Recipes that use tahini

[Mary G]

I bought some tahini about a week ago to make some falafels from one of the Moosewood cookbooks. They were really yummy!

But, my question is, what do I do with the rest of the tahini? Do you have any good recipes that use it? I tried the recipe search, and all I really came up with were variations on hummus. While hummus is good, I want to go beyond that if possible.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Mandy]

I don't have a recipe for you, but I do know that when you keep tahini in the fridge, it will keep for a long time. So you probably don't have to use it up right away.

Mandy

[gertdog]

Mandy is right... the tahini will keep in the fridge for a while. Oil separation is natural... you might need to give it a good stir before you use it.

But if you want to do more cooking with tahini right away, here are a few ideas: baba ganoush, lemon tahini salad dressing, or sauce for noodles (you can also sub it for all or part of the peanut butter in recipes for sesame noodles).

There are many variations on baba ganoush, which is a roasted eggplant dip/spread. Here is one from recipesource.com

Title: Baba Ganoush
Categories: Appetizers, Dips, Vegetarian, Vegan


1 1/2 lb Eggplant
3 tb Lemon juice
1 ts Salt
2 ts Minced fresh garlic
3 tb Sesame tahini
-- (optional: substitute
-- yogurt or sour cream)
1/4 c Chopped parsley
1/2 c Toasted pine nuts
2 tb Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. ***** eggplant all over with a fork.
Bake whole until tender (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven, halve
and scoop out the flesh. Blend in a food processor with the lemon
juice until smooth. Mash the salt and garlic together and combine
with the eggplant, along with the tahini. Cool and stir in the
parsley and pine nuts. Before serving, drizzle with the olive oil.
Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or triangles of flat (pita) bread.

(Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook)
From: The Cook's Garden catalog, Spring/Summer 1993 (page 20)


Lemon Tahini Dressing

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 5 min
1/3 cup well-stirred tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Makes about 1 cup.

Gourmet
August 2001

COOL TAHINI PASTA
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)*
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
8 ounces spaghetti
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

* Sesame seed paste is available at Middle Eastern and natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Cook spaghetti in large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well. Add to vinegar mixture in bowl. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro and toss well. Serves 2.

from Bon Appetit magazine

[Wendy w]

Here's a thread with hummus recipes, including my favorite recipe for it.

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4432&highlight=hummus

[natalia]

This recipe was prepared on NPR. My boyfriend and I made it and it was FABULOUS!!! Try it with very fine rice noodles if you can't find somen noodles (we actually prefer the rice noodles to the somen.) Oh, this is VERY EASY too!
_________________

Tan Tan Noodles

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil*
1 teaspoon hot chile oil, optional*
4 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped* (I used 2 T bean/garlic sauce fr. a jar)
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Chinese chile paste*
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Chinese chile paste with garlic, optional*
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoon tahini
4 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
12 ounces Japanese-style somen wheat noodles
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Steps
--------
1) In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook about 3 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden brown.

2) Add the sesame oil and chile oil and the black beans and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the scallions and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the chile paste, chile paste with garlic and soy sauce and stir to create a smooth sauce. Add the peanut butter and tahini, again stirring to create a smooth paste. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. (If you want a thick sauce, add the additional tablespoon of peanut butter.)

3) Add the broth and reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer about 10 to 15 minutes, or until very flavorful and somewhat thickened. Taste for spiciness; add more chile paste if needed.

The "heat" of the sauce will dissipate when it's mixed with the noodles. The sauce can be made 24 hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

4) Just before serving, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently stir in the somen noodles to make sure they don't stick together, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.

5) Drain the noodles and divide between four deep soup or noodle bowls. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with the scallions and cilantro. Serves 4.

Description
---------------
Japanese-style somen noodles are boiled and placed in a deep bowl. The sauce is ladled on top to create a thick noodle "soup" and then garnished with fresh cilantro and scallions. If you make the sauce ahead of time, the whole dish can be prepared in under ten minutes-perfect. Don't mix the sauce with the noodles until the last minute or they will soak up the sauce. This dish should definitely have a spicy bite, but you can make it as mild or potent as you choose by varying the amount of chile paste and hot chile oil. Serve as a first course as part of a Chinese or Asian meal, or as a light lunch or dinner dish. Serve with a stir-fried vegetable and a cucumber and mint salad.

This recipe comes from Kathy Gunst's newest book, Relax, Company's Coming (published by Simon & Schuster)

[michelern]

Funny Story......before I actually found tahini in the store, my husband and I thought "Let's make it!" It's just sesame seed paste, we could just put some sesame seeds in the food processor and just process away!!! WELL sesame seeds in the food processor just stick to the side of the bowl because of all of the static electricity we were creating.........Needless to say, we won't do it again.

