Just Pure Tahini

This past February I attended a presentation about tahini by Dana Harary, a founder of SoCo Artisanal Tahini, and Doug Katz, a local celebrity chef. We learned about Dana’s longstanding search for the most flavorful tahini on the planet, about the nutritional profile of tahini, and about SoCo’s commitment to positive change and collaboration. SoCo, short for Seeds of Collaboration, is a supporter of Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET), a nonprofit that connects young Israeli and Palestinian students. 

Tahini is a satisfying and nutritious food made entirely and solely of sesame seeds. It is vegan and gluten-free. I learned that its fatty acid profile is similar to that of peanut butter. And, like most other nourishing high-fat foods (e.g., nut butters, olive oil), it is quite filling. Doug prepared a number of recipes for us to try, and they were all delicious. We learned that tahini is best kept at room temperature, and that once opened it may be kept at room temperature for up to 6 months. So I won’t be refrigerating mine anymore.

Finally, we went home with samples — tahini with dates, tahini with pesto, pure tahini — that I shared with my family, all of whom enjoyed them as much as I did. And I was sold. 

You may enjoy checking out eatsoco.com, where you can find literally dozens and dozens of recipes, including this simple, genius one: mix tahini with an equal amount of pickle juice and stir until smooth to make a sublime salad dressing or veggie dip. To make it thicker, use less pickle juice. To make it thinner, use more. That’s all.

Tahini has traditionally been used much less extensively in the U.S. than throughout the Middle East, where it is eaten with abandon and drizzled over or mixed with absolutely everything you can think of, including toast, crackers, roasted veggies, hummus, tofu, pasta, apples, muffins, rice, salads, grain bowls, ice cream, and yogurt; or used as a dip for breads, spring rolls, fresh veggies, and more.

I like drizzling it over sweet potato.


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Red Crockpot Soup

Through the years I have shared quite a number of crockpot recipes with you on this blog. The crockpot is one of my favorite pieces of kitchen equipment, and my family and I have a long history of looking forward to the recipes that come out of it. I even gave each of my children one as a going-away present when they left for college: a crockpot of their own, a simple recipe, a large package of dry beans, and a few small spice packets to allow them to fill their crockpot to feed themselves and friends whenever they chose.  Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Incredible Almond Butter-Ginger Sauce

It is my pleasure to share, once again, this incredibly delicious sauce. I posted it once before, over 10 years ago, but a half-empty container of almond butter on my countertop, along with a huge chunk of fresh ginger, sent me on a search for the recipe. Now that I’ve found it, I am thrilled to share it with all of you!  Continue reading


A Greens Perspective on Nutrition

Have you ever noticed that a great many different cuisines incorporate dishes that pair some type of green leafy ingredient with some type of fat-rich ingredient? In the Mediterrean it might be simply green leafy lettuce and olive oil, parsley salad with tahini dressing, or sauteed greens + pignola (pine) nuts, not to mention pesto itself (basil + pignolas, traditionally). In Northern or Eastern Europe you might find cabbage and mayonnaise (cole slaw), or spinach with bacon dressing. In the far East it might be deep-sea fatty fish and seaweed (sushi). If you take the time to look, you will find green leaves combined with fats over and over again in cuisines the world over. 

This cannot be a coincidence. I am going to predict that someday we will discover that eating greens with fat increases the availability, perhaps by gut absorption, of certain nutrients in the greens. Or maybe the fats. Or maybe both. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Pomegranate-Pistachio Salsa

It probably won’t surprise you to discover that I never tire of reading cookbooks and food magazines. I’m always looking for something new and different. I was thumbing through a copy of Food & Wine recently, and came across a really interesting fresh pomegranate salsa that involved charring a red onion and serrano pepper, while simultaneously reducing sherry vinegar in a small saucepan. 

In theory it sounded amazing, but in truth it sounded like a lot, even for me. But I love pomegranates, and I love pistachios, and I loved the creative mixture of ingredients. So I decided to try it a different way. It looks like it’s time to up my salsa game. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Lentils & Collards Soup

I’ve posted this recipe in these pages once before, but it’s so unusual and delicious that it’s definitely worth repeating. Plus I have a lot of collards in the fridge at the moment. I love how the aromatics supplied by the cumin and cinnamon and lemon in this soup yield a result whose flavors are so different from the spice combinations I normally tend to reach for. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Green Herb Sauce

At this time of year, fresh herbs are growing everywhere, and large bags of zucchini, tomatoes, and other fresh vegetables continue to appear in the coffee room at work or maybe on your front steps, seemingly from out of nowhere. So even if you don’t keep a garden of your own, this is a great time of year to whip up a batch of an herb sauce that will channel the magical properties of those gorgeous vegetables. Not to mention that it will increase the likelihood that you and your lucky friends and family will eat more of the nourishing and colorful phytonutrients hiding inside all those beautiful vegetables, especially the phytonutrients in the herbs and other deeply colored green leafy veggies.  Continue reading


Self-Care Resolutions

Late last year I had an interview with a major news network on the topic of New Years’ Resolutions. I decided not to talk about the popular though self-defeating goals that are nearly impossible to sustain and end up making people feel badly about themselves and their efforts. I didn’t discuss limiting calories, denying yourself things that bring you joy, joining a gym, or signing up for a yoga class. Instead I decided to talk about being kind to yourself.  Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Greens-and-Grains Winter Salad

I love eating food in season, and many of the ingredients for this recipe have winter written all over them. Leftover nuts and dried fruit from the holidays. Quinoa, a staple in the cabinet. Some fall apples and a few leftover stalks of celery in the fridge. And a sweet memory of the large box of oranges sent every year to my parents by friends who used to spend their winters in Florida. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Luscious Lentil Salad To Go

Here’s a wonderful recipe for you to try! Especially after weekends of the kinds of food extravaganzas that the coming weeks are sure to bring, this salad will be a great choice for helping your digestive system to get back on track. Lentils are a very special food. Not only are they a fantastic source of protein, but they are also rich in fiber. There are only a few categories of foods that can make that claim. Not just that, but they are delicious, especially as prepared in this recipe. Continue reading