Sesames and Spring

Sesames.....sesame seeds that is.

I thought I would share a bit about the joys of sesames seeds.  Random, I know, but I eat A LOT of sesame seeds and sesame seed products..both for taste and nutrition.  And I thought they deserve a little shout out.

Since my early days in Greece, I have eaten lots and lots of these - Pasteli.

(Although I actually have no idea, I feel like "pasteli" should be one of those words that is the same singular and plural.....)

Pasteli are a "product of Greece" that are like candy bars made of honey and nuts. You can get them made with absolutely any type of nut around...and I love them all.  But, the sesame seed kind are always the cheapest and are everywhere.

When I was working, I ate them for breakfast every day and often other times throughout the day (I love the taste of a pasteli with ouzo.)  When all our guests came for our wedding last year, pasteli were part of their goody bags and they were a big hit.  Then, last summer, when I was pregnant and hitting the beach every day, there was always a pasteli or two in my beach bag.

Last summer, I also started paying attention to what I was eating as a pregnany lady, and I wanted pasteli more than ever.  Are you aware that sesame seeds are a nutritional powerhouse????

I was anemic a majority of my pregnancy, and sesame seeds are PACKED with iron.  They also have a lot of folic acid - which pregnant women are advised to have.  Always good to find out that your favorite snack food is actually what you should be eating. 

Of course, like any nut, they are relatively high in calories and fat.  But it is good fat, and they are so packed with goodness that all those calories are absolutely worth it.  And, a little goes a long way; they are totally filling.


Sesame seeds also have copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, niacin, vitamins B1 and E, fiber, anti-oxidents, protein, and loads of calcium.  These are all mega-important but the last one especially so now that I am breastfeeding, as I have cut out all dairy and all vitamins.  I think they may cause a little tummy trouble in the little lady.  More pasteli for me, darn!

Some say to get the most calcium out of sesame seeds, they must be ground or mashed.  Enter my two good friends.

The first is Tahini.  

Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds.  You may be familiar with tahini as a main ingredient in hummus.  That tahini is plain and, to me, not really appetizing alone.  Here tahini is tasty.  It is a lot like peanut butter.  You can spread it on anything.  I like it on bread, on cookies, or on a spoon.  And I usually put a large dab in my morning cereal (with rice milk these days...also actually tasty.)  You can get a variety of flavors of tahini - orange, fructose, cocoa, etc.  My favorite is honey (aka "meli".)   The consistency is a little smoother than peanut butter and not quite as heavy.

And then there is this...the newest addition to my list of favorite foods...halva.

I had seen halva around since my first days in Greece but never had it.  It is a little hunk of heaven made from tahini, oil and sugar.  You can buy it like a candy bar, or cut from huge slabs at the deli counter of any supermarket.  I like to get it another way, boxed from the shelf and ready to roll (I also get the cheap store brand, which is still absolutely delicious.)  Halva also comes in many flavors, such as cocoa, honey, almond, etc.  I always get vanilla, and it has loads of flavor.

I love to just cut of a hunk and eat it, while Christos likes it with bread.  The texture of it is like nothing I have ever had before.  It is rich and buttery and light and flaky all at the same time.  How something can be both dense and airy I cannot explain.  It is amazing...and delicious.  And, the sesame seeds are ground...so added health points. 

So, just a small thank you to our small friend the sesame seed.  And, a word of advice, if you see halva or flavored tahini around (maybe you can add your own honey to plain tahini and it would be the same) taste it...you can thank me later.

And as for Spring.....

It is wildflower city around here these days.  So, on the way home from Maria's churching, we stopped by our land (which Christos' mom has all tilled and planted and ready for summer) and snapped a few shots of our pretty baby and family.

 

 

Ah, Happy Days!  I could not be more ready for sunny weather!