Love the creamy, rich flavor of sesame tahini paste, but wonder what to do with it besides making hummus?

Tahini is a tasty paste is, of course, essential to hummus. Made with the hulls removed, tahini is creamier and less bitter, but unhulled tahini, which is more bitter tasting, is considered to be more nutritionally dense than hulled tahini. It’s also more likely to be referred to as a “sesame butter.”

Roasted & Raw Tahini Paste

Most likely the tahini paste you find in stores will be hulled raw tahini (also called unroasted). But, it is also possible to find roasted tahini, which is nothing more than tahini made from hulled sesame seeds that have been roasted before grinding. Much like with other nuts and seeds, roasting imparts another level of flavor that works well with some dishes.

There is no right or wrong decision when choosing which tahini paste to use. It really is just a matter of preference and availability.

Other Uses for Tahini Paste Besides Hummus

1.  Salad Dressing – Combine equal parts of raw tahini and water to make a simple dressing for topping salads of all kinds. Add lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well until well combined. Boost the flavor with fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or cilantro.
2. Marinade – Tahini also makes a great marinade for meat, fish, and even tofu. Combine roasted tahini, soy sauce, and olive oil. Add honey, crushed garlic, grated ginger, and salt. Marinate at least several hours or overnight.
3. Ice Cream Topping – Enjoy peanut butter sauce over ice cream? Consider trying roasted tahini as a tasty alternative. Simply melt the tahini in a saucepan–do not allow to boil–and pour over vanilla ice cream.
4. Stir Fry/Grain Bowl Sauce – Add raw or roasted tahini to any stir fry dish or grain bowl for some added creaminess and nuttiness. Whether a simple stir fry of snow peas, tofu, and rice or a grain bowl of quinoa, black beans, and pickled onions, tahini makes for a great sauce.
5. Add it to Soup – Turn a creamy soup into a healthier version by adding tahini in place of dairy. From asparagus to parsnip soup, add tablespoons of tahini to get the desired creaminess.
6. Dip – Techina is a simple tahini dip made with lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. It’s an alternative to hummus for dipping vegetables, pita, or tortilla chips.

Related on EcoSalon

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9 Chickpea Recipes that Aren’t Hummus

Image: Bowl of Tahini via Shutterstock

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In the summer, we naturally crave lighter foods. However, your go-to raw salad recipe can become a bore if you repeat it daily. There are ways to enjoy the elements of a salad without taking part in the salad experience. Here’s how.

To tackle this new-age raw salad recipe, you’ll need a tough-skinned dark green that can serve as a “wrap” for regularly salad add-ins. In my take of this concept, I use collard greens to roll around julienned raw veggies and sprouts. To bring more bulk, taste and a sense of cohesion to the mix, I add raw hummus. The resulting raw hummus collard roll salad recipe is 100 percent raw, light, delicious and filling. Enjoy!

There are many ways you can alter this recipe to fit your tastes. I use carrots, cucumber and scallions as my veggie add-ins, mostly because I enjoy the crunch, but you can opt for softer veggies or even fruits, like sliced mango or melon. I also use cilantro, because I like the clean taste, but this can most certainly be swapped with fresh basil, mint, oregano, marjoram or parsley. As far as spices go, take the flavor wherever you heart desires! Try this recipe out first to get a hang of how the elements come together, especially with the raw hummus, and then personalize it the next time.

Chickpeas are excellent cooked, but they are the most nutritionally beneficially when germinated. Soaking in water allows the dried chickpeas to leach enzyme inhibitors and effectively become alive. You want the enzymes, not the inhibitors! Sprouting also increases chickpeas’ nutritional profile – protein increases by 20 percent, nucleic acid by 30 percent and certain vitamins as much as by 500 percent.

Convinced yet? Here’s how to make raw sprouted hummus and put it in a collard roll for the ultimate summer raw salad recipe.

Raw Hummus Collard Roll Salad Recipe

Serves 2

For the raw hummus:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas to make 2 cups sprouted chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons raw tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Water, by the tablespoon, if needed to thin out the consistency

For assembly:

• 8-10 flat collard leaves, stems carefully removed
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 1 large red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 large green bell pepper, julienned
• 1 large cucumber, julienned
• 2 scallions, julienned
• 2 large handfuls sprouts
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Place the beans in a large bowl or mason jar and fill with water. Let them soak overnight, for 8-12 hours. The next day, rinse and drain. Return to the container and cover with a sprouting lid or cheese cloth. Leave at room temperature and rinse and drain every 12 hours. After two days, they will have sprouted.

