My first tahini experience! Ta-da!
For years, I’ve been buying the “tahini sauce” from Trader Joe’s and using it for salad dressing. It is not the same as plain ol’ tahini. Tahini sauce contains add-ins like lemon juice and garlic. In fact, it kind of tastes like hummus, without the chickpeas! Thus, when I observed multiple #oatmealartist posts on Instagram include tahini, I was appalled. “YOU ARE TOPPING YOUR FRUITY OATMEAL WITH GARLICKY TAHINI?!
Click on the pictures to visit the users’ IG accounts!
Luckily, I soon learned the truth. There is, in fact, a plain tahini that is purely just the paste of sesame seeds. So I made it my mission to try it.
Sadly, real tahini paste costs quite a bit more than my Trader Joe’s tahini sauce. Thankfully, Whole Foods sells a store brand version for $7–much cheaper than other alternatives.
And to be honest, I think this bottle will last me a while.
In all honesty, tahini by itself is. . .um. . .well. . .it’s fine. 🙂
If you like tahini on your oatmeal, then you’ll love this recipe! If you’re new to tahini, this might be a great recipe to start with because the chocolate and heaps of sweet raspberries balance out the. . . .different taste of the tahini. I think when you’re used to peanut butter and other indulgent nut butters, tahini tastes a little flat. Like it needs to be sweetened or salted or something.
However, as with most things I try, I’m sure my taste buds will adapt!
Eventually, the chocolate melted and swirled in with the tahini, which created a pleasant combination. This further proved to me that I should doctor the tahini a bit until I adjust to the taste. I’m thinking a little vanilla and cinnamon will go a long way. 🙂
Random Recommendations:
- [reads] Did you see the documentary Blackfish? You might find this article on OneGreenPlanet interesting.
- [people] @healthhappinesspeanutbutter on Instagram. You can look at all her oatmeal pictures and envy all the fancy nut butters for sale in Australia.
- [eats] I impressed my boyfriend with this homemade salsa verde, and it was super easy. (Consider halving the recipe because it made A LOT.) I made the roasted version.
What you'll need:
- 1 cup milk of choice, or water
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 tbsp tahini*
- 1 tbsp chopped dark chocolate
How to make it:
- Bring milk (I use 1/2 c almond milk and 1/2 c water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you’d like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Add half of the raspberries to the oatmeal right away and stir occasionally.
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Stir.
- When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, stir in a few of the remaining raspberries (maybe 1/4 cup). Then, transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice, a drizzle of tahini, the remaining raspberries, the dark chocolate chunks, and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, etc.).
Just an FYI:
*Be sure to buy tahini that lists only sesame seeds as the ingredients. If it includes garlic, lemon juice, and other seasonings, it's "tahini sauce," which is different. *No tahini? Try subbing almond or another nut butter.
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