Open Sesame Salad with Beets
So I've heard that the term "Open Sesame," the command that unlocks the treasure-containing cave in the story Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves—stems from the fact that sesame pods pop open when the seeds are mature and ready to eat. Whether or not this is true, one fact remains: sesame is a super nutritious and tasty food to work into your routine.
I've been obsessed with all things sesame lately. I use the cold-pressed unrefined oil as a skin moisturizer; I use the toasted oil for cooking; I buy the hulled seeds, unhulled seeds and black seeds and toss them all into stirfrys, salads, noodles, and rice; and I use the seed paste (also known as tahini) in smoothies, salad dressings, sauces, hummus, and just about everything else. I love it.
Sesame seeds have a very high mineral content—they are rich sources of copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, and iron for starters. In fact, I often recommend sesame seeds and tahini to my clients as a good source of plant-based calcium and iron (and when combined with garbanzo beans for hummus—even better!) It should become a new staple food in your home!
This is a salad I whipped up one afternoon when I was particularly craving sesame. I had recently been to a local farm stand and was sitting on a head of green cabbage, golden beets and red kale. Here's what unfolded.
FOR THE SESAME BEET SALAD
Serves 1-2 (Depends on how hungry you are and what you serve it with.)
1 medium golden beet, shredded
1/4 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit. The longer it sits, the tastier it becomes. You can absolutely eat this beet salad straight up. I often do, or I'll add it to another salad, like I did so here.
BASE SALAD INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped red Russian kale
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 cup chopped green cabbage
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Massage the chopped kale with the sesame oil. Combine massaged kale, cabbage and celery in a large bowl. Sprinkle with seeds.
DRESSING INGREDIENTS
1 T tahini
1 tsp miso*
1 T rice vinegar
1/4 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 T warm water (to thin & facilitate blending)
*I used chickpea miso because I had it and love it. Use whatever miso you like best.
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour over base salad and toss to coat. Optional: sprinkle with cayenne pepper for some kick. Top base salad with beet salad. Eat as is, or serve over quinoa, millet or rice.
