# What can you do with tahini besides putting it in hummus??



## icxcnika (Dec 4, 2002)

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Hi,

I'd like to try eating more tahini, since sesame seeds are so high in good stuff like calcium. What can you do with tahini besides putting it in hummus?? Any suggestions would be appreciated.









icxcnika


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## guestmama9924 (Mar 16, 2002)

yummy. I mix with fresh lemon juice, garlic and herbs ( all to taste)and make a tangy 'ranch like' sauce that I put over chilled spiral noodles or use as a veggie dip.


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## Aster (Aug 12, 2002)

Add it to things like stirfry's.

Use as a peanut butter substitute. Or mix it with nut butter and use as a spread on celery (and sprinkle with raisins to make "ants on a log" hehe)


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## ladylee (Nov 20, 2001)

I use it as a topping for my "bowls"--which is brown rice, steamed organic veggies, beans, sea vegetables and tempeh or tofu. yum!


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## cathe (Nov 17, 2002)

Tahini can be used like peanut butter on crackers or toast. I love tahini in soups, gravies, sauces, salad dressings to make them creamy without the dairy. Also good in smoothies and cookies. You're right, tahini is an awesome source of calcium.


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## tessamami (Mar 11, 2002)

I dip slices of granny smith apples in it. Great combination!


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## Jude's Mama (Nov 30, 2002)

Ladylee that sounds YUMMY!


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

YOu can make Baba Ganoosh.

1 eggplant
tahini (to taste)
several cloves of crushed garlic (to taste)
salt (to taste)
lemon juice (to taste)
pomegranate seeds to decorate....parsley too

Bake the eggplant....350 degrees about an hour...till browning on the outside.

Take it out and scoop out the insides. THen add the garlic, salt, tahini, lemon juice and mash. Make sure it is smooth. YOu could put in a food processor..but I do it by hand. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and parsley.


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Make a sauce called Taratar (the original tartar).

Tahini
Water
Lemon juice
garlic
chopped tomatoes

garnish with chopped parsley.

I dont measure a thing...sorry. Just make sure it is liquidy and not thick. I can be used over fish, or rice...or if you know what Kibbe is (bulgur and meat baked or fried).

Many middle eastern appetizers require Tahini...called Tahina.


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## Seeking Refuge (Nov 2, 2002)

Baba Ghanoosh is wonderful! Good call, Laila


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Oh yeah....

drizzle a little olive oil over the baba ganoosh. eat it with fresh pita...or baked pita chips!

Thanks....i love to cook and Mid Eastern Cooking is one of my specialties.


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## icxcnika (Dec 4, 2002)

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Wow, thank you, ladies, for all the great ideas!









icxcnika


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## Enne la Chu (May 23, 2002)

Tahini + honey + gomasio (toasted sesame seeds crushed w/ sea salt, macrobiotic stuff, if you want more sesame in your diet, see if you can find some at your local health food store, good on almost everything) sprinkled on top, spread on yummy bread... crunchy, gooey, and sweet -- the best!

-Jenna


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

If you live in a city of a good size....look in the phone book for Middle Eastern, Arabic, Mediterranean grocery stores. They carry tahina and other healthy items...often at a fraction of the price of natural/organic stores.

If anyone is in Northern/Central CA or Southern CA I can give you some listings.


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Tahinat el Beid
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Lebanon

2 tablespoons sesame oil
lemon juice
water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt
1 hard-boiled egg
Put the oil in a salad bowl and add lemon juice drop by drop - the quantity depends on how astringent you want it. Thin with a little water.

Add the garlic, parsley and salt and the egg very finely chopped. Sprinkle on cayenne.

This is another bread dip.

From "Arab World Cook Book" by Nahda Salah


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Arabian Cauliflower with Tahini
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Creamy tahini makes a super dressing for cauliflower, in this traditional Middle-Eastern mezze. Dip into it with a fork or a chunk of bread.
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into florets or sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup tahini, any lumps mashed with a fork
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of hot pepper sauce or cayenne
A few tablespoons of water, as needed

Garnishes
Paprika
Chopped parsley and/or cilantro
Lemon wedges

Cook the cauliflower by steaming or boiling until just tender; do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

Mix the garlic with the tahini, cumin and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.

