Look What ELSE Tahini Can Do!
Got nut allergies? Then how about making your cookies, and other desserts with tahini butter instead of peanut butter? Or consider adding it into savory dishes as well. And whether or not nut allergies are an issue, consider using tahini simply for a healthy protein boost.
Tahini is a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. It has a light, nutty flavor. It’s best known as an ingredient in hummus. Besides tasting great, tahini offers several health benefits, such as:
Of course you can get it at your grocery store, but it’s less expensive if you make your own. It’s easy to do:
2 cups hulled sesame seeds
1 - 2 tablespoon avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
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As mentioned above, tahini can do more than shine in hummus. Desserts and savory dishes sparkle with this ingredient added in. Look what ELSE tahini can do:
Use it in cookies and candy: As mentioned above, substitute it for peanut butter in your cookie recipe. And while you’re at it, do the same with your favorite peanut butter fudge recipe.
Make a doughnut glaze with it: Mix tahini with pure warm maple syrup and dip your just-baked or fried doughnuts in it.
Use it as a cake frosting: Tahini adds a rich and toasty undertone to cakes like other nut butters do, but with a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness nicely. Simply mix tahini with powdered sugar and a little cream or milk and pour it all over your un-iced cake (pumpkin-infused cakes are absolutely delicious with this frosting).
Make a yogurt sauce: Tahini and yogurt should really be as popular as peanut butter and jelly. They just work. This actually makes a delicious dip for warm pita bread or sliced fresh veggies.
Use it in salad dressings: Consider blending a little tahini into your favorite dressings for a vitamin and mineral boost to your salad. It works with any dressing.
Use it as a toast topper: It makes a terrific substitute for butter when making toast.
And finally, make soup with it! This Tahini-Carrot Soup with Pistachios is amazing. Just blend the creamy carrot mixture with tahini for a luscious spoonful without a splash of cream in sight. (We thank www.myrecipes.com for this wonderful recipe.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 pound carrot peeled and chopped
3 cups unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons sesame tahini well-stirred
8 teaspoons tahini sauce, (recipe follows)
6 tablespoons unsalted pistachio nuts coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
TAHINI SAUCE
4 cloves medium to large garlic pressed or minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/2 teaspoon sea, fine salt
1 pinch ground cumin
6 tablespoons ice water more as needed
Directions:
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Tahini is a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. It has a light, nutty flavor. It’s best known as an ingredient in hummus. Besides tasting great, tahini offers several health benefits, such as:
- It’s highly nutritious (full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals). And about 50% of the fat in tahini comes from monounsaturated fatty acids. These have anti-inflammatory properties and have been linked to a decreased risk of chronic disease.
- It’s rich in antioxidants called called lignans, which helps prevent free radical damage and reduces risk of disease (especially cancer).
- It contains antibacterial properties due to the powerful antioxidants it contains. In fact, in Central European and Middle Eastern countries, sesame oil is used as a home remedy for foot wounds associated with diabetes.
- Research shows it strengthens the central nervous system because it contains compounds that improve brain health and decrease risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.
- Tahini contains compounds that help protect the liver and kidneys from damage.
Of course you can get it at your grocery store, but it’s less expensive if you make your own. It’s easy to do:
Homemade Tahini
Yield: 2 cups
Serving size: 1
Ingredients:
Serving size: 1
2 cups hulled sesame seeds
1 - 2 tablespoon avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. In a large, dry saucepan, toast the sesame seeds (a little at a time) over medium heat until they are golden and fragrant.
2. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a food processor, grind the sesame seeds.
4. Slowly drizzle in oil until the paste reaches the consistency you desire.
NOTE: Recommendations vary for how long you can keep fresh tahini, but most websites claim it can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. The natural oils in it may separate during storage, but this can be easily fixed by stirring the tahini before using it.
2. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a food processor, grind the sesame seeds.
