Tahini

These shortcut Egyptian-style falafels are made with frozen edamame and peas instead of the traditional fava beans. Sear them to make the most crunchy surface and pair them with buttery brioche burger buns.

This cake has the fluffy, so-light-it-could-float texture of angel food cake, with a touch of egg yolk for richness. Tahini brings pure sesame flavor and a lining of sesame seeds adds a bonus level of crunch.

Brush butternut squash with maple-chile oil before roasting, then top with a lemon-tahini dressing and herby quinoa.

This dish is all about assembly, not time at the stove. You’ll quickly sauté chickpeas and corn, then gather the supporting characters: lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, feta, and lime.

A thick pour of magic shell over ice cream is simultaneously creamy and crackly, both smooth and shattery. But the real mind-blowing thing about it? It's a snap to make at home.

This cake is a tie-dyed composition of textures and flavors that starts with a tahini-enriched blondie base and continues with vanilla ice cream layered with seedy maple syrup and bands of cooked plums.

Charring cauliflower on the grill turns the exterior crisp and golden, while the internal flesh becomes sweet and nutty. Cutting the head into wedges first maximizes the caramelized surface.

In this salad, the color palette—pale whites and browns—may leave something to be desired, but the gorgeous medley of textures and very complementary flavors makes up for it. This is an attractive one to serve for a dinner party.

The best thing about this classic sesame-based confection (aside from the fact that it’s so delicious) is how easy it is to make at home.

Get all the flavors of falafel with crispy roasted chickpeas, crunchy crouton-like pita chips, crisp cucumber, and a lemon-tahini dressing.

Composed of four elements—vegetables, a grain, a protein, and a sauce—grain bowls like this one are simple, nutrient-dense, and very pretty to serve.

This dish is compulsively delicious. One adult could easily eat the entire head of cauliflower for dinner and feel good about it.

With tahini, miso, a touch of sweetness, and rice vinegar, this umami-lover’s dream salad is the perfect way to put a fresh spin on a Western classic.

This cooling soba salad has a creamy, savory dressing flavored with tahini, miso, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Jicama matchsticks add crunch, while avocado contributes richness.

Swap in any kind of ground meat and any kind of vegetable for this saucy, clean-out-your-pantry rice noodle stir-fry.

This super-oishii (“delicious”) spicy ramen bowl is made with basic pantry staples, such as miso paste and tahini, plus Sriracha for spice! I love adding a bit more Sriracha for heat, and topping it all off with a slightly runny soft-boiled egg.

Tossed with a miso and tahini dressing, this spring-evoking grain bowl can be topped with whatever seasonal produce looks irresistible at the market.

The secret to making a smooth, light, fluffy dip is to use warm just-cooked chickpeas. And the Instant Pot makes that easy.

Since the base of this dip is so simple—it's mostly sweet potatoes and tahini—homemade za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice blend) really helps the flavors stand out.

This tahini dressing recipe goes especially well with bitter greens but can also be paired with sweeter lettuces such as Little Gem or romaine.

This simple berry-studded cake recipe is a real keeper.

Think of these tahini cookies as grown-up peanut butter cookies. The tahini lends a creamy, earthy flavor.

The savory quality of the herbed sweet-sour plums, plus this incredibly creamy tahini and lemon dressing, is unthinkably tasty.

Don’t be afraid to let the food processor run the full 2 minutes. It’s one of the keys to super-smooth, aerated hummus.