Super Food Number Two.

Becca's Super Food Number Two: Tahini.

Tahini is ground sesame seeds (i.e. it is sesame seed butter). If you've eaten hummus before, then you've tried tahini as it is a key ingredient in this popular spread/dip. Eating tahini raw is an acquired taste (many people find it bitter). If you are adventurous to try tahini spread on toast, I would try it drizzled with honey, agave, maple syrup, or layered with jam. Tahini is an awesome staple for vegans (or people avoiding dairy) because it adds a cream-less creaminess to foods, including salad dressings, veggie dips, pasta sauces, and desserts. Tahini is a super food because of its high levels of calcium and fiber.

I recently used tahini in this butternut squash salad. It is a very different combination of ingredients, but it has the consistency of potato salad, only made with squash, and with its creaminess coming from tahini and not mayonnaise. I doubled the amount of cilantro, but other than that, followed the recipe exactly:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/warm-butternut-squash-and-chickpea-salad/