Mock Tahini Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Spread the sesame seeds on a shallow baking tray and bake, shaking frequently, until fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Do not brown.
• Cool.
• Put the sesame seeds in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade.
• Add the vegetable oil.
• Process to a smooth paste, about 5 minutes.
• Add more oil if necessary, to bring the paste to a thick pouring consistency.
• Tahini will keep stored in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for several months.

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely chop the garlic cloves. While processor is running, through the lid, gradually add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to the garlic and mix garlic into the oil. Stop food processor. Open lid and add the peanut butter. Close and start processor. Beat until peanut butter, oil and garlic start to mix. While processor still running, gradually add through the lid the lemon juice homogenizing it into the peanut butter mixture. Stop processor.
• Open garbanzo beans. Drain liquid off the garbanzos but retain a few tablespoons of the liquid and set aside.
• Open lid and add the garbanzos to the peanut butter mixture. Close processor lid and start processor.
• Puree the garbanzos homogenizing them into the peanut butter mixture with the food processor running. Only if it is too thick, add, a tablespoon at a time, some of the retained garbanzo liquid until the hummus is a smooth, thick texture. You don't want it too soupy.
• As processor is still running add salt.
• Stop processor and test the hummus for proper balance of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. The tanginess should balance with the flavor of the peanut butter and garbanzo. Adjust to taste. One note: be careful with the lemon juice. It quickly overwhelms the other flavors if you're not careful.
• To serve, spread hummus into a shallow serving dish and pour remaining olive oil over the top and swirl it backward gently with a spoon to spread it over the surface of the hummus.
• Garnish as desired. Traditionally, in addition to the olive oil poured over the top of the finished hummus other garnishes are sometimes added over the top of oil. Example of some finishing garnishes are finely chopped parsley and/or paprika.
• Also, often for color, and because they taste good with hummus, tomato wedges are placed around the edge of the hummus, inside the serving bowl (on top of hummus around rim of dish).
• It is eaten usually dipping pocket bread into the hummus.

Steps:

• If you have the time, lightly toast the sesame seeds and allow to cool then proceed. If pressed for time, bypass the toasting.
• In food processor or blender combine all *ingredients and blend until relatively smooth. Add more oil if necessary to aid in blending. There definitely will be whole seeds remaining no matter how well you blend, and that's okay.
• Mixture will be very oily and not very smooth. (Remember, this is an emergency!) ;).
• If time permits, allow tahini to set for 30 minutes.
• NOTE: If you don't have any time available to toast or blend the seeds then omit those steps and add the whole seeds and oil directly into your recipe, depending of course on what you are preparing. It's a judgment call.
• Very important to be sure your sesame seeds are fresh before starting this recipe! If not, your tahini will taste rancid. ALWAYS keep sesame seeds refrigerated!
• Refrigerate any leftover tahini.
• *Bear in mind that my measurements are approximated. Adjust amounts accordingly.