Steak Pitas With Tahini Cucumber Salad Recipes

PITA SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• For the salad: Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the pita pieces until lightly browned, 30 to 60 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel and immediately sprinkle lightly with salt.
• In a large bowl, combine the pita chips with the spinach, mint, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber and onions. Season with a few turns of black pepper and salt to taste.
• For the tahini dressing: Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, sumac, salt, garlic and 1/4 cup water, stirring until thickened. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

CUCUMBER TOMATO TAHINI SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing, make my lime tahini sauce recipe by blending tahini paste, lime juice, water, kosher salt together, then stir in a good cup of parsley. You can do this one night ahead of time and save it covered in the fridge. (If the tahini sauce becomes thicker as it sits in the fridge, you can stir in more lime juice or water to loosen it).
• To make the salad, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the tahini sauce with the diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Add the Aleppo-style pepper, if using. Mix well. Taste and add salt to your liking. And if needed, add more lime juice.

STEAK SHAWARMA PITA

Steps:

• For the green chile zhoug: Blacken serrano chiles on top rack of a toaster oven set on broil for 2 minutes per side. Let cool until cool enough to handle, then remove stems. Place in a food processor fitted with an S blade along with the oil, cardamom, coriander, salt, green onions, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, bell pepper and jalapeno and pulse for 3 to 5 turns, then process on high speed, adding 1/2 cup cool water. Adjust for salt and place in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keeps for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated. Use like hot sauce or salsa in a pita with shawarma.
• For the quinoa taboulleh: Combine the quinoa, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water in a 1-quart saucepot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn off heat, then let rest without removing the lid for 20 minutes. Spread cooked quinoa over a dinner plate to cool and allow steam and moisture to dissipate.
• Meanwhile, mix oil, pepper, parsley, lemon juice, mint leaves and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then fold in quinoa. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Taboulleh keeps, refrigerated for 3 days.
• For the steak shawarma: Mix the yogurt, vinegar, garlic, coriander, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl with a whisk. One at a time, dip each thinly sliced steak into marinade on both sides and place in a plastic tub that will accommodate all marinade and steak. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
• Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to 450 degrees F. Line a pan with foil.
• Place steaks on hot grill and cook for 90 seconds per side, then place in lined pan. Cut thin steaks into 1/4-inch strips with a good knife. Return cut strips to pan and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Serve steaks in pitas, and top with quinoa tabbouleh and green chile zhoug.

BAVETTE STEAK WITH TAHINI-VEGETABLE SALAD

Steps:

• Pull the steak out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking to come to room temperature. About 5 minutes before cooking, generously season steak all over with flaky sea salt (this helps the salt retain some crunch).
• Heat a cast-iron or other heavy-duty skillet over medium-high until hot enough that a drop of water will sizzle on contact. Add ghee to the skillet and let it melt.
• Add bavette steak and cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until medium-rare, about 8 minutes total, or until medium, about 10 minutes total. (Bavette steak has a tendency to puff up as it cooks, taking longer than the average steak to reach medium-rare. You'll want to reduce the cooking time if using flank steak.) Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the salad: In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lime zest and juice, olive oil, cold water and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt until smooth. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
• In a large bowl, toss together strawberries, rhubarb, cucumber, turnips and radishes. Add just enough dressing to coat, then taste and add more salt, if needed. Add the greens, mint and basil to the bowl and toss gently, adding more dressing and salt, if needed.
• Slice steak against the grain and serve with salad.

PITA SALAD SANDWICHES WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients until blended.
• Slice an edge from each pita bread, and carefully open pockets.
• In a medium bowl, combine feta, tomatoes, and spinach. Add 1/4 cup of sauce, and toss gently to mix. Spoon the mixture into each pocket.
• Divide sprouts, cucumber, and avocado among the sandwiches. Drizzle each with about 1 Tbsp of tahini sauce.
• Serve right away.

TURKEY PITAS WITH CUCUMBERS, CHICKPEAS AND TAHINI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together onion, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, cumin and sugar. Let sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together tahini, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, pinch of salt and 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water to thin the sauce. It should be thick but pourable. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice, if needed.
• Into the bowl with onions, stir in chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes and oil. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
• In each pita half, layer turkey, then drizzle with tahini-lemon mixture. Add spoonfuls of chickpea salad, cilantro and mint. Drizzle liberally with more tahini sauce and zhug, if you like.

CUCUMBER SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Stir the tahini and lemon juice together until well blended. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cucumbers and stir to blend.
• Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. (If you put it in the refrigerator, it will thicken up). If it is too thick to pour, you can use it as a dip for the cucumbers OR you can thin it out with room temperature water (NOT cold) which is what I do.
• Peel the cucumbers and slice them into rounds. Put them in a large bowl and pour the dressing over them. Toss to coat.

HEARTY SIRLOIN PITAS

Steps:

• Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook beef in batches in 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat until meat reaches desired doneness. Remove and keep warm. , In the same pan, saute pepper strips and onion in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Add beef and steak sauce; heat through. , Top each pita with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Fold over.

SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH CUMIN TAHINI

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a blender or small food processor, combine lime juice and garlic and blend. Add tahini and 2 tablespoons warm water and blend. Check the texture; you want a smooth, creamy liquid. If necessary, add more warm water and blend again. Add olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cumin and the oregano, rubbing the dried leaves between your fingers to release the flavors. Taste for salt and adjust the seasonings.
• Make the chile vinegar, if desired: Place sambal in a bowl and slowly drizzle in white vinegar, stirring to loosen. Taste often and stop adding vinegar when mixture is tart and spicy, but not enough to make your eyes water.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, toss and taste. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned.
• Serve immediately. For each serving, scoop a large spoonful of cucumbers into a bowl, spoon a little chile vinegar around the edges and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

SPICED CHICKPEA SALAD WITH TAHINI AND PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Make the chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the chickpeas into a small baking dish, about 6 inches by 8 inches. The chickpeas should be crowded together in a thick layer, not spread out. Pour in olive oil just until chickpeas are covered. (This will look like a lot, but don't worry: It forms part of the dressing.)
• Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and 2 big pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Bake until oil is bubbling around the chickpeas and they are turning reddish-brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make tahini sauce: Pour tahini into a bowl and whisk in lemon juice and garlic. The tahini will thicken and clump. Slowly whisk in warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce becomes smooth, creamy and pourable. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Set aside.
• Cook the greens: Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle lightly with olive oil. When hot, add the greens in batches, along with a big pinch of salt. Stir until wilted and tender and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a large bowl, gently mix chickpeas and their cooking oil with the cooked greens, half the pita chips, and the chopped herbs. Mound chickpea mixture in 4 shallow bowls. Divide cucumber slices around chickpeas. Drizzle thickly with half the tahini sauce and scatter remaining pita chips on top. Place a lemon wedge on the side and serve, passing extra tahini sauce at the table.

TURKEY PITA WITH CABBAGE, CUCUMBERS AND TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Put cabbage and carrot in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, then toss with pomegranate molasses and 1/2 teaspoon garlic and set aside. Put cucumber in a separate bowl and season with salt and chopped mint.
• Make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, stir together tahini, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic and cayenne. Whisk in yogurt and season with salt and pepper.
• Put olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and let sizzle. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 1 minute and turn off heat.
• Warm pitas briefly in a toaster oven and cut in half to make 8 pockets. Spoon some warm turkey into each pita, then a spoonful of cabbage, a bit of cucumber, some sliced radish, if using, and a large dollop of tahini dressing. Serve 2 filled pockets per person.