Place the chickpeas into a food processor. Pulse. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the olive oil. Mix until grainy, then while the processor continuously mixes, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin out the hummus until it reaches desired consistency.

For the assembly, lay the collard green leaves in front of you. There will be 16-20 halves created, after the stems are removed. work with 1 half at a time. Place it in front of you so that the small edge is facing you. Place 1 piece of the carrot, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and cucumber so that their lengths are spanning across the bottom edge of the leaf. Dollop a tablespoon or two of the hummus atop the veggies and then add a bit of the sprouts and cilantro. Starting from the bottom edge of the leaf, roll it over the add-ins and unto itself until you reach the other end of the leaf. Repeat with the other collard green halves.

Related on EcoSalon

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15 Hummus Recipes that Are About More Than Just Chickpeas

Photo Credit: Melody Polakow

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 Umami, known as the fifth taste, is what makes certain foods savory and deeply flavorful.

When you taste something with complex layers of flavor that fill the mouth and satisfy the soul, it’s likely you’re tasting umami. Umami is famously present in many animal products including cheeses, aged meats like salami, salted fish like anchovies, and fresh meats and seafood that have been caramelized at high temperatures. Luckily for vegetarians and vegans, umami exists in any food that contains the amino acid L-glutamate, including many plant-based foods.

Great vegan and vegetarian cooks know how to use umami-containing or umami-friendly ingredients to their best advantage to unlock the flavor in their dishes. Read on to learn their secrets.

Soy Sauce or Tamari—Fermentation is one way to develop umami in food. Soy sauce and tamari, both made from fermented soy beans, are rich in umami and salt. A tiny dash in salad dressings, drizzled into soups or veggie stews, or onto plain steamed vegetables can intensify the flavors of the other ingredients.

Bragg’s—Bragg’s Amino Acids is another fermented soybean product. Popular in raw food preparation, Bragg’s contains 16 of the 20 amino acids needed for balanced health. Use it as you would soy sauce or tamari.

Ume Plum Vinegar—A Japanese condiment that is derived from traditional Japanese pickled plums, this vinegar is salty, and a little bit sweet, with lovely floral characteristics. When you taste a dish and think that it just “needs something,” this might be the something it needs. Much more complex than Bragg’s or soy sauce, it can be used in the same ways suggested above. Don’t be afraid to tweak a Western vegetable soup with this Eastern condiment. It works.

Nutritional Yeast—Available in health food stores -and hip, independent theaters that sell popcorn- nutritional yeast is beloved by vegans for its nutty, cheesy flavor. Sprinkle it on popcorn, add to mashed or baked potatoes, or stir it into vegan casseroles.

Toasted Nuts and Seeds—Toasting seeds and nuts really brings out their flavor, and truly makes a difference in the umami quotient of your cooking. Grain salads, pilafs, and green salads can all benefit from the savory addition of toasted pumpkin or sesame seeds, or nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, and peanuts.

Dried Mushrooms—Mushrooms are treasure troves of naturally occurring umami. Drying them simply concentrates what’s already there. Reconstitute some dried shiitakes and add them to a winter squash stew or a brothy Asian noodle soup. Dried porcinis make swoony risotto and will help your barley soup sing.

Miso—Adding a spoonful of this fermented soybean product is a great way to add depth to vegetarian soups. Simply stir it in at the end of cooking, when you’re adjusting the seasoning. When combined with lemon juice, garlic, and herbs and spices, it makes a great marinade for grilled or roasted vegetables. These same ingredients can also double as a salad dressing.

Nori—why is sushi so crave-worthy? Partially because of the toasty, unique flavor of the nori that it’s wrapped in. You can buy nori in sheets and use scissors to snip it over vegetarian soups, stews and salads, or purchase it in flake form in the versatile Japanese condiment furikake, which is used to season plain rice. When buying furikake, read the ingredients, as some versions contain bonito or other fish.

Tomato Paste or Dried Tomatoes—Like mushrooms, ripe tomatoes contain a naturally occurring form of umami. When dried or concentrated into a paste, the umami characteristics are amplified. Add dried tomatoes or tomato paste to beans, marinades, or vegetable stews for a more complex flavor.

Caraway Seeds—Though spices don’t technically contain umami, they can bring out the umami in certain foods. Caraway seeds add a light smokiness and have a particular affinity for cabbage and potatoes. Add them to potato salads, coleslaws, and breads or rolls.

