This is the kind of food I could, and do, eat daily; packed full of root vegetables and garlic and spices, it’s the kind of thing you’ll find in lots of food publications as something new and exciting at the moment….in my kitchen it’s an old favourite 🙂
It’s not a long or complicated recipe which is great as I want to also take the opportunity to tell you about being a co host for Fiesta Friday. I have co hosted for Angie several times now and it struck me that maybe not everyone knows what that means or what the undertaking is, so I thought I’d explain it a bit more (it’s okay it’s only brief) and maybe inspire some new co hosts..
What is co hosting?
Fiesta Friday was created by the wonderful Angie as a weekly blog party for bloggers to share posts, chat, meet new bloggers and generally have their own Friday night party, full of international guests, without leaving the house! As a co host your role is to support Angie, because there really is too much to do for one person, but also, it’s a thank you to Angie for creating this great space.
What does it entail?
To do this, your job as co host is to share the reading of the posts that are linked up, thank the writers for joining the party and commenting on their dish/post/story. There are usually at least two co hosts and you can share the posts between you, and/or read them all.
What are the benefits of co hosting?
Co hosting gives you the opportunity to mingle with your known fellow bloggers, but also to meet lots of new bloggers, and be inspired by new recipes or stories. And at the same, they get to meet YOU! It’s basically free publicity 🙂
And…it’s good fun! I always worry whether I’ll be overwhelmed by all of the reading, but I never am, I just enjoy meeting and greeting the bloggers, and seeing lots of amazing food!!!!
So, I say, do it! Ask Angie if you can get involved…
Now, onto the food..
Basically, all I’ve done here is pan cook a selection of peeled and cubed sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots in a large pan with some coconut oil; along the way I threw in some whole garlic cloves and chickpeas and some shawarma spice mix – a middle eastern spice mix including cinnamon and cloves – but any spice mix of your choice would work.
If you fancy making a shawarma mix of your own, give this a try:
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
I add it to lots of vegetable dishes, but it’s also good to mix with plain yogurt and marinade chunks of chicken or lamb in for several hours and then grill it.
As you cook the vegetables, you will need to add small amounts of water to assist in cooking them through, and loosen the spices from the pan..but the key is to stick with it and give the vegetables a chance to really cook well over a medium heat and maybe even caramelise..
And then eat it that day and for several days after that! Yum!
Consider topping a portion with tahini sauce or homous too 🙂
Can I tempt you?? No, okay then, excellent…I can happily eat it all myself! 😉
I’m bring this to share at this week’s Fiesta Friday, co hosted this week by the wonderful Sonal and Petra..pop over and join in and think about co hosting in the future..:)
Perfect! The recipe perfect, the lead in with what it’s like to be a Fiesta Friday co-host perfect. A perfect post! I actually have never pan cook sweet potatoes before! I usually either roast/bake or steam, but I can give this a try. I bought a jar of tahini, btw. Now tahini is not something you can make from scratch, is it?
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I’m so glad you like – pan cooking sweet potato is lovely, definitely nice to add to the repertoire. And I hope that this inspires some new co hosts 🙂
You can make your own tahini but you need the right sesame seeds and a very very good blender – and a lot of patience! It takes a while to break down the sesame seeds and get the oil from them, and you end up constantly having to stop the machine and moving the seeds down the sides. I have made it myself, several times, but it’s never as nice. I think you need Ethiopian sesame seeds or something like that…
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Good info on co-hosting Elaine 🙂 and the veggies look hearty! Happy co-hosting FF 🙂
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Thank you so much for co-hosting! I always love when I’m co-host as well. I love the shawarma mix recipe as well. Right up my alley! Happy FF, and have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Kaila, I’m so glad you like it. Happy Fiesta Friday 🙂
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Sounds and looks delicious!
