I have been all about the tahini lately.  I have been finding ways to put it on everything and I have not been disappointed.  Most of us only know tahini as an ingredient in hummus.  It helps give it that nice creamy, earthy flavor.  While hummus is delicious, tahini deserves to be more than just an ingredient in a popular dip.

It is awesome in baked goods, drizzled over pancakes or roasted plantains, and it turns any homemade dressing into creamy delicious lick the bottom of the bowl good.  The fact that it turns things creamy is one of my favorite things.

I like creamy, creamy is good, but sadly people only associate creamy with cheese or other dairy products.    I’m going to change your mind one tahini filled recipe at a time.

This one is really easy to make and is a great way to use up the surplus of zucchini and other summer vegetables I’m sure are crowding your fridge.  I also like this one because it can be made the night before and then just popped into the oven and it’s done.  That’s actually what I did when I made this last weekend and it worked beautifully.

The sauce I made for this vegetable bake would also be awesome as a dip or slathered on wings or ribs or burgers or a spoon…. You get the idea.  Go grab all the summer vegetables you have, whip up this sauce, and throw together this yummy dish!

Tahini BBQ Summer Vegetable Bake

Tahini BBQ Sauce-

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tbsp homemade ketchup (or the best you can find/afford at the store)
• 1 tsp molasses
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (make sure it’s smoked)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth and well combined

Vegetable Bake-

• 1 batch of tahini BBQ sauce
• 1 zucchini, sliced and diced
• 1 summer squash, sliced and diced
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (or whatever bean you have on hand)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper

1. If you want/have the time, roast the zucchini and summer squash.  You don’t have to, but it adds a nice flavor to the dish.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 15 minutes.
2. Remove the zucchini and squash, turn the oven to 375 and place the roasted vegetables into a large bowl.
3. Add the corn, onion, garbanzo beans, and stir everything to combine.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper and stir again.
4. Add in all the tahini BBQ sauce and stir everything making sure the sauce is coating all of the vegetables and beans.
5. Transfer everything to a large casserole dish.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Take off the aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.