Like most cooks, a ton of recipes come across my social media feeds and I am grateful because that’s where I get inspiration, like this Mediterranean Nachos recipe from Vegan Richa (recipe below).
My daughter is home from college and she loves chicken shawarma and I love most foods mediterranean so this seemed like a perfect meal for us to make together, with modifications. We added in diced chicken breast for her and I really love my own yoghurt-based tzatziki recipe so it wasn’t vegan or even vegetarian but you could definitely make it either.
Protein Topping: We sautéed the chicken breast, added in the chickpeas when the chicken was nearly cooked through, sprinkled in the shawarma spice blend from the original recipe, splashed in a little water and let that simmer while we fried up the pita bread.
Pita Bread Chips: Our friend Craig brought a platter of pita bread and dips over last year for my birthday celebration and we have been making our naan and pita bread like he does ever since. He heats up a tablespoon or two of grapeseed or olive oil in a cast iron skillet. He then adds a dab of fresh pressed garlic, garlic powder, dried basil and sea salt onto both sides of the naan or pita bread, then drops it into the skillet until it lightly chars, flips it over to char other side and voila! So good! Slightly charred on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside with amazing flavor in every bite! Serve while it’s still warm.
Veggie Toppings: We topped our nachos with cucumbers, pepperoncinis, green olives and pickled red onions because that’s what we had in the fridge but you could experiment with other veggies that you like.
Tzatziki: I’ve been making this recipe and serving it to friends and family for years and it is still my favorite. Serve it with roasted potatoes, meats, veggies, bread or these nachos. It never disappoints! Stir together the following:
- 16 oz. full fat Greek yoghurt, plain
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1/8 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt or more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 c. chopped fresh dill
- 5 cloves pressed garlic
- 1 cucumber, shredded and squeezed dry (use tea towel or strong paper towel)
In addition to amazing layers of taste and texture, you can feel good about eating this much healthier-than-usual version of nachos; a great way to start off the new year.
Check out the original Mediterranean Nacho recipe from Vegan Richa right here.
Let me know what you think of these Mediterranean Nachos if you end up making them by leaving a comment below. Happy New Year!
