Simple California Sushi Bowls

We LOVE sushi. What we don’t love, however, are all the dangerous ingredients hidden in restaurant-made sushi. The artificial colors in the surimi, the alcohol  and high-fructose corn syrup in the unagi, the MSG in the soy sauce. Many think of sushi as a healthy option but when you break it down, it becomes clear that these ingredients are far from clean and healthy. So what’s a sushi lover with little time to do? Make homemade sushi bowls of course!

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As you know, both my husband and I are in graduate school so the less time we can spend to have a filling and healthy meal on the table, the better! While I enjoy making sushi rolls every once in a while, I really don’t have time for it with my schedule. This is why I’ve been working on meal plans with little time investment but big impact. With a little bit of preparation, this meal can easily come together in under 30 minutes. 20 minutes for the rice to cook and cool while you cut up the vegetables and make the crab salad. That is it! For the crab salad, we use a surimi that is made from Alaska pollock and is free of alcohol, artificial colors, and phosphates. You can make this recipe even healthier by substituting the sushi rice with brown rice or cauliflower rice and using a larger variety of vegetable toppings including carrots and daikon. Either way you’ll have one amazing bowl packed with all the flavor of a California roll for a fraction of the cost and in no time at all!

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Simple California Sushi Bowls

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients
2 cups sushi rice (subsitute brown rice or cauliflower rice)
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
12 oz. flake style surimi (we use Simply Surimi)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (more if you like it creamier)
1 teaspoon Sriracha (more if you like it spicier)

Toppings
Cucumbers
Avocado
Scallions
Sesame Seeds
Nori

Note: This recipe makes between 4-6 sushi bowl servings depending on how big your serving size is. If you’re an individual making this recipe, it is enough to have you covered for a week of lunches. If you’re a family of four, it will take care of one meal time.

Directions

  1. Prepare your sushi rice by rinsing the rice in a bowl under cold water until the water becomes clear (about 3 times).
  2. In a medium saucepan bring the rice and 2 cups of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes then remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes while you prepare the vinegar and sugar mix.
  3. While the rice is cooking you can dice your toppings and prepare the crab salad as outlined in step 6.
  4. Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
  5. Transfer the rice to a large wooden or glass bowl and add the vinegar mixture, folding gently to coat the grains. The rice is now ready for assembling the sushi bowls.
  6. In a food processor, pulse the surimi until you get a shredded texture. Then pour into a mixing bowl and add the mayo and Sriracha. Adjust to the level creaminess and heat depending on your taste.
  7. Assemble your sushi bowls by layering the sushi rice base and topping with the crab salad, nori, cucumbers, avocado, scallions, and sesame seeds. Serve alongside spicy mayo and soy sauce.

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Keeping it Cozy: Simple ways to add warmth to your home

With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving ahead, we are inevitably inching closer to the end of the year and to even colder weather (brrrr… just the thought makes us cold). The good news, however, is that there are a few simple ways to kick the coziness factor of your home up a few notches and I’ll be sharing them with you in this post. It really doesn’t take much to make a space inviting and cozy. No matter what your style is, if you can envision yourself curling up with a good book or good company and forget all your troubles then you’re doing something right. The fall and winter seasons makes this more of necessity because there’s less going out and more staying in. The last thing you want is to be sitting in is an uninspiring space all winter. Plus with the many holidays around the corner, you’ll definitely want a welcoming space where your family can gather. Here are just a few ideas that you can implement today:

Bring out the throws. Nothing says warmth like a soft, fluffy throw. A throw hanging out on your sofa is a nice invitation to relax and feel right at home after a long busy day.

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Light it up.  Candles and string lights add a warm, cozy glow to any space especially when it’s cold outside. Furthermore, the scent of your home can really make or break the mood. Try burning or diffusing fragrances that are meaningful to you. Some of our favorites include cotton, balsam fir, orange, and vanilla.
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Warm drinks at the ready. Whether you’re a coffee or tea or hot cocoa drinker, having a tray or cart set up for an evening sip-a-thon will transform your space from cozy to COZY. I mean, who doesn’t dream of relaxing in their home with a warm mug of their favorite beverage in hand?
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As you can see, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about how we can make our home a little cozier for the winter. During my browsing adventures, I came across many home decor items that I found both beautiful and cozy so I put them all in a mood board for you  with sources included. For now, my plan is to add winter greenery with some fairy lighting but our living room always feels cooler in the winter even with the heat on so I thought it would be nice to have a TV stand with fireplace. One can dream, am I right? Anyways, I hope you find inspiration in our little collection and in our simple tips for making your space cozy for this winter season.

