Middle Eastern-style Hot Dogs

Today, a very dear friend came round with some delicious fresh vegetables for us. As it was lunch time (and my sugars were beginning to drop), I wanted to throw something together really quickly but in so doing, I did not want to compromise taste. I had a packet of pure chicken hot dogs (picked up from the freezer section of the 99 Cent Store - yep, one of my new favourite places to find great bargains and fresh produce), and decided to use half the packet in the meal as my "meat".

So what to do with some fresh veg, a packet of pita bread, and hot dogs? Time to create something new and "different". I knew it would be a gamble, but if you know me by now reading my blogs, I like to gamble and experiment. My husband might not enjoy all my experimentation, but he's such a trooper and puts up with a lot.

Believe me when I say that not all the creating that goes on in my kitchen ends up on this blog. I do have a disaster every now and then... Like the other night when I was exhausted and did not cook the chicken I was making all the way through. Poor hubby pointed it out to me half way through the meal. Took a bit of quick action to sort it out, but the rest of the night was held in bated breath for any "side effects". Thank goodness, none hit.

But that said, lets get back to today's "gamble". All bets were on as I threw together something really fast, based on what I was craving (Middle Eastern), sugars going low (which meant I had to act fast), and stomach screaming out to be fed.

I was really happy with the results! It was super easy and fast to make, and it was really tasty. It might look a bit "different", but this is my own version of what I am calling Middle Eastern-style Hot Dogs.

If you have hummus lying around the fridge, or baba ganoush, adding this to the finished "hot dog", will definitely give it an even greater and more rich flavour. The baba ganoush would add a smokiness to the whole flavour experience.

As I've said before, open your mind to imagination and explore.

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!


Ingredients:
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 chicken hot dogs, sliced
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp Middle Eastern 7 spices
1 tbsp tahini sauce
Salt to taste
4 slices pita bread

1. Fry the onions and garlic until glassy, add the red pepper and cook until the red pepper begins to "brown" but NOT burn.
2. Add the sliced hot dogs, spices, and lemon juice. Add zucchini and cook until softened. Add a little pinch of salt (or to taste). Add the tahini sauce and mix through. Immediately remove from heat.
3. Ladle some of the mix into the middle of a pita bread and roll up.

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Hamburger Shawarma

My husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary the other night. Neither of us was feeling up to going out as we were a bit under the weather, and we really just wanted to have a more quiet, at home, celebration. As we had not gone shopping, we did not have too many ingredients in the house, so what to make that would tickle our fancy and be a little "special" but without going overboard? As I looked through the fridge and freezer, I noticed a packet of hamburgers, flour tortillas, cucumbers, and tomatoes. In the cupboard, I had a can of hummus and baba ganoush. My plan was now formulating in my head of something that would be different, but so easy to make and delicious. Not to mention filling.

Lately, I have been on a bit of a Middle Eastern "kick" and while I could have easily fried up the burgers and defrost some hamburger buns, I wanted something "different" and a bit "exotic"; it was, after all our 8th wedding anniversary.

This truly shows the versatility of what you can do with simple ingredients. I decided to totally improvise and make a delicious Middle Eastern meal with what I had on hand. The results were absolutely amazing and I am looking forward to doing it again really soon. It truly is so easy that I recommend it to everyone. You don't need to have a charcoal grill, but if you do, the flavour would be even better. 

Ingredients
4 hamburger patties
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Middle Eastern 7-Spices powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sumac

1 can Baba Ganoush dip
1 can Hummus dip
6 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup Olive Oil

4 Persian cucumbers, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
1/2 head lettuce, shredded

6 flour tortilla shells
1/8 stick of butter, melted

1. Mix together the first seven spices and rub all over the hamburger patties. Let sit and "marinate" for 20-30 minutes. Cook in a 350*F oven for about 20 minutes - or grill on a charcoal burner until cooked through. If cooking in oven, let sit in oven until ready to slice.

2. Using a Magic Bullet blender (or food processor) blend together the cloves of garlic, onion, lemon, and olive oil. Divide mixture in half between the Baba Ganoush and the hummus, stir very well together in each dip.

3. Mix together the vegetables.

4. Make Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing and set aside

5. Slice the hamburger meat on an angle

6. Brush the flour tortilla on both sides, lightly, with butter. Fry each tortilla in a hot, ungreased, frying pan. It will begin to bubble, when it does this, turn it over. It should be golden brown. When both sides are cooked like this, put on a plate and repeat with next tortilla until all are cooked.

You can assemble this as you wish, but I spread a little hummus and Baba Ganoush in the middle of a tortilla shell. Then add a little of the mixed salad. Place the meat over the salad and drizzle the creamy garlic dressing over top of the meat. Fold one side of the tortilla shell up and in, then fold one of the "flaps" in, then roll the shawarma up. Eat immediately!