Recipe Difficulty: Easy, there are three recipes to make this dish happen, but all very simple. It's 100% worth it.
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My Chickpea Shawarma Recipe Notes I think if you aren't someone that has a lot of experience with plant based cooking, you might be utterly shocked at how many incredible flavours are possible with really simple ingredients. This recipe utilizes a lot of things I always have on hand in my pantry or fridge, and the result is incredibly delicious. Pita Bread, cans of chickpeas, olive oil, a jar of tahini, garlic, onion, a blend of spices, lemon juice, and finally a handful of fresh vegetables and herbs to bring it all together. My guess is anyone who appreciates food with middle eastern flair will enjoy this meal. It happens to be vegan, yes, but that is really besides the point. It's just epic food, period. My chickpea shawarma recipe has evolved over a few years. I have reworked it, and I have to say, the final dish I have landed on is addictively good. Chickpeas and red onions are drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with tons of warm spices, then covered and baked in the oven until softened and aromatic. Then onto warm pita bread or naan, a layer of hummus, followed by fresh tomato, cucumber, greens of choice, the chickpea and onion mixture, a drizzle of the best garlicky lemon tahini dressing and fresh mint & cilantro. The spices mix together with the tahini dressing, and it is SO GOOD. This entire shawarma situation can be a bit messy if, like me, you like lots of the tahini dressing, but I am 100% OK with that. Napkins along side, I am in in my happy place with this meal. It's healthy, flavourful and satisfying. Shawarma Spiced Chickpeas This spice mixture for the baked chickpeas is flavourful, but not at all spicy. If you prefer to kick it up a notch, you can add more cayenne pepper. The spiced chickpea recipe is enough to make about 6 smaller pita wraps, 4 larger ones. The hummus and tahini sauce you might have leftovers of, which is always fine by me. I am putting approximate amount of veg you'd need, but it will just depend how full you like your pitas, and the size of the veggies.
Tahini Lemon Dressing Note
The dressing will thicken up in the fridge. Just stir in a tiny amount of water to thin it out until drizzly again. You will notice white miso paste in my tahini dressing. It adds a salty, umami, and even brightness to the dressing. I really like adding it. If miso isn't something you have, or are not able to consume, you can leave it out. Just season the dressing with some sea salt, and maybe a splash more lemon juice. Just give it a taste. I wouldn't use dark miso paste in this dressing, the white paste has a different flavour profile. This is the dressing I also use for my Falafel. Honestly anywhere I want a tahini dressing, maybe middle eastern stuffed peppers or tomatoes, similarly spiced rice pilafs, vegetables roasted with warm spices....this is the sauce I'm probably going to reach for. Keep it in your repertoire, it's yummy and good on so many things. Lemon Juice I am a bit of a purist and always prefer to use fresh lemons for juicing into the hummus and tahini dressing, but I have used the bottled stuff when I am trying to save a bit of time, or am out of lemons. It will still be delicious, so go ahead and use whatever you prefer! Choosing Pita Bread or Naan I use pita bread for this recipe, I think it is the healthier option, and it's really good. I don't try to stuff the mixture inside a split pita. I always find that to be a terrible idea, the shell inevitably breaks, and while I'm not shy of a messy food situation, it just seems pointless. I have made this using really large pita breads, but I find that the smaller ones are easier to eat. I have been day dreaming about serving these in really small pitas or shells as tacos, I think that would be a fun idea. Naan bread I haven't tried, but I think it would be really good. Typically naan tastes a bit more rich, so this whole meal might be even more swoon worthy with naan. I also can imagine the chewier texture of naan being really nice here. If you try it this way, let me know what you think! I will probably try it the next time I make this shawarma. Other Ideas for Serving I think you could make a really tasty shawarma bowl using all of the ingredients. Pile in the veggies, top with the chickpea shawarma mixture, drizzle with the tahini sauce, a spoon of hummus, fresh herbs, flatbread wedges tucked along side. Maybe some roasted sweet potato in there too. I can imagine adding mushrooms to my chickpea & onion mixture too. Delish.
