food comas

I have had tahini in hummus before and in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, but I’ve never wondered what tahini actually is. Well, it is a paste of ground sesame seeds. You can make it at home by roasting the seeds, grinding them up in a blender with oil and salt. But I was already over-extending myself in one evening with the Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs, Pomegranate Relish, Tzatziki, and this Tahini Yogurt so I bought tahini in a jar. Plus, Jen and I do not own a decent blender. Shameful, I know. The tahini yogurt can also be served with plain pita chips, and makes a great snack.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Baharat Seasoning (recipe below)
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 C plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
• 1/4 C tahini (sesame seed paste)

Baharat Seasoning: (recipe here will yield 1/4 C)

• 1 1/2 T dried mint
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Combine lemon juice, Baharat Seasoning, and garlic in medium bowl; stir to blend. Let stand 5 minutes.  Whisk in yogurt and tahini. Season tahini yogurt to taste with salt. Prepare ahead.

Serve with Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs, Pomegranate Relish, Tzatziki and pita bread.