11 Recipes We Tried And Loved This Month

Tahini is everywhere lately, which makes me happy because I love it so much. I love it in hummus, I love it on my meats, but most of all, I love it in baked goods. So when I saw this tahini shortbread cookie recipe in Michael Solomonov's brilliant cookbook, Zahav, I knew I had to make it.

I know these cookies look pretty rustic and a bit messy and this is not my best presentation work. But they taste so amazingly good, so who cares how they look?

The recipe is straightforward and easy (just make sure you let the dough rest for at least an hour), and the result is just awesome. With their sesame flavor and crumbly texture, these cookies are the perfect love child of buttery shortbread cookies and nutty halva. I topped them off with a pinch of sea salt and it really sealed the deal: These are hands down the most delicious thing I've baked in months. —Marie Telling

Get the recipe here.

This is my official Summer of '17 Too Lazy to Even Order Takeout Dinner. It's literally throwing a can of chickpeas and a few things from the fridge/spice rack into a food processor (the recipe says to smash by hand, but that would require effort, so nah) and putting it between two pieces of bread.

I'm not sure how this is possibly as good as it is, but I think I actually prefer it to tuna salad. I really wouldn't stray too far from the ingredients list because together, everything is kind of perfect — though I do make it with regular mayo since I'm not vegan. —Rachel Christensen

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This recipe (by the legendary Dorie Greenspan) is the perfect introduction to bread baking. The adorable rolls are made with both butter and egg yolks, leaving you with a bread that is soft, pillowy, and totally forgiving. These beauties require a double rise (aka it takes double the amount of time to make them), so make sure to plan ahead when tackling this project. The cute shape is made by placing three balls of the soft dough into muffin tins and letting them rise over the top, but you could easily do traditional roll shapes if you wanted. —Jesse Szewczyk

Get the recipe here.

I made this from the Jerusalem cookbook this weekend, and I'm obsessed. It's sweet and nutty — the tahini goes really well with the squash and cinnamon. This is going to be my go-to dip to make for parties from now on. It makes a lot and it' super, super easy! It took me a minute to track down date syrup, but it was def worth it. — Scott Loitsch

Get the recipe here.

It dawned on me recently that carrot cake is probably my favorite kind of cake. It's got texture, layers, spices, and most of all, a variety of flavors. I'm gluten-free for the most part, so I'm always looking for "alternative" baking ingredients and methods to use for my own or adapted recipes.

I was inspired by this recipe from the Ambitious Kitchen, but I tinkered with the cake ingredients (a tad less sugar + more carrots and walnuts) and opted for a vegan coconut cashew cream frosting instead of a cream cheese one. To make the frosting, soak about a cup of cashews overnight, blend on high speed, then add sweetener of choice and a splash of coconut milk or cream. My roommate who's never had carrot cake before thought it was the real deal. —Krysten Peck

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If you're new to zoodles and feeling equal parts hungry and intimidated, this is one of the easiest ~spiralized~ recipes I've ever made. Better yet: If you, like me, have a fridge in the summer that mostly consists of zucchini and cheese, then you will always be about 20 minutes away from eating this.

I was worried that I'd still be ravenous after eating a bowl of this (okay, two bowls... Fine, three). Fortunately, my husband and I loved it and were totally satisfied with it for a light dinner, especially because it meant we had some room for ice cream a few hours later. 😇 —Rachel Christensen

Get the recipe here.

I'm always on the lookout for easy chocolate cake recipes — not one of these big, fancy, layered cakes with frosting. Just an easy, satisfying, and deliciously fudgy cake. It's not as easy as it seems: The flavor has to be rich but not sickly sweet, and the texture should be soft and moist but not too dense.

This recipe from the Zahav cookbook (the second on this list because this cookbook is seriously the best) perfectly strikes that balance. It's also ridiculously easy to make. Oh, and it's flourless and gluten-free. What more do you need? —Marie Telling

Get the recipe here.

Hands down, this was the best-tasting cookie dough I have ever had. The brown butter, toffee, and dark chocolate all added up to a rich dough that made all of my previous cookie recipes seem vanilla (no pun intended). To brown the butter, simply melt it in a pan until it becomes browned and fragrant. The nutty aroma that it adds will transform this batter into something truly special (unlike any other chocolate chip cookie you've had). I will certainly be browning my butter from now on when making cookies. —Jesse Szewczyk

Get the recipe here.

I had doubts about eggs cooked in a microwave at first — how good could they really be? Well. I was soon eating my words, quite literally. I made this omelet in the microwave at work, and I'll definitely be doing it again. So much better than the banana and toast or yogurt that is my usual desk breakfast. The eggs taste just as light and fluffy as if they were cooked on a stovetop. —Jemima Skelley

Get the recipe here.

I'm pretty sure I'm the first person to say this but: I love summer. With summer comes a lil' drink called watermelon agua fresca, which originated in Mexico like all good foods. I quite literally drink five to ten of these a week between the months of May and September. (Summer is a state of mind, not a time period.)

Here's all you do: Fill a blender halfway with ice and halfway with watermelon chunks. Throw a couple springs of fresh mint in there (it's probably growing wild and free in your backyard). Some people add sugar and lime, but I don't because watermelon is a perfect food that does not need to be enhanced upon and I never have limes. Hit blend. Boom. Watermelon agua fresca. —Erin Chack