5 ways to cook with tahini
What's the story
From dressings to desserts, tahini can take many dishes to another level. The creamy paste of ground sesame seeds is known for its nutty flavor and smooth texture. While tahini is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, it has made its way into kitchens across the globe. From enhancing your salads to making a quirky dessert, here are five recipes to show tahini's versatility.
Dressing delight
Tahini salad dressing
Transform your salads with this simple tahini dressing. Mix tahini with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and a dash of water to get the right consistency. This dressing goes well with leafy greens and lends a rich flavor without overpowering the natural taste of veggies. For an extra kick, you could add a pinch of cayenne pepper or cumin.
Sweet treats
Tahini chocolate chip cookies
For those with a sweet tooth, tahini chocolate chip cookies provide an exciting twist on the classic recipe. Just replace some of the butter with tahini and add depth and richness to your cookies. The nutty undertones play well with the sweetness of chocolate chips. Not only are these cookies delicious, but the interesting texture also makes them different from traditional versions.
Veggie Boost
Roasted vegetable tahini bowl
Create a hearty meal by combining roasted vegetables with a generous drizzle of tahini sauce. Roast vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini till tender and slightly caramelized. Toss them in cooked quinoa or brown rice for added substance before topping everything off with creamy tahini sauce mixed with lemon juice and herbs.
Smooth sip
Tahini banana smoothie
Start your day on the right note with this delicious smoothie made of bananas, almond milk, and spoonfuls of smooth-tasting tahini (with honey, if you like). Perfect for breakfast on-the-go, the combination makes for an energizing drink loaded with nutrients yet offering a satisfying creaminess, thanks, largely, to its star ingredient tahini, which adds flavor balance and health benefits like healthy fats content, etc.
Cake cravings
Tahinopita (Tahina cake)
Tahinopita, a traditional Greek cake, is prepared using flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a generous helping of a creamy-textured but flavorful tasting paste known simply as tahini. This delightful dessert has a moist, crumbly texture, enhanced further through the addition of nuts and raisins, with optional extras depending on personal preference, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking for something different from their usual repertoire of baked goods!