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This vegan pavlova is one of the most gorgeous desserts I've ever made or eaten. I've always had a thing for pavlova, though. It's one of those simple beautiful desserts that despite being really easy to prepare has kind of a wow factor (in my opinion) You'll find all kinds of flavour variations out there...but I dare say this particular one might be at the top of my list. The vegan meringue and coco whip cream were quite sweet, so I wanted to offset that with my garnish. Raspberries, local Prince Edward Island Sour Cherries, and Lemon Zest brought balance to the flavour profile I was hoping for. Crisp marshmallow-y base topped with irresistible creamy cocowhip and bright bursts of summer fruit. Now if you aren't familiar with meringues or vegan meringues I'll quickly break it down. Meringues are typically made with egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks with some kind of stabilizer, either cream of tartar or white vinegar, then sweetened and baked in the oven at a low temperature. Vegan meringues on the other hand are one of the strangest things I've ever encountered. You follow pretty much the exact same process, except instead of egg whites you use something called acquafaba. Acqua what now?! I know. I hear you. Acquafaba is the liquid that remains after cooking chickpeas. (or other pulses) You can cook the chickpeas yourself or you can do what I did, and strain a can of chickpeas, reserving the liquid. This stuff whips up just like egg whites, and then bakes into beautiful crisp meringues with marshmallow-y center. Once whipped, you can also fold it into other baking creations as you would egg whites, I have yet to try this though. It took me a couple tries to get these meringues to turn out, mainly because I didn't do any research before starting, I just went at it, like I always do. I'm sure I learn more this way at least. I read one recipe that said to bake these at 300F. Well don't do that, because then they just turn into a puddle at the bottom of your oven. Then I looked a little further and found another page warning of this exact thing. Don't trust everything you read on the internet I guess. Anyway I put my oven as low as it would go. About 175F. I ended up throwing my bigger meringues (that were still a bit soft after 5 hours in the oven) in my dehydrator while I went to work to finish drying out, and that worked great. Recipe: Vegan MeringuesIngredients:
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Recipe Difficulty: Easy
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Black Bean Hummus Recipe Notes
If you follow me, you know I love hummus and I'm always looking for different ways to prepare and enjoy it! This black bean hummus is easy, delicious and super fresh topped with a generous pile of strawberry tomato salsa. I actually used to serve this on one of my menus many years ago. I made a cilantro mayo to drizzle over top and served it with corn chips and sliced cucumber. I elect to leave the mayo off these days, gravitating towards a healthier topping, but blending cilantro with mayo, lime, garlic, s & p for a faux crema is definitely tasty. On the side, corn chips are great and gluten free, but I also wouldn't be opposed to pita chips. You can easily make your own in the oven. Split the pita down the middle, cutting into triangles, giving a random drizzle of veg or olive oil and a sprinkling of salt then baking at 350F. (They don't take long at all, they go from golden and crisp to burnt rather quickly so keep and eye....so tasty!) Strawberry Tomato Salsa This salsa is basically pico de gallo, but with strawberries swapped out for some of the tomato. Pico de gallo, also known as salsa fresca, is a fresh and chunky salsa that is commonly used as a condiment or topping in Mexican cuisine. It typically consists of chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeño or serrano peppers, cilantro, and lime juice, although the exact ingredients and proportions can vary depending on personal preference and regional variations. I don't add jalapeno to this recipe, but you definitely could! I also don't use cilantro as a component in my salsa, as I blend some right into my hummus, and I also garnish the dish with extra cilantro. There aren't really any rules, though. Just do what you like best! Substitutions You could definitely use 100% tomato in this recipe if strawberries aren't your thing, or you could experiment with different fruit! I'd be curious to try peach or pineapple and see what that is like.
Nutritional Benefits of Black Beans
Black beans are a highly nutritious food and offer a range of important nutrients. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of black beans:
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Author I'm Trisha Archives
January 2025
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