This Middle Eastern vegetarian sandwich is typically stuffed in a pita, but our version offers a more eye-catching presentation. A few, high-flavored ingredients liven up Ginger-Sesame Green Beans. The tahini will seize up when added to the lemon juice mixture—this is perfectly normal. In my experience, having extra is a great problem to have. I'm sure it will be delicious with other types of classes as well. Raw beets offer earthy flavor and meaty texture and add crunch and color to this salad. This tahini dressing recipe goes especially well with bitter … Cooked quinoa acts as a binder for these kebabs, packing them with extra protein and some whole-grain goodness. Photo: Greg DuPree, Credit: It makes sense that tahini would fit here too, especially as a finishing touch for roasted sweet potatoes with Sriracha. Toasted pecans and pickled jalapeños infuse some Southern accents into the traditional dish. Use our beets guide for helpful prep tips and ideas on how to put this spring and fall vegetable to good use in a variety of yummy recipes. I love a great vinaigrette as much as the next salad fanatic, but tahini dressings—which are a little richer and more substantial than most oil-based dressings—hold a special place in my heart. At first, I had to fight off my surprise: I love tahini so much that it was difficult to imagine ever struggling to make use of some excess. We combine the ingredients of the classic Middle Eastern dish—chickpeas, bold spices, tahini, and breadcrumbs—and bake it inside hollowed out eggplants until golden brown. A few logistical details: My choice for all of the aforementioned recipes is roasted tahini, rather than raw. 8. Some honey and some powdered ginger and cinnamon. Share some ideas in the comments below. A sandwich of chickpea fritters in pita bread, falafel ranks amont the world's most popular Middle Eastern foods. Toast. Whisk flour, baking powder, and … Try spreading Soom's chocolate-sesame spread over each slice for an extra tahini hit. Just experiment with the proportions until you like the degree of sweetness.”. Tahini and banana make for a surprisingly blissful combination, and tahini does a wonderful job of adding subtle thickness to smoothies. Probably not (I’m not, either), but if you’re in the mood for variety, tahini toast is pretty awesome. Fresh avocado, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and a hard-cooked egg drizzled with tahini create a truly addicting combination. When I teach cooking classes, I often wrap up with a quick demo of how to make homemade hummus. It can add a touch of fattiness and creamy texture to soups and dips at a moment’s notice (no blending or soaking of nuts required). Here, sautéed chicken thighs and a creamy sesame sauce turn the bulgur salad into a main dish. With this book from Gena Hamshaw, anyone can learn how to eat more plants (and along the way, how to cook with and love cashew cheese, tofu, and nutritional yeast). Stirring a tablespoon or two of tahini into a stewed vegetable dish can add not only that hint of toasted, sesame flavor but also a pleasant and subtle creaminess. The sandwiches are then topped with fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion. The paste, made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds, is nutty and rich, with a slightly bitter finish and an unctuous mouthfeel akin to peanut butter. 9. Photo: Justin Walker, Credit: Expert tip: whenever you find yourself with over-ripe bananas but without time to make a banana bread loaf, peel the bananas and freeze them, then simply defrost and add to your banana bread recipe when you're ready to make it. I make this dish for parties. Here's a re-imagining of the same elements—seasoned mashed chickpeas, tahini sauce, and tomato relish—stuffed into roasted eggplant instead of pita pockets. Pasta salad. Flavored with lime juice and sprinkled with cilantro, this Mexican-inspired dip is a great go-to appetizer. Serve with crudités for an appetizer that won’t ruin your appetite. 7. I love its mildness; while sesame may be an acquired taste for some, I find tahini to be so much more versatile and neutral than other nut or seed butters. Salad dressing. Curries, skillets, stews. Bananas and peanut butter are a likely duo, but bananas and tahini? 5. Baking. Somehow, the toasted flavor of tahini becomes delightfully concentrated through the baking process, and it can give new dimension to quick breads, blondies, and cookies. Without being overly sweet, this festive dip is the perfect addition to your next Halloween or fall-inspired spread. Be sure to use untoasted sesame oil in the batter; the dark, toasted kind would be too strong. But every ingredient is foreign until it’s not, and sesame paste is no exception. "I came up with this recipe because I had an eggplant I wanted to use,” said one Cooking Light reader. Tired of peanut butter and avocado on toast? It makes a satisfying vegetarian main dish. A little baking soda softens the chickpeas for an ethereally smooth texture. Speaking of pasta salad: Tahini and soba noodles are a match made in summery lunchtime heaven. Non-dairy milk. 4. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°. Photo: Jennifer Causey, Credit: The trick is to cook it whole over a gas stovetop burner or on a hot grill. Tahini is made of carbs, and carbs stick to water molecules like, well, glue. Make sure to give your tahini a good stir before drizzling, and refrigerate after opening. Chicken Fingers and Green Beans with Tahini Sauce, Lentil-Tahini Burgers with Pickled Cabbage, Sesame-Ginger-Chickpea-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Tahini-Marinated Chicken Thighs With Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad, Acorn Squash with Pomegranate and Kale Tabbouleh, Falafel-Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish, Roasted Butternut Squash with Pomegranate and Tahini, Middle Eastern Kofta Kebabs with Lemon-Tahini Sauce, White Bean and Pumpkin Hummus With Pita Chips, Cauliflower and Chickpea Quinoa with Tahini Drizzle, Fried Cauliflower with Tahini and Pomegranate Seeds, Grilled Chicken Pitas With Sesame Drizzle, Roasted Eggplant With Pomegranate, Pickled Chiles, and Pecans. Highlighting tahini, quinoa, kale, and lemon, this ultra-nutritious salad is a tasty and satisfying dish to rack up your essential vitamins. This chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern version of a gyro and features thin slices of chicken mixed with yogurt and wrapped in pita bread spread with tahini. And in spite of the fact that we all associate it with hummus and baba ganoush, it’s incredibly versatile. Credit: She enjoys cooking vegetables, making bread, and challenging herself with vegan baking projects. Best of all, they're quick-cooking and don't require soaking. Spread on bread or crackers. Photo: Christopher Testani, Credit: Probably not (I’m not, either), but if you’re in the … This shake tastes like sesame candy because of the tahini—a thin, ground-up sesame seed paste that can be used in the same manner as peanut butter. I have an addiction and it is to this spread: half almond butter/half tehina. If the idea of a slightly toasted flavor is for some reason not appealing, then raw tahini might be a good option; it’s mild and pale in color, and I tend to think that the flavor is comparable to cashew butter. Let the slices steam after cooking so the flesh becomes even more tender. Butternut squash is baked until tender and sweet before being topped with roasted chickpeas in this butternut squash chickpeas, tahini and za'atar recipe. Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez, Credit: See what other Food52 readers are saying. Garnish with parsley. 2. Serve with toasted pita, slices cucumber, or fennel. 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