Tahini Flowers! Spectacularly flavorful! This recipe embodies the best of raw, organic deliciousness. Bell pepper, zucchini, and native spices comprise the tahini hummus in the center. The recipe is completed with a garnish of marinaded, dehydrated carrots, red onions, and basil in a special sauce.

Voil la!

Sesame seeds are legendary! Remember the opening in the rock that appeared when Alibaba cried ‘Open Sesame’? All sorts of phyto -nutrients are packed into these seeds. Sesame oil has tons of Omega 6. Imagine what opens up inside of you when your body ingests tahini.

5000 years ago the chinese were using the oil to fuel their lamps. Egyptians were grinding sesame seeds into flour. Persians believed that eating these in their food strengthened character, making them better people. Assyrians believed that the gods drank sesame seed wine the night before they created the world.

Today, sesame seeds are still used for flavoring foods in chinese cuisine. Oil is used in stir fry, seeds are sprinkled over the top of many dishes, and many sauces are composed with sesame oil.

My version of tahini pairs ground sesame, zucchini, and a combination of spices. These bell pepper flowers can be served as an entree. Marinated beet and carrot garnish completes the flavor pairing perfectly. This dish is very filling and makes a gorgeous picture on the table.

Tahini Flowers

Hummus Ingredients:
1 cup soaked sesame seeds
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. Himalayan sea salt
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. red pepper
½ tsp. smoked paprika
½ cup tahini

Directions:
Soak the sesame seeds for 2 to 4 hours. Drain and rinse the seeds. Place the sesame s Place all the ingredients into a Vitamix, and blend until creamy smooth. Add the remaining ingredients to the Vitamix. Blend until creamy smooth.
Note: If you make 4 servings, there will be hummus left over. Use it for a dip with crackers, raw veggies, or for whatever you choose.

Bell Pepper

Flower Ingredients:
2 large orange bell peppers
​1 whole zucchini for garnish only

Directions:

Take a small paring knife and cut a zig zag cut all around the middle of an orange bell pepper creating the flower petals. Repeat the process again for the other orange pepper. They should split evenly in two pieces with a nice zig zag cut. Fill the center of each bell pepper flower with tahini hummus. Take the Bell Pepper Splash and place a mound of it on top of the tahini hummus. Take a julienne grater. Slice the zucchini into long thin strips with the grater to create the centerpiece for the flower. Insert the ends of the strips into the hummus. Refer to the photo if needed.

Should be consumed the same day.