RECIPE WED # 18: Samak bi Tahini...Fish with Tahini

Ok, so I am totally in love with tahini sauce, it is soooooooooo yummy... LOVE!!! 

So in my hunt for recipes to use it I ran across 3 recipe for fish all 3 very simple...don't you find the tastiest dishes contain 5 or less ingredients?

I think I will like them all, one is called TAGEN~  a dish consisting of grilled or baked white fish, smothered in creamy tahini paste/butter & chicken stock, the second is basically SAMAK bi TAHINI  translated fish with tahini- and it has olive oil in place of stock and fish is cooked in the tahini sauce in stead of a sauce splashed over top of it like in the tagen recipe & the 3rd is a twist on plain old tuna salad.

Going to include all not really sure which I will like more?? Leave a comment on which you have tried and what you liked/disliked about it, would love to hear your input!

First up:

 TAGEN:

• 2 Lbs grilled or oven baked firm white fish
• 1/2 cup of tahini 
• 1 onion diced & sautéed until fragrant and soft
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth. 
• EVOO
• Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper corns, dill (dried or fresh)-chopped to taste
• Fresh Lemon

Coat fish in  EVOO and season w/ splash of lemon wedge & sprinkling of s,p, & dill bake or grill until forks easily flakes, don't over cook!

To make tagen, you’ll need to add 1/2 cup of tahini to 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Add this mixture to a hot pan with sautéed, diced onions and continue stirring until the sauce begins to boil. Add the sauce to a grilled fillet of white fish add a squeeze of lemon wedge for freshness and sprinkle of chopped dill and enjoy tagen.

SAMAK BI TAHINI:

• 2 lbs. fish{any firm white fish: tilapia, orange roughy, flounder, cod whatever is cheapest that day}
• 1/2 cups tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 large onion, sliced
• olive oil
• kosher salt 
• fresh cracked pepper corns
• fresh or dried dill to taste

Drizzle olive oil and season fish w/ kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and chopped fresh dill  and bake in baking pan at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Remove from oven and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine tahini, olive oil and water. Mix until a sauce forms, adding more water and lemon juice as needed.

Spread sauce over fish and cover with onion slices.

Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees.

Serve immediately or place in refrigerator and serve cold. Serve fish with tahini with white rice and lemon wedges. 

Tuna Fish salad with Tahini Paste

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup tahini paste, depending on taste
• 1 6 oz. can of tuna, drained
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped & sauteed
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• dallop of real mayo
• kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, dill to taste
• fresh lemons wedges
• lettuce, shredded or whole leaf, whatever is preferred

Chop vegetables & lemons, cook onions and set aside.

Open can of tuna, drain and flake in a medium bowl. Add vegetables and desired amount of tahini sauce & mayo. Mix well until all ingredients have combined squeeze a lemon wedge to two according to taste.

Serve tuna salad with tahini chilled or as is in a pita or on regular sandwich bread. It is also a great stand alone dish to toss with romaine for an entree salad.