wholefood step-by-step: # 21 tahini

Continuing on from last week with some of the Pureharvest wholefood items I recently received, today we're looking at tahini.

Tahini is a wonderful wholefood for its versatility and nutrient density.

What is tahini?
Tahini is sesame seed paste, made simply from grinding hulled or unhulled sesame seeds. Unhulled tahini means that the whole sesame seeds are intact, hulled tahini is where the hull has been removed.

Tahini has a nutty flavour and is mostly commonly used in Middle Eastern, North African, Greek and Turkish cuisine in a range of dips, dressings, sauces and desserts.

Nutritionally, unhulled tahini has a lot to offer. Who knew tiny little sesame seeds are packed with calcium, magnesium, B1 and zinc? You can read more here.

How can I use tahini?
There are so many ways to use tahini!

The most common of course being in humus, that delicious garlicky, lemony, chickpea dip synonymous with Middle Eastern food.

I make a carrot version of hummus with tahini, you can find the recipe in this post.

Another beautiful dip that calls for tahini is babaganoush (eggplant dip).

Carrot sticks dipped into straight tahini are a delicious combination and can be a great way of enticing kids to eat raw carrot.

I sometimes use tahini in a salad dressing, mixing 1 tablespoon of tahini with enough lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to create a smooth, runny dressing. You could add some crushed garlic or chilli and a pinch of sea salt if you wish.

On its own it makes a delicious spread on toast, rice crackers or corn thins. For a sweet version, spread tahini then honey on top.

Honey and tahini are a match made in wholefood heaven, mix a tablespoon of each with enough filtered water to create a 'dressing' to serve with fruit salad.

The other popular sweet use of tahini is in halva, I remember my mum buying halva from our local deli when I was child. It was a very exotic sweet in my suburban upbringing!

Where can I buy it?
Tahini is sold in the health food aisle of most supermarkets and in health food shops, in many health food shops you can buy it in bulk.

You can of course make your own, something I haven't done yet. Here's a recipe if you want to give it a go.

Do you use tahini in your wholefood kitchen? What are your favorite uses? Have you made it?

wholefood step-by-step: #14 keep food guilt in check

With the school holidays and Easter upon us I thought it was timely to write about this topic. Today I am delving into the emotional heart of wholefood living because there's a whole lot more to this than what's on your shopping list. Warning, I delve deep!

In an ideal world, guilt, blame and shame would in no way be part of anyone's relationship with food but the reality is that these emotions around food are common for lots of people. Especially I would say, people who are either wanting to or are in the process of transitioning to a wholefood way of eating. Because you see, it can very much be a two steps forward one step back experience as you learn new recipes, new places to buy food, better ways to be organised and so on. There will be some days where you will revert back to old 'comfort' foods or as is the case with school holidays and Easter there will be so many 'opportunities' to eat less nourishing foods that it can potentially feel overwhelming and like you have somehow failed if fish and chips, ice creams and chocolate eggs are eaten. Hello guilt, blame, shame.

Send those emotions packing I say. Progress not perfection is our mantra here.

On the school holidays I maintain our wholefood way at home and do my best when we go out, by taking food with me, sharing a wholefood picnic with friends that sort of thing. However, when the times arise that my boys eat 'junk' food most likely in the form of hot chips, a treat from their grandparents, Easter eggs, an ice cream with friends I don't get hung up about it and if I feel like eating some of that sort of food too I join them!

I am very mindful of the range of emotional aspects of eating because I spent twenty years of my life with an exceptionally poor body image - including much of my childhood - self-loathing at times for my poor food choices was chronic and unrelenting. I am beyond grateful to have moved through that (by doing lots of emotional healing work) and I wish that no one else ever had to feel that way - especially children.

If you are still carrying around negative emotions and thoughts about food and your relationship with it from your childhood and you are now a parent, it really is time to work on letting them go because consciously or unconsciously you can be sharing them with your children. I warned you I was delving deep!

This holidays keep things in perspective, certainly make your offerings to your children nutritious and delicious and fun but if things veer off track here and there be kind to yourself and know that you will get back on track soon and over the years you will naturally veer off less and less.

Alexx Stuart posted this sweet reminder on this topic on her facebook page.

Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments I'd love to hear them and your story may just be the inspiration someone else needs.