A TASTE OF tahini

NO WONDER TAHINI HAS BECOME SUCH A BUZZ-WORTHY INGREDIENT—IT ADDS RICH LAYERED FLAVOURS TO DISHES BOTH SWEET AND SAVOURY.

TAHINI, a paste or condiment made from toasted and ground hulled sesame seeds, is like the ketchup of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Found in everyday staples like hummus and baba ghanoush, it’s so ubiquitous that in the seminal Adam Sandler movie You Don’t Mess with the

Zohan, he even stirred it into his coffee. (We don’t recommend this.) Tahini can be found at most major supermarkets, and black tahini (if you can find it) is also making inroads. To make black tahini, buy a cup of toasted black sesame seeds and blend it with 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil in a blender until smooth and pourable. Cover and store in the fridge for up to a week. For ease of execution, we’ve decided to go full-on regular tahini, with a decadent parfait, luscious lamb chops, chicken satay, and tahini-swirl brownies for dessert. We think the Zohan would approve.

This is where healthy meets hearty. Greek yogurt is the base for a new-wave parfait with a sauce spun from tahini and date honey, and sprinkled with halvah (a dense, sweet sesame candy available at Middle Eastern stores), toasted almonds and fruit.

½ cup (125 mL) whole almonds, roughly chopped 2 cups (500 mL) full fat Greek yogurt

(such as Liberte 5%)

½ cup (125 mL) tahini, well stirred

¼ cup (60 mL) date honey

2 oz (60 g) halvah, crumbled

1 pint raspberries (may also use mandarin segments, chopped orange, blueberries or your preferred fruit)

1 Spread chopped almonds in a medium skillet over medium heat and toast until lightly browned, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.

2 Stir yogurt until smooth and divide among 4 glasses or dessert bowls.

3 Mix together tahini and honey until combined. To make more pourable, microwave for 20 seconds and stir before serving.

4 Drizzle tahini-honey over yogurt and top with chunks of halvah, fruit and toasted chopped almonds.

Serves 4