Tag Archives: vegan

Homemade Falafel

Posted on by
Reply

(Serves 4)
Falafel sandwiches are one of our favorite homemade “splurges”. We justify our indulgence by focusing on the nutritional content: protein-packed chickpeas with fresh veggies piled on a whole wheat flatbread.

Many home chefs shy away from preparing fried foods at home. There’s good reason behind the hesitation, hot oil requires proper care and supervision. However, I’m hear to tell you, beyond taking care with hot oil (something any adult is capable of), dragging out the food processor and soaking chickpeas overnight, there’s not much involved in making falafel at home. The key to the characteristic crunch of really great falafel is using presoaked dried chickpeas. DO NOT substitute canned. Made with canned chickpeas, the balls inevitably turn out mushy, lacking in texture and just plain disappointing.

Make sure your oil is hot before you fry the falafel balls – that way they’ll cook quickly and absorb less oil. Fried food often tastes overly oily simply because it’s been fried too long. Quick cooking results in a lighter falafel ball that’s better for us. To test the oil place a small ball into the pan – if the oil bubbles up quickly and fiercely the oil is hot enough. If you see just a few meager bubbles, wait a few more minutes before frying the batch. You can also lightly pan fry the balls then finish cooking in the oven. For truly authentic falafel though, deep frying is a must.

You’ll find dried chickpeas at Indian or Middle Eastern groceries or specialty markets like Whole Foods.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp dried red pepper flakes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp toasted cumin
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 5 Tbsp flour
  • Canola oil for frying

Method:

  1. Place chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with cold water by several inches, soak overnight. Drain.
  2. Place drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, red pepper and cumin in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process until blended into a meal, but not paste. Sprinkle with baking powder and flour and pulse several times to mix. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  3. Form mixture into small balls (dust your hands with flour as needed so balls don’t stick to your hands).
  4. Heat about 1½ inches of oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Allow oil to heat for about 5 minutes.
  5. Test for readiness as in notes above. Carefully slide balls into the hot oil, one at a time, in a single layer in the pan. The trickiest point in frying comes when the balls are introduced to the oil. This is when the oil may splatter – so do take care. Fry until golden brown on one side, then carefully turn over with a slotted spoon and fry on the other side. Carefully remove from hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
  6. Serve on lavash (a middle eastern flat bread) or pita with tahini and harissa (middle eastern hot sauce) or hummus. Garnish with cucumber, onion and tomato cubes.

Note: Cool hot oil fully before removing from the pan. Carefully remove food particles and pour into a clean jar. Cover and place in cool, dark cupboard. Oil may be reused within a week or so, for similar frying needs.

Quinoa Salad with Fresh Plums and Herbs

Posted on by
3

This recipe was inspired by Heidi Swanson’s fabulous cookbooks, Super Natural Cooking and Super Natural Every Day. Feel free to substitute other seasonal fruit for the plums – peaches would be superb. This salad shows off the bounty of even the most modest herb garden. Try adding chives, parsley, arugula or cilantro to the mix.

Continue reading →

Confetti Slaw

Posted on by
Reply


A fresh head of cabbage calls for a spin on cole slaw with a light vinaigrette dressing. Feel free to vary the flavors by adding other crisp raw veggies in quantities that suit your tastes – shredded fennel, broccoli or spinach would be lovely.

Ingredients:

  • One small (or half large) head of green cabbage
  • 2 carrots, shredded using large holes on box grater
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced in half rounds
  • ½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1 inch long pieces
  • ½ yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1 inch long pieces
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • ½ cup arugula, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 5 Tbsp fruity extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

  1. Place olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice in a small, clean jar, screw on lid and shake to combine.
  2. Toast pepitas in a dry pan on medium heat. Watch carefully and shake pan frequently to turn seeds as they toast. Remove from pan when seeds begin to lightly brown. Set aside to cool.
  3. With a sharp knife, shred cabbage very thinly into 3-inch strips about ¼ inch wide. Place into a large serving bowl. Add carrots, onion, peppers, cilantro and pepitas. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add more dressing as needed. Save any unused dressing for another salad. Serve immediately.

Dandelion Greens with Garbanzo Beans

Posted on by
Reply

This dish is a riff on my standard beans with greens, a staple of our family’s diet.  You can double the quantities with ease.  If you prefer less bite to your greens, mix the dandelion with some spinach or chard.  Or try blanching the leaves in hot water for just 30 seconds.  Run under cold water, then dry before chopping to use in this recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pinch or more red pepper flakes
  • Several handfuls of dandelion leaves, thoroughly rinsed, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
  •  One can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (or white cannellini beans)
  • Salt
  • Lemon juice
  • Grated zest of one lemon

Method:

  1. Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes.  Allow garlic to cook lightly until the oil begins to sizzle, but do not brown the garlic.  Add the greens and stir until they begin to wilt.  Add beans, salt to taste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Place in a serving dish and stir in lemon zest and lemon juice to taste.  Taste and add more salt as needed.  Drizzle a bit of fruity olive oil on top.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Great on a crusty slice of toasted artisan bread.