Tahini Sauces!

Tahini-Tamari Sauce (from The Everyday Vegan)

1⁄3 cup + 1 tbsp tahini
1⁄3 - 1⁄2 cup water (adjust for desired thickness)
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey alternative (agave nectar or other liquid sweetener)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

With a handblender or in a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Season to taste with extra sea salt and pepper as desired. Makes about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups.

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Sesame Mustard Tahini Sauce (from Vive le Vegan!)

This is a rich and zesty sauce that’s very versatile: it can be tossed into cooked pasta, beans, or steamed veggies; drizzled over cooked grains, fresh salads, or veggie patties (such as Moroccan Chickpea Patties); or even mashed into leftover tofu for a snappy sandwich filling. So many possibilities!

1⁄2 cup water (+1-2 tbsp or more, adjust to desired consistency) (see note)
1⁄2 cup tahini
1⁄3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic, chopped
11⁄2 tbsp honey alternative (see note)
3 tbsp tamari
2 tsp Dijon mustard
21⁄2 - 3 tsp toasted sesame oil
1⁄4 - 1⁄2 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)

With a handblender or in a blender, combine all the ingredients, starting with 1⁄2 cup of the water. Thin out with extra water to desired consistency, and season to taste with additional sea salt and/or honey alternative, if desired. You can add extra tablespoons of water to thin this sauce to a consistency you like – the additional water will also dilute the flavors a little if you find a thicker sauce a bit intense. This sauce also thickens after refrigerating, so you may want to stir in another teaspoon or two of water. Keep in mind that a thicker sauce is good for sandwiches, patties, grains, and spring rolls, or to use as a dip, and a thinner sauce is best for tossing with pasta, or to use as a salad dressing.

For the honey alternative, I like using agave nectar in this sauce, but you can use another liquid sweetener of choice.