Guest Post: My five favourite ways to use Mayver’s Tahini

It’s the secret ingredient you didn’t even know you were looking for. Mayver’s Tahini adds that little extra something… not to mention calcium! This month’s Official Mayver’s Taste Tester was nutritionist Jess Cox who gave us exclusive Mayver’s recipes. She’s got a few tahini-licious ideas to share with you:

I am an avid Tahini lover. To be honest, I adore just about any nut or seed butter, with some of my forerunners being peanut butter, almond butter and macadamia nut butter (oh and sunflower seed butter!). As someone who doesn’t eat dairy due to food intolerances, nut and seed butters bring a depth of creaminess to dishes that can be missed when one steps away from yoghurts and so forth. Today I wanted to share with you my five favourite ways to use Mayver’s Tahini.

Some may be familiar to you, but hopefully some of these ideas inspire you to use Tahini in a different manner. After all, Tahini is so versatile!

1. Banana Boat (a healthy spin on the banana split):
Slice a ripe banana down the centre, then fill with Tahini, crushed pistachio nuts, cacao nibs and dust of cinnamon. You can also add coconut yoghurt if desired. This is also delicious with papaya and mango.

2. Caramel sauce:
Mix one heaped dessertspoon of Tahini with 1 dessertspoon of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, pinch of salt and ¼ cup of almond or rice milk. Mix until a thin paste is formed. Wonderful over pancakes or waffles!

3.  Unhulled Tahini & Tomato on Toast:
 I adore the flavoursome edge of Unhulled Tahini. It works superbly as a savoury spread with the classic tomato on toast. Just be sure to add a generous amount of sea salt and pepper and a good lug of olive oil.

4. Nut Free Protein Balls:
At the JCN Clinic we deal with a vast amount of intolerance, some of these being nuts. Therefore, tahini makes a great base for a nut free protein balls. These lunch box friendly snack option such as in these lemon and vanilla protein balls are also useful for kids.

5. Lemon and sumac dressing:
Mix one heaped dessertspoon of Tahini with 1 dessertspoon of olive oil and juice of 1 lemon. Mix until a thick paste is formed and then slowly add in warm water, mixing as you do so. Once a mayonnaise like consistency is reached, add in 1 teaspoon of sumac. This is delicious over roast vegetables, poached eggs and through salads. If you would like a recipe for a large quantity, this Tomato, Almond and Potato Salad w Creamy Dressing is a good place to start. Find the recipe below!

Tomato, Almond & Potato salad w Creamy Tahini Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium unwashed potatoes, skin on
• 1 1/2 cups mixed small tomatoes, quartered
• 1 handful almonds, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp finely chopped dill
• extra virgin olive oil and s &p to dress
  // Creamy Dressing//
• scant 1/4 cup Mayver’s Unhulled Tahini
• scant 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup warm water
• s & p to season

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Wash the potatoes well then cut them into rough bite sized pieces, rough cubes work well. Place them in a pot of water, cover and bring to the boil. Remove the lid if needed (so it doesn’t boil over) and boil until potatoes are tender, around 15 minutes.

In the interim, make the creamy dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl and mixing well. If it seems too thick add a little more water. Taste and season as needed. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are ready drain well then pour into a large bowl or serving dish. Drizzle with some olive oil and give them a light toss. Now top the potatoes with the sliced tomatoes, almonds and dill. Finish dressing the salad by spooning over the creamy dressing. There will be plenty of dressing so you may not need it all. The salad is nice to serve like this if you would like it to look pretty for the table, otherwise toss everything through and add more creamy dressing as desired.

Serve either warm or cold as a side dish with some simple leafy greens and some fish such as barramundi or mackerel.

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Jessica is a passionate foodie and qualified, practicing Nutritionist with a Bachelor Health Science (Nutrition), with over eight years of clinical experience. Jess is the founder and business owner of the successful Jessica Cox Nutritionist Clinic based in Brisbane, Australia. The Jessica Cox Nutritionist Clinic (JCNC) treats all facets of health conditions, though specialises with ongoing digestive issues and food intolerances. Jess is also the creator of the Jessica Cox website and blog, which is an expression of everything she loves rolled into one, including her passion for creating recipes that catering for food intolerances. Jess is available for consultations at her clinic based in Brisbane, along with Skype and Phone consultations for national and international clients. Contact Jess with any queries or questions at jessicacox.com.au or email reception@jessicacox.com.au.