Nutritional Benefits of Sesame Seeds for Health


Sesame Seeds

What Are Sesame Seeds?

Sesame seeds are tiny, oil-rich seeds that come from the sesame plant. They have a nutty flavor, a crunchy texture and are packed with nutritional benefits. The seeds contain healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, fiber and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron.

How To Prepare Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are often sprinkled on hamburger buns, mixed into Asian dishes, or ground into Tahini dressing. There are several variations of sesame seeds including white, black and golden.

Here are some ways sesame seeds are used in cooking.

  • Toasted and sprinkled on salads, stir-fries, noodles and sushi.
  • Added to baked goods such as bagels, bread and cookies.
  • Ground into Tahini, a creamy sesame paste that’s a key ingredient in hummus and dressings.
  • Ground into a sesame paste popular in Asian cuisine, dipping sauces, marinades, and noodle dishes.
  • Mixed into dough for breads, crackers and cookies.
  • Used in tempura batter for extra crispiness in fried foods.
  • Sesame oil is extracted from the seeds and used as a flavorful cooking oil.
  • Sesame brittle is a crunchy candy made with caramelized sugar and sesame seeds.
  • Made into halva, a sweet sesame-based dessert popular in Middle Eastern cuisine.
  • Mixed into rice bowls for extra flavor.

What Are The Nutritional and Health Benefits of Sesame Seeds?

Sesame seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch. Here are some of their standout health benefits.

  • Rich in healthy fats. They’re loaded with unsaturated fats, particularly omega-6 fatty acids, which support heart health and reduce inflammation.
  • Sesame seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, providing a solid dose of protein to help with muscle repair and overall energy. Perfect for vegetarians and vegans.
  • Sesame seeds are high in calcium and bone-strengthening minerals. They are packed with calcium, magnesium and phosphorus that help maintain bone density.
  • Sesame seeds are loaded with antioxidants.
  • Sesame seeds supports heart health.
  • Sesame seeds boosts skin and hair health.

Nutritious Sweet Potato Crust Quiche Recipe


Sweet Potato Quiche

Sweet Potato Crust Quiche


Sweet Potato Crust Quiche

Created for the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission by Healthy Liv. This sweet potato crust quiche uses a base of thinly sliced roasted sweet potatoes for the crust, and its filling is loaded with sautéed veggies and cheese! It’s a delicious, healthy, and protein-filled dish to make for a special breakfast or holiday brunch! 

CRUST INGREDIENTS

  • 20 Oz. sweet potato roughly 1 very large or 2 medium
  • 2 Tsp. cooking oil I use avocado or grape seed oil to withstand high heat
  • 1/2 Tsp. each black pepper salt, and garlic powder

EGG FILLING INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tsp. cooking oil
  • 1 Small onion chopped
  • 1/2 Cup chopped bell pepper I used frozen!
  • 3 Oz. fresh spinach
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1/4 Tsp. each black pepper and salt
  • 2 Tbsp. milk or cream
  • 1/2 Cup cheddar cheese divided

CRUST INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes, peel, and then dry with a clean towel if they’re still wet. Carefully slice into thin rounds with a sharp knife or use a mandolin, if you have one.
  • Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray and layer sweet potato rounds in the bottom, overlapping heavily. Cut the remaining sweet potato rounds in half and use to line the sides of the pie dish. Drizzle 2 tsp. cooking oil over the top of potatoes and sprinkle with black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Bake for 20 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft and beginning to crisp.

FILLING INSTRUCTIONS

  • While sweet potatoes are in the oven, sauté onion and bell pepper in 1 tsp. cooking oil. (If using frozen bell peppers, add near the end of the cooking time.) Once onion is soft, add spinach and stir until it wilts. Let cooked veggies cool.
  • Whisk 6 eggs in a medium bowl and add milk or cream with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese and cooked veggies.
  • Once sweet potatoes have softened and are beginning to crisp, remove from oven and pour egg mixture over top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top and return to oven for 28-30 minutes, until eggs are set. Let cool for two or three minutes and then serve.

NOTES

To prep in advance: sauté veggies for filling and cook sweet potatoes in pie dish the day before. The next day, beat eggs, add veggies, and pour into pie dish, then cook according to the directions. 

