Gomasio

I've been sick for the past few days, which means I've been holed up in my house itching for something to do.  This afternoon, my roommate bashfully asked me if I would make some more gomasio, as the jar was almost empty. I thought it'd be a simple project for a sicky and at least I could pretend that I was somewhat productive today.

My boyfriend introduced me to gomasio about a year ago and it's still one of my favorite seasonings. It's a Japanese condiment made of toasted ground sesame seeds and salt. The proportions are about 8:1 seeds to salt, so it's a great way to reduce your salt intake. I love it sprinkled on fried eggs, stirred into freshly made miso soup, or, my absolute favorite snack, on top of toast and slices of avocado. It takes no more than 20 minutes to make and requires only two ingredients.  I use a mortar and pestle, but you could certainly use a blender or food processor.

Gomasio

1 cup sesame seeds

2 tblsp table salt

Throw the seeds into a large saucepan on medium heat and stir constantly.  Look how much fun I'm having already!

Cook until  the sesame seeds are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
 

Working in batches, put a bit (about a 1/4 cup) and a spoonful of salt into your mortar. 

Grind until fine (if using a food processor or blender, throw it in all in at once).  Repeat until you've ground all of the seeds and salt.  When I grind it, my mixture will still have a few whole sesame seeds.  Just be careful not to grind to a paste.

You're done!