Tahini Makes the Meal!
You may associate tahini mainly with hummus dips but, in fact, its applications are countless! Whether the dish is sweet or savory, tahini imparts a subtle nutty flavor, moist texture and a boatload of nutrients (in addition to offering a variety of vitamins and minerals, it's also rich in anti-inflammatory mono unsaturated fats.) But not all tahini is created equal...
Philadelphia-based, women-owned Soom Tahini products is a staple ingredient for chefs across the country. Soom's tahini is exceptional with a better taste, texture, and a different method of production than the tahini you have come across before. Both Food and Wine and the Bon Appetit have profiled the company and its products, calling them out as the best in class.
Containing no added oils or salt and a maximum of 4 total ingredients, Soom's products are made exclusively from White Humera Sesame Seeds from the northwest region of Ethiopia. These seeds are sweeter, nuttier and have a notable butteriness, which give Soom's products their distinctive taste and texture.
Pinwheel carries Soom's Premium Tahini and their Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Sweet Tahini. If you need any additional incentive to give these wonderful local products a try, check out the recipes below for just a sampling of what you can make in your own kitchen with Soom tahini!
Crispy Chicken in a Tahini Marinade
An easy dish that turns everyday crispy chicken into a much more flavorful and memorable meal!
Serves: 4; 20 minutes prep; 1 hour marination
Ingredients
¾ cup plain full-fat yogurt
½ cup Soom Premium Tahini
2 tsp lemon zest + 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp raw honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp each sea salt and ground black pepper, divided
½ cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, tahini, ¼ cup water, lemon zest and juice, oil, honey, garlic and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Reserve ¾ cup tahini mixture in fridge. Transfer remaining to a large glass container and add chicken. Mix to ensure chicken gets coated. Refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a shallow bowl, mix panko, sesame seeds and remaining ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding excess marinade. Dip one chicken breast at a time in panko mixture. Coat both sides and shake off excess. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mist chicken with cooking spray.
3. Bake until chicken is no longer pink inside and reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F , 16 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley (if using). Serve drizzled with reserved tahini mixture.
Roasted Broccoli with Tahini & Garlic Sauce
Adapted from a NY Times recipe, this is a dish that will even convert broccoli haters! The buds on the broccoli florets toast to a crispy brown, and the texture of the stalk remains crisp. It goes wonderfully with the classic and irresistible tahini garlic sauce.
Serves: 6; Prep time: 30 minutes
FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE
1 garlic clove, cut in half
Salt, to taste
⅓ cup Soom Premium Tahini
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more to taste)
⅓ cup water
Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes, for sprinkling
FOR THE BROCCOLI
1 to 1 ½ pounds Pinwheel Broccoli Florets (thawed under running water or in the microwave and patted dry)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Using a garlic press, mortar & pestle, or a food chopper, mash the garlic clove to a purée with a generous pinch of salt. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the tahini; you can use a food chopper instead for the whisking steps, but the sauce will be less creamy. Whisk in the lemon juice, beginning with the smaller amount. The mixture will stiffen up. Gradually whisk in up to 1/3 cup water, until the sauce has the consistency of thick cream (or runny yogurt). Taste and adjust salt.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the broccoli florets on the baking sheet in an even layer. Roast until the tops are nicely browned, stirring and flipping the large slices over after 8 minutes, roasting about 15 minutes total.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter or to individual serving plates. Drizzle on the tahini sauce and serve, or serve the tahini sauce in small bowls for dipping.
Spicy Spelt Pasta With Tahini, Spinach, Peas & Onion
Nutty, spelt-based Agrozimi spaghetti gets tossed with spinach, onion, and peas in a creamy tahini sauce infused with red pepper flakes. Can be made vegan!
Serves: 4-6; Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
500g Agrozimi Spelt Spaghetti (or your favorite spaghetti)
1 lb. Pinwheel Local Sweet Peas (frozen)
1/2 onion
1/2 lb. Pinwheel Local Chopped Spinach (frozen)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes, (more or less to taste)
salt/pepper
Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup Soom Premium Tahini
1/2 cup regular milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp regular or vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
In a large skillet sauté chopped spinach and onion over medium heat in olive oil with the garlic until liquid is released and mostly evaporates (about 5 minutes).
In the meantime, blend all the tahini sauce ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
Add the peas to the skillet.
Drain your pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet. Top the pasta with the tahini sauce in the skillet; toss well to coat all the noodles. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Adjust salt & pepper, if needed. Top with Parmesan or vegan cheese.
Chocolate Tahini Brownies (gluten free!)
Rich and fudgy brownies with a subtle nutty flavor & creaminess from the tahini.
Makes 16 brownies; Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons Soom Premium Tahini, divided (for an extra chocolately version, you can use the Soom Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Tahini instead)
2 large eggs
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon agave syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8x8" baking dish with 2 overlapping pieces of parchment paper, leaving at least a 3" overhang on 2 sides.
Whisk cornstarch and cocoa powder in a medium bowl until no lumps remain. Heat chocolate, oil, and 1 Tbsp. tahini in a small saucepan over low, stirring, until melted and smooth.
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light, smooth, and doubled in volume, 3–4 minutes. Beat in salt and vanilla to combine, then beat in chocolate mixture, scraping down sides as needed, until incorporated. Beat in cornstarch mixture, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is thick and holds its shape, about 30 seconds.
Stir agave syrup and remaining 3 Tbsp. tahini in a small bowl. Scrape batter into prepared baking dish and smooth top. Dollop agave mixture over and swirl into top of batter with a skewer or toothpick.
Bake brownies until sides are puffed, top is browned, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 22–26 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan and cutting into 16 squares.
Chocolate Tahini Milkshake
This Chocolate Tahini Milkshake is perfectly creamy and full of flavor, with deep chocolate and nutty notes thanks to the addition of Soom Dark Chocolate Tahini. Add in your favorite toppings for an extra decadent treat!
Ingredients
2 cups chocolate or vanilla ice cream (can use vegan ice cream, if preferred)
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk or milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
optional toppings: whipped cream, chocolate shavings, crushed Oreos, Soom Chocolate Sweet Tahini
Instructions
Add all ingredients (except the toppings) into a blender and blend to combine. Start with 1/4 cup of milk and add more to thin until desired consistency is reached.
Top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, crushed Oreos, and a drizzle of Soom Dark Chocolate Tahini for extra deliciousness!