Baked Falafel

I spent a semester in Israel, when I was in college, and I grew a real love for falafel. I loved buying it from street vendors, who would cut the pitas with an Exacto Knife, and throw in several deep fried balls of golden deliciousness, along with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, and a generous slather of tahini. Oh, the unhealthiness of it all... Take a perfectly innocent chickpea, and transform it into the ultimate fast food.

Fast forward to last week, when I decided to try these Baked Falafel balls, from App for Reduction. I've never cooked with chickpea flour, so I was a little intimidated, and unsure about how the outcome would be, but the result was pretty tasty. Well, actually, I had a little cold, so I'm not sure I truly got a real taste, but I really liked them, nonetheless. So, here's the thing - despite the fact that these taste flavorful, and quite delicious, they still aren't fried. So, if you go to make these, please do not expect them to taste juicy and deep fried. They don't, because they're not. That being said, they are super easy to make, and have a really full-bodied chickpea flavor, with a slightly lemony accent from the coriander, and a nice deep spice, from the hot sauce and cumin. Also, Kevin enjoyed them in a whole wheat pita, while I ate them over a salad and steamed veggies, which I loved. I'll make these again, for sure. They are a quick weeknight meal, and a nice alter




Make these. 4 bowls.

Baked Falafel
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 small onion, chopped roughly (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tsp of olive oil
2 tsp hot sauce (I like Cholula)
3 to 4 tablespoons chickpea flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprike
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 pinches of freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Pulse chickpeas and garlic in a food processor. Add the onion, olive oil, and hot sauce, and blend until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary, to make sure you get everything.

Transfer the mix to a mixing bowl. mix in the 3 tbl of chickpea flour, cumin, coriander, paprika, baking powder, salt, and pepper. The mix should be mushy, but firm enough to shape into balls. If it doesn't seem firm enough, add a tbl of chickpea flour.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. From the mix into walnut-sized balls, then flatten into little patties. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes; they should be browned on the underside. Remove the falafel from the oven, spray with a little more cooking spray, then flip the patties over,a nd bake for 8-10 more minutes.

Hawaiian Chicken with Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini

I know it's been a while since my last post, but we've had to work on our leftovers. Man oh man, we had a lot of leftovers. After we finished them, I chose to make a couple of dishes I'd made in the past so that we could feast on some oldies but goodies. It was nice to come to the table, knowing we'd love the food.

Tonight was a different story. I decided to try this Hawaiian chicken, from the January issue of Cooking Light. The issue is full of chicken recipes, and so far, we loved all the ones we've tried. This was no exception. It marinated for about 4 hours in the fridge, and the end result was a juicy, sweet and sour chicken, that tasted really delicious. We aren't pineapple lovers in this house, but the pineapple juice, mixed with the soy sauce, and the sweet and spicy ginger, just really made for a nice, mellow flavor. The only issue I had with this one, was that I attempted to cook it on the stovetop, without a grill pan (I can't deal with the smoke from my grill pan), and I ended up popping it into the oven after about 10 minutes, because it just refused to cook through. It wasn't such a biggie, but it prolonged dinner a bit.

Anyway, I was going to serve this with an orzo veggie toss, but at the last minute, I decided to make a chickpea and zucchini stew. I adapted the recipe, from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new book, and I was NOT disappointed. This is dish has a really rich, comforting flavor, that I just loved. I served it over brown rice, and it was a really nice blend of spicy and salty, with a robust tomato richness. I didn't think it would coordinate very well, with the chicken, but it was actually perfect. I cut up the chicken and ate the 2 together, which added a great depth of flavor, and a really lovely sweetness.

You know dinner was good, when you think about it for the rest of the night...


Make this. It's sweet. It's salty. It's juicy. 4 Bowls.

Hawaiian Chicken


Other Time: 4 hours, 23 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1/2 cup rice)


1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.

3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.

CALORIES 247 ; FAT 1.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.4g); CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 26mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.2g; SODIUM 674mg; PROTEIN 29.9g; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.9mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2011

Make this. It's good. Really good. 4 Bowls.

