Alon Shaya pairs bright green falafel with velvety muhammara

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.

Bright Green Falafel with Tahini by Alon Shaya

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.

Hazelnut and Pomegranate Muhammara by Alon Shaya

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:

Homemade Pita Bread by Alon Shaya

Baba Ganoush by Alon Shaya

This article was originally published on TODAY.com