Baked Falafel

I can remember when I had falafel for the first time, it changed my life. I was 22 and living in Bloomington, IN (such a wonderful place to live, by the way). I was starting to try more and more ethnic food and found that the possibilities were endless when you stepped outside Italian (what I grew up eating) and American style cooking. My husband and I grabbed lunch at a Lebanese restaurant and after perusing the menu, falafel sounded like something we'd like. They were absolutely amazing, crunchy with so much flavor! I immediately went home and tried to recreate them with canned chickpeas. I attributed the mushy texture to the fact that I baked them rather than fried them. From then on I decided it was best to just buy falafel.

Fast forward a few years to my husband and I watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives before bed one night. It's our guilty pleasure, what can I say? I wouldn't eat half the things showcased, but there are occasional gems and we always try to make it to those restaurants when we are in a new city. Guy was at a falafel joint and as the chef was showing him his falafel recipe it all made sense - you don't use cooked chick peas! You start with dried, soak for 12-24 hours, and throw them in the food processor to get the little nutty bites. My mind was blown, and it made total sense! The only problem? I had the world's worst, loudest, and smallest food processor in the world. So I mostly continued to buy falafel.

Then last December for our 7th wedding anniversary, my parents bought JJ and me the mother of all food processors. I was elated, finally a chance to make proper falafel! Since then I haven't looked back, they're a weekly staple in our home. And the baked version tastes almost as crisp and flavorful as the fried, a win in my book! I serve these with many different sauces and sides, such as baba ganoush, tahini sauce, tzatziki or chutney (pictured here).

Baked Falafel

from Mark Bittman

1 3/4 c. dried chickpeas

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small onion, quartered

1 tbsp. cumin

Cayenne to taste

1 c. flat leaf parsley

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

Place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with about 5-6 c. of water, cover and periodically check on the beans for 12-24 hours, until soft enough to squish with your fingers.

Preheat the oven to 400*

Drain chickpeas, place in a food processor with the garlic, onion, cumin, cayenne, parsley, salt, pepper, baking soda and lemon juice.

Pulse until the ingredients are finely minced, but not pureed. 

Stop and scrape down sides as needed, add 2 tbsp. olive oil.

Taste and adjust seasonings

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment, grease with olive oil.

Use a 1/4 or 1/3 measuring cup, pack the mixture in then release into your hands to roll into a patty, place on the baking sheet and continue until you're out of chickpeas. 

Brush the tops of the patties with oil then place in the oven.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the falafel.

Remove from the oven and serve with pita and accompaniments.

Moroccan-Spiced Vegetarian Chili

This recipe caught my eye as I perused the Williams-Sonoma recipe bank last week. It had all of the things I was looking for, spicy, warm, comforting, squash-filled and healthy! I love when a dish that is fulfilling is also healthy. The leftovers made for a delicious lunch the next day.

I made a few small changes from the original recipes, beginning with the initial steps. I don't have a blender here in Boise, so I used chili powder instead of making the chili-garlic puree. I also used golden raisins rather than prunes, personal preference, dried beans instead of canned, and quinoa as a base to soak up the spicy, tomato broth. I also topped the  chili with a dollop of green yogurt.

While I would consider this more of a stew than a chili, it was so perfectly balanced flavor-wise. Though it calls for 10 garlic cloves, it doesn't seem overpowered in the last bit, the spices are complimentary, and the sweet squash and fruit keep it from being too savory. This will definitely be a new go-to for our Sunday stews.

Moroccan-Spiced Vegetarian Chili

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp. ancho chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 butternut squash, 1 1/2 lbs., peeled and cubed

2 c. cooked chickpeas

2 medium zucchini, cut in 1/2" dice

1/3 c. sliced apricots

1/3 c. golden raisins

2-3 c. vegetable stock

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add onions and sliced garlic.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to caramelize on the edges.

Add chili powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriader, stir well to toast seasonings. 

