As many of you know, I am a big advocate of Whole30. I’ve completed a few rounds and it’s really changed the way I eat, cook and view food as a whole. What you may not know is the first time I considered doing a Whole30 was over six years ago! I heard about it through the grapevine and ordered the book through Amazon. I read about 5 pages of the book until it outlined the premises of Whole30. No gluten, no grains, no dairy, no LEGUMES (WHAT)! No legumes? I literally closed the book and it returned it the next day. I thought any food program that doesn’t allow you to have hummus is bogus! Hummus was and still is a huge part of my diet and I wasn’t going to give that up for 30 days. As a solution, I created Chicken Shawarma and Baba Ganoush Bowls to satisfy my hummus cravings!
If you can’t have hummus on Whole30, what did you do?
In 2020, I eventually got over the idea of not eating hummus and did my first round of Whole30. This year (2021) for my second round of Whole30 I knew I wanted something like hummus but that was compatible with guidelines. You can have tahini (sesame paste) on Whole30 so I thought why not whip up some baba ganoush (essentially eggplant + tahini)? That way I could enjoy something similar to hummus during Whole30!
How do you make Whole30 baba ganoush?
I took some inspiration from Michael Solomonov and made some “tehina”which is essentially whipped tahini with ice water, lemon juice and garlic. This makes a super creamy base for the baba ganoush. Next, I roasted some eggplant until they were incredibly soft and tender. I processed the roasted eggplant in a blender until it was smooth and then incorporated the tehina until I had the right texture. It turned out very creamy and thick, just like hummus!
How do you make Whole30 chicken shawarma?
Let’s clear the air. This is not authentic chicken shawarma. This is a very loose representation of chicken shawarma. I used chicken breast but feel free to substitute chicken thighs. I made a rub with super flavorful, warming spices and let it marinade with the chicken for a few hours.. Next, I grilled the chicken breasts and then let them rest before chopping them up and building my bowl.
What toppings should I have with Chicken Shawarma and Baba Ganoush Bowls?
The possibility are endless! If you are doing Whole30, I would recommend:
- tomato and cucumber salad
- chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, salt and pepper
- roasted curry cauliflower
- cauliflower, curry powder, avocado oil spray or evoo, salt and pepper roasted at 425°F until tender
- sauerkraut or marinated cabbage
- red cabbage marinated with salt, pepper and lemon juice
- roasted carrots
- sliced carrots, avocado oil spray or evoo, salt and pepper roasted at 425°F until tender
- marinated or roasted onions
- sliced onions marinated in water and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper or sliced onions, avocado oil spray or evoo, salt and pepper roasted at 375°F until tender
- pickles (whole30 compatible)
- romaine or shredded lettuce
- hot sauce
If you’re not doing Whole30, I would use any topping from above plus:
- tzatziki or yogurt sauce
- marinated or roasted chickpeas
- tabbouleh
- feta
- white or brown rice
I hope this recipe inspires you regardless if you’re doing Whole30 or not! This baba ganoush is rich, creamy and perfect for bowls, cucumber slices, chips or warm pita! The chicken shawarma is so flavorful that you’ll even enjoy eating chicken breasts (just kidding, but no really). You can be as creative and fun with the toppings as you’d like and it’s totally customizable. Also don’t forget this recipe is gluten free, dairy free and soy free!
Chicken Shawarma and Baba Ganoush Bowls
Ingredients
Baba Ganoush
- 3 each eggplant large
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 each garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup lemon juice juice from 2-3 lemons
- 1 cup tahini
- 1 cup ice water depending on desired consistency
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Chicken Shawarma
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds chicken breast If chicken breasts are thick, cut in half lengthwise.
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Bowls
- 2 cups tomato and cucumber salad*
- 2 cups roasted curry cauliflower*
- 1 cup sauerkraut
- 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Instructions
Baba Ganoush
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Make cross hatches into the eggplant about 1 inch deep.
- Rub olive oil all over the eggplant. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place eggplant on a parchment lined baking sheet. If you don't have parchment paper you can use aluminum foil.
- Roast eggplant for 45 minutes-1 hour and 15 minutes or until super soft and cooked fully.
- While the eggplant is roasting, place garlic and lemon juice in a high speed blender.
- Blend the garlic and lemon juice until smooth.
- Next, add the tahini and blend until incorporated.
- With the blender running, slowly add the ice water into the tahini mixture. It should be thick, creamy but still pourable.
- Remove the tahini mixture (or tehina) and set aside.
- Scoop the eggplant flesh and place into the blender.
- Turn the blender on low and blend until smooth.
- Next add 1¼ cups of the tehina mixture and blend until smooth. You can add more tehina mixture if you prefer.
- Add cumin and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and blend until incorporated.
Chicken Shawarma
- In a large bowl combine olive and spices from turmeric through cayenne.
- Next add the chicken and mix thoroughly. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix again.
- Let the chicken marinade for 1 hour and up to 1 day.
- Preheat your grill over medium-high heat.
- Once the grill is preheated, add your chicken breasts to the grill. Grill on one side for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Allow your chicken to cool for at least 5 minutes and then cut into chunks.
Assemble Bowls
- Build your bowl by starting with with a large spoonful (or two) of baba ganoush.
- Top with chicken shawarma, tomato and cucumber salad, roasted curry cauliflower, sauerkraut and romaine lettuce.
Video
Notes
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