Sweet Potato Jalapeno Popper Tacos

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This recipe came to be from a blissful kitchen mix-up when Jamie accidentally bought ingredients for two separate recipes she planned to cook. The original recipe we wanted to make was for sweet potato and pineapple tacos. We knew all of that starchy sweetness needed salt and spice and the first thing that came to mind were the ingredients in bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers. If all of this is sounding a bit weird to you, we get it. It’s a weird sounding recipe!! Trust us when we tell you that somehow it all works. There is a little bit of everything in this recipe – roasted sweet potatoes and pineapple, charred jalapeños and onions, salty thick cut bacon, and a cilantro lime crema. The flavors all meld together to create these deliciously unique tacos that simultaneously taste sweet and bring the heat. This recipe is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon watching football and the perfect way to bring in fall flavors.

Sweet Potato Jalapeno Popper Tacos

  • Servings: 8 tacos
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We love the combination of sweet and spicy in this unique taco recipe.

Ingredients For The Tacos

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into large bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced in half and then quartered lengthwise
  • 2 cups pineapple, chopped into large bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon
  • 4 jalapenos
  • 8 taco sized tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • 1 lime, cut into segments, for garnish

Ingredients For the Cilantro Lime Crema

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbs mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup packed cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic
  • juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Make the cilantro lime crema. Combine all of the crema ingredients (sour cream – paprika) in a small blender. Blend until the cilantro is evenly distributed in the crema and all of the ingredients are well combined. Season the crema with salt and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
  3. Make the tacos. Combine the first seven taco ingredients (sweet potatoes – coriander) in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
  4. Lay three slices of bacon in the center of each of two large cookie sheets. Divide the sweet potato bowl ingredients around the bacon on each of the two sheets. Spread everything into a single layer and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip the bacon and give everything a toss with a spatula so that all of the ingredients are equally browned. The bacon should be crispy and the sweet potatoes cooked through when you remove them from the oven. Leave the oven on for later use.
  5. While the bacon and sweet potatoes are cooking, turn on a gas burner to medium-high heat. Using tongs, roast the jalapeno peppers on all sides so that they are lightly charred. When the jalapenos are cool enough to handle, remove the stem and seeds, outside charred layer, and roughly chop the remaining peppers. Add them to the sweet potato mix and toss well to incorporate. If you do not have a gas range, you can replicate this step using the broiler of your oven after the sweet potatoes have finished cooking.
  6. Remove the bacon from the cookie sheets and onto paper towel to drain some of the fat, if necessary. Roughly chop the bacon from both cookie sheets and add it to the sweet potato mix. Combine the ingredients from each of the sheets onto one and tent with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
  7. Lay the taco tortillas on the open cookie sheet in a single layer (as best you can). Sprinkle the cheese evenly over each of the tortillas and put in the oven to warm the tortillas and lightly melt the cheese. Remove the tortillas and assemble the tacos.
  8. Lay an even amount of taco filling onto each of the 8 tortillas. Top each taco with the cilantro lime crema and additional cilantro, if desired. Serve with lime wedges for garnish.

Instant Pot Hatch Chili Shredded Chicken

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We love a quick and easy taco night as a tasty way to get dinner on the table. Hatch chiles are in season in Colorado and we try our best to use them as much as we can this time of year and really soak up the smoky, spicy flavor they bring to a dish. We love to buy them pre-roasted at the farmers’ market but if you can’t do that, you can repeat that step yourself by buying them at the grocery store and broiling them in the oven. This shredded chicken comes together with the help of the roasted hatch chiles, our favorite salsa, and some sautéed onions and garlic. It is simple but incredibly tasty. You can use the chicken for tacos, enchiladas, or even as a meal prep recipe for salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Using the Instant Pot ensures this recipe is ready in under 40 minutes and makes very little mess in the kitchen, both great attributes of a weeknight recipe!