Add tomatoes and squash, turn heat to low, cover and cook squash for 15 minutes.

Add chickpeas, zucchini, apricots, raisins, stir well to combine, cover and cook for another 15 minutes. 

Taste, adjust seasonings, and add stock if stew is too thick. 

Serve over rice, quinoa, cous cous, or any other starch, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt. 

Oasis Chickpea Salad

As I briefly mentioned in the post about our trek to Boise, we absolutely fell in love with Iowa City, IA. I have to say I was pretty shocked, sorry for judging you without getting to know you, Iowa! Ironically, JJ randomly said to me he was pretty bummed his residency program was in Boise, not Iowa City, and then I reminded him that he applied for one at the University of Iowa, which he had forgotten about! After realizing that, and thinking about 3 more days of travel, we were both extremely disappointed... but everyone kept telling us how great Boise is, so we tried to not dwell on it!

I spent some time planning our trip out to Boise, it was not a spontaneous affair. I mapped out mileage, strategically found cities the appropriate miles away from each other, front loaded the first two days a bit, booked pet friendly hotels with pools, found parks nearby, and even researched yelp and urbanspoon for restaurants that had good take-out. It was all printed out, hole punched, and put into my binder. As much as I would have liked to go as far as we could and stop when we felt like it, travelling with two cars, two dogs, and a toddler though some pretty desolate areas, being a planner worked in my favor!

When I researched restaurants in Iowa City, Oasis The Falafel Joint was top rated everywhere, and I knew there would be plenty of vegetarian options for us! I printed out the menu put it in my binder. That night when we were at the City Park, I pulled it out and called in our order to pick up on the way back to the hotel. I settled on Whole Wheat Pita, Baba Ganoush (one of Violet's favorites), Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Tabbouleh, Falafel and Chickpea Salad.

(our glamorous hotel spread)

I knew we'd love everything, but JJ and I both agreed that the Chickpea Salad was out of this world! He asked me to please recreate it as soon as we got to Boise. It tasted similar to my favorite butternut squash and chickpea salad, but much easier to prepare and summer-friendly! I made this along with a homemade baba ganoush (which, let me tell you, is difficult with no food processor or blender!), chopped tabbouleh salad and pita, and it was almost as good as the delicious meal we had from Oasis! 

Oasis Chickpea Salad

adapted from Oasis, The Falafel Joint

serves 4 as a side

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 c. tahini, well stirred

kosher salt and black pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground corriander

2 scallions, sliced thin (white and green part)

3 c. chickpeas (I use dried, canned is fine)

1/2 lb. carrots, shredded (3 large)

Add lemon juice, tahini, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander to a bowl, whisk well.

Toss in scallions, chickpeas and carrots, mix well to distribute dressing.

If salad is too dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.

Set aside for at least 30 minutes so flavors can develop, serve chilled to room temperature.

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas

Every week for the past few weeks, I come home from the CSA with 3 lbs. of carrots. Literally, I'm turning orange. Most of the time I peel, slice and pop them in the fridge for snacking, but I still have a surplus. I did a little googling for carrot soup, and found this recent entry from Smitten Kitchen. Her photographs are beautiful, and put mine to shame! 

The soup is flavorful from the super fresh carrots, the tahini, some spice, and of course the floating crisped chickpeas are a nice little treat. I used quite a bit more spice than her original recipe, I like things extra flavorful! Rather than use her tahini cream swirl method, I crumbled in some feta and added the tahini directly to the soup. We enjoyed this soup with some pita wedges (sprinkled with za'atar and baked) and tabbouli. While we both loved the soup, it was the snack-able, addictive chickpeas that stole the show! 