Cumin—Toasted cumin seeds can make almost any bean or lentil dish better. They have an intense savoriness of their own that adds a meaty character to foods into which they are incorporated.

Smoked Paprika—Adding smoked paprika to a bean dish or split pea soup is a great way to make as if you’ve used bacon. Need I say more? Even if you’re not into pretend meat, you might like to stir a little smoky paprika into potato salad, your favorite vinaigrette, hummus, baba ganoush, or a marinade for grilled vegetables.

Images: Rooey, Creative Tools, thepinkpeppercorn, jmurawski, fboyd, arminflikr, jackson3, miansari66

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In thinking about salad greens we know and love, and those we don’t know so well but might also love, I wondered how best to compare them. Should I rate different salad staples according to my own opinions? I thought back to the obsessive watercress phase I went through or my fondness for crunchy, butterleaf lettuce during the previous spring.

Perhaps I could traverse the menus of restaurants in our favorite cities to see what’s hot or not. Remember when dandelion greens were all the rage, and wild nettles were obligatory pizza toppings? Then I actually began researching menus, and the (not-so-surprising) favorites turned out to be the classic standards – romaine, arugula, mixed greens and spinach. But what about those other greens that show up on one’s plate at gourmet establishments and foodie havens?

In the end, I couldn’t help but take a look at a large swath of greens in the garden patch. Ultimately, foodie green inspiration should mainly come from the freshest, seasonal greens that can be found. Without further ado, let’s review.

1. Watercress

Watercress gets high marks from me. Why? It may stem from the fact that my local corner market sells it in its entirety – leaves and roots in water – so it’s absolutely fresh when I’m ready to use it. I can pull it from the fridge and cut the stems as though it were from my garden outside. Also, watercress is “leafy” enough to feel like a salad, but “stemmy” enough to look fancy.

2. Arugula

What’s not to love about arugula? OK, it’s true, it might seem too “spicy” for some, and it can get bitter if it’s not picked when the leaves are still young. Still, come ON, it’s so versatile, and oh-so-tasty! Plus, it’s incredibly easy to grow yourself. Here’s a recipe for an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh corn and carrots.

3. Little Gem Lettuce

Little gem lettuce could be described as a combination of romaine (crispy) and butterleaf (sweet). It’s smaller and more tender than romaine. Often when served in restaurants the focus is on each leaf standing alone in all its magnificence paired with carefully selected complements, such as cheese, nuts or fruit. Other times, the head of the lettuce is sliced in half lengthwise and served on a plate thus.

4. Mâché

Mâché, also sometimes referred to as Lamb’s Lettuce (and also corn salad or field lettuce), has European origins and is usually found in the springtime. It’s pronounced “mosh,” and is often sold bunched with its roots, much like watercress. For a plethora of mâché inspired salads, check out epicroots.com.

5. Mesclun Mix

Staple, staple, staple. The term “mesclun mix” originates from Southern France and is a mix of tender, baby greens. Nowadays, you’ll probably find this as simply “mixed greens” at the grocery store. Mesclun mix does sound much more exotic than mixed greens, though, doesn’t it? At least, to those of us without French connections. I like to think a true mesclun mix would be of a wilder variety than what’s sold in most markets today.

6. Looseleaf Lettuce

Always lovely, lovely, lovely. Red and green lettuces with larger leaves than mixed greens. Best from the farmers’ market. (But then again, what isn’t?)

7. Radicchio

Radicchio is a red leafed, Italian variety of chicory. Its leaves are somewhat bitter, so the leaves are often grilled or served wilted. The raw leaves are often chopped and added to other salad greens for color and crunch.

8. Mizuna

Now this is something I could get excited about. Mizuna is described as mildly peppery on par with mustard greens. It is often mixed with other greens. Tatsoi makes a favorite pairing. I’m thinking this is a good candidate for growing in your own garden. Petaluma Seed Bank (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), here I come.

9. Tatsoi

An Asian green that grows well in winter and can be eaten raw or cooked. The Asian version of spinach, if you will.

10. Baby Spinach

Spinach salad. So healthy. So tasty. Kitchn food blog rounds up 7 versions of spinach salad here.

11. Dandelion Greens

Dandelion Greens. I thought these were going to get a lot more play when perusing restaurant menus. I feel like their hey-day came and went. Strange considering what promise they seem to offer. Dandelion greens are apparently the most nutritious of any greens offering up more vitamins than broccoli. These bitter leaves can be eaten raw, but are often lightly sauteed and served wilted. Traditionally a part of the mesclun mix and more favored in France from what I hear.

