Slow-Cooker Sesame Chicken

Trivia!

What's the famous password to the cave of riches?

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“Open Sesame!”

I wonder if Ali Baba realized his infamous phrase was very much based on truth.  As a sesame plant reaches maturity, it's pod bursts open, and the seeds inside are scattered.

My goodness, I had no idea what fascinating treasures these little seeds really are.  Not only do they have an interesting history that dates back to prehistoric times, but they're incredibly good for us as well

The sesame plant is native to West Africa, although it's been grown in tropical regions throughout the world since prehistoric times.  In some circles, they're even believed to have originated in India, as the seeds are considered to be a symbol of immortality within the Hindu religion

They found their way to the U.S. from Africa during the late 17th century, along with the slave trade

To date, I hadn't thought of them much beyond the context of a topping for bread, buns, or bagels.  (A third of all the sesame seeds grown in Mexico are used by McDonald's for their sesame buns!)

The reality is they have uses far beyond bread sprinkling.  In fact, the majority of the world's seeds are cold-pressed to make oil, which is highly stable and can take heat and humidity without turning rancid.

Seeds straight out of the pod can be red, black, brown, or yellow.  Once they're hulled, they're the creamy white color we're familiar with here in the U.S.  Eating white hulled seeds isn't the norm everywhere.  For example, if one journeyed to the Middle East or India, you'd more than likely be served a combination of unhulled black and/or white.

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I couldn't help but wonder.  If sesame seeds are cooked with so frequently in other parts of the world, what are some of the more popular dishes?  In India, the black and white sesame seeds are referred to as gingili and are used in rice pilafs, sauces, and stuffings.  On the sweeter side is tilkut

The Middle East specializes in halva, or a type of dense, sweet confection made from compressed ground sesame seeds and sweet syrups.  They also have tahini, of course, tahini, which we use to make hummus.  They also use tahini as a dip or spread and often pair it with chickpea patties (falafel) or the seasoned eggplant dish called baba ghanoush

In Mexico, sesame seeds are used frequently in mole recipes or complex sauces that are the hallmark of so many regional dishes.

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I'm happy to say they also found their way into our kitchen this week, via sesame chicken made in the slow-cooker.  I don't have the stomach anymore for classic take-out, with it's fried batter and oily/sugary sauce.  Here, boneless chicken thighs are cooked low and slow in a tangy and sweet sauce.

This recipe is a fantastic and healthy alternative; it really is.  Lending all of the flavor without taxing the digestive system.

It also fun to experiment with coconut aminos, which is essentially coconut sap, frequently used in place of soy sauce in Paleo cooking. We found it to be surprisingly good and will definitely be using it again.

But wait you ask, what about all of the ways sesame seeds are good for your health?

(to be continued .. )

Enjoy!

xoxo

ps:  You can read more about sesame seeds in Part II of this short series

If you're debating between chicken thighs or breasts, I'd encourage you to go with the thighs.  They have a bit more fat and will be more forgiving in your slow cooker (breasts can become dry if cooked too long) 

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~ Adapted from Against All Grain by Danielle Walker