A staple in both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. It is the main ingredient of popular dips such as hummus (made from chickpeas1) and Baba Ganoush (made from eggplants2), but it’s actually a delicious addition to salad dressings and sauces too.3
Believe it or not, you can also add tahini to your favorite baked goods such as cookies4 or bread, just like in this gluten-free Tahini Bread recipe sent in by Mercola.com reader Debbie Huber Gez. The subtle and nutty sesame seed taste gives this bread extra flavor.
Even better, this recipe only requires four ingredients, and is easy enough for the little ones to follow so they can lend you a hand in the kitchen.
Healthy Tahini Bread Recipe
Procedure
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Expect the resulting mixture to be very thin.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add mixture to a loaf pan and bake for 17 to 20 minutes. The bread should be ready when it’s dry. To check if the bread is finished, stick a toothpick into a center. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.
This Top-Notch Tahini Bread Is Perfect for Any Meal
When it comes to cooking or baking, sometimes less is more, just like in this Tahini Bread recipe. Although the bread is already flavorful because of the sesame seed paste, the raw honey enhances and provides a decadent salty-and-sweet contrast. What you get is gluten-free bread that tastes good on its own or pairs well with other meats, herbs and vegetables when you want to make a sandwich.
How Sesame Seeds Can Be Good for Your Health
Sesame seeds are typically known for their unique flavor and aroma, but it’s about time their health benefits are emphasized. These seeds are one of the best sources of lignans, a type of plant compound known as polyphenols that deliver exceptional health benefits, especially when it comes to thwarting certain diseases.
Lignans found in sesame seeds were shown to have anti-estrogenic properties, or the capability to ward off the effects of estrogen in some tissues. As a result, your risk for hormone-associated cancers such as breast, uterine, prostate or ovarian cancer may significantly decrease.5 Plus, lignans from either sesame seeds or flaxseeds (another potent source) were found to decrease the proliferation of tumor cells.
Your cardiovascular health could also be enhanced, especially when you consume a diet that’s rich in plant lignans. A study conducted on 2,000 men revealed that those who had the highest enterolactone levels (a known indicator of plant lignan intake), were significantly less likely to die from coronary heart disease, unlike those with the lowest levels.6,7
Raw Honey: A Sweetener Without the Added Guilt
When whipping up recipes that require a sweetener, skip the sugar and opt for raw honey instead. Not only is raw honey incredibly flavorful, but it can also provide health benefits for you too, especially when you purchase raw, unfiltered and 100 percent pure honey from an organic farmer or trusted source.
If your allergies have become persistent, raw honey could be helpful in alleviating the symptoms. Locally purchased honey often has pollen spores that are collected by bees from local plants, and these spores introduce a small amount of allergens into your body. These allergens essentially activate your immune system, and as time passes you can develop a natural immunity against the allergens.
Raw honey also has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and antiseptic properties — essential in helping treat wounds. In fact, a study revealed that 58 out of 59 wounds had “remarkable improvement following topical application of honey.”
On the other hand, if you’re suffering from a cough, you can use raw honey to help heal the condition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), raw honey is a demulcent, or a substance that can aid in healing the irritation in your mouth or throat by creating a protective film.8
Just a little reminder, however: make sure to use honey in moderation, especially if you’re constantly adding fruits to your diet as well. Both of these items contain fructose, a type of sugar that when consumed excessively can trigger insulin resistance and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and/or cancer. In fact, 1 teaspoon of honey is said to contain nearly 4 grams of fructose.
Organic and Pastured Eggs Are Truly the Better Option
It may not seem like it, but your choice of eggs can make a difference when it comes to the overall nutritional content of this bread. With that being said, make it a point to purchase organic and pastured eggs from a local farmer.
Most eggs available in grocery stores nowadays come from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Chickens raised in CAFOs are kept in cramped cages where they are barely able to move, and are also fed with an unnatural diet of artificial ingredients. These CAFOs are also hotbeds for harmful bacteria like salmonella, which can contaminate the chicken meat and/or eggs.
You’re definitely better off using organic and pastured eggs for virtually any recipe that calls for them, since you’ll be receiving higher amounts of these vitamins and nutrients:9
- Two to three times more vitamin A
- Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
- Three times more vitamin E
- Seven times more beta-carotene
Organic egg yolks also contain a B vitamin called choline that is essential when it comes to brain development. Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are abundant in yolks as well, and are known for enhancing eye health, assisting in blue light absorption and shielding you from free radicals that can damage lipid membranes in your eyes.10
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