LEMON HERB TAHINI RECIPES

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.
• Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended. Open, drain, and rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth; 1 to 2 minutes.
• Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency.
• Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and dash of paprika. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

Steps:

• Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 450 degrees F. Pulse 2 cups cilantro, 1 cup onion, the garlic, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons tahini; pulse to make a chunky paste. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the panko.
• Form the chickpea mixture into twelve 2-inch patties (about 2 tablespoons each). Remove the baking sheet from the oven, brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the chickpea patties. Bake, flipping the patties and rotating the pan halfway through, until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1/3 cup tahini with 6 tablespoons warm water and the juice of 1 lemon in a small bowl until creamy (it may look separated at first but it will come together). Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Toss the cucumbers with the juice of the remaining lemon, 1 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup sliced onion and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Warm the pita in the oven. Serve the falafel with the cucumber salad, pita and tahini sauce.