12. Frisée

I’m going to publicly admit this – I’m not a big fan of frisée, a curly endive in the chicory family. Many of you may beg to differ, but it’s more of a nuisance in my mind. I’ll begrudgingly allow it can look pretty and adds a different texture when mixed in with other greens. But really, it’s more decoration than sustenance. And it’s hard to eat. I suppose I’ll come around eventually. I usually do. But I’m still waiting for the revelation. Inspiration, anyone?

13. Butterleaf Lettuce

Admittedly, a favorite of mine. Especially in the springtime. Crunchy, yet tender and sweet.

14. Peashoots

True, pea shoots are mostly a garnish. But they could be mixed into a salad too. And they’re just so cute and adorable, fresh and young.

Images: startcooking kathy & amandine, Girl Interrupted Eating, GottaEat!, Bob Duran, Girl Interrupted Eating, balise42, thebittenword.com, thebittenword.com, smittenkitchen, MMChicago, Food Blogga, thebittenword.com, yumsugar, foodistablog, kthread

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It’s officially summer. Every weekend there’s at least one barbecue to attend, and sometimes more than one a day. Do you panic when asked to bring a side dish to go with the grilled protein option? Are you bored with the usual pasta, potato, three-bean, and coleslaw options? I hear you.

Here are a few interesting takes on the classics from around the web.

Simply Recipes is serving up a nice Asian Napa Cabbage Salad in place of the usual boring coleslaw. Great with grilled chicken, beef, pork, or whatever is on the menu.

From Eating Well we’ve got a bean salad that provides the sweetness of a classic three-bean recipe but with tomatoes for a balancing acidic note. Great with burgers or steak.

The Kitchn is offering this delightful sounding potato salad with fava beans and fennel. If you can’t find fava beans (they are a spring crop) substitute frozen edamame.

Next time somebody invites you to a barbecue, don’t panic. Just say: “I’ll bring a salad”

Image: Nikki L

The post 3 Barbecues? Give These Salads Some Love appeared first on EcoSalon.

Here in sunny California, every few days during this unusually chilly May, the sky begins to spit out a cold drizzle. So while hearts, minds, and pale goose-pimply limbs are ready for summer, it still feels decidedly wintery. But alas, at the market we have an abundance of tender, green shoots. What to do? Here’s one answer: Late Spring Minestrone with Green Pea Pistou from Food 52.

If your winter cravings of deep leafy greens are still as intense as mine, I’d suggest trying this Kale and Carrot Salad from Food in Jars. It’s easy, healthy, and will pair well with just about any meal.

And now for something sweet: Berries are slowly coming into season here. And I love a simple cake with fruit. Here’s a lovely Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce from Smitten Kitchen.

Image: Gozalalewis

The post Three Recipes to Try: Spring Minestrone with Green Pea Pistou, Kale and Carrot Salad, Lime Yogurt Cake appeared first on EcoSalon.

During a recent dinner at my friend’s underground restaurant (shh!) we were presented with the most inventive use of kumquats I’d ever seen. They were sort of glazed and roasted, and served atop a seared duck breast.

The kumquats were so luscious and such a perfect foil for the rich duck that I was smitten. The flavor has been haunting me ever since.

My reaction was interesting because I tend to shy away from kumquats, as I’m not really sure what to do with them. I’m attracted to their cute, happy orangeness at the farmers’ market, but since I’m not really a lover of the flavor of citrus rind, when it comes to everyday snacking they tend to just sit there and shame me for not eating them.

Then I found this recipe from food writer Molly Watson. Now wouldn’t these be good with duck, or pork, or dessert for that matter? Try it and let me know. There should be kumquats at markets (at least here on the west coast) for another week or two.

Speaking of seasonal recipes, I can’t get enough asparagus. I tend to spend the first several weeks just roasting it in a super hot oven with salt and olive oil (and sometimes standing in the kitchen eating the spears one after another like French fries) before graduating to more complex (and civilized) preparations like this one from 101 Cookbooks with the super healthy grain quinoa.

If you’ve never tried fava beans, this is your year. They are a short season shelling bean just coming into markets now. Yes, you have to shell them in two steps but it’s worth it. And this dip from Simply Recipes sounds like a winner.

P.S: Favas are easy to grow and provide a wonderful “green manure” for your garden because they are excellent nitrogen fixers. The leaves are edible too!

Image: Miss Meister

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