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Sources: 1. Wayfair | 2. H&M Home | 3. IKEA | 4. Amazon | 5. H&M Home | 6. IKEA | 7. Target | 8. H&M Home

What are some ways you like to make your space cozy for the changing seasons? Tell us in the comments below and as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

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There and Back Again: A last-minute DIY Halloween Hobbit Costume

 Halloween is just a day away so if you’re scrambling for a last minute costume idea, we have just the thing for you! Now do you want to take a wild guess what my son and daughter will be dressed up as? Hobbitses!!! Yes, Hobbits! Frodo Baggins and his side kick Samwise Gamjee to be exact. We don’t really celebrate Halloween per say (our kids don’t even eat candy) but every year my good friend hosts a “babyween” as a place for the kids to get together, dress up for fun, and enjoy healthy snacks and fun games. This year she will also be adding a giving component to the party so we will be taking canned goods that she will be donating to a local food pantry. As I’m sure you already know, we are huge fans (understatement) of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. The way I see it, we all have role models that we admire and kids grow up looking for those role models. J.R.R. Tolkein’s mythology offers plenty of worthy role models; compassionate, brave, and principled characters that fight to defeat the greatest evil of their time. And what’s not to love about that?

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This costume is super easy to put together and most things (clothing items) you will probably already have at home. The only things you’ll need to get are a piece of fabric for the cloak and clay and a hair clip to make the elven brooch. The fabric doesn’t even need to be sewn because it looks more authentic with uneven and rustic ends. For the elven brooch, I just pulled up an image of the real one as I shaped the clay. It’s not perfect but it looks pretty good. After that, all that’s left is to get dressed in your fancy hobbit attire, pop on a chain with a ring on it, and clip your cloak on. Just remember,

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

What you’ll need:
White/Gray button down shirt
Suspenders
Dress pants like corduroy, khaki, or twill (preferably short or you can roll them up)
Necklace chain with a ring
Fleece fabric square
Elven Brooch

Note: Some of these components may be a choking hazard for young children so be very careful.

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DIY Elven Brooch:

  1. Shape white modeling clay into a leaf and bake for 20 minutes at 250F or according to instructions as it varies by brand.
  2. Once hardened and cool, paint the leaf with green acrylic paint. Let dry.
  3. Glue the clay leaf to a hair clip using hot glue or heavy duty glue. Let dry and you’re all done!

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I’ll be sharing more of the final look on Instagram tomorrow so be sure to come see 🙂 And as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

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Tomato Parsley Rice Soup

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With colder weather finally on the horizon, I thought it would be a perfect time to share one of our favorite soup recipes. I wasn’t much into soup as a kid because I didn’t think it was a legit meal but this one always filled me up. I remember actually being happy coming home to see my dad standing over a large bubbling pot of his famous Tomato Parsley Rice soup. It’s the same look my husband gives when he comes home and sees it simmering on our stovetop. Pure joy. Because who doesn’t love a warm, hearty soup? The wonderful thing about this soup is that it is super easy to make with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Although I call this recipe a tomato soup, it’s not so heavy on the tomato; the tomato paste is more for a bit of color. The real flavor lies in the broth; in the sweetness of the onion and richness of the beef. If you’re not into the meat scene, you can easily make this vegan by leaving the meat out and replacing the broth with a vegetable stock or tomato soup. I’ve made this meal countless times with a tomato soup base and it was a perfectly delicious, healthy, and filling alternative.

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Lately, I’ve been experimenting with boiling meat in advance and storing it with its broth in the freezer and I can happily report that it has not changed the quality of the meat. As long as you boil the meat until it’s tender you can have the base of a great stew or soup at the tip of your fingers. Simply defrost and add whatever flavoring, grains, and vegetables you like and you’ll have dinner ready in no time! This has been a huge time saver for me while my husband and I both navigate graduate school and homekeeping.

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Tomato Parsley Rice Soup

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients:
1 pound beef stew cubes
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 large bunch parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
1/4 cup uncooked rice ( I prefer long grain like basmati)
2 dry bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste (more if you like it a deeper red)
8 cups water/vegetable/beef stock
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more if you like it tangier)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, drizzle a bit of olive oil and brown the beef stew cubes and sauté the onions until translucent.
  2. Add your bay leaves and water/vegetable/beef stock and bring to a boil before reducing the heat. Be sure to skim any impurities that rise to the surface. Then cover and cook on a low simmer until the meat is tender (about 2 hours).
  3. Once your meat is tender, fish it out and shred it with a fork.
  4. To the broth, add in your rice, lemon juice, and tomato paste. Give it a quick stir and let it cook until the rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir in your shredded beef.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Take the pot off the heat and add in the parsley, give it a gentle stir and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
  6. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra parsley and serve with a side of fresh crusty bread.

