Chicken Shwarma Kale Salad with Creamy Techina Dressing

Schwarma has a special place in my heart. Fun fact- when my husband and I started dating, we celebrated each month-aversary of our relationship with a "chetzi-chetzi" schwarma in a laffa- that's a half schnitzel/half turkey thigh combo in a humongous fresh laffa bread, topped with ketchup and fries. I remember both the incredible taste of this combo and the painful stomach ache that always followed. Six years, multiple jobs, and one baby later, we just don't have time for stomach aches. Sometimes we'll both get a serious schwarma craving and this is one of my favorite ways to eat it. It's delicious on its own or you can go for a full on middle eastern meal with roasted eggplant, roasted chickpeas, and falafel. Check out my Mediterranean Medley for those recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a kilo or 1 lb of boneless/skinless chicken thighs (pargiyot)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2-3 Tbsp Schwarma Spice- you can buy a premade one or make your own batch and keep the leftover spice for next time. (Recipe below.)

Schwarma Spice Mix:

• 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 tablespoons turmeric

• 1 1/4 teaspoons paprika

• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander, optional

• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, optional

For the Salad:

• 1 batch curly kale

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 cucumber, diced

• handful of cherry tomatoes

• 1-2 pieces of schwarma chicken, sliced

• Chopped parsley or chives, optional

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup raw techina paste

• 2-3 Tbsp water

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C or 375°F.

2. In a clean bowl, drizzle oil over chicken thighs and season with schwarma spice.

3. Add to a frying pan over high heat. We're just looking to brown the chicken here, not cook it all the way through. Let cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

4. Transfer to a baking sheet or glass baking dish and bake in the oven until cooked through, about 25 minutes.

5. While the chicken is cooking, wash, de-stem and cut the kale and massage leaves with olive oil. This helps remove the bitter taste and makes them easier to digest.

6. Chop up cucumbers and tomatoes and add to a bowl with the kale.

7. In a small jar, combine the techina paste and add water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing thoroughly with a fork until desired consistency is reached. Then add lemon juice and spices and mix.

8. When the chicken is done, slice it up, layer it on top, and drizzle with the techina dressing.

9. Enjoy!