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Thank you 🙂
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You know, I admire people like you in much the same way I admire gifted gardeners. You possess skills that I just don’t think you realise are not given to the rest of us. But I’ll happily just drool over your photos and simmer in my envy. 🙂
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Thank you, I will take that as a very kind compliment xx
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Oh, please do. What a special gift you have and I do love sharing in it if only vicariously. 🙂
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Thank you, that really is so lovely 🙂 I’ve only really discovered this ability & love for cooking in the last few years; I mean, I’ve always ‘cooked’ but I haven’t always cooked absolutely everything from scratch like I do now, or been so experimental, and I do love it 🙂 I guess the fact that I have the time as well as the inclination helps x
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Great shout out for co-hosts! I hope more people volunteer. I love this dish and the spice combo. I’m a cumin fanatic and am turning into a coriander fiend too. It would warm my bones these days. Happy FF Elaine!
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Thank you, I hope more people volunteer and get involved 🙂
And I’m glad you like the dish – have you tried roasting your own cumin yet? Now that’s good!!!
Happy Fiesta Friday 🙂
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I love to roast my own seeds and grind them. The first time I did it I couldn’t believe what a difference it made. Happy FF to you too Elaine!
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It really does! 🙂
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Fantastic post Elaine. Angie has invited me to join the Fiesta Friday so your lead in was a good way for me to learn what it entails. Emma xx
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Oh brilliant, I’m so pleased 🙂 do join in Emma, it’s great fun xx
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Do I just post a recipe on Friday then? Is there anything else I need to do? Thanks Emma xx
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If you visit the fiesta Friday post that I’ve linked to at the bottom of my post you’ll see a lovely post full of last week’s top picks plus all of the party goers posts further down the page. At the bottom of that bit and just above the like button is a little blue box that you click on to add your post, then just follow the directions.
There is also a page on the FF blog about the guidelines for the weekly blog party 🙂
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What an interesting post Elaine!!
A great ice breaking post for co hosting.
I am saving the shawarma recipe here to use further ❤️
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Thank you honey, I hope it answers some questions for people.
Enjoy FF, thank you for co hosting xxx
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I am sure that it will!
😘❤️
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This looks so good for a cold winter day and my favorite spices are all there…thanks for sharing and the shout out for co hosting. I will sent a note to Angie to join in.
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Yay! That’s brilliant! I hope you thoroughly enjoy it 🙂 and thank you, it was a very tasty dish xx
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We have A big snow storm coming so be nice and share this comforting dish Elaine!
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My pleasure, packing you up a bowl full right now!
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❄️😱❄️💕
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Keep warm and safe xxx
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co hosting sounds like fun and this recipe is amazing. I love the spices and the blend you are showing us! yumm The dish looks hearty and warm yumm
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Thank you, I think you’d like it 🙂
And consider co hosting, it’s a great way to share your blog x
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I should participate, I keep forgetting! Thanks for this post!
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🙂 x
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xoxo
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Such a perfect dish for a nice cold day like I’m having today! I’ll be making this soon 🙂
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Yay! Thank you, I hope you like it x
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Thanks for sharing your recipe – it looks like a hearty and warm dish for this time of year – and it was also good to learn more about Fiesta Friday. I was always curious about its inner workings! Happy weekend! 🙂 xo
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It’s my pleasure, would you consider co hosting maybe?
I’m glad you like the dish, I think you’d like it xx
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Hosting is definitely something I’ll keep in mind. Next time around, I’ll pop over and scope things out. 🙂 The dish is right up my alley…our should I galley, ha ha. 😉 xo
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🙂 xx
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Elaine, you have really got me thinking seriously about co-hosting FF. I’ve wanted to do it all along, but now I know I should. ♥ The spice mix is absolutely awesome, making some soon!
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That’s great, I promise you’ll enjoy it, just let Angie know and she can add you to the rota 🙂
And thank you, I hope you like the spice mix x
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This sounds absolutely delicious! I might pop some fresh goat cheese or yogurt on top…maybe evem some chopped cilantro. But, I could eat a bowl of it right now just as is. It’s the way I love to eat.
