Tahini sauce

Love and lemons

I used this with baked falafel that came from Hungry Harvest.  The sauce is very good, but needs much less water.  I added 4 Tbsp and needed to add more tahini to compensate.  The tahini I used was not as solid as some, I suppose

https://www.loveandlemons.com/wprm_print/42590

Tahini Sauce

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Serves 4

This easy tahini sauce is versatile and delicious! Drizzle it over grain bowls, salads, falafel, and more. Find my favorite variations in the post above. All keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Ingredients

Basic Tahini Sauce

• ½ cup tahini*
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
• 1 small garlic clove, grated or pressed
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir together the tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and sea salt. Season to taste. If you find the tahini sauce too bitter, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey to balance the flavor. If it’s too sharp, add ½ to 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil to mellow the flavor. If it's too thick, add water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency.

  See the blog post about for the turmeric, beet, and green tahini sauce variations.

Notes

*I prefer these brands of tahini: Cedar’s, Seed + Mill, and Soom. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins and Capers

https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-cauliflower-golden-raisins-capers/ 

The prep time really was close to 15 minutes, as stated.  I would use a large head, or 2 small heads of cauliflower, and take it easy with the capers.  Great mix of flavors from the tarragon, agave and vinegar.  I used spinach just because I didn't have arugula.  Great side dish.  Would consider adding nuts or garbanzos with extra dressing to make it a  meal.  

Just arrived home from Italy, so it's a pleasure to have green on the plate! 

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

This easy vegetarian side dish would be a great addition to a holiday table. Alternatively, toss it with a cooked grain to make it a full meal!

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Side dish, salad

Serves: 4 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into small pieces*
• 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons agave or sweetener of your choice
• A few handfuls arugula
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins (soak for a few minutes if they’re not plump)
• 2 teaspoons minced tarragon
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Break or chop cauliflower into small pieces.
3. Prepare 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment or foil. Place cauliflower on baking sheets so the pieces are not touching. Drizzle with olive oil, white wine vinegar, and agave and toss with pinches of salt and pepper. The amount you use will depend on how much cauliflower you have and if you prefer to cook with more oil or with less.
4. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until deeply golden and caramelized (not burnt, but just before). Remove from oven. While the cauliflower is somewhat hot, toss with the arugula so the arugula wilts just slightly from the heat. Toss in a bowl with capers, raisins, and tarragon and serve.

Notes

*I like to break cauliflower florets apart with my hands to get little trees. This avoids uneven chunks of stalk that you can get from chopping it with a knife.

Chickpea Aioli

 From Joe Yonan's book: Cool Beans

This recipe uses chickpeas and aquafaba to avoid using mayo.  A small bullet-type blender works well because of the small volume of dressing.  An alternative is an immersion blender.

This was good in and on chickpea salad, but can also be used on any kind of sandwich.

INGREDIENTS (for about 1 cup):

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup aquafaba

2 Tbsp cooked or canned no-salt added chickpeas

3/4 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste

3/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral vegetable oil

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cut open the garlic and remove any green sprout inside - this will keep the garlic from being too bitter when eaten raw. (This was a new tip for me!)

In a mini food processor, puree the garlic, aquafaba, chickpeas, mustard and salt until smooth

Drizzle in the oil (with the processor running, if possible), starting slowly and then feeling free to speed up once it starts thickening.

When the aioli is thick, add the lemon juice and whir a few seconds, just to combine.  Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.

Keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

New Potatoes and Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette

 https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/new-potatoes-and-green-beans-with-mustard-vinaigrette/

Defrosted a container of mustard vinaigrette labeled as 'sweetened with apricot paste'.  Not sure if it's the same recipe but it was a tasty dressing!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. small round red potatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 1 12- to 14-oz. package fresh or frozen petite whole green beans
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid reserved from drained chickpeas)
• 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 cups hot cooked bulgur
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a 6-quart Dutch oven cook potatoes in enough boiling water to cover by 2 inches for 2 minutes. Add green beans and red onion; return to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 2 minutes more or until potatoes and beans are tender. Drain; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together aquafaba, vinegar, mustard, dill, and garlic powder. Add to potatoes and beans; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve potato mixture over bulgur and sprinkle with pine nuts.

TAGS:

• 30 MINUTES OR LESS