4. Slowly drizzle in oil until the paste reaches the consistency you desire.
NOTE: Recommendations vary for how long you can keep fresh tahini, but most websites claim it can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. The natural oils in it may separate during storage, but this can be easily fixed by stirring the tahini before using it.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
As mentioned above, tahini can do more than shine in hummus. Desserts and savory dishes sparkle with this ingredient added in. Look what ELSE tahini can do:
Use it in cookies and candy: As mentioned above, substitute it for peanut butter in your cookie recipe. And while you’re at it, do the same with your favorite peanut butter fudge recipe.
Make a doughnut glaze with it: Mix tahini with pure warm maple syrup and dip your just-baked or fried doughnuts in it.
Use it as a cake frosting: Tahini adds a rich and toasty undertone to cakes like other nut butters do, but with a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness nicely. Simply mix tahini with powdered sugar and a little cream or milk and pour it all over your un-iced cake (pumpkin-infused cakes are absolutely delicious with this frosting).
Make a yogurt sauce: Tahini and yogurt should really be as popular as peanut butter and jelly. They just work. This actually makes a delicious dip for warm pita bread or sliced fresh veggies.
Use it in salad dressings: Consider blending a little tahini into your favorite dressings for a vitamin and mineral boost to your salad. It works with any dressing.
Use it as a toast topper: It makes a terrific substitute for butter when making toast.
And finally, make soup with it! This Tahini-Carrot Soup with Pistachios is amazing. Just blend the creamy carrot mixture with tahini for a luscious spoonful without a splash of cream in sight. (We thank www.myrecipes.com for this wonderful recipe.)
Tahini and Carrot Soup with Pistachios
Serving size: 2
Calories per serving: 188
Ingredients:
Calories per serving: 188
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 pound carrot peeled and chopped
3 cups unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons sesame tahini well-stirred
8 teaspoons tahini sauce, (recipe follows)
6 tablespoons unsalted pistachio nuts coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
TAHINI SAUCE
4 cloves medium to large garlic pressed or minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/2 teaspoon sea, fine salt
1 pinch ground cumin
6 tablespoons ice water more as needed
Directions:
Step 1: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in salt, paprika, turmeric, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add carrots; cook 1 minute. Stir in stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are very tender.
Step 2: Combine carrot mixture and 3 tablespoons tahini in a blender. Remove center piece from blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Process until smooth. Divide soup evenly among 4 bowls. Drizzle 2 teaspoons Tahini Sauce over each serving. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons pistachios and 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves.
TAHINI SAUCE
1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic and lemon juice. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, to give the garlic time to infuse the lemon juice with flavor.
2. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another medium bowl. Press the garlic solids with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the garlic.
3. Add the tahini, salt and cumin to the bowl. Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
4. Add water 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth. (It may seize up, don’t worry.) After about 6 tablespoons, you will have a perfectly creamy and smooth, light-colored tahini sauce.
5. If desired, thin with additional water for a more drizzly sauce. Adjust if necessary—if you’d like more tang, add more lemon, or for more overall flavor, add another pinch of salt. Your tahini sauce is ready to serve!
Step 2: Combine carrot mixture and 3 tablespoons tahini in a blender. Remove center piece from blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Process until smooth. Divide soup evenly among 4 bowls. Drizzle 2 teaspoons Tahini Sauce over each serving. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons pistachios and 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves.
TAHINI SAUCE
1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic and lemon juice. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, to give the garlic time to infuse the lemon juice with flavor.
2. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another medium bowl. Press the garlic solids with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the garlic.
3. Add the tahini, salt and cumin to the bowl. Whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
4. Add water 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth. (It may seize up, don’t worry.) After about 6 tablespoons, you will have a perfectly creamy and smooth, light-colored tahini sauce.
5. If desired, thin with additional water for a more drizzly sauce. Adjust if necessary—if you’d like more tang, add more lemon, or for more overall flavor, add another pinch of salt. Your tahini sauce is ready to serve!
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
www.healthline.com
www.worldmarket.com
www.daringgourmet.com
www.adayinthekitchen.com
www.cookinglight.com
Alice Osborne