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas

slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

Soup:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tsp. ground corriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 c. vegetable stock
1/4 c. tahini
1/2 c. Feta, crumbled
4 pitas, cut into wedges
1 tbsp. Za'atar

Chickpeas:
2 c. cooked chickpeas (I use dried, canned are fine, too)
1 tbsp. olive oil (I used cilantro-onion from The Olive Leaf)
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes. Saute' until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
Toss chickpeas with olive oil, salt and cumin on a baking sheet, roast at 425* until crisp, stir occasionally.
Once vegetables have browned, add stock, and scrape up bits stuck to the bottom. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 15 more minutes.
Remove chickpeas from the oven, place pita wedges on another baking sheet, sprinkle with za'atar and bake until crisp.
Puree soup using an immersion blender or by transferring to a blender, blend until smooth.
Turn heat off and stir in tahini, taste and adjust seasonings.
Ladle into bowls, top with feta, chickpeas and serve with pita.

Spiced Apricot Chickpea Patties

As I said in the last post, JJ and I went to Mandaloun last weekend, my favorite Lebanese restaurant. We first learned about Mandaloun when they signed up to host a Bite Club event when I was the host. We had such an amazing meal there, when Mandaloun offered a Groupon a few weeks later, I jumped right on it. When we ordered, I went with the Vegetarian Mezze because I knew it was delicious, but JJ opted for something new. He chose the Chicken Schwarma, which was much different than most versions. The chicken was cooked in a cumin and cinnamon laced sauce with pieces of plump apricot. I tasted a bit of the sauce and apricot drenched pita, and it was so delicious. I love cinnamon in savory dishes, but rarely use it myself. 

Later in the week, I couldn't get the flavors out of my head, so I decided to make it into a vegetarian dish. I thought about just subbing chickpeas for the chicken, but instead made a patty that could be stuffed in a pita and served with the tabbouli. The patties are a simple mixture, full of flavor and spice. The apricots get so plump and juicy, and the greek yogurt adds a nice tang. 

Spiced Apricot Chickpea Patties

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 c. diced dried apricots

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 scallions, sliced thin

1 egg white

1/4-1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

For serving:

Greek yogurt

Pita 

Tabbouli

Add chickpeas to a large mixing bowl.

Using a potato masher, mash the chickpeas until about half are pasty and half are broken into pieces.

Add apricots, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, salt, pepper and scallions.

In a small dish, whip egg white to a froth, add to chickpea mixture.

Using a spatula, begin folding ingredients together, adding breadcrumbs as necessary to hold mixture together.

Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.

Add a thin layer of olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Score chickpea mixture into fourths, form 4 patties and drop into the skillet. 

Cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes, until browned.

Serve with pitas, yogurt and tabbouli.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Cous Cous

Another recipe that caught my eye in the last issue of Cooking Light was this Chickpea dish. I love spicy dishes, and chickpeas are a staple in my pantry, along with cous cous, so this meal was cheap and easy to make on a weeknight. I forgot to buy escarole or another leafy green at the market, so instead I used a bag of frozen chopped spinach. Though I'm sure the escarole is great, I really enjoyed it with the spinach. The apricots added a sweet bite, and the North African spices were in perfect harmony. The recipe calls for 1 tbsp. of Garam Masala, which I thought might be too much, but in the end I thought it could have used a bit more! This dish was a sure winner for us, and will be added to the rotation for quick, wintry weeknight meals.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas
adapted from Cooking Light November 2010

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 dozen dried apricots, chopped

1 tbsp. garam masala

Salt and black pepper

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 c. vegetable stock

Zest of a lemon peeled in thick ribbons

Juice of 1 lemon

2 c. chickpeas

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

6 c. chopped leafy dark greens or 2 c. defrosted and drained chopped spinach

Cilanto, roughly chopped

Mint leaves, torn

Prepared cous cous

Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add EVOO.

Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir for a minute, until fragrant, do not burn.

Add onions, apricots, garam masala, salt, pepper and cinnamon stick.

Stir and cook for another minute, until onions are lightly browned.

Add stock, lemon zest ribbons, chickpeas and tomatoes, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in greens, wilt if fresh, bring to temperature.

Remove lemon rind and cinnamon stick.