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Yay! You and I definitely share a lot of tastes, I add goats cheese or yoghurt or labneh to so many dishes. Thank you xx
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Happy co hosting dear.. Veggis and chickpea looks inviting
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Thank you 🙂
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That’s it Elaine! I am sold!! In more ways than one!! You roped me in with the ” Shawarma” in the title, then all my favorite veggies and definitely the co-hosting!! Happy FF!
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Yay!! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you like it all 🙂 x
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Wonderful, wonderful post, Elaine! Co-hosting is such a fun thing to do. I really hope that we will also have new co-hosts for them to experience these things. And what a lovely recipe, too! Happy FF103. Wishing you a lovely weekend with your boys! 🙂 x
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Thank you so much, honey, I’m glad you like it. And yes, let’s hope I might have inspired some new co hosts xxxx
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A wonderful inviting bowl Elaine. Looks very tasty. Superb shout out for FF and for co-hosting. Have a nice weekend! 🙂 xxxx
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Thank you so much, lovely Linda xxxx
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I just got a batch of spices that I ordered and I will make your lovely spice mix! Your bowl of vegetable and chickpeas sounds irresistible!
Great that you mentioned co hosting Fiesta Friday! It is great and what a party to be a part of 🙂 Have a great weekend 🙂
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Wonderful, I hope you like it 🙂 and thank you xx
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I love simple, filling, quick recipes and this one definitely takes the cake! The spices and veggies are some of my faves. Also, thanks so much for co-hosting! I think one day I would love to help out as well 🙂
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Thank you so much, it was such a tasty dish 🙂
And do consider co hosting, it’s worth it x
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Well done for explaining the co-hosting, I do enjoy it I think it just takes a little courage to do it the first time (it seems so grand!) Anyway your food looks delicious as well. A great-sounding spice mix.
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Thank you 😉
And yes, I hope I’ve encouraged some new co hosts x
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This is definitely a dish I could warm up with and yes to the tahini on top!
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Ha ha! Tahini on everything!!!
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Lovely- a comforting & healthy dish! Fabulous of you to spill the beans on co-hosting too! 😉 I’ve enjoyed doing it in the past myself! Happy FF!
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Thank you, Josette 🙂
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Oh my, this is perfect… looks so hearty and delicious. .. all in one dish… yummm
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Thank you 🙂 x
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This looks amazing. Had to pin it so I could show it to my hubby – he’s the cook in our house and he loves to work with all these spices.
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Lovely, thank you 🙂
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Looks delicious!! Friday fiesta always looks like lots of fun! xx
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It is, you just join in sometime?
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Elaine, this is a gorgeous dish! I love the spice mix, too! I have GOT to try it! I have had more fun the times I’ve hosted FF, and with our newer endeavor (have to put in a plug) Throwback Thursday. Heck, I wouldn’t have “met” so many wonderful bloggers otherwise who have looked, commented, encouraged and challenged my own ideas about food otherwise!
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Thank you 🙂 and I completely agree, it’s a great way to meet so many bloggers x that and Throwback Thursday of course…;)
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🙂
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What a great idea for a vegetarian Shwarma, Elaine!
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Thank you 🙂 I have applied the spice mix to other veggies too in the past and it always works well x
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Thanks Elaine! Will try it for sure. I use many of those spices in my Indian cooking, so have all of them handy!
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Lovely 🙂 I think every spice mix just has slight variations, we use the same spices, just in different quantities 🙂
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Yumyum! If I call it shawarma do you think the boys will eat it! 😛 I think I might try this for my next ladies who lunch – can’t go wrong with all those lovely spices AND chickpeas in it! 😀 Hosting… sounds great – I’d already emailed Angie when you mentioned it last week! 🙂 x
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That sounds good, I hope you and the ladies like it 😉
And great new re co hosting – but that aside, just join in the blog party anyway x
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Yes… I will try to come to the party tomorrow! 🙂 x
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