I was provided compensation for the review of the X-Chef Vegetable Steamer. All opinions are 100% my own and I would never write about a product I would not recommend. This post contains affiliate links, which means that I get a small commission if you order anything through the links. This is a great way to support this blog at no cost to you.
You know how food blogs all have these elaborate gorgeous recipes, such as chili, stuffed pizza, or butternut squash ricotta ravioli? Well all of those are great, but let's get real. We eat really well around here, but those kinds of food efforts don't happen every night. Most nights we do something really simple, such as heating up some leftovers, and roasting or steaming some vegetables. So I wanted to share the kind of simple recipe that happens here most weeknights.
This side dish of Steamed Veggies with Greek Yogurt Tahini Sauce is the perfect example. It takes all of 5 minutes to make the sauce, and all of that happens while the veggies are steaming. Easy enough even after a long day at work, and makes for a wonderful healthy side dish for two.
If you have never cooked with tahini before, fear not! Tahini is ground up sesame paste, the same concept as peanut butter or almond butter. It has a very unique flavor, which makes for a nice change from the typical teriyaki/peanut/Asian style sauces. Tahini sometimes separates in the container, with the oil coming to the top (same as with natural peanut butter), so it needs a good stir before it can be used for this recipe. This recipe makes a lot more sauce than you will need for the amount of vegetables. The sauce stores well in the fridge for a few days, and is great as a salad dressing or for your next batch of steamed veggies.

Photo source: Amazon here
For this recipe I used the X-Chef Vegetable Steamer, which I received for a review. This is my first time actually using a steamer, and I gotta say, I am quite pleased and this is a game changer for me! Previously I have used colanders for steaming vegetables, or more than likely, I would get too lazy even for that and just microwave my veggies (blah, I know). But using a steamer was super convenient! I really liked that this steamer is expandable. For this recipe I only needed a small bunch of vegetables, so I steamed them over a small saucepan with the steamer collapsed. But for a larger amount of vegetables, you can open up the steamer and place it 1 inch of water on a large skillet. It has 3 legs to stand on, so it is nice and sturdy when it is opened. You can purchase the X-Chef Vegetable Steamer on Amazon here.
Steamed Veggies for Two with a Greek Yogurt Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small head broccoli
- 1 small bell pepper - , seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons Tahini
- 2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - (use water for a lower-fat version)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove - , grated
- 2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley leaves - , diced (I used cilantro)
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt - , to taste
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes - , to taste
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli into small florets, and dice the bell pepper into thin strips.
- Boil 1 inch of water in a small-medium pot that fits your steamer. Add the chopped vegetables and steam for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp tender and cooked to your liking. Remove from heat.
- While the vegetables are steaming, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste it and see if the sauce needs more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
- Pour the sauce over the steamed veggies while they are still hot.
Notes
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Summer
Tuesday 9th of February 2016
I would have some for my breakfast this morning ♥
summerdaisy.net
Kate
Friday 12th of February 2016
Hi Summer, thanks for stopping by! I don't think I'd be able to eat this for breakfast first thing in the morning, but I would definitely be able to eat this for brunch. :)
Little Cooking Tips
Friday 5th of February 2016
Wonderful creation dear Kate! Also great for anyone looking for a healthier option, this yummy recipe is full of antioxidants and has a rich taste, because of the tahini. Not big fans of tahini ourselves, but we can definitely use your wonderful recipe in another way and make it work for us:) And the timing is perfect, we just got a couple of broccoli from Evia from Panos' parents and are looking for a way to cook them:) Thank you for another delicious idea dear Kate! xoxoxo
Kate
Friday 12th of February 2016
Yea, tahini took me a little while to get used to, but I like it now! I think the problem when I first tried it is that I expected it to taste like peanut butter or almond butter or at least like toasted sesame seeds... but it has such a different flavor that you wouldn't expect!