Instant Pot Hatch Chili Shredded Chicken

  • Servings: 6
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 A quick and easy recipe for delicious shredded chicken. We love to use this chicken for tacos, enchiladas, and as a meal prep recipe for salads and sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 4 large chicken breasts
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 4 roasted hatch chiles, stems and seeds removed and chopped
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato based salsa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Set the Instant Pot on the “saute” setting. Add the olive oil, sliced onion, and garlic to the Instant Pot. Sauté until the onions start to become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the hatch chiles to the pot and cook another 2 minutes.
  2. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and sear for 3 minutes per side. You want to get the chicken nice and browned.
  3. Add the salsa, water, and chicken bouillon cube to the Instant Pot. Give everything a good stir so that the water reaches the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and make sure that the steam release valve is closed. Switch the Instant Pot to the high pressure cook setting and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, release the steam and remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Shred the chicken with two forks and put it back in the sauce. Stir well to let the chicken soak up the juices in the pot and serve as desired.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Kabobs

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You probably know by now that we love cooking on the grill during the summer. We love versatile entrees that we can mix and match with other menu items, and these lemon chicken kabobs are a great addition to any cooking routine. We go back to this recipe over and over because it ticks all of the boxes: light and healthy, quick and easy, and the skewers pair well with nearly everything! You can serve them with a big salad (as pictured), pasta, or even barbecue side dishes. To make dinner even easier, we marinate the skewers the day before we plan to cook them so that we can just throw them on the grill and have dinner on the table in 20 minutes.

Lemon Chicken Kabobs

  • Servings: 4
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Zesty lemon chicken kabobs cooked on the grill for a quick and easy summer entrée.

Ingredients

  • kabob skewers
  • 3 large chicken breasts (about 1.75 lbs)
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • pinch of red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Directions

  1. Combine the marinade ingredients (lemon – black pepper) in a large mixing bowl. Dice the chicken into large, bite sized pieces. Add the chicken to the marinade, toss well to coat the chicken, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
  2. Preheat the grill to 500 degrees.
  3. Ten minutes before you want to start cooking, soak kabob sticks (if you are using wood kabobs) in a bowl of water. After the kabobs have soaked for 10 minutes, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and evenly divide the chicken amongst the kabobs.
  4. Put the kabobs on the grill over direct heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken juices run clear. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

Bruschetta Chicken

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Summer is officially on the way and with it comes tomato season! We love to grow our own tomatoes and pick them up from the farmers market. You can not beat the taste of a fresh, seasonal tomato. We wanted to fancy up a simple chicken recipe and opted to made a “bruschetta” style grilled chicken for summer. The tomato, basil, and caper topping is perfectly refreshing on chicken and a great entrée for any cookout this summer. The recipe is light and simple, but bursting with flavor. For easy entertaining, you can make the bruschetta mix a few hours ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. We prefer the mix to be closer to room temperature so pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the chicken.

Bruschetta Chicken

  • Servings: 4
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  A great chicken entrée for a summer cookout. The tomato, caper, and basil “bruschetta” topping is the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken and a night on the patio.

Ingredients

  • 3 large chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 large tomatoes on the vine, diced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbs capers, drained
  • 1/3 cup lightly packed basil, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbs balsamic glaze
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees).
  2. Mix the 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper together in a small mixing bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the chicken breasts and toss well to coat. Grill the chicken for 7-8 minutes per side, or about 15 minutes total. The juices of the chicken should run clear and the chicken should have an internal temp of 165 degrees. Gently tent the chicken with foil after it has come off the grill and let is rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, make the bruschetta topping. Dice the tomatoes and rid them of as much of their seeds as possible. Put them in a medium mixing bowl along with the remaining bruschetta ingredients (red onion – balsamic glaze). Use a spoon to gently toss to combine all of the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside until the chicken has finished resting.
  4. After the chicken has finished resting, slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices. Serve the sliced chicken on a platter and generously top with the bruschetta mix. Serve immediately.

Baked Gnocchi with Peas, Mint, & Ricotta

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If you are a Trader Joe’s fan, you know that their cauliflower gnocchi has a cult-like following. The gnocchi tastes light and fluffy and is a healthy alternative compared to the potato original. The one problem that we have with the gnocchi is that they are nearly impossible to cook correctly. They go from cooked to mush in just a few seconds, so if we are boiling them or cooking them on the stove top, there is just about a minute to nail the timing of the recipe so that it all turns out perfectly. We are not into these stressful cooking scenarios, and tried to make these gnocchi in an alternative way so that there is more wiggle room for the recipe to be successful. By roasting them in the oven with some olive oil, they get a crispy exterior while still maintaining their fluffy texture inside. We tossed them in a brown butter sauce and topped them with fresh peas, mint, and lots of lemon. To take this dish over the top, we have added a dollop of whipped ricotta to the bottom of the serving dish. It provides the perfect salty and creamy punch and helps meld all of the ingredients together.

