Shawarma-jo Tacos

Thank you, Disney Cruise Line!

 Why?  Well, it was there--by the pool deck--that I had my first taste of shawarma.  I thoroughly enjoyed the shaved, slow-roasted chicken with its unusual spice set.  The fresh fixins and delicious garlic aioli made it a special treat.

I've been wanting to figure out how to recreate it but, doggone it, I don't have a roasting spit or the patience for all-day roasting!  And ever since I started using Thrive Life foods, I'm been a little spoiled in the quick meal prep department.  I want it.  And I want it now.

So I combed the internet, looking for just the right recipe to "Thrive-alize".  After a less than stellar attempt, I found a recipe that fit just right.  Thrive's Seasoned Chicken Slices make it super fast.  They are freeze dried and reconstistute quickly.  Once the spices have been added to them, they really only need to heat through!

 Why the funky name?  Well, I thought I'd use my Thrive dough mix to try and simulate naan bread.  Didn't work.  But what happened was a scone-like bread circle that my family has previously used for Navajo Tacos.  So I thought, well.....let's mix the two.  Add a little garlic sauce, and there you go! 

If you don't want to try this recipe with Thrive foods (why wouldn't you, though?  It's so super fast!) then I encourage you to visit the recipe site that I used as a springboard for my Thrive-alized version, Jo Cooks.  And if you don't have time to do the bread, pick up some naan bread in your grocery store.

Give shawarma a try.  Your hunger will be AVENGED!

 

Ingredients:
Taco Bread
 1 1/3 c. hot water
 2 1/4 tsp. THRIVE Instant Dry Yeast
 1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
 4 c. THRIVE Honey Whole Wheat Dough Mix
Chicken Shawarma
 4 c. THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices - Freeze Dried
 2 c. hot water
 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
 1/2 c. Olive Oil
 2 tsp. Paprika
 1/2 tsp. Ground Turmeric
 2 tsp. cumin
 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
 2 tsp. ground black pepper
 1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
 4 clv. Garlic, minced
Garlic Yogurt Sauce 
 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
 1 c. Vegetable Oil
 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
 6 clv. Garlic, peeled
 1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
 1 tbsp. THRIVE Parsley
Toppings
 diced hothouse cucumbers
 halved grape tomatoes
iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly

Directions:
 Taco Bread 
1. Dissolve yeast in hot water (hot from the tap). Add salt. Whisk. Stir in Thrive dough mix.
2.  Knead for 5 minutes. Lightly cover dough with a little vegetable oil, place in bowl, cover with towel, and allow to rise until dough has doubled in size.
3.  Punch dough down. Divide into 8 equal pieces.
4.  Place nonstick or cast iron skillet on stove on medium heat.
5.  Take one piece of dough, roll into ball, then flatten as thin as possible with your hands. Place on skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
6.  Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
Chicken Shawarma
1.  Put the chicken into a bowl and add the 2 cups of water. Toss with a spoon every few minutes while you let it reconstitute (about 15 minutes).
2.  Put remaining shawarma ingredients into a small bowl, whisk well, and pour over the chicken (after the chicken has sat for 15 minutes). Toss to coat the chicken well.
3.  Drizzle a little vegetable or olive oil in a large skillet and heat to medium high on the stove. Pour in the chicken and allow it to heat through for about 5 minutes.
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and process for 1-2 minutes. Allow to rest while you prepare the toppings.
Assembling the Tacos
Place a bread circle on a plate and top with some chicken. Add toppings and drizzle with sauce.

Notes:
This recipe is highly customizable; reduce or increase the shawarma spices as you see fit.
Too much garlic?  Simply reduce.
Want a creamier sauce?  Increase yogurt and decrease oil.
Play around with it and make it your own!