Lower-Fat Taheena Sauce
(pictured with Baked Seitan and Bulgur Kibbeh (Middle Eastern-Style Meatless Loaf) with Tomato and Onion)
You’d never guess that this silky sauce is a lower-fat version of a common sauce from the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel). It’s also delicious on vegetarian kebabs, grilled or fried eggplant and zucchini, and falafel. Sauce keeps well in the fridge for one week.
1 - 12.3 oz (349 g) box extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp (155 mL) tahini
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp (155 mL) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) water
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh mint (or 2 tsp/10 mL dried mint)
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sugar
Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender until very smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before using. If mixture seems too thick, add a little more water.
Makes 2 3/4 cups (680 mL).
A 2 Tbsp (15 mL) serving contains: 50 calories; 2.5 g protein; 4 g total fat (0.5 g sat. fat, 0 trans fat); 3 g carbohydrates; 1 g fibre; 100 mg sodium
source: "Seitan", alive #358, September 2012
Lower-Fat Taheena Sauce
Directions
Bryanna Clark Grogan
Bryanna Clark Grogan is the author of World Vegan Feast (2nd ed., Vegan Heritage Press, 2014) and eight more vegan cookbooks.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Tourtière AU Cerf
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
Artichauts en Barigoule
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de Canut
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.