Since my trip to Israel last summer, tahini has become one of my major food groups. Tahini is a paste of ground sesame seeds and can be eaten by itself, mixed into hummus and baba ghanoush, made into a sauce and drizzled over vegetables or incorporated into sweets. I have several jars in my pantry at all times and always ready to try it in something new.
Continue reading “Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich! You had me at Tahini!”
Who am I trying to kid with that title? Sabich is my new favorite breakfast sandwich. It’s also my favorite lunch AND dinner sandwich – could I be as bold as to say a snack as well? I wouldn’t say I’m addicted, but today I started to feel like I might have a little problem. When searching on Google, I realized, I’m not alone. Words used to describe this sandwich are obsessed, devoted, hooked, can’t live without, and the best sandwich I ever ate! So don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Until a couple of weeks ago I had never heard of it and then I watched the show Brunch at Bobby’s. His show was all about celebrating the breakfast sandwich. In addition to the usual eggs on a biscuit, he made a Sabich. As he listed the ingredients, I couldn’t figure out how this consortium of ingredients could possible go well together. Then I tried it, and after eating it three days in a row, I was sold!
What is it you ask? It’s a Middle Eastern pita sandwich filled with fried eggplant, hard boiled eggs, hummus, Israeli salad, tahini, amba sauce (which is a pickled mango sauce), sometimes potatoes and pickles. If you like eggplant, this is for you. Actually, even if you don’t like eggplant, you’ll love this!
In all the recipes I found, the eggplant is fried, but Bobby roasted it instead and that sounded perfect to me. I think you get the same great taste without all the extra oil. He also used a mango hot sauce; I couldn’t find that or amba sauce with is traditionally used, so I subbed regular hot sauce and it was delicious. Reading that amba is similar to chutney (which is like a spicier savory cousin to jam), I bought Major Grey’s and ultimately ended up making a mock amba sauce which by the way, my husband really liked. If you like mango this is the way to go, if you are allergic like me – skip it!
I know it seems like a lot of ingredients, but if you plan correctly, the whole thing should only take about 30 to 40 minutes (less if make the components ahead of time). Here’s a quick snapshot… first put your eggplant in the oven. While that’s roasting, put the eggs in water to boil. Then while they are both cooking away, make the Israeli salad. To make things a little easier, I purchased ready-made hummus and tahini (total time saver).
I promise it is so worth it. This sandwich is creamy from the eggplant and hummus, it’s crunchy from the Israeli salad, the eggs put it over the top with richness, the amba or hot sauce gives it a little tangy kick, and the warm pita just brings it all together. If you find like me you are in need of a sabich support group, just reach out… I’m here for you! Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 to 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into ½ inch thick rounds (about 1 ¾ – 2 lbs.)*
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or olive oil spray (my fav is from Trader Joes)
4 large or extra-large hard-boiled eggs
Israeli salad, recipe follows
1 cup hummus
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage (I used romaine and radicchio)**
Tahini
My recipe for mock amba sauce or hot sauce or (optional)
if you can find true amba, go for it!
4 pita either white or whole wheat, warmed
salt and pepper
Israeli Salad
1 cup finely chopped tomato (approximately 2 tomatoes)
1 cup finely diced English cucumber
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Mock Amba Sauce
2 tablespoons of Major Grey’s Chutney
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
A few dashes of hot sauce
Preparing the eggplant:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f. Place the eggplant slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush or spray the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Roast until golden brown and soft, about 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.
Preparing the eggs:
Put the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by an inch. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and let it sit for 9 minutes. Drain immediately and cover with cold water and ice. Let it sit for a few minutes. Peel and thinly slice the eggs.
Israeli Salad:
Toss the diced tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Make sure to save the juice from the tomato and add that as well. Mix to combine.
Mock Amba Sauce:
I used 2 tablespoons of Major Grey’s Chutney. I mashed it with a fork to break up the larger mango pieces then added added 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar and a couple dashes of hot sauce (to your personal taste). You could also put it in a mini food processor.
To Assemble the Sabich:
Use the freshest pita you can find, it really makes a difference. Cut an opening at one end of the pita bread to make a pocket. Spread some of the hummus on the bottom of the pita (and the top if you like). Add the ingredients in layers. First, add a few slices of eggplant, then a couple tablespoons of the Israeli salad, on top of that the sliced eggs, some cabbage or lettuce, a few dashes of hot sauce or amba sauce, tahini and then open wide!
*When choosing eggplants, look for firm, smooth and uniform in color. If there are any brown or soft spots, you don’t want it! I like to buy thinner eggplants that are light in weight. The lighter the weight, the less seeds and the seeds are what makes them bitter.
** Bobby added cabbage which doesn’t really like me very much, I used romaine and radicchio instead. While they are not interchangeable, it gave the sandwich a beautiful color contrast and peppery bite to it. I thought it was a perfect substitution. Feel free to use shredded cabbage.
In 2014 there was a hummus shortage! The humble hummus, an irresistible Mediterranean dip made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt got its 15 minutes of fame. Thankfully, that’s been over for quite some time (10 years to be exact!) That’s when I wrote this post. Today I went back to update my recipe and when I read it, was so surprised it was written 10 years ago, where has the time gone? Since then, I’ve made so much hummus and topped it with a variety of delicious things I list later on in the post, so read on!
It’s really easy to make and once you do, you’ll never buy store bought again. You basically put everything into a food processor and let it do it’s job. I even tried my hand at baking pita bread which came out really good. There is a restaurant I love that bakes delicious whole wheat pita and it’s the perfect match for my hummus!
Today, I made what I call 1 – 2 – 3 hummus because I used canned chickpeas. Traditionally it’s made by using dried chickpeas, but that takes too long so I went with canned. If you plan ahead and have the time, definitely use dried. This recipe is so easy and delicious on its own, but I’ve also started to top my hummus with a variety of toppings. When I was in Israel a few years ago I found the best part of hummus is the toppings! One of my favorites there was a hummus topped with roasted eggplant. It was amazing! Here are some other ideas you might like: whole seasoned chickpeas, matbucha, Israeli salad, olives, harissa, roasted garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, a sprinkle of zaatar, sundried tomatoes, everything bagel seasoning, or one of my new favorites, matbucha from NY Shuk that I bought at Whole Foods – it’s amazing! Today I served it with olive tapenade, and it was the perfect compliment to my creamy hummus! However you top it, or don’t top it, dip in and Enjoy!
Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 1/2 cups hummus or 20 1/4 cup servings
2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 cup tahini
1/4 cup water (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
juice from 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves minced (more or less according to taste)
1 teaspoons salt (more if you like)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
In the bowl of a food processor, add 2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas, tahini, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and cumin. Process for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and pulse again for 20 seconds. If it’s not thin enough, add a little more water and pulse a few times until blended. I like it very creamy so I’ll let the processor run until the desired texture. Keep in mind it will thicken once in the fridge but you can always thin it out with a little water if you need to. I hope you try it!
