Lemon Tahini Dressing / Need Recipe!

[Tehama]

Good morning... anyone have an awesome lemon tahini dressing recipe to share? Thanks so much!

[Tehama]

You all are so great! And my mom says thank you, too!

Now - new question -- Mom went to a local Mid-Eastern market today (Nur, for those in the Raleigh area) and she bought tahini that came like a block of tofu! I have never seen this -- have you all? (She didn't know what to buy, obviously). What did my Mom purchase?? I am only familiar with the super-thick tahini paste like I use to make hummus....

[Rubee]

Me too, in a jar. Hmmm...there is halvah, which is tahini and honey sold in slabs or blocks. Maybe it's halvah?

[foxy fairy]

My tahini has always come in a jar or a big can. I just bought a new brand, Krinos, per suggestion of the owners of my own local Middle Eastern market. Only ingredient is ground sesame seeds. It does separate so I always shake it up before scooping some out. I buy Aleppo chile at the Middle Eastern market too -- ask your mom to find out if they stock Aleppo next time. It is a vibrant red color and flavor, subtler than cayenne I think and yes, smoky. It's $9/lb and a little goes a loooong way -- I have a whole little container here for less than $3. My sweety is just suggesting that we might use Aleppo to make a cool buffalo chicken salad we've been wanting to try.

Good luck in the tahini quest!

[Rubee]

This is my favorite - It's simple, and I've been making it ever since I tried the recipe as part of the CH Cookbooks of the Month:

Salata Kudsiyeh (Jerusalem Salad)
May Bsisu from "The Arab Table"

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/376079#2408577

Foxy Fairy's sounds great too, and I love Aleppo pepper. I'll have to try that recipe next!. Tehama, Aleppo pepper is a seeded and crushed red chili pepper. I buy mine at Penzey's:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzey...

[foxy fairy]

I've used several different ones, and I'm actually going to make some today too! :)

Here's the general recipe I use, paraphrased from Moosewood:

5 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh!)
3/4 cup tahini
one clove garlic, minced
Water -- amount depends on how thick you want the sauce -- between 3/4 cup and 1 1/2 cup
Salt -- depends on thickness, from 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
some finely finely minced parsley
Aleppo chile to taste (or cayenne, but I love Aleppo here)

Pull out your blender, and throw in tahini, lemon juice, garlic -- start blending. With the motor on, slowly pour in the water. Stop and taste check to see if you like the consistency.

Put in bowl, add salt and parsley and Aleppo chile. This can keep for quite a while in the fridge. I love to marinate chicken and broil, then make wraps with the chicken, some divine French feta, Romaine, tomato, and this sauce. Of course, it's also awesome with falafel. :)

[Tehama]

Dear FoxyFairy! That looks lovely! Thanks! The request actually came from my Mom, but I can't wait to try it, too!
ps - I am not familiar with Aleppo chilis. Is this in a powder form or is it a chili itself?

[Gio]

The Aleppo pepper I have is a powder..... milder than Cayenne, but with a nice, nutty/smoky flavor - at least to my palate. I Make hummous regularly but I love the sound of this lemon dressing!!

[rockycat]

Are you looking for the Irregardless recipe? I have it at home, but I got it out of the cookbook they put out to fundraise when the place burnt down about 30 years ago. The library here has it. It's by J. Arthur Gordon and is called "The Irregardless Cooks." As of right now, the Eva Perry branch in Wake has it and it's checked out at Cameron Village.

[Tehama]

That is so sweet of you! As soon as I saw you had responded I was like "Oh Alright! Someone from the South board!" My Mom asked me for a recipe, and I think she just wants it for a salad dressing. She likes the one they have at Capital Creations.

I see FoxyFairy has also posted below. If the Irregardless recipe is much different than Foxy's, I'd love to compare the two. Thank you so much!

[rockycat]

The Irregardless recipe has some of blended up veggies in it (written pre-food processor days). I'm back in the office again. I've got to try to remember to post the recipe from home tonight.

[rockycat]

And here it is, more or less:

Lemon Tahini Dressing

1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. tamari
1/4 c. onion, minced
2 Tbs. green pepper, minced
1 small stalk celery, minced
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 c. oil
about 1/4 c. water

Blend (or process) the tahini, tamari, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Puree well if you want a smooth texture. Process in lemon juice and white pepper. With motor running, add oil and then enough water to get desired consistency. I prefer it a little on the think side but that's just a matter of taste.

You could do an interesting hybrid of the two recipes. I like the idea of adding garlic and hot pepper.