This should come as no surprise to anyone by this point, but I have an obsession with tahini. The smooth and creamy paste (akin to nut butter) made from ground sesame seeds is truly one of my favorite things! I love baking with it and eating it in all the ways, any time of day- whether it’s in my tahini chocolate chip blondies or made into a simple salad dressing or spooned into medjool dates with chocolate, I am here for it!
No surprise then that I am a huge fan of Seed + Mill, a cute tahini and halva focused shop in New York City’s Chelsea Market. They make some of the best, smoothest, and creamiest tahini around (luckily you can order this online), and not to mention delicious halva as well! For those of you who don’t know, halva is a traditional Middle Eastern fudge-like confection made with tahini (sesame seed paste), sugar, spices and nuts. In fact, the Arabic word halva translates to “sweetness.” It’s sweet, but not obnoxiously so, and delightfully nutty, fluffy, and crumbly. Seed + Mill whips up some seriously delicious halva flavors at their store- Toasted coconut dark chocolate? Pistachio? Date walnut? Ginger? Yes please, my mouth is watering already! These are sold by the slab, so pick a few to take home and try out. You won’t be disappointed.
Perhaps even more exciting for me was the tahini soft serve ice cream that Seed + Mill churns out. It’s made with goat milk, so perhaps less irritating for those with lactose sensitivities, and oh so creamy and delicious! It’s finished with crumbles of halva and a generous drizzle of tahini – so heavenly I can hardly stand it! Now that I’m back in New York next week, I cannot wait to return soon to get my fix.
healthy nut & seed granola
Granola makes for a delicious breakfast or snack anytime of day, am I right? I’ve been known to enjoy it dry on its own, in a bowl with almond milk or Greek yogurt & fresh fruit, and even sprinkled on top of chia pudding or açaí bowls! And I have to say, it always hits the spot! Although it’s easy to buy granola pre-made, many store-bought versions are loaded with sugar and other unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients. At our house we tend to go through Costco-size bags of grain-free granola at a pretty rapid pace (it’s so addicting), and as I was finishing one off the other day, I decided to make some myself for a change!
This recipe is super adaptable, so feel free to swap out other nuts and seeds if you prefer, or use what you have on hand. But do make sure to use plenty of them since they are the star- and super important for that tasty crunch! No one in my household avoids grains, so I did include rolled oats as well, since they make such a good base for granola. If you’d like to keep things gluten free, just make sure your oats are certified GF! My healthy nut & seed granola boasts a pretty impressive nutritional profile thanks to superfoods like chia & flax seeds, fiber-rich oats, and an extra dose of healthy fats from coconut oil. Plus, it’s lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, which is much lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar and corn syrup, so it won’t spike your blood sugar! I definitely recommend adding pure vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for some added depth of flavor, but feel free to skip these if you prefer. You can also toss in some dried or freeze dried fruit after baking, if that’s your jam, as well. The options are endless! Homemade granola is so easy y’all- I don’t know why I haven’t done this more often, but I definitely will going forward! Not to mention it leaves your house smelling oh so delicious and fragrant! Enjoy!
Healthy Nut & Seed Granola:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if preferred)
1/2 cup pistachios, rough chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts, rough chopped
1 cup almonds, rough chopped (or slivered)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or shreds
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan or large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt (keep coconut separate for now). Set aside. In a separate bowl, heat the coconut oil and maple syrup until melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well until oat mixture is completely coated.
Spread the granola on the baking sheet in an even layer and press down evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top, and return to oven for a few more minutes, until just toasted. Granola should be nice and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to set. Feel free to break it into clumps or clusters if you prefer. Transfer to an airtight container or large mason jar.
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lemon olive oil cake with polenta & rosemary
We are currently living through some crazy, uncertain, difficult, and stressful times. I don’t know about you, but in times of uncertainty, I find peace in the ritual of baking. I love the routine of it all, and the fact that some things do remain constant, even when so much else is unknown. We are lucky enough to have an abundance of lemons on our tree right now, so I took the opportunity to pick a bucket full. We use lemons pretty regularly, but even so, had more than we knew what to do with. It had been quite a while since I’d made an olive oil cake, but I do find them to be super comforting, and the perfect thing to nosh on while spending all this extra time at home, so it seemed like the perfect excuse! Plus, fresh citrus (zest & juice!) takes it to a whole other level. Using a top-notch quality olive oil for this as opposed to your typical store-bought variety is of the utmost importance here. I recommend Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Central Coast Family Farm for its crisp, pure olive flavor, which will keep your cake nice and moist. This olive oil cake is also entirely gluten-free, if that’s your thing- I find the hearty flavors and textures of almond flour and polenta complement the dense cake nicely. I also prefer to keep the cake itself not too sweet, as I typically serve it with assorted sweet toppings (like candied lemon peels, lemon marmalade & whipped cream) to balance things out. This baby will stay fresh wrapped in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, but you may also store it in the fridge if you prefer. It’s equally delicious at room temperature with a dollop of honey sweetened greek yogurt for breakfast as it is warmed in the oven and served with ice cream for dessert! You can bake this in a simple 8” cake pan, or use a springform pan for easy release of the sides! Whichever way you go about it, I hope that it brings you joy during this time. Stay safe, y’all!
Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Polenta & Rosemary:
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup coarse ground polenta
1 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup cane sugar
3 large eggs
4 lemons, zested & juiced
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
powdered sugar, candied lemon peels & fresh rosemary sprigs, for topping
lemon curd & whipped mascarpone, yogurt, or ice cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease an 8” round cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease the paper as well. In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, polenta, baking powder, rosemary, and salt, then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, sugar, eggs, lemon juice & zest, and vanilla/almond extract until smooth. You may alternatively use a stand mixer if desired. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, making sure it’s level and evenly distributed. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for about 5 minutes, and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust cake with powdered sugar and top with candied lemon peels and fresh rosemary. Serve with a heaping dollop of lemon curd or marmalade, and maybe some ice cream or whipped mascarpone as well. Enjoy!
*adapted from Orange Polenta Cake from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
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