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If you do give this soup  recipe a try be sure to share with us. We love seeing our recipes on your table 🙂 And as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

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One Room Challenge: Week 3 | Choosing Office Furniture

Hello friends and welcome to week 3 of our One Room Challenge Office Makeover. Hosted by Lisa of Calling It Home,  The One Room Challenge™, is a widely anticipated biannual event every April and October in which twenty design bloggers take the challenge of transforming a space in just six weeks. Every Wednesday, the designers document their progress while sharing their sources and professional advice. On Thursdays, guest bloggers, like us, can play along and support other guest bloggers that are also tackling a room renovation.

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If you’ve been following along since the beginning, you’ll know that we are running a bit behind schedule. As of now, we are officially done with painting the room and we are getting ready to furnish it! Although we haven’t made any big changes yet, we did make some pretty big decisions recently including settling on a rug, blinds, and shelving system. Today is a big day because we are actually going to IKEA to finally purchase many of those things including the Algot system, which we will be installing on the wall where the desks will be located. I’ll be taking my brother and sister-in-law along  with me so they can test out office chairs to determine what is comfortable and stylish for them. Ideally, it would have been nice to thrift and reupholster some office chairs but for longevity and comfort purposes we opted to buy them new instead.  Here are just some of the things we will be picking up today:

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We really wanted to build custom wood shelving but there is simply not enough time in our schedules. At the end of the day, we think the Algot system is the best choice because: 1) it’s easy to install, 2) reasonably priced, 3) modern and clean, and 4) customizable to fit any organizing needs. We will share a post in the future detailing exactly how to purchase and install the Algot for your office space. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the painted room and the itinerary for the last three weeks.

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WEEK 1: Empty office, tape around the walls and windows, and paint

WEEK 2: Finish painting walls

WEEK 3: Finalize and purchase office furniture

WEEK 4: Install shelving, lighting, and window treatments

WEEK 5: Organizing, styling, and decorating

WEEK 6: Cleaning and Final Reveal

Be sure to check back next week for more updates on this fun office project! And as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

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One Room Challenge: Week 2 | Primed to Paint

Hello Friends and welcome to Week 2 of our One Room Challenge Office Makeover. It’s been a busy and rough week (our son got sick with some kind of stomach bug and we are running in the Detroit Free Press Marathon on Sunday) so we are a bit behind schedule. Because of the relatively small scale of work needed for this room, we are not really worried about finishing on time.

ORC GPHosted by Lisa of Calling It Home,  The One Room Challenge™, is a widely anticipated biannual event every April and October in which twenty design bloggers take the challenge of transforming a space in just six weeks. Every Wednesday, the designers document their progress while sharing their sources and professional advice. On Thursdays, guest bloggers, like us, can play along and support other guest bloggers that are also tackling a room renovation.

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As far as this week’s progress goes, we did manage to have the room emptied and primed (thanks little bro). Although it’s hard to tell in the pictures above, the primed walls give a small glimpse of how light paint will transform the feel of the room. And speaking of paint colors, after much deliberation at our local Home Depot, my sister in-law and I decided to go with Behr’s Ultra-Pure White. I think it will offer the blank canvas we need to build a space that is inviting and inspiring to work in. To get an idea of what this might look like in a room, you can read here about this once “color of the month.” All rightie, here’s what the rest of the schedule looks like now:

WEEK 1: Empty office, tape around the walls and windows, and paint

WEEK 2: Paint walls, install shelving and organization systems

WEEK 3: Change light fixture

WEEK 4: Install window treatments

WEEK 5: Organizing, styling, and decorating

WEEK 6: Cleaning and Final Reveal

Be sure to check back next week for more updates on this fun office project! And as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

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One Room Challenge: Week 1 | Simple Office Makeover Mood Board

Happy Friday friends! After getting a taste of our first One Room Challenge back in April when we renovated our bathroom, we are back for another round! Hosted by Lisa of Calling It Home,  The One Room Challenge™, is a widely anticipated biannual event every April and October in which twenty design bloggers take the challenge of transforming a space in just six weeks. Every Wednesday, the designers document their process while sharing their sources and professional advice. On Thursdays, guest bloggers, like us, can play along and support other guest bloggers that are also tackling a room renovation.

