Classic Lemon Tahini

Image

CLASSIC LEMON TAHINI

I think lemon tahini took my health to the next level for so many reasons. I used to buy “healthy” salad dressings but never really loved the extra ingredients and the high sugar content in most of them. Plus, not sure if they are using the highest quality oils either… So I decided to start making my own.

5 years later, I’m still making my own sauces and dressings but the one I make the most is hands down—my classic lemon tahini! It’s so easy to make and so creamy and delicious. 

Lemon tahini is basically what it sounds like with a few extra ingredients to make it a smooth creamy dressing that works with just about any dish. I choose the most quality ingredients like local garlic, organic lemons and a high-quality oil like hemp oil or an organic olive oil. 

I use lemon tahini in or on:

  • drizzled on roasted vegetables.
  • loaded yams.
  • on fish like salmon or cod
  • as a salad dressing 
  • as a dip for raw veggies
  • thinned out as a gravy on cauliflower mash.
  • as the sauce in my macro bowls
  • even in my tacos and with corn chips.
  • as a sauce on my quinoa or rice

Basically if I am eating veggies or grains, there’s a good chance lemon tahini is involved! It helps up the healthy fats, adds zest form the lemons, a kick from the garlic and the texture ties every dish together:)

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 2-3 organic lemons
  • 2 tbsp of hemp oil ( or any good quality oil)
  • 1/2 cup of tahini
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp of maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp of sea salt
  • a splash of water to thin it out to your liking

WHAT TO DO

  1. Juice lemons
  2. Peel garlic
  3. Put everything into a high speed blender or food processor
  4. Blend!

This can be stored in a glass mason jar in the fridge for up to a week but I doubt it will last that long!

Variations — Variety is the spice of life right?

  • Substitute lime for lemon and add cilantro and chili flakes to make it suitable for any Mexican themed bowl or tacos.
  • Replace the hemp oil with sesame oil and add some miso paste, ginger and soy sauce for a Thai themed bowl or over a thai noodle salad.
  • Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and some fresh dill to make lemon dill gravy.
  • Add 1/2 cup of cashews instead of tahini (just in case you run out of tahini…)
  • To make it sweeter for a blueberry quinoa bowl, nix the garlic and add cinnamon and more maple syrup.

As you can see this classic recipe can be altered to suit whatever you are cooking up in the kitchen:) Get creative, save some moola on the store bought dressing and enjoy your very own homemade healthy dressing.