Homemade Fruit Dip

I think it needs to be stated loud and clear from early on that I'm an avid fan of anything and everything from Trader Joe's, because there's going to be a lot more TJ goods showcased around here.

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by them in any way to promote their products, although that would be really nice-- *wink wink, nudge nudge to Trader Joe's* 

One of many reasons why I like good ol' TJ so much is because you can always get something new from each trip, and that's what makes grocery shopping fun! That is, if you're adventurous like me and are willing to try out new seasonal items (usually for a reasonable price). At the same time, I do admit to being the perfect version of a consumer that these marketing ploys could ever hope for... but! My general rule of thumb for anything is, you won't know what's good until you give it a try.

So at said grocery-mecca, this time around is the awkward transition period between the tail-end of summer and the imminent takeover of all the pumpkin-flavored everything (YESSSSS) that you didn't even know existed. If you're in the haters camp, then you might as well make a run for it now... only there's no escaping it when autumn is about to be in full swing.

All of that is to say, while waiting for the Great Pumpkin, you could find some new interesting items that aren't really part of any particular season right now, like...

Tahini! This stuff is amaaaaaazing. What is it, you ask?

Tahini (pronounced ta-HEE-nee) is a paste made from sesame seeds that are toasted and ground up (in that order). If you're making it at home and prefer to have a smoother/creamier tahini, you'd add in an additional step of hulling the sesame seeds first and remove the outer shells... but in my humble opinion, these seeds are pretty tiny and to do that for each of them seems like a lot more work than necessary, just sayin'. I have a trusty MagicBullet, which I've been using for all the food whip-up's that call for blending and grounding, but I would imagine that for something like this, you would definitely need a proper food processor-- unless you're a fan of the chunky kind.

Basically, if you ate hummus before, then you have also had tahini before too. Why? Because tahini is usually an ingredient in hummus (tahini the poor thing, chickpeas always steal the show)-- didn't know that, did ya. This nutty paste is mainly used in Middle Eastern, Greek, Iranian, North African, and Turkish cuisines. Taste-wise, this is definitely more on the savory end by itself, but the reason why I say this stuff is amaaaaaazing is because it's really versatile and serves as a great base for any dipping sauce, salad dressing, drizzle, you name it. I've experimented with it a lot in the area of dressing creations, here are just a few that I remember off the top of my head:

*Note: for dressings and drizzles, add in a tablespoon or two of warm water to help thin out the tahini to the desired consistency!

Simple dressing: tahini + lemon juice + garlic powder + salt 

Tahini Peanut dressing: tahini + peanut butter + garlic powder + salt + chili powder + sesame oil + agave nectar 

Tahini Miso dressing: tahini + soy sauce + garlic powder + ground ginger + salt + agave nectar

Now, FINALLY, moving onto what this post is actually about: my Fruit Dip! I don't know if I'd really call this a recipe, but to make this Tahini Fruit Dip, you will need:

• 2-3 Tbsp of Tahini
• 1 Tbsp of Agave Nectar (or sweetener of your choice, adjust amount to taste)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (optional)
• Pinch of salt

Whisk and stir everything together and add in warm water about a teaspoon at a time to thin out the mixture. The last step of adding in the warm water is necessary because tahini tends to seize up when mixed with small amounts of liquids-- tahini is made of up dry particulate matter immersed in the natural sesame seed oil, it absorbs liquid quickly to result in a thick paste. As you continue to add the water, the particulates stop absorbing moisture and you will get the creamy dip that you want. The same applies for other nut butters as well! I.e. if you were to make a Thai peanut dressing and wanted to work with peanut butter, or a creamy dressing made from cashew butter, etc. you need to thin out with warm water.

That's pretty much it for the fruit dip. It's super easy to make, takes 5 minutes or less to put together, it pairs well with apple slices (Fuji apple for me, pictured above), and it's a great way to add protein, minerals, vitamins, and calcium to your snack! I would say this is better and healthier than those more common fruit dips that are made with cream cheese, whipped cream, or marshmallow cream... yuck!

Now let's talk sweeteners, since in this fruit dip recipe, I used a particular one mentioned above: my preference is and always will be agave nectar. It doesn't have a distinct flavor like maple syrup does, so unless you want your coffee, oatmeal, glazes, and everything else to taste like maple syrup or if a particular recipe calls for maple syrup, I would say agave is a better option. It dissolves quickly, so you can use it in cold or hot drinks, and a teaspoon or two will usually do the trick so you don't need to use a lot of it. "That's good and all, thanks for sharing but what exactly is agave nectar?" you may ask.

Agave Nectar (pronounced ah-GAH-vay) is made from the sap of the agave plant, which is native to Mexico. There are different species of agave plants, but the kind that I see a lot and hear better things about is blue agave. If I may do a little bird walking, I didn't know until my own research recently that this same agave plant is also the base ingredient for the famous tequila! This proves just how versatile plants are, with the variety of products you can derive from one plant.
So back to the agave nectar! I'm aware of the controversial articles around this healthy food item, and the claim is that these commercially produced agave nectar products are high in fructose, that it's bad for you. There are also a lot of articles on the countering side that say not all agave brands are made equal-- some are very dedicated to producing raw organic products that are minimally processed. It's a lot to take in, but seeing all the certifications for Non-GMO verified, USDA Organic, and Fair Trade Certified on this Madhava bottle, I think I will just be trusting and believe that this is the real deal. If you also read other articles on fructose, you will learn that fructose is not entirely bad for you-- it's naturally found in whole fruits, so if you want to cut out fructose altogether, you should be cutting out fruits from your diet as well, and that's not a smart thing to do. I use exactly half a tablespoon for my coffee in the morning, which is equivalent to 8 grams of sugar, according to the nutrition facts label. Shoot me, but I don't think I could ever drink coffee straight up black, and this stuff works for me. So unless you're literally pouring agave nectar into whatever you're eating every day, I don't see what the harm is in using it as a white sugar substitute. Plus, it's got a low Glycemic Index (GI) compared to refined sugar.

As is the case with anything, moderation is key! This brings to mind an interesting conversation I had with one of my good friends at work... let's refer to him by S. So S is also very much into food and nutrition, and he was sharing about a book called "Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health" by Jo Robinson-- it's about how in our day today, the food that we buy and eat (specifically fruits and vegetables) are no longer full of vitamins and minerals as a result of cultivation and selection of plants that are higher in starch and sugars... it's a bit discouraging to think about this, because then you really get to thinking about what it is that we are actually consuming, what the level of integrity is with marketers who sell these food products for us consumers to buy. At the same time, if you think about it TOO much, then I guess you'd end up ruling out just about everything and then there would be nothing on the table for us to eat. Just food for thought!

This was a long, drawn-out post that stemmed from my initial intentions to share my tahini fruit dip creation... so props to you if you made it through reading this entire post!!