Herbal Gomasio

Entered in Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe Contest! 5/12/10

Using this blend of sesame and salt instead of table salt is a great way to reduce sodium in the diet as well as strengthen digestion. Sesame seeds mixed with salt or seaweed make a powerful anti-acid that alkalizes the blood and brings body pH back into balance.

Traditional gomasio is simply a 5:1 ratio of toasted sesame seeds to sea salt - crushed with a mortar and pestle. Today you can buy ready-to-use Seaweed Gomasio made by Eden Foods that includes dulse, nori and kombu seaweeds along with the sesame and salt. This is a nourishing way to re-mineralize and alkalize while cutting back on sodium. It is a satisfying topping for salads, soups, pasta or any foods you would normally salt at the table.

Making your own homemade gomasio creates a fresh and zesty condiment. The flavor is so much richer when you make it fresh as opposed to buying a jar that may have sat on a shelf for many months. It’s also more nutritious and you may like it without adding the salt at all.

In our recipe, the combination of seaweed with bitter nettles and freshly roasted sesame seeds creates a naturally salty and rich taste. Nettles are a deeply cleansing and nourishing herb that increase urine output, cleanse the body of excess salt and lower blood pressure.

If this blend is not salty enough for you, add the optional amount of sea salt. This zesty mixture will still result in reduced sodium intake when used instead of salt.

You can order all of these ingredients - high quality, organic nettles leaf, dulse flakes, sesame seeds and sea salt at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Ingredients:

(use organic when possible)

¼ cup sesame seeds

1 teaspoon dulse flakes

1 teaspoon nettle leaf

½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly golden and aromatic.
2. Cool seeds slightly, then mix with dulse flakes and nettles in blender, seed grinder or with mortar and pestle. Grind coarsely, just enough to break the seeds and coat herbs with sesame oil. If the dulse or nettles are whole leaf, grind them into flakes first before mixing with sesame seeds.
3. Taste and add optional salt if desired.
4. Store in a jar or large opening shaker. Can also be used in a spice mill to further grind over food. If not used up quickly, store in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.

Makes 1/4 cup

• Try mixing with other edible seaweeds – kombu, nori, kelp granules or a blend of seaweeds will work well.