At this point the mixture is a dense thick paste. Add a little water, tablespoon by tablespoon, until the mixture is creamy, then mix with the cauliflower.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

At serving time, garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, chopped parsley/cilantro and/or lemon wedges.

Serves 4 to 6.

By Marlena Spieler, special to the San Francisco Chronicle October 4, 2000


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Tahini and Date Syrup Dip (Dibis w'rashi)

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This dip combines Date Syrup with tahini, the sesame paste so often used in Middle Eastern cooking. Dibis w'rashi is delicious scooped up with fresh flatbreads-perfect with bread for lunch or for a quick afternoon snack for our children to tide them over until supper.
1/2 cup date syrup
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
You will need a small bowl.

Blend all the ingredients together in a bowl. Serve as an accompaniment to bread.

Makes 1/2 cup dipping sauce.

From "Flatbreads and Flavors" by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Hudhud Ghanoush (Turnip Spread)

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Baba ghanoush is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made with eggplant, but Yahya Salih updates it with roasted turnips at his new cafe/take-out Ur, located next to the main restaurant, YaYa Cuisine in the Financial District. Salih named the spread Hudhud Ghanoush after his young son. The spread has an earthy mild taste and at first bite seems sweet from the date syrup, but after the second bite I became hooked. It's great on pita, very thin slices of bread, or crackers. It can also be used as a dip for vegetables, particularly celery. The creative cook can also substitute roasted potatoes, zucchini, or cauliflower for the turnips. And you can even use eggplant.
6 large turnips, trimmed
½ cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup tahini (raw or roasted)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon date syrup (see Note)
Salt and pepper
Toasted pita
Celery sticks (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the turnips on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until very soft. Cool. When cool enough to handle, peel.

Blend the turnips with the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor or blender until smooth. Stir in the date syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with pita bread and celery sticks, if desired.

Serves 6.

Note: Date syrup can be found in most Middle Eastern markets. To make a homemade version, boil 1 cup pitted dates in 1 cup water for about 5 minutes, then purée the mixture in a food processor.

From "The Secrets of Success Cookbook - Signature Recipes and Insider Tips from San Francisco's Best Restaurants" by Michael Bauer


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Lentil Hummus
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2 tablespoons coarse salt
1/2 pound lentils, picked over (about 1 1 /4 cups)
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
5 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 1/3 cup water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Toasted pita wedges
In a large saucepan bring 2 quarts water with salt to a boil and simmer lentils about 15 minutes, or until al dente. In a colander drain lentils and rinse under cold water, draining well. Transfer lentils to a bowl and chill 20 minutes.

In a food processor pureé lentils, tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water until smooth. With motor running add oil in a stream, adding up to 1/4 cup remaining water if mixture is too thick. Season hummus with salt and pepper.

Hummus may be made one day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Bring hummus to room temperature before serving. Serve with pita toasts.

Makes about 3 cups.

From Gourmet magazine, April 1996


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## Mama Lori (Mar 11, 2002)

I like sprinkling gomasio on kiwi or other fruit.

Tahini can be made into tahini sauce for falafels.


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## LailaCA (Jan 4, 2003)

Yes the Tahini sauce for Felafels is known as Taratar.


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## granolagirl97 (Mar 4, 2002)

One of my favorite things with tahini is a sort of "cheesy" substitute sauce good over rice or noodles. Mix tahini, nutritional yeast, soy/tamarit/Bragg's aminos (all amounts are to taste - try starting w/equal amts and add what flavor you want more of), and water into a sauce. Warm for only a minute or so in the microwave or on the stove and serve over noodles or rice. This is NOT a fancy (or even necessarily pretty!) thing, but it IS yummy and quick for lunches. The rest of my family doesn't like it - but they're not big tahini fans. That's okay with me; I often make extra rice or noodles at supper for leftovers the next day just so I can eat this! Mmmm.

Also, you can try a tofu/tahini/honey/tamari sandwich spread too. You can adjust seasonings to taste here too. It has a real mellow flavor - my 3 yr. old liked it when she was a baby/toddler - but now she's got those pre-school taste buds and anything that doesn't look familiar gets a resounding, "EWWWWWW!" This is good served as an open-faced sandwich w/sprouts or a regular sandwich... but I usually try to add lettuce or something for crunch.


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