granola Tahini Smoothie Bowl: Blend together ¼ cup milk, 2⁄3 cup

plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon tahini, 2 pitted soft dates, ½ tea-

spoon vanilla, 1⁄8 teaspoon cardamom and 1 frozen chopped banana.

Pour into a bowl and top with ½ cup granola.

2.AS A CANCER-BUSTING CREAMY SOUPTahini provides

sesamin, a unique compound reputed to have cancer-fi ghting pow-

ers: It appears that sesamin fends off infl ammation and helps put the

brakes on cancerous cell division. Roasted Caulifl ower Tahini Soup:

Slice 1 head caulifl ower into 1-inch fl orets, and cut 1 yellow onion into

1-inch-thick pieces. Toss with 4 whole peeled garlic cloves, 1 table-

spoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and

roast 25 minutes at 400 F, stirring halfway through. Blend together 4

cups vegetable broth, roasted caulifl ower/garlic/onions, ¼ cup tahini,

juice of ½ lemon and 2 teaspoons za’atar seasoning until smooth.

3.AS BONE-BOLSTERING ENERGY BALLSSesame seeds are

rich in calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that play a vital role in

maintaining bone health. Phosphorus also acts as a buff er and helps

maintain your body’s pH. Apricot Tahini Balls: Pulverize ¾ cup rolled

oats in a food processor. Add 1 cup dried apricots, ¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup

ground fl axseed, 3 tablespoons honey, zest of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon

ginger powder and 1⁄8 teaspoon salt and process until a sticky mixture

is formed. Using damp hands, roll into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate until

ready to eat.

4.AS AN ENERGIZING SAUCETahini boasts a good cache of thi-

amine, the B vitamin involved in maintaining metabolism and helping

break down and produce energy from the carbs, fats and protein in

your diet. Smoky Tahini Sauce: Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil,

3 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, 1

teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin powder and a couple

Look out almond butter — this sesame seed

paste can help smooth out the kinks in your diet.

fuel 1 FOOD, 5 WAYS

Bone-bolstering

energy balls

Mood-boosting

breakfast bowl

Cancer-busting

creamy soup

Energizing

sauce

Heart-healthy

muffi n

This rich,

toasty-tasting

Mediterreanean

paste is great

for both sweet

and savory

dishes.