Tahini-What is it?

Tahini What is it?

The other night I was watching TV and someone on a cooking show used something called Tahini. I have never heard of Tahini so I decided to find out more about it and share it with you.  My bet is you have never heard of it either so here is what I found out plus a couple recipes one for the sauce and another how to use it in a recipe:
Tahini Organic 16 oz Glass Jar can be purchased at Walmart for 8.49.

Tahini is a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds used in North African, Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Tahini is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.
Organic
Gluten Free
Vegan
Kosher
Sodium Free
Next question in what  would you use Tahini?

It is said to be great when used as an ingredient for homemade salad dressings, hummus and may be used as a healthy alternative to butter.

Now here are recipes to use Tahini in:

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 gloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine garlic and tahini. Add kosher salt. 

Remove from food processor and add olive oil and lemon juice. If too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water until desired consistency. 
Mix in parsely

Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Now where can we use Tahini sauce:
Here are a couple of suggestions:

Tuna Salad with Tahini

Ingredients:

1/4 to 1/2 cup tahini sauce, depending on taste (recipe below)
1 6 oz. can of tuna, drained
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
lettuce, shredded or whole leaf, whatever is preferred

Broccoli with Tahini:

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sprinkling of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
water

Directions:

Steam broccoli for 10-15 minutes until tender. Check often to ensure it does not overcook. Once tender, drain in colander. Set aside.

Mix garlic, cumin, lemon juice, cayenne, and tahini in medium bowl. Add salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of water until desired consistency. Ideally, it will be smooth and creamy. 

Add broccoli to sauce and stir, or serve broccoli as a dipping food. 

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate.


 Tahini sauce also makes a great dip for breads and other veggies like carrots, celery and cauliflower. It can be served cold or warm, however most prefer it warm,

Now we all know what Tahini is why don't we all give it a try?
Here are a couple of substitutions in case buying it would not be in your best financial interest.
I know I will get it because I use sesame as often as possible. I like it. I even buy sesame candy. So it is worth my while. 
Either way look up some recipes and give this idea a try. 
I will be posting a couple of recipes I have seen soon and I will start with the tuna salad and go from there. It sounds so good to me!