If you’ve ever met me in person, you’ll quickly learn that I’m a walking contradiction between all things fancy candlelit rooftops vs grungy alleyway eats. Both sides of food and dining are fascinating to me. That’s why I’m enamored with this quirky Date Kebab dish so much- she is a walking contradiction. I fell in love with a version of this dish at a swanky rooftop restaurant in downtown Chicago, and I knew I had to recreate it. If you are looking to make a whole cooking experience out of this meal, consider adding on my sweet corn hummus as appetizer.
Quirky Combination
These kebabs are so simple because we are only skewering 3 main ingredients. The combination of sweet and savory.
- Medjool Dates: There are a few types of dates, but Medjool Dates are perfect for these kebabs. This fruit is a natural sweetener, and I would compare them to a sweet, soft, giant raisin. Medjool Dates are usually darker and softer than other dates because they are picked while they are younger.
- Red Onion: This vegetable PERFECTLY balances out the sweetness of Medjool Dates. Red Onion also gives this dish the needed crunch that every dish should have.
- Marinated Cauliflower: The spices used to marinate this cauliflower are going to feel like a warm comforting hug around you… maybe its the hint of cinnamon that always does that?! Thanks, cinnamon. Ensure that you have completely coated cauliflower until every nook and cranny has turned brown. If not, and more oil and continue tossing into coated.
Tips for Date Kebabs
- Soak skewers in for water for about 15-20 minutes. This allows them to be waterlogged and not break and singe during the cooking process.
- Adjust bake time as needed. The first time I baked these they were done in 25 minutes, and that is because my cauliflower pieces were smaller. This time they took almost 40 minutes. I recommend tossed a few rouge cauliflowers on your baking sheet you can taste test when they are close to finish. Maybe even turn the oven to broil for the last 2-3 minutes to get them slightly crisp.
- Ensure that you have purchased dates with the pits removed, if not then remove them before skewering. Nothing would be worse than biting into a pit later.
- Don’t forget the basmati rice pilaf side! These kebabs are amazing, and they are even better with a side of basmati rice pilaf flavored with the same spices that we use to season the kebabs. (Let me know if you want my recipe and I can include it!)
- Sprinkle with a bit of vegan feta cheese before serving. This changed my entire life.
Tzatziki Sauce (optional for the sauce lovers)
Tzatziki sauce is typically has a greek yogurt base with sea salt, lemon, and cucumbers. It’s a light and refreshing choice to go with dishes like kebabs. I have had this dish without a sauce before, and it’s great both ways.
- Plain Unsweetened Cashew Yogurt: Finding dairy free yogurt can be challenging at times. I often have luck at Trader Joe’s. You can also use a plain unsweetened coconut yogurt, or if you’re feeling really wild make your own!
- Sea Salt: This is where I utilize my coarsest salt. I had a bag of chunky sea salt I brought back from my trip to Portugal that was AMAZING with this tzatziki. I like to taste the chunks.
- Cucumbers: This is the ingredient that will leave you feeling refreshed. I tend to use English Cucumbers aka hot-house cucumbers because I feel like the have the most flavor. You can use whatever you have those! These will be grated up into your tzatziki sauce.
Basmati Rice Pilaf
As I’m wrapping this recipe up, I have decided it would be inhumane of me not to give some basic instructions a rice side (as I’ve insisted that it goes so well with this dish). I haven’t written out and tested this enough to include it in the instructions below, but basically…
- Cook chopped onions in pan with butter until translucent.
- Add rinsed basmati rice with more butter and cook for 2-3 minutes. Toss in all spices (use the same spices used to marinated kebabs).
- Add in water (if using 1 cup of rice, then use about 1.5 cups of water). Cover with lid. Simmer while stirring occasionally.
- When all water have been absorbed and rice is not hard then it is ready to go! At this point you can taste test to add more spices or even some raisins go great in here.
If you want to try out the inspiration for this recreation then check out Aba in downtown Chicago. They are known for their posh, elevated Mediterranean dishes! Lastly, if you want to make an entire dinner party out of this meal, then why not add in an appetizer!? My sweet corn hummus goes ABSOLUTELY swimmingly with this dish. I guess this means I am going to need to head back into the kitchen and start considering a dessert to go with this meal. You know I never pass on dessert.