Vegetarian Inspiration With Chef Tal Ronnen

Mediterranean Living was invited to share a recipe inspired by Chef Tal Ronnen’s creations for Wynn Hotels in Las Vegas. Tal Ronnen is a top vegan chef and author of the New York TImes bestselling book, The Conscious Cook. He is also the owner of The Crossroads restaurant in Los Angeles. The Crossroads is recognized as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the US. Tal Ronnen created all of the vegetarian and vegan options for the Wynn Hotels. 

I was thrilled to gain some inspiration from his dishes and pored over the restaurant menus at Wynn. One of the shared plates that we liked best from Terrace Point Cafe, was the Mediterranean Trio. It’s a meze platter of hummus, olive tapenade, babaganoush and flat bread. These are all some of our favorite Mediterranean starters and there are lots of ways you can bring your own taste and style to these dishes. I loved that we could share three of our creations with Wynn Hotels and Tal Ronnen by choosing this delicious option! 

I decided to share recipes that are prepared with some of the major ingredients of Ronnen’s creations. We hope you enjoy these recipes and will be inspired to make them all together as a meze platter! 

Garlicky Lima Bean, Roasted Red Pepper and Harissa Hummus

I ramped up traditional hummus with the addition of the full flavors of garlic and roasted red pepper. I spiced it up with a little Egyptian harissa and got a show stopper! Feel free to use chickpeas if you prefer in this dish. 

Here is the Garlicky Lima Bean, Roasted Red Pepper and Harissa Hummus recipe. 

Marinated Eggplant with Mint & Capers

Inspired by Tal Ronnen’s use of eggplant in his plate, I thought I should share one of my all time favorite eggplant meze dishes. This is a dish that showcases the beauty of the eggplant while wonderfully combining flavors for addicting results. Share this at your next dinner party to thoroughly impress your guests. And, the recipe is easy and comes together pretty quickly. It will taste just as delicious the next day, just freshen up with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top. Sometimes I add parmesan over the top and a little good quality balsamic vinegar. 

Try the Marinated Eggplant with Mint & Capers recipe. 

Roasted Red Pepper Olive Tapenade and Toast 

Yes, I have succumbed to the recent frenzy for all things toast. I think you’ll love this toast recipe that features layers of mozzarella topped by a salty, tasty roasted red pepper olive tapenade. You’ll love the mingling of spices in this dish, to include cumin, cardamom, Aleppo pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. 

Enjoy our Roasted Red Pepper Olive Tapenade and Toast.

We guarantee that your guests will polish off these appetizers in short order!

Thank you to Vegas From The Inside for inviting us to share our take on a Tal Ronnen creation! 

Here is a link to the Wynn Hotel restaurants.

And, here is a link to Tal Ronnen’s Crossroads restaurant.