Chicken Shawarma with Insanely Good Hummus

and my thoughts on eating while traveling

Summer is my busy season. In the land of competitive dance, summer is when all of those big dance numbers get made and that is usually when I’m my busiest. It’s my most creative time of the year for sure and there is a huge load of travel involved. Eating while traveling can be good or it can be not so good….it just really depends on where you are. I won’t go into too much detail but I’ve had my share of Uber eats fiascos and food poisoning to know that if you travel a ton, you better be mindful of what you’re consuming. I’ve learned to equip myself with some basics when I travel that keep me feeling at home amid all the stress and chaos.

My travel bag typically includes some high-quality coffee from Cometeer because coffee ranks high when you are creating and dancing all day and that hotel coffee just won’t cut it. Thanks to my friend Erica for this! It also includes something new that I started taking which is AG1. If you aren’t on social media, you may not have heard of it but if you are on Instagram at all, I’m sure you’ve seen an ad or two about it. It’s basically a green powder that contains everything your body needs and supports energy levels, immune health, gut health, healthy aging, and hormonal and neural health. As luck would have it,  my  good friend Anna, who is very much into all the things to keep you healthy, had a huge supply of it and didn’t want it because it made her feel funny. Well, she gave me about a 2-week supply, and I ended up really liking the stuff. I didn’t want to, but I did. My digestion was different and my overall energy levels were becoming more stable. So, it has now become part of my routine especially when I travel and end up eating airport food reluctantly. To add to the arsenal, I bring fruit, nuts, protein bars, and a huge Ziplock of supplements which have kept me feeling healthy this entire year. I’m in my mid forties and I’ve noticed that adding Magnesium daily has been a game changer with my mood and sleep and also discovered a lovely supplement called Cortisol Manager that has really helped with turning off my brain and lowering my cortisol naturally especially after long days of music, dance and travel.

What are some of your travel tips when it comes to staying healthy and fed well on the go? I’d love to be able to share a little travel list for everyone with all of the recommendations.

On the days I’m home my family craves my cooking and so do I. I must admit, John does an outstanding job of holding it down while I’m gone but having a nice, healthy meal all together that was prepared with wholesome ingredients, really does hit the spot. As much as I love what I do, it takes me away from my family quite a bit which makes these dinners at home that much more special. In the midst of all the travel, I try to make stuff that will not only be great for a family meal but also something that will yield leftovers and be great in a bowl or on a salad for a plane ride. One meal in particular that has been in heavy rotation for years in this category is chicken shawarma. This is one of those recipes that stays in our regular meal plan and I always have a bottle of the spice blend ready to go.

Shawarma is of Middle Eastern origin and is typically meat cooked on an upright rotisserie. The word "shawarma" comes from the Arabic word "shawi," which means "to turn." The meat is layered on top of itself so that when the fat renders it drips down onto the other pieces of meat. It’s insanely delicious and one of my most favorite things to eat. The way I recreate it at home is by using boneless skinless chicken thighs and roasting them with all those beautiful spices and then hitting that meat with the broiler for extra crispy bits. It’s easy, super flavorful and comes together quickly. Depending on the day I serve it with rice, salad, or potatoes…but my favorite way is this way: On a bed of smooth and luscious homemade hummus, with a few other sides. If you have never made hummus at home, consider this your birthday…because this recipe is a gift. I should mention, to make this hummus you’ll need either a blender, or a food processor. A high speed blender, like my fave Vitamix will give you the creamiest and fluffiest hummus, another reason to invest in one, but it can still be done in a regular blender or food processor. My hummus loving hubs has stated time and again that this is his favorite hummus and every time I make it for people they ask for the recipe so happy birthday to you, I’m giving you the gift of hummus along with a chicken recipe that will also go in your greatest hits catalog and hopefully in rotation at your family table! I’ve added some notes in the section below as well as the printable recipe for you for ease. If you’re not keen on making your own at home hummus, this shawarma would be excellent with Herby Orzo Salad!

COMING UP THIS SUNDAY

Fall is approaching, I know, crazy right? I thought it would be cool to create a pantry/ stock list for the season approaching. Basically everything you’ll need to have on hand to get to making those cozy fall meals. Also, I’ve included a cool checklist of all of the ingredients that I typically have in my pantry for good home cooking and for all of the recipes included on the newsletter. This way when I hit you with a recipe you are stocked and only have a few things to buy. Exciting stuff people, this comes to your inbox on Sunday so don’t miss it!!!

To get you started, I have a list of all of my favorite kitchen equipment and tools on one page, you can check that out here!

Lisette’s Kitchen Roundup

Chicken Shawarma with Insanely Good Hummus

Serves 2-4 (makes a ton of hummus that will last for the week!)

Chicken Shawarma

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (approx 1.5 lbs)