Baked Gnocchi with Peas, Mint, & Ricotta



An exciting vegetarian entree for summer. We love the combination of the crispy gnocchi, snappy fresh peas, and fluffy whipped ricotta.

Ingredients

  • 1 package frozen cauliflower gnocchi
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • juice and zest from 1 lemon
  • pinch of chili flakes
  • 1 cup fresh peas
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, stems removed and minced
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cooking sheet well with cooking spray and lay the frozen gnocchi in a single layer on the cookie sheet and season them with salt and pepper. If there are pieces that are frozen together, do your best to separate them. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, removing after 15 minutes into cooking to flip the gnocchi before placing back in the oven .
  2. Make the whipped ricotta. Put the ricotta into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer on medium-high speed to whip the ricotta until it is light and fluffy. about 3 minutes. If you continue to whip it and it isn’t changing texture, add a teaspoon or two of water at a time until it is light and airy and has very few lumps in it. Set aside.
  3. Make the brown butter sauce. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. It is very important to brown the butter slowly – if you try to do this over high heat you’re likely to burn it. Cook the butter for about 7 minutes, stirring regularly, until the butter is light golden brown. It is ready when it starts to smell nutty. Remove the butter from the heat until you are ready to finish the dish (the gnocchi should have about 5 minutes left of the 25 minutes).
  4. To finish the dish, bring the pan with the butter back onto medium heat. Add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, pinch of chili flakes, peas, and mint to the butter. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the peas are slightly tender. Season the peas with salt and pepper to taste. When the gnocchi comes out of the oven, add it to the brown butter and pea mixture and toss everything well to coat.
  5. Use a spoon to put a big dollop of whipped ricotta onto each of two bowls. Add the gnocchi and pea mixture to each of the bowls and garnish with additional fresh mint leaves, if desired.

Clams with Fennel & Chorizo

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For as much as we love to cook, seafood is one of the types of food that we don’t cook a lot of at home. It’s sort of an odd observation because we LOVE seafood. Calli will host an annual lobster dinner every summer for her birthday, but if we aren’t splurging on lobsters and want something special, we usually go with clams. We love a good clams and linguini situation, but to mix things up and add a little something unexpected we have chosen to make this recipe for clams with fennel and chorizo. What we love about this dish is the mix of flavors- you get some smoke and spice from the chorizo, that sort of indescribable fresh licorice (ish) taste from the fennel, and of course the briny salty flavor from the clams. We have used littleneck clams for this recipe, but your favorite variety will work great in this dish.

Clams with Fennel & Chorizo

  • Servings: 2
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  We love the mix of flavors the chorizo and fennel add to fresh clams. We love this recipe for a nice summer dinner with lots of crusty bread to soak up all the sauce at the bottom of the bowl.

Ingredients

  • 2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed clean with a brush and rinsed under water
  • 8 oz chorizo
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 large bulb fennel, stem removed and thinly sliced (reserve the fronds for garnish)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • pinch of chili flakes
  • 2/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup seafood or vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Put the clams into a large bowl with ice water. Let the clams sit in the ice water for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
  2. Half way into the clams soaking, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chorizo to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the chorizo is starting to crisp up and the oil in the pan is starting to turn the color of the chorizo. Add the fennel and onion to the pan, cooking for another 3-4 minutes, or until they both have started to soften. Add the garlic and red chili flakes, cooking another 2 minutes or so, or until the garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add the white wine and stock to the pan. Stir everything well to combine. Drain the clams from the ice water (rinsing again if necessary to make sure they are free from dirt) and add the clams to the pan. Cover the clams and cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, or until the clams have opened up. Toss everything gently with a ladle so that the clams get some of the fennel and chorizo broth in the shells.
  4. Divide the clams and broth amongst two large bowls. Top with fennel fronds if desired and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Sesame Ginger Salmon

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This recipe is one of our favorites for an easy, weeknight dinner option. “Bowls” are a great way to mix and match what we have in the kitchen to form a complete dinner. The centerpiece of this bowl is the salmon – it is salty, spicy, and exploding with fresh Asian flavors. Marinating the salmon is key to getting great results- it really needs at least 30 minutes, ideally one hour, in the refrigerator to absorb all of those flavors. You can serve it bowl style as we have in the photo below or with rice and sautéed veggies for a balanced dinner.

