Tahini-Dressed Tuna, Chicken, Egg, or Whatever Salad

(Photo copyright Jillian Guyette, courtesy of Agate Publishing)

Tahini is a natural replacement for mayonnaise. So whatever your reason—health, change of pace, or you just don’t dig mayo—this recipe is for you. Whipping up a quick tahini sauce ups the nutrition of your everyday tuna, chicken, or egg salad—a small change with a great effect.

Serves 2

• 1 small garlic clove, minced with coarse sea salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Tahini Mayo (recipe follows)
• 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (5-ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked apart, or 1 cup chopped cooked chicken, or 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 scallion, finely chopped (green and white parts)

Mix the garlic and lemon juice in a medium bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes or so.

Stir in the tahini mayo, mustard, and cumin. Add the tuna (or chicken or eggs), celery, and scallion and mix until just combined. Serve.

Tahini Mayo

I love mayo. Probably because it’s tangy and creamy, but also because it has so many purposes. I like mixing it with ketchup for burgers or mustard for eggs (think deviled). One of the great things about tahini is that it serves the same purpose as mayo (tangy and creamy), with a lot more nutrition.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup premium tahini paste 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup ice-cold water 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, water, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.

Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Reprinted with permission from “The Tahini Table” by Amy Zitelman, Agate Publishing, November 2020.