I may not be Scheherazade, the fictional sultan’s wife with her tales of wonder in “One Thousand and One Nights,” but say the enchanted words “open the sesame seed jar” (OK, so I took a few liberties with the phrase) and a magical world of flavor is open to all.

Because sesame seeds are a plant food, there’s no cholesterol. Natural sesame seeds (unhulled) are high in calcium; hulled, not as much. However, they contain copious amounts of vitamin B, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin; so it’s all good.

To keep your sesame seeds from becoming rancid, store them in the refrigerator or the freezer. Sesame oil has an exceptionally long shelf life, but since it’s rather expensive so most people tend to buy it small quantities so it isn’t in the cabinet all that long.

Many recipes call for you to toast sesame seeds so that they have a slightly nuttier flavor. Easy to do. You can either place them in an ungreased frying pan and cook, stirring constantly over medium heat for a minute or two, just until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the pan immediately by putting them into a dish. Leaving them in the pan can cause them to burn from residual heat.

Or, you can also toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet with sides at 350 degrees, but you have to watch them carefully. They will burn quickly.

So open sesame and get started creating your own treasure trove of dishes with a rich nutty flavor.

Sesame Turkey Burger

2 pounds ground turkey

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups sliced green onions (white and green parts)

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 to 4 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for cooking

In a bowl combine the turkey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, green onions, cilantro, garlic, sesame oil, about 1 teaspoon of salt and bread crumbs. Cover and let the mixture sit for at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld. Form the mixture into 6 to 8 patties and brush them with a little oil before cooking (the turkey has very little fat and may stick to the grill pan or grill). Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until the center is hot and no longer pink. Makes 6 to 8.

Classic Sesame Chicken

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons rice wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 dash hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 clove crushed garlic

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered

1 green bell pepper, sliced

4 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 -inch pieces

To make marinade: In a nonporous dish or bowl blend cornstarch with rice wine, then stir in lemon juice, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce, ginger and garlic. Blend together and stir in chicken strips. Cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for 3 to 4 hours.

In a wok or large skillet, place sesame seeds and dry-fry over medium heat, shaking the wok, until the seeds are a golden brown color. Remove seeds and set aside.

To same wok or skillet, add sesame oil and vegetable oil and heat slowly. Drain chicken, reserving marinade, and stir-fry in wok a few pieces at a time, until browned. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add mushrooms and green bell pepper to same wok or skillet and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallions and stir-fry 1 minute more. Return chicken to wok, together with reserved marinade, and stir over medium high heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly coated with the glaze. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Lemon and Sesame Dressing

1/2 cup sesame oil

1 cup honey

1 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a large jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Shake again before dressing salad. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Peanut and Sesame Noodles

For peanut dressing:

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup warm water

2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

For noodle salad:

3/4 pound dried linguine or spaghetti

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8 -inch-thick strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8 -inch-thick strips

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

To make dressing: In the bowl of a food processor or blender combine the dressing ingredients and process until smooth then transfer to a large bowl.

To make salad: Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water. Add the pasta, onions, bell peppers and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing to combine, and serve immediately. Serves 4.