Sesame Ginger Salmon

  • Servings: 2
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An easy, excellent marinated salmon recipe with an Asian twist. We love to serve this as a bowl with rice, salad mix, edamame, and cucumbers. If you are serving it with salad, remove a couple of tablespoons of the marinade before the salmon goes into the bag to use for dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb salmon, cut into two pieces
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs sriracha
  • 1 tbs rice vinegar
  • 1 tbs sesame oil
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • sesame seeds, for garnish
  • chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

  1. Prepare the marinade. Combine the marinade ingredients (soy sauce through garlic) in a large ziplock bag. Close the bag and shake everything well to combine. Put the salmon in the bag, skin side up, and marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  2. After the salmon has marinated, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the salmon skin side down on a cookie sheet that is covered with foil. Cook the salmon for 12-15 minutes depending on how you like your salmon cooked. Serve with rice, sautéed vegetables, or any of your other favorite accompaniments.

Cauliflower Adobo Tacos

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Recently we were at a brewery in Columbus that had the best honey adobo chicken fingers. They were so tasty that we have talked about them at least a half a dozen times since we first ate them. When brainstorming what we wanted to make for Cinco de Mayo this year, we knew we wanted to combine the flavors of that honey adobo sauce with cauliflower for tacos. We have been really into subbing cauliflower as a meat-free alternative, and find with the right flavors we rarely notice we are eating vegetarian. We love the combo of flavors in our version of honey adobo sauce- the honey and vinegar are the perfect combination with the smokey chiles and tangy tomato paste. They are sweet and spicy and an excellent centerpiece for Cinco de Mayo or any taco night.

Cauliflower Adobo Tacos

  • Servings: 6-8 taco portions
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Sweet and spicy cauliflower tacos that pack a punch!

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil, divided
  • 1 large head of cauliflower, large stem and leaves removed and cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup chipotles in adobo, diced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 taco-sized tortillas
  • your favorite taco toppings: avocado, red onion, cilantro, queso fresco, etc…

Directions

  1. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs of olive oil and lay the cauliflower florets in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 7-8 minutes on one side, or until the cauliflower is brown but not burnt. You’ll want to check the cauliflower during this 7 minutes and adjust the heat as necessary to get the cauliflower to the correct color. After the 7 minutes has passed, flip the cauliflower over and repeat the same thing on the other side. Remove the cauliflower into a large bowl and gently tent with foil until later in the recipe.
  2. Add the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil to the pan along with the minced garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chipotles in adobo, water, apple cider vinegar, and cumin to the pan. In the ingredients above we give the option to use between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of honey. If you are making this for younger kids or people with a more spice sensitive palate, use the full 1/2 cup. If you really want to bring the heat go for 1/4 cup. Like Goldilocks we went right in the middle at 1/3 cup and found that it was just right. Whisk well to combine and cook for another 3 minutes on medium heat, or until the sauce is starting to become sticky.
  3. Add the cauliflower back into the pan and toss well to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes so that the cauliflower can absorb the sauce.
  4. Serve the cauliflower in tortillas along with your favorite taco condiments. We particularly like the cauliflower with avocado, queso fresco, freshly sliced red onion, and cilantro.

Chilean Sea Bass with Tomato Herb Butter

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Thanks to a general boredom of eating the same thing over and over and wanting to provide fresh content for Tuck & Tate, we are constantly trying out new and different variations of recipes. As our husbands like to say, we rarely eat the same thing twice! As much as we love fish, we realized that we don’t cook it very often at home, and when we do, we gravitate to the same recipes and types of fish (salmon ). To expand our recipe book, we challenged ourselves to get out of this rut and try something new. “White fish with tomato butter” has been on our recipe brainstorming list for a while now, and it felt like it was meant to be when an email came for a Whole Foods sale on Chilean sea bass. If you are unfamiliar, this type of sea bass is ultra decadent; when cooked correctly it almost tastes like butter itself. We don’t buy it too often because it does have a hefty price tag, but every once in a while it is worth it for a special treat. That makes this recipe a great choice for a date night in or a small dinner party. If you cannot find Chilean sea bass, you can easily substitute halibut or cod. We love the addition of the tomato and herb butter, which brightens up the buttery fish with an acidic and earthy kick, making it a great recipe for the spring and summer.