Moroccan Chickpeas & Zucchini

Adapted from Appetite for Reduction
1 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic (I use bottled)
1 tbl of minced, fresh ginger
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp of salt
2 cups of veggie broth
1 cup of carrot chunks or baby carrots
2 zucchini, sliced
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can of chickpeas
1 15 ounce can of cannelini beans

In a large stockpot, saute onion in olive oil, over medium high heat, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Use a little Pam or broth if needed. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and saute another minute.

Add the remaining spices and salt, and saute for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pot with veggie broth and mix in carrots. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes, and mix in beans.

Cover the pot and bring to a slow boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Then adjust lid, to partially cover, and cook for another 15 mins, as liquid reduces a little. Turn off heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove bay leaves and taste for salt.

Serve over couscous or brown rice.

Thai Root Vegetable Curry

I swear, after I post this review, I will stop making curries for a while. Seriously.

This is another vegan Isa recipe (from Appetite for Reduction), and I loved it. Kevin thought it was so-so. It is actually a really cool recipe - I mean, who would have thought to roast brussels sprouts, butternut squash, turnips, and parsnips, for a curry?! Well, I loved the flavors in this one, but I think it was a bit strong for the rest of the family. Basically, I don't think my family loves Isa's curry recipes, because they are really high in flavor, but they don't have enough richness, because she cuts way down on the coconut milk. So, I don't think I'll be making this again, though I wish it was an option, because I really thought it tasted terrific. It was a green curry, which I've never made before, and the nutty sweetness of the roasted vegetables made it so tasty. I definitely had some problems with under-roasted parsnips and turnips, so I think I needed to make the chopped veggies a bit more uniform in size. Anyway, this post is a little "all over the place," but the moral of the story is - this was good. Really good, in my opinion. Maybe it's a little too "out there" for some, but I thought it was a winner...



I really wish I could post these recipes, but all I can say, is that you should really buy this book. She is brilliant, when it comes to blending amazing flavors, and doing it without destroying your kitchen, and killing your whole afternoon!

3 Bowls!

Vegetarian West African Stew

My friend, Jayme, sent me this recipe last week. It had been handed down to her, and she thought of me and passed it along. I was immediately skeptical about this recipe, because it calls for peanuts. Kevin have always been less than thrilled with nuts in his food, despite the fact that he likes nuts. In the past, when I've crusted things with almonds, or thrown cashews into the rice, he has shown obvious dislike. That being said, I've been anxious to try cooking with peanuts, and Jayme assured me that it didn't have a peanut-heavy flavor.

Anyway... Fast forward to Tuesday evening, when I whipped up this stew. First of all, this is so easy to prepare. Even grinding the peanuts is fun, though I'm sure you could just use organic peanut butter in its place (I think if you use JIF, it would be a little too sweet and salty for the stew). The end product is positively delicious. It has a smokey, salty, sweet flavor, and the peanuts lend a subtle, nutty flavor. The stew definitely doesn't have a strong peanut flavor, but the peanuts are absolutely essential to the deep flavor. The other thing to note about this stew, is that it makes a TON of food. We have leftovers scattered throughout the fridge, and every time I open it, I am excited to see more chickpeas. Weird? Perhaps. But I guess that's the sign of a good meal, right?




Make this! It's a delicious, vegetarian, super healthy meal, that will last a week! 4.5 Bowls (it takes a lot to be a 5 Bowler, know what I mean?)!

Vegetarian West African Soup


This hearty one-dish meal is packed with fiber and can be ready in less than an hour.


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)


2/3 cup roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
6 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
Flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)

Place peanuts in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; saut� 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Add peanut butter, potato, and next 6 ingredients (potato through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Garnish with parsley, if desired.