ORC GPThis year is a little interesting for us because we are now both in graduate school and so are VERY short on time (can’t stress that enough). While we would love to turn a room upside down for a makeover, we simply do not have the luxury of doing so. Instead we will be working with my brother and sister-in-law to help them design and makeover their home office. Both my brother and sister-in-law are in their last year of undergraduate school and they are newlyweds so they want a space that is budget friendly and one that is comfortable and organized as they continue to pursue their dreams. We are hoping to deliver on all fronts!

BEFORE

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IMG_5990In this post, I’ll be sharing a mood board that I created as an inspirational blueprint. Before I put it together, I created a pinterest board and had my sister-in-law pin some of her favorite office spaces. Then as we boarded a plane for Kansas City, we went over her choices and why she liked them. Of course we didn’t leave out my brother in the decision-making, although he was a little less interested in the particulars. Based on their style interests this is the board I came up with:

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Obviously many of the elements will change as we proceed with the makeover but there are some things that we will stick with: neutrals and black with subtle pops of color, copper accents, and plants. To cut on costs, I will make use of free printables for the wall decor and I will also hit thrift stores and garage sales for much of the small storage furniture and decorative accessories. What I imagine we will spend the most on are office chairs and a rug. Unless by some miracle we hit the thrifting jackpot. The biggest challenges will face are keeping the cost low and balancing between function and aesthetics. My brother really wants a super comfy, ergonomic executive chair and unfortunately those are not the most visually appealing.

71xQWAfmXqL._SL1500_In terms of timeline here are where things stand. My brother is currently cleaning out the office {if you’re reading this bro, you better get on it ;)} to get it ready for painting. As you can see the walls are really dark so we will be picking out a fresh white to brighten up the space and get it primed to be ONE inspirational work space.

WEEK 1: Empty office, tape around the walls and windows, and paint

WEEK 2: Install shelving and organization systems

WEEK 3: Change light fixture

WEEK 4: Install window treatments

WEEK 5: Organizing, styling, and decorating

WEEK 6: Cleaning and Final Reveal

Anyone else working on a makeover for One Room Challenge? Feel free to share in the comments below, we would love to hear what you have planned! Until next week 🙂

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DIY Fall Harvest Wreath

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How is it already October?! In less than one month our daughter (aka Hobbit #2) will be turning one years old and we are feeling all the feels 😦 It doesn’t help that our days are filled with schoolwork and housework, with little time for much else. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t find a way to usher in one of our favorite seasons. As you’ve probably gleaned from our autumn tablescape post, we are really digging the more muted and subtle fall colors (think burgundy, peaches, grayish greens) and I really wanted to celebrate those colors in the form of a welcoming wreath. Between Michaels, Target, and Dollar Tree, I found all the elements that perfectly captured the look I was going for. I dare even say, “I nailed it.” My sister-in-law found it hard to believe that something so pretty could be made from Dollar Tree florals but it can and for well under $10 and 30 minutes too. So if you’re looking for ways to make a beautiful autumn statement but are tight on time and money then this is the perfect project for you 🙂 If you want to see how it’s made then you’re in luck because tomorrow I’ll be collaborating with the CraftBox Girls to bring you a live tutorial at 12 pm EST.  Be sure to tune in, say hello, and get some crafting inspiration 🙂

Supplies
18′ Grapevine Wreath ($3)
Faux Florals ($5)
Faux Pears ($5)
Eucalyptus ($3)
Hot glue gun & glue sticks

Total Cost: $16 + tax

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Pro tip: Don’t forget to use the Michaels app for coupons. I always use my coupon to save 40% off any regular priced item. With the supplies that I purchased, I was able to make 2 wreathes for the price of 1 putting the total cost per wreath at under $10.

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Directions:

  1. Collect your florals, eucalyptus, and faux fruit and start placing them around your grapevine wreath until you are happy with the arrangement. You might have to move things around several times to get the desired look.
  2. Once you have settled on your design, you will need to glue each piece in place using a generous amount of hot glue, embedding the stem deep into the vine, and holding down for 20-25 seconds until firmly in place.
  3. Once all the pieces have been glued down and any excess strands of glue have been removed, you can hang your wreath on a hook or door wreath hanger.

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2 Ingredient All Natural Baby Powder

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Although we are passionate DIYers, we do recognize that we can’t make EVERYTHING in life, even if we wanted to. There are simply not enough hours in the day. However there are some things, in our opinion, that are just silly not to make and this post is about one of them. Less than a month ago, this news came out: “$417 Million Awarded in Suit Tying Johnson’s Baby Powder to Cancer.” It’s not like it was shocking news but it certainly opened up many people to the possibility that baby products were not as clean and safe as they thought. As if parents didn’t have enough to worry about! After I saw my friends sharing the news on Facebook, I figured it would be a good time to write a post about our super simple, alternative baby powder.

