Steak Pitas With Tahini Cucumber Salad Food

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.

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.

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.

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.

GREEK STEAK PITAS

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak to bag. Marinate 3 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil. Add steak; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Let stand 2 minutes. Cut steak across grain into thin slices.
• Return pan to heat. Add juice, garlic, and spinach; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; add remaining salt.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons spinach mixture into each pita half. Place 1 tablespoon onion, 3 cucumber slices, and 1 1/2 ounces steak in each pita half; sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese in each pita half.