CALORIES 477 (18% from fat); FAT 9.4g (sat 1.3g,mono 3.5g,poly 3.3g); IRON 3.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 110mg; CARBOHYDRATE 89.7g; SODIUM 904mg; PROTEIN 13g; FIBER 13.1g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

We love soups and stews here, at Casa de Marji and Kevin. I haven't been cooking all that much lately, because Kevin has beenn working constantly, and it's difficult to cook and clean, when he isn't home for dinner. Yesterday, he has the afternoon off, so I decided to make something warm and toasty for us. This winter veggie stew is quite delicious. It involves a lot of chopping, but miraculously, it doesn't take all that long to prepare. We are not big fans of turnips here, so I just added more carrots, a green squash, and butternut squash to the mix. I'm sure that changed the flavor a little, but it was definitely to our liking! I was also able to use 2 ingredients that I rarely have a chance to break out. First of all, I used caraway seeds, which involved a mortar and pestle. I love being able to make use of my fun toys. Second, the recipe called for Harrissa, which I used in a lentil dal recipe a few months ago. It's a spicy, tangy, Moroccan condiment, that adds an excellent flavor to soups and stews. Anyway, this dish ended up being a really tasty, mellow blend of sweet (from the squash and honey), and a tangy, underlying spiciness from the harrissa. The cumin, caraway, and coriander made a really delicious, but subtle blend. We loved it - especially with the addition of whole wheat couscous. I will definitely be making this again. Hey, who knows? Maybe next time I'll go crazy and try the turnips... But probably not...

Maya wanted to use my "toy," so I gave her some allspice and coriander to crush. All night, she kept saying, "CRUSH! CRUSH!"

Toasted and crushed caraway seeds.


All aboard. One pot. Lots of veggies. Mmmmmm.

The finished product.


Bottom Line: Try this. It's the ultimate comfort food...
Kevin says: 4 OR 5 Bowls... So, 4.5!

Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

Harissa is a fiery spice paste used in Moroccan cooking. Look for it at Middle Eastern markets. I got it at our local Co-op, in NH, but I think they probably sell it at Whole Foods. It's definitely worth buying!

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup squash mixture, 1/2 cup couscous, and 1 lemon wedge)


2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup (1/2-inch) slices leek (I found frozen, sliced leeks at Trader Joe's! Awesome find!)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 2/3 cups veggie stock (I used Penzey's Veg Soup Base)
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup (1/2-inch) slices carrot
3/4 cup (1-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
1 tablespoon harissa
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound turnips, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges (about 2 medium) (I used a zucchini, and also added more carrots and butternut squash, instead)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Meh. I omitted this one.)
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/3 cups uncooked couscous (Try the whole wheat variety. Get it cheap at TJ's, or in the bulk bins at Whole Foods!)
8 lemon wedges (Omitted)

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and leek; sauté 5 minutes. Add coriander and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3 cups Simple Vegetable Stock and the next 8 ingredients (through chickpeas); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and honey.

2. Remove 2/3 cup hot cooking liquid from squash mixture. Place cooking liquid and remaining 2/3 cup stock in a medium bowl. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

CALORIES 264 ; FAT 2.3g (sat 0.3g,mono 1g,poly 0.6g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 92mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.5g; SODIUM 425mg; PROTEIN 8.3g; FIBER 7.5g; IRON 2.4mg

**5 Points, in case you're counting!

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009

Fall Vegetable Curry with Basmati Pilaf

We obviously love curry dishes in our house, and this one boasted a quick cooking time, so I thought I'd give it a try tonight. I rarely cook vegetarian dinners that aren't soup, so I was looking forward to trying this one. The recipe recommended serving it with Cashew Rice, but I decided to try a rice pilaf recipe that looked really interesting. The flavor of both recipes was great. I loved the curry. It was a nice blend of sweetness from the potatoes, and salty spiciness, from the curry and chickpeas. The only problem with it, was the cooking time. It seemed to me, that everything needed to be cooked longer. The onions still had a bit of bite to them, and the potatoes were a tad toothsome as well. It was frustrating, because it was pretty uneven - some of it was cooked to perfection, while parts of it seemed underdone. I loved the flavor, however, so I'd like to try this one again.



