Experience a New Fusion Recipe
Ah Summertime! My favorite time for cooking out on the grill, with so many possibilities of delicious flavors.
It’s no secret to my readers that I love Mexican cuisine, however I was inspired by the ingredients I found at Compare Foods to create a new spin on a classic favorite. Who doesn’t love a taco? All those delicious flavors layered together, this inspired me to take this concept and create the perfect Middle Eastern fusion recipe.
The fusion recipe I have created here brings together familiar components of thinly sliced beef, a delicious sauce, and salad on a base of a taco or in a pita bread. What makes it a fusion recipe is the flavor experience of the Middle East, harnessing flavors such as pomegranate, coriander, garlic, and of course Labneh.
Shopping at Compare Foods for Fusion Recipe Ingredients
One of my favorite stores to shop at is Compare Foods in Charlotte, NC, love to browse the aisles and discover new flavors and spices! In the produce section I always find an abundance of the freshest produce, and uncommon items such as verdalange (purslane) not easily found elsewhere.
In the butchery section at Compare Foods, you will find a large selection of fresh meats, prepared daily, thinly sliced and recipe ready. The fusion recipe I created is part Shish Kabob, part Shawarma; thin slices of top sirloin, in a zippy marinade, with reduced pomegranate juice, coriander, ginger, lime and chili.
The Creation of the ‘Shabob’
If you’ve ever eaten a Shawarma you know how delicious the thinly shaved meat from the rotating skewer is. I got to thinking about how I could create the same effect at home for my fusion recipe.
I found the perfect solution at Compare Foods with the variety of fresh thinly sliced beef from the butchery department. The delicious pomegranate lime marinade added layers of flavor. Threaded on double skewers the ‘Shabob‘ is grilled to perfection, thinly sliced just like a Shawarma, and ready to be served in variety of ways. I think I hit a home run, we all loved it and I hope you will too!
A Labneh Fusion Recipe
To make a great taco or pita wrap you always need a fantastic sauce, and this is where this fusion recipe I created with cilantro and roasted garlic really fits the bill. Labneh is simply yogurt, which has been strained for several hours, to separate the liquid whey. The result is a divine thick yogurt perfect to mix in your fusion recipe flavor of choice.
Roasting garlic mellows the flavors and pairs beautifully with the liveliness of cilantro in this Labneh fusion recipe.
Quick Pickled Onions – The Star of the Show
I learned something really valuable about onions, if you give them a quick dip in boiling water before adding to your recipe you loose the aggressive bite that tends to overtake the whole dish and turns your onions into the delicious star of the show.
The final layer of this delicious fusion recipe is a cool cucumber salad with quick pickled red onions. You’re going to want to make a large jar of these onions and enjoy them on a variety of dishes.
Here’s a video for you that shows you how to put all the steps of this fusion recipe together. I hope you have as much fun making this as I did creating it, let me know in the comments below how you like it and I would love to see your photos!
I hope to see you shopping at Compare Foods for my next delicious dish!
Enjoy!
Pomegranate Lime ‘Shabob’
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8
Description
Part Shish Kebob part Shwarma, the ‘Shabob’ is my creation to achieve deeply flavored, thinly sliced meat perfect for layering in a pita or on a taco.
Reducing the pomegranate juice allows the flavors to intensify, with the zesty tang of lime with a kick of chili, balanced flavors for a delicious marinade.
Ingredients
2 Lbs. Top Sirloin or Beef Chuck, thinly sliced approximately 1/3”
3 cups Pomegranate Juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Lime Juice, plus 1 tablespoon Zest
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon Pinella (raw sugar)
1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, grated
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Coriander
1 Bay Leaf, crumbled
Extra Olive Oil, for cooking
Special Equipment Needed:
- Metal Kofta Skewers
Instructions
- Place the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan, and simmer until reduced down to one cup, allow to cool.
- Place all the marinade ingredients in a zip lock bag or large container.
- Add the meat, seal the bag and shake to distribute the marinade evenly.
- Allow to rest for one hour and up to three hours.
- Starting at the long end, weave the meat on to the skewer, concertina style, approximately 4 inches wide.
- Preheat the grill to high heat and place the Shabob on the grill.
- Turn frequently, brush with a little extra oil as needed.
- The Shabob is ready when the meat is browned on the outside, yet still tender on the inside, approximately 20 minutes total.
- Allow the meat to rest a few minutes and slice thinly length-ways.
Notes
To Serve:
1 package Pita bread, Flatbread or Tortillas
- Serve the thinly sliced shabob family style with the cilantro labneh and cucumber salad
- Layer the labneh on the base of choice, add a little meat, top with the salad and verdolaga and watercress leaves.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Main Entree
Cilantro Labneh with Roasted Garlic
Description
Labneh, the classic Middle Eastern dip made from strained yogurt, takes on a new spin in this bright dip with cilantro and roasted garlic.
Ingredients
1 quart Whole Milk Yogurt or Greek Yogurt
1 bunch Cilantro, washed, hard stems removed
1 sprig Mint, finely chopped
1 whole head Garlic
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
Special Equipment Needed:
- Food Processor or Blender
- Fine Strainer
- Cheesecloth or square of cotton, approximately 30 x 30”
Instructions
- Line the strainer with the cheesecloth and place over a jug or bowl, add the yogurt and allow to strain for at least two hours until all the whey has separated.
- Wrap the whole head of garlic loosely in foil and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, break apart the garlic and peel.
- Place the strained yogurt and all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Blend using the pulse mode until all the ingredients are blended but the labneh still has texture.
- Taste for seasoning, refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cucumber Salad with Quick Pickled Red Onion
Description
Quick pickling the red onions removes the ‘angry’ bitter bite with a delicious result, paired with cool summer cucumbers and radishes, this is the perfect accompaniment to the ‘Shabob’.
Ingredients
Quick Picked Onion Ingredients:
1 Red Onion
1 1/2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Pinella (raw sugar)
1 tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
1/4 teaspoon whole Cumin
Cucumber Salad Ingredients:
1 large Cucumber
5 Radishes, thinly sliced
1 bunch Verdolaga sprigs (Purslane)
1 bunch Watercress sprigs
Instructions
Cucumber Salad Directions:
- Peel strips off the cucumber, slice in half, removed the seeds and slice into 1/2-inch quarters.
- Toss together the cucumber, radishes and pickled onion with a little of the pickle vinegar.
- Top with the verdolaga and watercress sprigs.
