Alon Shaya, chef at Safta 1964 at Wynn Las Vegas, is stopping by the TODAY kitchen to share recipes for two of his favorite dishes, which both happen to be vegetarian (and easily made vegan): falafel made bright green with fresh herbs, and muhammara, a thick yet airy dip made of tomatoes, peppers, hazelnuts and pomegranate.
These falafel are bright and fresh-tasting thanks to a load of fresh herbs. (Don’t be intimidated by the dried chickpeas; as long as you soak them overnight, they aren’t cooked, making the prep as easy as throwing everything into a food processor.) They’re great with so many things: Swaddle them in a pita with harissa, tumble them into a simply dressed salad or dip them into tzatziki. My favorite way is to drizzle the tops with prepared tahini.
It’s hard to think of a single savory dish that couldn’t be improved by this muhammara, a paradoxically thick yet airy purée of caramelized tomatoes and peppers, toasty hazelnuts and concentrated pomegranate bittersweetness.
If you like those recipes from Alon Shaya, you should also try these:
