The Joys Of Lemon-Tahini Sauce
One of my favorite flavor elements (for nearly any meal) that I love to keep handy in the fridge is lemon-tahini sauce. This super flavorful, versatile, sesame-based sauce/dressing, can be used as a fantastic dressing over salads, or as a rich sauce over any soaked & simmered whole grains, steamed veggies, baked winter squash, quality meats, scrambled eggs, or tacos of any kind...you can put it on virtually anything!
This sauce has a beautifully well-rounded flavor profile because of it’s sour, sweet, salty, and herbal elements. The basic flavor is a winner with most people, and you can customize it to suit your changing taste preferences; more lemon or less lemon, saltier, sweeter, or with any fresh or dried herbs. It can even be made with hot-spicy ingredients like ginger or cayenne. I love being creative with various herbs like dill (of course), marjoram, basil, sage, parsley, chives, etc. Finely minced fresh herbs are lovely, but smaller amounts of dried herbs work well too.
There are different versions of this sauce from different cultures, but I came up with my own version about 10 years ago when I was reading the ingredient list on the back of a bottle of classic Annie’s Goddess Dressing...tahini (or sesame seed butter), lemon juice, water, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, honey, parsley and chives. I thought to myself, “Dude! I can make this!”
So, I started by putting equal parts water and raw sesame tahini (3 or 4Tbsp of each) into a small saucepan on low heat for about a minute while mixing to get a base sauce that was creamy yet pourable. Then, I turned off the heat and immediately added about a 1/2tsp each of fresh minced rosemary & dill so that the warmth lingering in the sauce would help the herbs release their aromas & flavors. Yum! (for those who like a hot-spicy aspect, a pinch of cayenne or a 1/2tsp fresh minced ginger can be added at this point). Next, I added a teaspoon or two of high-quality soy sauce (about 1/3tsp sea salt works too). And then, for the sweet aspect, I used a smidge (1tsp or less) of raw honey or grade B maple syrup, just to round out the subtle flavor profile, but not to make the dressing sweet tasting (these days I use a pinch of stevia powder). Sour is next, and here’s the trick to it: when you add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to this sauce, it’ll thicken dramatically, so you’ll need to add more water (about a Tbsp at a time), while stirring, until the sauce comes back to a smooth, creamy, yet fairly thin consistency. Yay!
Whenever I make a fresh batch of this sauce, I pour some slightly warm sauce over my brown rice, salad, or steamed greens and veggies, and then I put the rest into a jar in the fridge to use for up to 3 days.
A word of warning: the lemon juice tends to break down the tahini after about 3 days, and you’ll find that two things happen at this point: 1) a thin layer of water forms on the top of the sauce, and 2) the smell changes a bit. This is why I try to use the sauce up within about 3 days. Another thing you should know is that after only a few hours in the fridge the sauce will get way thicker. Again, the culprit is the lemon juice, which will continue to thicken the sauce as it sits in the fridge. When this happens, it’s no biggie at all. Just scoop a few thick spoonfuls into a bowl, and mix another tablespoon or two of water into it to thin it back out again. Easy!
If you want the best flavor and health benefits in this sauce, the trick is using a high-quality tahini. The rich, satisfying flavor of fresh (not rancid), raw tahini, is heavenly. Don’t try to save money by buying cheaper brands of tahini (or especially brands that are near expiration), because the rancid taste will absolutely ruin your sauce. Tahini is naturally slightly bitter, but the brands of tahini which I’ve found are usually most fresh tasting are: Rejuvanitive Foods, Viva Pura, Gopal’s, Maranatha, and Once Again brands. I’ve tried both raw and toasted tahini, and I like the raw best because it’s less likely to be rancid. The toasted versions do have a nice, nutty flavor though. You’ll know if ANY nuts, seeds, fats/oils, or even grains are rancid because the smell will be off, and there’s often a distinctly bitter and/or astringent aftertaste. Once you experience the taste of fresh nuts and nut butters, etc, the taste of rancid foods will be undeniable to you. Rancid foods are definitely no good for the body!
See next post for: Why rancid oils are bad for the body
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