It’s not that there aren’t natural or organic baby powder products out there. There certainly are. But expect to dish out anywhere from $7-12 for less than a pound of product, which can definitely add up over time. With my firstborn, we did not really use baby powder and the times when we did use it, our son would get an allergic reaction (we were using Burts Bees, I suspect it was either the fragrance or the limonene). With our second baby, we actually really needed something because our daughter had very sensitive skin and would constantly break out with just the tiniest bit of moisture. Naturally, we tried corn starch but just found it to be so clumpy when it absorbed. After a bit of research I came across the perfect substitute starch: Arrowroot powder, a natural root starch that’s soft, velvety, and absorbs cleanly. For a mild scent, I ground up some dried chamomile which is hypoallergenic and has anti-inflammatory properties (I’m not a doctor but this is pretty common knowledge). I’m not going to say that our daughter’s rash magically disappeared overnight but it did resolve after a few days. We have been using this ever since and have not had any problems. That’s it. Two ingredients. One happy baby bum. Lastly, there are many different containers, including upcycled spice dispensers, that you can use to store and dispense your baby powder but I find that something with a sifter lid works best to get a light and even dusting. I purchased mine from Marshalls for $6 but you can find similar ones on Amazon here.

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Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Arrowroot Powder
1 tablespoon Ground Chamomile

Supplies
Measuring cup
Stainless Steel Container with mesh sifting lid

Directions
1. Measure out and mix your ingredients.
2. Store in a stainless steel dispenser and use regularly as you would any baby powder. I should also add that one should be cautious when using baby powder in general because it can cause respiratory problems if the particles are inhaled. Dispense lightly and away from your baby’s face.

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Vegan Portobello Shawarmas

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I can’t believe how quickly the summer has ended! Although my husband and I both survived our first few weeks of the semester, we know that life is about to get  much busier and even more challenging. Blogging obviously isn’t going to be a main priority (booo, I know) but it will be nice to share some of our adventures as we trudge along through the rest of the school year. Some of the things that will still remain a priority, however, are eating clean and healthy and working toward a simple, sustainable lifestyle. To do that we will definitely have to become more efficient at organizing, meal planning, and prepping and that will certainly be easier with an arsenal of quick and easy recipes.

If you haven’t noticed, one of the things we’ve been trying to do around here is cut down on red meat. Sure there are many vegan dishes out there, including plenty of Middle Eastern options, but gosh darn it when you’re craving a shawarma, sometimes you really need to have your fix. Luckily, I found a way to have just that without the grease and fatty surprises and without all the baggage that comes with eating red meat. Eating portobellos as a meat substitute isn’t something new for us but incorporating meatless substitutes in very classic Middle Eastern recipes is. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? I should note that this recipe has been tested and approved by my brother who leans toward carnivority (not sure if this is a thing). I won’t pretend that he was completely fooled but he had nothing but good things to say (he’s also a man of few words). I guarantee that you’ll be very pleased with this faux shawarma sandwich; the texture and flavor of the mushrooms combined with all of the vegetables and creamy tahini sauce, tastes pretty darn close to the real thing. Not only is it delicious but it is super easy to make and with minimal ingredients too. But you don’t have to take my word for it, try it yourself!

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Vegan Portobello Shawarmas

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients
2 pounds portobello mushrooms
1 teaspoon shawarma spice (more if you like it spicier)
1/4 cup white vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt (to taste)

For sandwiches:
Pita bread
Tomatoes, diced
Onions, thinly sliced
Parsley, chopped
Pickled cucumbers or turnips, sliced
Sumac
Taratoor (tahini sauce)

Note: This recipe makes between 4-6 sandwiches depending on how stuffed you like them.

Directions

  1. Gently wash your portobello mushrooms and slice very thinly.
  2. In a large pan, drizzle olive oil and add in the mushrooms in batches. Each time the mushrooms start cooking down, add another batch to the pan.
  3. Once all the mushrooms are in the pan, add in the shawarma spice and vinegar, stir well to incorporate.
  4. Cook on medium-high until the liquid cooks off and the mushrooms begin to brown, approximately 10 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, prepare all your sandwich toppings and condiments.
  6. Open your pita bread into halves and layer on the goodness: portobello shawarma, tomato, parlsey, pickles, onions, sumac, and a drizzle of taratoor.
  7. Roll up and enjoy!

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