Tahini sauce has many health benefits. It’s a condiment I could not live without!

Today I want to get you excited about tahini, sometimes referred to as tahini paste. This nutritional gem is incredibly delicious and should be a culinary staple in your kitchen. Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, which are the source of its robust and unique health value. Often referred to as the “queen of seeds” and used medicinally for thousands of years, sesame seeds are exceptionally rich in a host of key minerals and provide a nice dose of:

• Vitamin E
• Fiber
• Heart-healthy fats

Their biggest claim to fame comes from two very special and unique phytochemicals, sesamin and sesamolin. Both are potent antioxidants from the lignan family that have been shown to:

• Lower cholesterol
• Prevent high blood pressure
• Boost the activity of vitamin E

Keep tahini (pure, ground sesame seeds) available for making sauces and delectable salad dressings. It is a common ingredient in Mediterranean dishes. I always have tahini in my fridge.

The easiest way to use it is to simply drizzle it over salads with whatever vinegar you like and then stir your salad around to mix it in.

Tahini Vinaigrette

Serves eight

(I love to use this dressing with apple and kale salad.)

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• Juice from ½ of a fresh lemon
• 2 teaspoons Grey Poupon “Harvest Coarse Ground” mustard
• 1 tablespoon jelly or jam of choice, marmalade or honey

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients in a jar, then shake to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Dr. Ann Kulze is founder and CEO of Just Wellness and has a knack for breaking down the science of healthy eating and living into simple and easily digestible messages. She has been featured on “Dr. Oz,” “Oprah and Friends,” WebMD and U.S. News & World Report. Alabama NewsCenter is publishing advice from Dr. Ann.