Tahini Apricot Waffles

So, I posted this week on Instagram inspiration can come from anywhere.

It can can come from other people---the words they say or the thoughts they express.

It can come from art---music/dance/paintings/sculpture/theatre/ballet---anything which makes you feel.

It can come from the books we read; the podcasts we listen to; or, even the products we buy.

In my case, the inspiration for today's waffle comes from a sauce.

But, not just any sauce. A tahini apricot sauce.

Yes, the majority of my food inspiration comes from......you guessed it...food.

I know. A food blogger who gets her inspiration from looking at other people's food. So original Brooke. So original. ;)

Usually, I see what others are doing, and I think, "Would that work as a waffle combo?"

Most of the time, the answer is maybe. After all, with so many different people in the world, some sweet and even savory waffles appeal to at least one person. And, over time, exposure to various combos of flavors may actually increase a person's desire for it. That's my super scientific observation right there. How do I know about this theory?
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You see, this happened to me with tahini.

Yes, that tahini...the main building block of hummus. A component of baba ganoush. A part of tons of dressings.

Ground up sesame seeds.

I know...I can hardly believe it myself. Me disliking tahini?

See, I ate hummus as a college student without knowing exactly what was in the dip.

All I knew was hummus was healthy. It was a good way to eat beans if you didn't like actually eating beans themselves. And it made me feel so grown up to eat in that little cafe with what my parents called my "nuts & berries food." Each Sunday, I'd walk up to the cafe after church; grab a hummus sammie on sprouted whole wheat; listen to NPR on my Sony Walkman (oh I'm dating myself there!); and, feel so utterly grown up and adult.

I was informed & I was well fed.

Until I tried tahini by itself for the first time. Do you remember your first time eating plain tahini? My response was, "Uhhhh that's not hummus. That's gross." And with those words, I set tahini and hummus aside.
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Oh sure, I went back to hummus. Many times. I even would have it for weeks straight.

But, I'd always try plain tahini. And each time I did, I'd declare to hummus it was over. I couldn't do this again. It just wasn't the same. Old feelings of insecurity crept in and ruined the present moment.

I'd always go back though. Because I kept thinking maybe this time, things will be different.

Finally, after about oh....7 years....things began to change.

I ate tahini drizzled over falafel. Not bad.

Hummus in a salad dressing. Getting warmer.

Fresh roasted eggplant & red onion with tahini. Breathtaking.

My piece de resistance? Tahini and medjool dates: TOTAL GAME CHANGER.

The combo of sweet & salty blew my mind. The depth of flavor was outstanding. And ever since then, we've been quite happy in savory dishes. In fact, savory dishes were the only places I felt tahini's importance.

But, I kept seeing recipes for tahini baked goods--brownies, cakes, and pancakes to name a few. And then this sauce from The Roasted Root helped bring my combo to light.
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To make this more waffle like, I did use traditional flavors in here like cinnamon & vanilla extract.

But, you can totally leave them out if you want a savory waffle. I dressed mine up a few ways with a few different combos:

1. The one you see here--just some simple blueberries, sesame seeds, and apricot jam.

2. Avocado, apricot jam, and sesame seeds---a cool take on the smashed avocado toast.

3. Cream cheese (in my case, dairy free), sesame seeds, and you guessed it....apricot jam.

I loved each way to prep these---they're incredibly versatile. And to think, this marriage may not have even come into fruition if I'd been too stubborn to never try it again! Lesson learned. I hope you've learned something too. After all, doesn't the saying go something like---"you're just one taste away from changing your flavor life?????"

Oh, it's not?

Well, it completely should be. Because, taste changing IS changing all areas of one's self in my humble opinion.

And flavor changing does a body/mind/spirit good. You never know who you'll inspire with your creations.
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Tahini Apricot Waffles

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