BIRDS OF A FEATHER GET TOGETHER!

I’ve shared a couple of our past Birds of a Feather get togethers (here and here) and am so excited to share another!  Rebecca hosted us at her cozy home in Silverlake and prepared this epic Middle Eastern feast for us. I think it’s obvious, Rebecca is a badass in the kitchen.  I love it!  The best part- she was kind enough to pass along her recipes (all vegan!) and I’ve included them all after the jump.  The tahini cookies are so good I can’t stand myself.  Hip Hip!  Hope you enjoy!  xx- Sarah  {photos via Birds of a Feather}

Roasted Chickpeas

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and dried very well with paper towels
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Spread chickpeas on baking sheet lined with tinfoil and roast 30-40 minutes, rotating and shaking pan midway through.
3. Remove chickpeas and let cool for 10 minutes.  Bake another 10 minutes or until crunchy.

Muhamarra 

• 1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained OR two large red peppers, blistered over a gas flame, thrown in a paper bag for 15 minutes and then peeled and de-seeded under water.
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup panko or breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (found at middle eastern markets, or also online here)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp salt

1. Blend all ingredients in processor until coarse puree forms. Taste and adjust for salt if necessary.
2. Transfer to bowl; serve with pita chips, zaatar bread, roasted or raw vegetables!

 Roasted Spring Vegetables

• 3 globe eggplants
• 1 lb sunchokes
• 1 celery root
• 1 head fennel

1.  Prepare vegetables: slice eggplants length-wise in half, sprinkle with salt and let sit for 15 minutes.  Once they have started watering, blot with a paper towel.
2. Scrub sunchokes and cut any bigger ones in half or in quarters.
3. Peel or cut away exterior of celery root.  Then cut in half, then in 1/8″ slices.
4. Cut fennel length-wise into quarters, and into 8ths if big.
5. Combine all vegetables in big bowl and drizzle with enough oil so that they feel coated, but not drenched.
6. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons salt and a ton of fresh pepper (to your preference)
7. Roast on 2 baking sheets, checking every 20 minutes and rotating the sheets.  The fennel will be done first around 20 minutes. Celery root and sunchokes will take about 30-40 minutes.  Eggplant will take about 45 minutes.

Tahini Cookies (adapted from Bon Appetit)

• 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. coconut oil (in solid state; if melted stick in fridge for 1 hour to harden)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. well-stirred tahini
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 c. sesame seeds, preferably hulled

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
2. Beat together coconut oil and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in tahini and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until a crumbly dough forms. Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. Place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Pour sesame seeds into a small bowl.
6. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll balls 1 at a time in seeds to coat and arrange 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are puffed and starting to crack, 12 to 15 minutes total. c
7. Cool on sheets 10 minutes (cookies will be very fragile when hot), then transfer from parchment to a rack to cool completely.

Buy Zataar bread (seen above) at your local middle eastern market or if you’d like to make your own this recipe looks pretty great!

Spring Green Salad with Preserved Lemon

• 1 large head red leaf, butter, or romaine lettuce–or a mix of all 3
• 1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed and diced (can be found at middle eastern or gourmet markets, or make your own!)
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped or shredded with mandoline
• 1/2 zucchini, quartered and chopped
• Handful of dill, chopped
• Handful of parsley, chopped

Dressing

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T olive oil
• fresh ground pepper

1. Prepare dressing in a small bowl by combining crushed garlic, sherry vinegar, salt, olive oil and freshly ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl combine salad ingredients.  Toss with dressing before serving.