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.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Enchiladas

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We have seen a lot of New Year’s resolution posts on our social media accounts, and one of the most common food goals people are talking about is the desire to eat more plant based. Eating plant based has a number of benefits for our bodies and the environment; including a reduced carbon footprint and greenhouse emissions. Our mom eats mostly plant based and we will never forget when she ordered the surprise vegetarian dinner at a steak house only to have a bowl of pasta served to her. We view cooking plant based meals as a fun challenge; we like to experiment with new ingredients and flavors and not just replace meat with pasta or other empty carbs. When we have a successful dish like these enchiladas, we don’t even miss the meat.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Enchiladas

  • Servings: 4
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A plant based recipe that everyone will love. These enchiladas are so delicious we promise you won’t be distracted they are vegetarian.

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower, stem removed and florets chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 4 tbs olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 chipotles in adobo, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup frozen corn, thawed (we love Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 large burrito-sized torillas
  • enchilada sauce (anywhere from 10 – 16 oz)
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Drizzle the cauliflower with 2 tbs olive and season well with salt and pepper. Lay the cauliflower in an even layer and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is roasted and fork tender. Leave the oven on and reduce the head to 350 degrees, as you will need to bake the enchiladas after they are assembled.
  3. While the cauliflower is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and onion to the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the onion starts to caramelize. Add the chipotles in adobo, cumin, coriander to the pan; mix to combine and let the spices toast on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the chickpeas, sour cream, and water to the pan. Stir to combine and cover. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes to soften the chickpeas. Remove the lid and mash half the chickpeas with a potato masher or a large fork. Add the corn and gently fold in the with a spatula to combine. If the cauliflower has not finished cooking by this point, remove the pan from the heat until the cauliflower is cooked. When the cauliflower is roasted and tender, to the pan and mix everything well to combine.
  5. Lay the four tortillas onto your counter top or cooking space. Divide the cauliflower mix amongst the four tortillas. Do the best you can to roll them into burritos.
  6. Spray a pyrex baking dish with cooking spray. Use a spoon to layer about 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish. Add the four burritos to the pan in an even layer. Top the burritos with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, the first 15 minutes covered in foil and the last 5 minutes uncovered to let the cheese get melty and bubbly. Top with green onions, cilantro, or avocado if you wish and serve immediately.