6 ways to eat more tahini (if you have a sweet-and-savory tooth!):

 

Tahini's bitterness may be polarizing to some and could require a little getting used to due to it's complex flavor. And though you won't catch me eating tahini by the spoonful, I love using tahini in sweet applications because it is nutty, bitter, and rich and those flavors often help balance treats that are otherwise cloyingly sweet. I consider myself one who has a sweet-and-savory tooth, and I figured it would be fun to share ways to eat tahini that go way beyond hummus and dressings. So this post is for all my like-minded sweet-and-savory toothed friends! (Not sure that's something people really say, but I'm going with it!)

1. If you normally add peanut or almond butter to your oatmeal, try swapping it for a spoonful or two of tahini!

2. On a piece of toast! 3 of my favorite toast combos: 

-tahini with strawberry jam

-tahini with chocolate chips and sea salt

-tahini with banana, a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of ground cinnamon. 

It’s the perfect evening snack when I’m feeling a little hungry and yet wanting something both indulgent and nutritious. 

3.  In chocolate chip cookies or swirled into brownies. Chocolate and tahini just works so seamlessly together, much like peanut butter, but more interesting!

4. Three words: Tahini ice cream! 

5. Stir it into your Greek yogurt with fresh fruit, a bit of honey, ground cardamom and a drop of vanilla extract. It’s one of my favorite afternoon snacks, it's tasty and packed with healthy fat and protein, and fills me up til dinnertime.

6. Last but not least blend it into your next smoothie!

My favorite: 

-1 tablespoon tahini
-1 frozen banana
-1-2 pitted medjool dates
-2 tablespoons raw oats
-touch of cinnamon
-1/2 cup almond milk

Blend until thoroughly combined. Soooo good!

What are your favorite ways to eat tahini? :)

Friday Love! {7.29.2016}

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one // Have you guys ever tried 2-ingredient pancakes? They've been around for a few years now and I've made them before in the past but completely forgot about them! Fortunately while I was browsing on The Kitchn, I saw that they posted a recipe and gorgeous pictures of them. So I made them this morning....Didn't manage to get a picture because, well, pancakes are not my strong suit and they were not pretty. It doesn't help that they're more delicate than regular pancakes. However, I'm learning that using a cast iron skillet and a fish spatula (which goes above and beyond flipping fish!) are key. As far as taste goes these pancakes remind me so much of french toast only they're lighter and give me energy! 

two // Remember how I mentioned organizing the basement two weeks ago? Well... that never happened. ALTHOUGH, I did manage to organize Michael's closet, the pantry and our small appliance cabinet. All of which were quite unorganized. The basement organizing will come into affect eventually. Again prayers are appreciated : )

three //  Lydia got in her molars!! Also she always eats standing up now and firmly believes that the more utensils at meal time the better. And she has been a little better about eating her food rather than throwing it to Zoe too. Sometimes it's just the little victories that keep me sane! Yay.

four // The most indulgent things we ate this week included homemade curly fries and miso caramel ice cream. The curly fries were reminiscent of potato sticks which I LOVED as a kid. However they weren't as spicy as I'd like them to be, so next time I will bump up the volume on the cayenne and smoked paprika! As far the miso caramel ice cream, I am completely smitten with this flavor and may or may not consider it a new favorite. I found the recipe here and used white miso because it is what I had. The miso provided both a nutty and salty flavor which balances the sweetness of the caramel. It's also extremely creamy and rich, a home run all around!

five // I am looking forward to the weekend. This week has been long, overwhelming and yucky... Hoping for sunshine, productivity and some quiet time.

On that note, I hope you also enjoy your weekend!

My Method of Meal Planning and What We Ate Last Week

I thought it would a fun post to share how I plan out my dinners for the week. Menu planning is essential in our family because I don't like the feeling of not knowing what's for dinner and I feel more at ease when I have everything decided for the week; that way when I go grocery shopping I avoid buying unnecessary ingredients and not wasting food is such a rewarding feeling! However, if I'm being honest I don't always have a clear idea what to cook on the weekends, those days are either leftover central or something really simple like a grilled cheese or BLT sandwiches or if my in-laws are free we use it as an opportunity to go on a date!

So here's how my planning usually goes.

• On a Saturday I’ll take out a notepad and pen, write down: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Sometimes we eat leftovers in between days, so I usually cook 3-4 dinners a week. Leftovers are wonderful and should not be underestimated because as much as I love to cook, life gets busy!!

•  I seek some inspiration. If I’m having a hard time choosing meals for the week I’ll pick up an issue of Bon Appetit, Every day with Rachael Ray, or Real Simple and check out their recipes. Or I’ll just go onto Pinterest or The Kitchn blog. Sometimes I don’t even use the recipe’s I find but get inspired by the ingredients and flavor profiles.

• I use meal templates. A meal template is like a formula for a meal. For example: fish or chicken + grain or starchy vegetable + roasted vegetable, homemade pizza + salad, tofu/beans stir fry + grains, etc. I like cooking at least one meatless meal a week to save a little money and because sometimes I need a break from eating meat. I like to use meal templates because they help me stay focused, adapt a well-balanced meal and at the same time be changed based on what we're in the mood for. 

• and sometimes I’ll ask Michael if he has any requests! :)

• We typically go grocery shopping on a Sunday afternoon. Most of the time it’s just Whole Foods, sometimes we go to Costco and Whole Foods! My husband is such a trooper and helps keep Lydia entertained while I do my thang. I don’t know where I would be without him;)

• On Sunday evening I schedule the meals for each day of the week and because I’m a silly girl who thinks I own a café I write down the first dinner on our chalkboard wall. 

And that’s it! Hope I can inspire you by sharing what we ate last week based off of my own little method:

Monday:

Turkey Meatloaf with Batata Fries and Roasted Asparagus

Tuesday and Wednesday:

Pork Chops with Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Tostones

Thursday: 

Black Bean Burgers with Smoked Gouda Cheese and Sauteed Baby Broccoli with Spinach

Friday:

Grilled Coconut Lime Honey Shrimp, Mango Salsa, Coconut Rice and Blackberry Margaritas to drink. (A rare Friday that I cooked)

I was feeling ambitious last weekend and actually cooked Saturday evening too, the thing is I didn't photograph any of it. My bad it was a late dinner!! We had roasted Korean glazed chicken wings, leftover coconut rice and mango salsa. And on Sunday we ate leftover wings, only I had to make more rice so I made ginger brown rice and huge kale salad. Deeelish!

How do you plan your meals for the week?