Dinner Party on Repeat

It's all shawarma, all the time around here...

I can’t even keep track of how many times I’ve made a version of this dinner this summer—it checks all the boxes for me. It’s super flavorful, a lot of it can be done in advance, it has good options for the gluten-free, vegetarian & vegan among us, and it can be stretched really really far if you find yourself in a loaves-and-fishes situation, which at least once this summer, we definitely did. Also, four of the items can be store bought, which makes your prep even easier.

If you told me a dozen of my favorite people were coming for dinner in two hours (this is one of my favorite things to daydream about!), here’s what I would do first: sprint to Trader Joe’s for these four things. (No, this isn’t sponsored by Trader Joe’s, but hey, TJ’s, call me anytime!)

1.     Shawarma Chicken Thighs  

These are my favorite—thighs are always more flavorful, and the marinade is perfection. I cook them on a small sheet pan at 400 for 18 minutes, and they’re a dream.

2.     Tzatziki  

Tangy, creamy, the perfect contrast to the spicy chicken.

3.     Zhoug

Okay, first: do not mistake this for pesto—I serve this all the time, and there’s always someone who puts a huge scoop on a cheese-and-pita bite and then coughs emphatically and yelps “this isn’t pesto!” No, it’s definitely not. It’s very spicy, very fresh and green and herby, and I’m in love with it.

4.     Dolmas

Of all the things I’m definitely not skilled enough to make at home, stuffed grape leaves are near the top. Because these are canned, you can keep a few cans in your cabinet for a last-minute happy hour.

Okay, once you’ve got those four in hand, the rest is easy….

Here’s the whole menu:

To start:

A mezze platter: some combination of hummus, muhummara, feta, grape tomatoes, cucumbers (I especially like Persian cucumbers sliced into spears and then salted) dolmas, kalatmata olives, pistachios, pita wedges.

For the main course:

Chicken Shawarma, with a platter next to it with pita, tzatziki, zhoug, pickled red onions.

Watermelon Feta Salad: cubed watermelon, feta, pickled red onions, mint.

Jeweled Rice/Couscous/Quinoa: basically, cook your favorite grain, let it cool to room temp, and then throw in as many of these “jewels” as you like: dried apricots (quartered), raisins (or golden raisins), chopped apple, pistachios or almonds, mint, cilantro, parsley, red onion, green onion.

Toss it all with a tahini/lemon/honey vinaigrette—and this is a good make-ahead recipe, because the flavors get better with a little time.

For dessert:

Baklava—I wholly recommend store bought for this, too, because the last time I baked with phyllo I felt like I was in a losing fight with a bunch of office supplies—it was like kindergarten craft time gone wrong.

Lemon sorbet and Pistachio ice cream or gelato (it’s still pistachio summer in my heart!).

A few thoughts: if you want a couple more sides, or if your party grows right at the last minute, you can toss together some of your tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled red onions into an easy salad. Also, if you need more vegan options you can marinate some chickpeas in a red wine vinaigrette with herbs, red onions, and cucumbers.

This is an easy menu to divide and conquer, too—the host could do the chicken and the jeweled rice, and one friend could bring the mezze, and another the watermelon. The mint, feta, and pickled red onions are used in several different parts of the meal, so one person can pick those up and then share them with everyone, and another can stop at a deli for pita, hummus, and olives.

In terms of serving, usually I put out the mezze platter right away, and serve it with white wine, sparkling water, and mint lemonade.

About 30 minutes before we want to eat dinner, I put in the chicken—18 minutes to cook, a few to rest, then a minute to slice. Before dinner, I replenish the mezze platter, so that people can add hummus or feta, etc. to their shawarma plates, and then I put out the watermelon, rice, and pita alongside the chicken and her accoutrements. People can make pita sandwiches or platters, and this is especially a great recipe for hot nights—you could absolutely do the chicken on the grill and avoid turning on your oven entirely.

I usually serve red wine with dinner, unless it’s really hot out, in which case I stay with white—but this would be really great with a sparkling red, like a Lambrusco. The sorbet and ice cream are perfect for hot nights—sometimes I do a little scoop of each in champagne coupes and hand them around, but if we’re keeping it more casual, I just stick a spoon in each pint and put out some jam jars, & people can help themselves.

Part of why I share recipes and menu ideas here is because I think gathering is really one of the most important things we do in the course of a week or a month, and I know it’s easy to let the food side of it feel overwhelming…I want to make the food part feel do-able and possible, so that nothing stands in the way of you opening your home and getting people around your table.

Here’s to connection, flavor, laughter, feeding and being fed—this is the good stuff.

XO—S