Nutrition Serving: 1 slice (1/6 recipe) | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 275% Serves: 6 pieces


Recipe Source – North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission

Delicious Cinnamon Nutmeg Coffee Cake for Winter Mornings


Breakfast Coffee Cake Recipe for Cold January Mornings

INGREDIENTS

Crumble Mixture

  • cooking spray
  • 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 packed cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Cake Mixture

  • 6 ounces unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 packed cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with an oven rack set in the center of the oven. Grease a 9-inch square pan with nonstick spray, and line the pan with parchment paper, allowing at least 2 inch of excess on each side (these will act as handles to make for an easier removal later).

Gather all ingredients.

To make the crumble topping: Stir flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl until combined. Add butter and use your hands or a pastry cutter to mix until butter is fully incorporated, and mixture forms moistened clumps. It should no longer appear powdery. Set aside.

To make the coffee cake: Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well on medium speed to incorporate and scraping the bowl well after each addition.

Whisk flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl to combine. Add about half of the mixture to the mixer and mix on low speed to combine, then scrape the bowl well.

With the mixer running on low speed, add buttermilk in a slow, steady stream and mix until incorporated. Add remaining half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan, and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle about half of the crumble mixture over the batter in an even layer.

Transfer cake to the preheated oven and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool the cake completely in the pan, then use the excess parchment paper to gently unmold the cake and transfer to a cutting board. Slice the cake into 9 pieces, then peel it away from the parchment paper to serve.


Recipe Source: AllRecipes.com

Easy Recipe for Iron Skillet Apple Pie


Iron Skillet Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts, divided
  • 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place butter in a large cast-iron skillet; place in oven while preheating until melted, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir brown sugar into melted butter; return to oven until bubbling, about 5 minutes.
  3. Gently lay 1 pie crust on top of brown sugar mixture, without pressing down; arrange apple slices on top of crust.
  4. Combine white sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl; sprinkle over apple slices. Place remaining pie crust over apple slices; cut slits in top crust for ventilation. Seal top and bottom crusts together.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until top crust is lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

Recipe Source: www.allrecipes.com

Understanding Buckwheat: A Gluten-Free Alternative


Buckwheat is not a grain, a cereal, or a grass, and it’s not related to wheat. Buckwheat is a triangular shaped seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. It looks and acts like a grain and has a hearty, nutty flavor.

To make things confusing, it is often referred to as a grain.

Buckwheat is a good substitute for wheat or grains containing gluten.  It cooks quickly, and is highly nutritious. Great news for those who are wheat or gluten sensitive.

Buckwheat is sold either raw or toasted. It can be mixed with rice, or other grains or seeds. Toasted Buckwheat sometimes called kasha,  has a more nutty flavor than raw buckwheat.  Either way it’s a wonderful side dish when sauteed with onions.

How To Cook With Buckwheat

  • Buckwheat Bread: Bake bread with buckwheat flour.
  • Buckwheat Morning Cereal: Cook raw, or toasted buckwheat seeds in water to make cereal.  Add fruit, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, and hemp milk according to taste.
  • Buckwheat Pancakes: Use buckwheat flour for morning pancakes.  
  • Buckwheat Side Dish: Combine either cooked raw buckwheat, or cooked toasted buckwheat with sauteed onions, for a delicious side dish.
  • Japanese Buckwheat Noodles: Prepare the noodles. Serve with sauteed vegetables.

Quick and Easy Banana Pancake Recipe

TWO INGREDIENT BANANA PANCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients
1 medium to large ripe banana
2 large eggs

Instructions
Mash banana until it has a pudding consistency without lumps.

Whip or whisk the eggs until combined.
Add eggs to the bananas and stir until completely combined. This produces a liquid-like batter

To prevent sticking, add oil to skillet on medium heat.
Drop 2 tablespoons of batter into the skillet. It should start to sizzle. If not, turn up the heat slightly.

Fry in skillet until golden. Use oil to prevent sticking. Cook time: about 1 minute.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Blueberries
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon & Coconut
Ice Cream
Yogurt

KITCHEN UTENSILS
Fork or Whisk
Tablespoon
Skillet
Oil: Coconut, Olive or your favorite oil