Fall Vegetable Curry


Other Time: 30 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup curry and 2 tablespoons yogurt)


1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.

CALORIES 231 ; FAT 3.9g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.9g); CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 106mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.8g; SODIUM 626mg; PROTEIN 10.4g; FIBER 8.6g; IRON 2.5mg

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2010

The rice dish was interesting, because it called for both rice and vermicelli in the same dish. I had a lot of green onions in my fridge, so it was a good way for me to use them. I've never used my Calphalon pots in the oven, so I was a little nervous about how this one would come out. I was supposed to cook it in a dutch oven, but I don't have one, so I had to settle for my soup pot. The rice came out underdone, though it had absorbed all the liquid and was stuck to the bottom of my pot. So, basically, it seemed like it, too, needed more cooking time, and more liquid. Once again, parts of it were fine, while parts were toothsome. I loved the flavor though, and the parts that were well cooked, tasted delicious. This might have happened because I didn't use a dutch oven. Perhaps there's a reason it didn't call for making it in a giant pot. Hmph. Anyway, this one was a keeper as well, but it needs some refining, if I want to make it in my big pot again. Or... I may just have to break down and buy a dutch oven.
Basmati Pilaf with Vermicelli and Onions


This is a version of arroz con fidellos (rice with pasta). Fidellos is a thin Sephardic pasta similar to angel hair or vermicelli.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)


5 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped Rio or other sweet onion
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
3/4 cup (2 ounces) uncooked vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350º.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup sweet onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add basmati rice and pasta; cook 2 minutes or until rice is opaque, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken broth, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Cover and bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 15 minutes. Uncover; stir in parsley and green onions

CALORIES 140 (19% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 0.4g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 10mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.2g; SODIUM 289mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 0.8g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2006

Open-Faced Falafel Burgers

Having spent some time abroad in Israel while in college, I really came to love Middle Eastern food. Falafel is certainly no exception. In the past, I have either eaten pre-prepared falafel from the grocery store, or I've made it from a mix. Nothing could be easier, right? Well, this time, I opted to go it alone. I actually had very little faith in these this Cooking Light falafel recipe, because I truly didn't believe that falafel could be tasty unless it was fried or processed in some way. Well, guess what? It is possible! This recipe is very easy, and it tastes great. I skipped the tahini sauce, because I knew that no one in our house would eat it (well, besides me!), and I didn't chop a lot of fixins (onions, tomatoes, etc.). I basically just made the burgers, and served them on pita bread with cucumbers, and corn on the cob. In retrospect, I should have chopped onion, carrots, tomatoes, cukes, and maybe some lettuce for the pitas. Anyway, these burgers didn't stay together very well. I should have read the reviews, which clearly stated that 1 egg white would have bound this mixture easily. Fortunately, the flavor of these "burgers" (a.k.a. flattened falafel balls) was really fantastic. It was really authentic, with the rich cumin and sour lemon flavors blending really nicely. Coating the patties with breadcrumbs, also adds that nice texture and crunch, which actually fools you into thinking they're fried. For me, this is a definite "make-again-meal," but I will add that egg white, and probably make these into mini-burgers instead. I'm going to happily have the leftovers for later this week, probably over brown rice, with veggies.



We didn't do the "Open-Faced-Thing.

They fell apart. Bummer. Part of my problem might have been lack of a Cuinsinart. I think I got one for my wedding, which I never opened because my kitchen has always been too small, but now that I want it, I can't find it, because it's still packed up for our next move. I used my mini-food processor, which is not meant for such a big job. Perhaps my big chunks were problematic.

The Critique
I was fala-full after eating this pita-riffic sandwich! Man, I really loved this. It tasted like real falafel with just the right amount of seasoning. I loved the fresh cucumbers, although they would be better chopped into little pieces rather than in slices. Also, the pitas and falafels were somewhat crumbly, but that didn't matter. Great meal and could be a five bowler when the aforementioned issues are resolved. Hopefully I'll get to have them again in a few months while looking at the leaves change color during fala-fall.

4 bowls