Chilean Sea Bass with Tomato Herb Butter

  • Servings: 4
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A rich and decadent fish dish that is perfect for a dinner party or an at home date night.  

Ingredients

  • 4, 6 oz pieces of Chilean sea bass
  • 4 tbs olive oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • a pinch of red chili flakes
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 4 tbs butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. While the fish is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil to the pan and saute the shallot and garlic in the pan for 2-3 minutes, or until the ingredients become fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and red chili flakes to the pan and toss everything well to coat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to pop and the juice is running out of them.
  3. While the tomatoes are cooking, lay a piece of foil on a large cookie sheet. Pat the fillets of sea bass with a paper towel so that they are dry on all sides. Lay the fish skin side down on the foil and drizzle with the remaining 2 tbs of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 13 minutes.
  4. When the tomatoes are bursting, add the white wine to the pan and stir the tomatoes well to break them down. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs from the tomatoes and discard. When the wine has reduced by half, remove the tomato mixture from the pan and place it in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the tomato mixture back to the pan but do not keep any heat under the pan. Add the butter and whisk well to combine. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper.
  5. After the fish has cooked for 13 minutes, remove it from the oven and distribute the tomato butter evenly over the top of each of the four pieces. Put the fish back in the oven and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the fish is firm on all sides. It will flake easily with a fork when it is done cooking. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Shawarma Bowls

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Thanks to our love of cooking, one of the gifts we most often receive are oils and spices from our friends and family after they go on a vacation. Over the years we have accumulated paprika from Hungary, tzatziki blends from Greece, olive oil from Italy, and more red spices from the Middle East than we could possibly know what to do with. To try and keep things fresh in our kitchens, we made a resolution to start using all of these pantry items up! While it’s fun to save them from memories of our own travel, the truth is that items like olive oils really are meant to be used as oils go rancid and spices lose their flavor over time.

One of the spices that we acquired was a shawarma seasoning blend. We love these flavors and cook with them often, but rarely use this spice mix. To mix things up from the traditional chicken shawarma that we know and love, we decided to make these vegetarian sweet potato bowls. The bowls are filled with crispy chickpeas, an herby tomato and cucumber salad, and of course, sweet potato fries. Everything comes together with a homemade tahini dressing for a lunch or dinner that is exploding with tons of flavor. We promise that this dish makes healthy eating truly enjoyable.

Sweet Potato Shawarma Bowls

  • Servings: 4
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  A hearty and healthy vegetarian recipe that is bursting with shawarma flavors.

Base ingredients for the Bowls

  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into large french fries
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
  • 1/4 cup shawarma seasoning
  • 6 cups lightly packed arugula or your favorite leafy green
  • 2 cups cooked farro

Ingredients for the Tomato Cucumber Salad

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Tahini Dressing

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup cold water (or more if you prefer a looser dressing)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Drizzle the sweet potatoes and chickpeas with the neutral oil and sprinkle with the shawarma seasoning and salt to taste. Toss well to coat. Lay the sweet potatoes and chickpeas on a large cookie sheet, making sure that there is enough room for the sweet potatoes and chickpeas to lay side by side in a single layer. If you need to divide amongst two cookie sheets, no problem. Bake the sweet potatoes and chickpeas for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the sweet potato fries with a spatula and toss the chickpeas; cook another 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and crispy on the outside.
  3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the tomato and cucumber salad. Combine the ingredients (tomatoes – parsley) in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir the ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. Make the tahini dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients (tahini – 1/4 cup water) in a small blender. Blend to thoroughly combine and break down the tahini until it is nice and smooth. Depending on how you like the consistency of the dressing, you may add additional water to thin it to your desired consistency. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Make the bowls by layering 1 1/2 cups arugula (or other leafy green) and 1/2 cup cooked farro into each of four bowls. Divide the tomato cucumber salad, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas amongst the four bowls as well. Drizzle with a generous amount of tahini dressing to serve.