Proof that when I deviate from the recipe I come up with crappy results.

The original recipe from The Whole 30 Cookbook calls for halves of Romaine lettuce to be grilled on a …grill.

I took the easy way out and grilled them in a pan on the stove top. Also didn’t grill halves but already chopped.

As a result the flavor was there but texture wise it was a flop - literally.

The spicy tahini was pretty spot on with this lettuce - the charred flavored came through and didn’t get drowned.

As a further deviation, I used walnuts instead of the sliced almonds the recipe called for because I had them left over from the bulgur salad. I’m sure someone with a better palate would be able to tell the difference but to me it was about the hard texture of the nuts and walnuts, almonds - they’re all the same.

Theme-wise, I feel the tahini allows this recipe to fall in the Middle East and Africa theme, although I’m not really sure there’s an actual dish made in the area.

Might do again - maybe when I’m grilling something else.