Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Tahini Sumac Crema

You know what day it is!!!! yep, its taco Tuesday. One of my kids favorite foods and days of the week. And since my kids absolutely love cauliflower I decided to make cauliflower tacos. My kids love cauliflower in every way they eat it raw, but they espically love it even more when roasted. One time, I roasted a head of cauliflower as a side dish and they all fought over it (no, like literally) I had to equally divide the pieces between the 3 of them. So I told them next time I am just going to make them a head of cauliflower each. There, problem solved. The only problem is every time I am at the grocery store and I buy 3-4 heads of cauliflowers at once the cashier asks me if I am having a party!!! Yes, I say a party for three cauliflower monsters. This recipe is so hearty (you wont miss your meat) simple and comes together in no time. It calls for one head of cauliflower but if you are like my kids please save yourself the trouble and make few more, you will only have some explaining to do to the grocery store cashier. I hope this spiced cauliflower taco with fresh cucumber salsa and zesty tahini crema (because cauliflower and tahini are a match made in food heaven). becomes your family favorite too.

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

Kosher salt and pepper

3 tbls avocado oil (or any oil of your choice)

Salt and black pepper

Cucumber Salsa:

1 cucumber diced small

1 small red onion diced small

1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped

Jalapeño diced small

Juice of one lime

Salt

Tahini sauce:

juice of one lemon or lime (more according to taste)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup Tahini paste

3 tbls of water plus more if needed

1/4 tsp of coriander

1/4 tsp of cumin

1/2 tsp of sumac

Salt and pepper to taste

Additional fun taco toppings:

Sliced red cabbage, fresh cilantro, guacamole, jalapeño slices lime wedges for serving

corn or flour tortillas, charred

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 450

2. Cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces

3. Toss with salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander and avocado oil.

4. Place in one layer on a sheet pan and roast until crispy about 30-45 min depending on the size of your cauliflower florets. Toss after 15-20 minutes so they crisp on all sides.

While the cauliflower is roasting it’s a good time to:

To make your salsa and sauce:

1. In a bowl whisk the tahini with all the ingredients until creamy and smooth

2. Then adjust thickness and seasoning to your taste, add more water if you need to thin it out and add more tahini paste if you need to thicken it out. Same goes for lemon juice and salt. Don’t worry at first it will all clump together but keep on stirring.

To make the salsa:

In a bowl Combine the diced cucumbers, diced onions, cilantro, jalapeños, add lime juice, and salt to taste.

To assemble:

Char the tortillas on the stove top or warm in the oven

Lay few pieces of the roasted cauliflower on top of the tortillas, add some tahini crema and top with the fresh salsa. Serve with a lime wedge.

#vegan #vegetarian #roastedvegetables #tacos #tacotuesday #vegantacos #vegetariantacos #cauliflower #roastedcauliflower #tahini #tahinisauce #salsa

Hummus Bowl with Kiftah Meatballs

There are endless ways to enjoy the humble hummus. In the Middle East its often part of the Mezze table, served at breakfast, slathered in a pita pocket for school lunch or as a dip with veggies. I love to make hummus for the weekend it gives the whole family something delicious and substantial to enjoy. Growing up hummus was also served as a main meal topped with meat, shawarma or veggies. Its so hearty and loaded with Protein keeping you feeling full for a long time. Today we are topping our hummus with another favorite ingredient kiftah meatballs they are spiced little nuggets packed with fresh flavors from the parsley and onions they make for a great hummus topping.

For the creamiest hummus recipe click here To make the Kiftah meatballs click here

To build your hummus bowl:

1. Spoon your hummus in the middle of a shallow dish, using the back of your spoon push the hummus towards the edge of the plate in a circular motion creating what looks like a border. of course this is the traditional way of plating the hummus. Have fun creating your own swirls and designs.

2. Top your hummus with meatballs

3. Sautee some pine nuts in ghee and sprinkle over your hummus, a drizzle of that ghee will add so much flavor too.

4. Serve your bowls with an assortment of pickles and warm pita bread.

Kiftah; herb & spice seasoned minced meat

This is a basic recipe for all sorts of things that include this meat mixture. Kiftah is a basic mixture of minced meat usually lamb or beef but you can use whatever you like or a combo of meats will be tasty too. The meat is flavored with onions and parsley and spices. The kiftah mixture might vary from region to region even within the same country. In Palestine kiftah is often skewered and grilled over open flames in the summer time. Baked with potatoes and tomato sauce, shaped into patties and baked in a tahini sauce, or made into meatballs for soup and stews.

In Palestine Kiftah mixture is often prepared by your butcher. They will grind the meat cut of your choice with the onions and parsley right there in front of you. They will also grind the meat to the consistency you like depending on what you are cooking. I often heard words like "khishin" means roughly minced or fine mince, you get the idea. They will also trim or add fat depending on your taste and preference. Going to the Butcher wasn't my favorite thing as a child the smell of raw meats was so intense for me but now i look back and if there was one thing I appreciated about our local butcher was the freshness of everything and the amazing smell of ground parsley and onions once it hit the grinder with the meat.

Ingredients

1 pound minced lamb or a mixture of lamb and beef (I also use ground turkey or chicken)

1 onion, finely chopped (I use the cheese grater to do this) I like the texture as it almost melts in the meat as it cooks.

Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tomato grated on the cheese grater (discard the skin)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

Few grates of fresh nutmeg

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

To make the kiftah:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and it’s best to mix with your hands until incorporated. Shape into balls, patties, or skewer them on sticks*.

*Tip: If you are using wooden sticks. Soak them in cold water for 30 minutes prior to prevent them from burning on the grill.

You will need a bowl of cold water to help you shape the kiftah and keep it smooth. Divide the kiftah into the size and shape you want. Dip your fingers in the cold water if they become too sticky. Chill the kiftah until you are ready to cook it (chilling the kiftah will help it hold its shape) You can make the kiftah a day ahead and refrigerate or freeze the whole mixture for up to 3 months.

To cook the kiftah:

You can sauté the kiftah in a frying or a grill pan, in the oven or grill it on the BBQ.

To Sautee:

Heat some canola oil in a heavy pan, working in batches making sure not to overcrowd your pan so they can crisp not steam. Sear the kiftah on all sides until browned and crispy. You can finish cooking them in the oven to the dones you like (if you are cooking with poultry make sure to cook it all the way through). The cooking time will depend on the size of your kiftah. For half an inch patties it will take about 5 minutes per side.

To Grill:

Prep your gas or charcoal grill. Grill your patties or skewers turning them once until charred and cooked through about 3 minutes per side for half an inch thick patties.

To Bake:

Preheat your oven to 350 and bake your kiftah for about 45 minutes r until its browned and cooked through.

#meat #kiftah #kaftah #meatonskewers #mincedmeat #middleeasternbbq #meatballs