[little_bopeep]

Not to stir up trouble (get it? cooking BB..."stir up?" nobody gets me...) but there was a posting just a couple of weeks ago about tahini and whether or not to refrigerate after opening. Can anyone post a definitive, "official" ruling... perhaps from a scientific point of view? I only ask because I don't want to ruin the item through carelessness, and I don't want to poison the family ( I have other plans for them...heheheheh).

Thanks for setting me straight!

[KristaMB]

Oh, those pasta/ noodle recipes look good. I've had a jar of tahini in the pantry for awhile just waiting to be used. Wahoo!

[Luckyfeather]

After seeing previous posts on whether or not to refrigerate, I looked at my jar, and it DID say to refrigerate after opening. Maybe different brands require different care????

[gertdog]

I treat open tahini the same way I treat an open jar of natural peanut butter... put it in the fridge. I wonder if the presence of preservatives makes the difference... Skippy Peanut butter can stay on the shelf in the pantry, but Smucker's Natural needs the fridge... maybe tahini works the same way.

[Jessica]

I posted this soup a couple weeks ago; it is kind of like a hummus soup and it is delicious.

Chickpea Soup with Golden Spices

From Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven

2 c. uncooked chickpeas, soaked at least four hours. Or, four 15-oz cans.

1 T olive oil

2 c. minced onion

4 T minced garlic

2 t salt

1 large carrot, diced

A few threads of saffron

2 t lightly roasted cumin seeds

2 t dry mustard

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

black pepper and cayenne to taste

2-3 T sesame tahini (optional)

Place the soaked, uncooked chickpeas in a large pot and cover with water by at least two inches. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the chickpeas are very soft. If you are using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them and then set aside. (I used dried).

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, half the garlic, half the salt and the carrot, saffron, cumin seeds and mustard. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the carrot begins to soften.

Add the chickpeas and four cups of water. Katzen said you can use the cooking liquid but I used fresh water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Add the remaining garlic and salt, along with lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne to taste. You can also add some sesame tahini at this point, if desired. (I added it; although it adds fat it also makes the soup creamier and more flavorful). Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until fairly smooth. (I used a hand blender). You can add water if the soup is too thick. Taste to adjust seasonings. (I added more lemon juice).

Serve hot with a spoonful of diced tomato, a small amount of minced cilantro or mint, and possibly a drop of Chinese sesame oil on top, if desired.

6-8 servings

No nutritional information provided, but the oil (I used less) and the tahini are the only fat ingredients. I actually served this with a couple teaspoons of sherry stirred into each bowl. Sublime.

[lorideanb]

Where do you find tahini in the grocery store? Thanks

[little_bopeep]

I searched and searched my local grocery stores, but no one had it except Kroger, and it was in the health food aisle. (Thanks to Jen in Lewisville for that tidbit! :cool: ) But you would also be able to find it at places like Whole Foods or other health-minded stores.

[BlueMoose]

Originally posted by lorideanb
Where do you find tahini in the grocery store? Thanks

I'm thinking I've gotten it in the baking aisle near the cooking oils.
I don't buy it often, since a jar lasts so long, but that seems to ring a bell.

[Mary G]

I found my tahini in the "international" section of the grocery store. It was kinda between the italian and indian and the asian. You kinda have to keep looking at every little bottle on the shelf! For those in Maine (or probably in New England in general) I went to Shop n Save and found it, but didn't find it at Shaws. They also stocked tahini at the local Natural Foods store...

[natalia]

At my local grocery store they have it in the peanut butter section....

[beckms]

this is a fabulous soup from Feb Bon Appetit. I've made it twice already!

Hint: to avoid "curdling", bring the tahini mixture to temperature by slowly whisking some of the hot broth into it. Then add to the soup. It may still curdle, but it might not! It tastes delicious no matter what.
* Exported from MasterCook *

CHINESE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH SESAME AND GREEN ONIONS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves -- cut in 1/4" strips
3 T soy sauce
2 T dry Sherry
2 T oriental sesame oil
3 cloves garlic -- minced
3 T tahini
2 T fresh ginger -- peeled and minced
1 T sugar
1 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 t chili-garlic sauce
4 cups Napa cabbage -- chopped
6 green onions -- thinly sliced
8 cups canned low salt chicken broth
1 14 oz. pacckage fresh yakisoba noodles or Chinese
pan-fry noodles
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Stir chicken, soy sauce, Sherry and 1 T sesame oil in medium bowl to blend. Let stand 20 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hrs.


Whisk garlic, tahini, ginger, sugar, vinegar and chili sauce in small bowl.


Heat remaining 1 T sesame oil in heavy larage pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and green onions and saute until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken with marinade and tahini-garlic mixture.


Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing)


Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Add to soup in pot. Stire in half of cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.


Source:
"Bon Appetit 2/02"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 361 Calories; 5g Fat (12.9% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 8293mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : --before adding tahini mixture to soup, whisk in some hot broth to bring it to temperature.
--cook noodles right in soup
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0