Spoon into a bowl over cous cous, squirt with lemon juice, top with mint and cilantro leaves.

Congrats to Holiday Baking Pack Winner: Rachel, who likes Libby's Pumpkin Roll best. Email me at veggiebyseason at gmail.com so I can get it off to you! 
Thanks to everyone who entered, I've got another fun giveaway coming soon. 

Ultimate Veggie Burgers (Chickpea Sprout Burgers)

I'm always on the lookout for new, interesting, and delicious veggie burger recipes. I really enjoy complex burgers with many flavors and textures, but they can take a while to make, especially when there are vegetables and grains that need to be pre-cooked.

One of my favorite veggie burger substitutes are Morning Star Farm's Chik'n patties. They are one of the faux meat products my husband will willingly eat, and they are quick and easy to prepare. However, they're quite processed and depending on your outlook, it's arguably healthier to just eat an organic chicken breast. When I saw this burger, it seemed to be quite similar to the chik'n patties. It relies heavily on eggs to give it a great protein punch and flavor, and sprouts to give it an interesting texture. I was hopeful with this recipe, and thought I might not call it the ultimate veggie burger, it was delicious! I modified the original recipe just a bit, and got 6 patties. This recipe was very easy and came together quickly.

While I normally shape my patties and freeze them, this time I cooked them, cooled them, and then froze them. I'm hoping that this technique yields better results when it comes to reheating the veggie burger for a quick weeknight dinner.

Ultimate Veggie Burgers (Chickpea Sprout Burgers)

adapted from 101 Cookbooks, from Super Natural Cooking

3 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas (or 2 15. oz cans, drained and rinsed

2 large eggs

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. minced cilantro

1 small yellow onion, grated

1 c. micro sprouts (I used alfalfa)

1/2 c. whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

2 scallions, minced

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, whisk well.

Add half of the chickpeas to a food processor, process until smooth, add to eggs.

Add the rest of the chickpeas to the food processor, pulse 10 times, add to the mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients, use a spatula to fold in ingredients and distribute evenly.

Place mixing bowl in the refrigerator and chill for an hour.

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat, spray with EVOO or nonstick cooking spray.

Form into 6 large or 12 small patties, and place on the griddle.

Cook for 6-8 minutes, until browned, and flip.

Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve on a bun with optional toppers: lettuce, tomato, sprouts, red onion, avocado, cheese, pickles, salsa, etc.

Hummu-Ghanoush

I'm a big fan of hummus and veggies. I have them as part of my lunch every day. However, since apparently eggplant grow phenomenally well in Florida, I've had quite the surplus. Instead, I've been making baba ghanoush each week, which I like, but it doesn't have the same nutritional stats, specifically the protein.

So as I do every weekend, I roasted up a few of the ripe eggplant and planned to make a batch for the week. However, as I was making the warm butternut and chickpea salad with tahini, I thought why not just add chickpeas and combine the two. Then I use up my eggplant while getting the protein from the chickpeas.

The eggplant flavor was definitely more present than the chickpeas, but this was delicious! If you're not a huge fan of baba ghanoush, this version might help ease you into it. And if you've got a garden full of eggplant like I do, this is a great way to use them! I bring my hummus or baba ghanoush to work each week and share it with my coworker, and he very much enjoyed saying "hummu-ghanoush" every day all week. That wasn't annoying...

Hummu-Ghanoush

2 eggplant, roasted and skinned (about 3 c.)

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp. to 1/4 c. well-stirred tahini 

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, smashed (or 1 tsp. granulated if you don't like raw)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 - 2 tbsp. EVOO

Kosher salt and pepper

Paprkia, for garnish

Place eggplant on a baking sheet, pierce with a fork a few times.

Roast for 1 hour, or until eggplant are deflated and shrivel a bit.

Cool for 10 minutes.

Peel off skin (or insides might just slip right out) and place into a blender or food processor.

Pulse to a chunky puree.

Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp. tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.

Pulse 10 times to mix, then run to puree mixture.

If necessary, add 1-2 tbsp. EVOO to thin the mixture.

Stop, taste and adjust seasonings, add additional salt, pepper, cumin and tahini, if necessary. 

Spoon into a dish, sprinkle with paprika and serve.

I prefer this warm, but my coworker likes it cold. It's really up to you! 

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

Today is a very special day for me, it's my houseiversary. Yes, one year ago JJ, Pumpkin, Charlotte, Belle and I moved into our first house. I can't believe it was one year ago that all hell broke loose, resulting in us moving in a week early due to our apartment flooding. That apartment was a nightmare, and a huge contributor to why I wasn't really impressed with life in Florida. It was the worst possible place for a food blogger to live because there was zero natural light. I was unemployed when we moved here, so I spent much of my time in the kitchen, cooking up some really great dishes. Unfortunately they either went undocumented due to poor photographs, or the photographs don't do them justice. One of them was this dish, quite possibly one of my absolute favorites.

So I'm not going to dwell on the horrible apartment, and instead celebrate a year in my first house. One of the main things I wanted to do when I had a house was plant a vegetable garden. I've had some great successes and failure, with this being a huge success. Over the weekend, I finally picked my first butternut squash! I had been babysitting this squash for weeks, waiting for it to be ready for harvest. He's was not very big, but I couldn't wait any longer. I was afraid of bugs, dogs, and any other catastrophe that could take him away from me.

After I picked him, I sat him on the counter and thought about what I could possibly make with the squash that would honor him. I realize this makes me sound crazy and/or weird, but I'm ok with that. I have so much emotional stock in my garden, I've spent so much time, energy (and money), so the crop yield is magical for me.

Finally, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was Saturday around noon, I was hungry for lunch, and had the always fun task of cleaning the house ahead of me. I needed a great lunch to power me through. I always have chickpeas on hand, and just bought a new jar of tahini (because the eggplant crop has been quite plentiful, and making baba ganoush is a great way to use them up!), so this salad was inevitable.
I preheated the oven, crossed my fingers, and sliced this guy right down the center. I had visions of rot and bugs and mushy, brown insides. But no, he was perfect!

When I cook butternut squash, I always chop off the bottom cup, seed it and roast it along with the chopped up neck, never knowing what I'll do with it. Sometimes I sprinkle in some cinnamon and a pat of butter and eat it for a snack, sometimes it's saved for a soup and gets pureed, and sometimes I stand over the stove and eat it when no one is looking. I have minimal self-control around squash.
So into the oven it went. And let me tell you, when you have cubed butternut squash on a cutting board and some people think it's cheddar cheese, it's quite funny to watch them grab a cube and pop it in their mouth...

Yes, more eggplant... always more eggplant!

After I made up the salad, I had a light bulb go off, and I spooned the salad into the squash butt cups. The dressing soaked into them, and they were absolutely delicious to scrape out at the end of the meal. I found a new way to eat my squash butts! 

This recipe had made its way around the bloggosphere for a few years, and there's a reason why. It's so delicious. Do yourself a favor, pick up a butternut squash and make this now! 

Tips and Trades:

-I like my garlic and shallots raw in the dressing, and heated up from the squash, but you can roast them right along with the squash if you prefer.

-Try making this salad with any squash variety, not just butternut.

Warn Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

seen on Orangette, from Casa Moro

salad:

2-3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4" dice

Kosher Salt and fresh Black Pepper

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. tahini

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 c. minced cilantro

Garnish:

Chopped cilantro and sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Add diced butternut squash, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper, toss.

Bake for 20 minutes, until tender.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper. 

Taste and adjust ingredients.

Add chick peas and cilantro, mix.

Gently fold in squash, then spoon into squash cups.

Sprinkle with extra cilantro and sesame seeds.

Four Bean Veggie Burgers

As I mentioned in the previous post, I used the Red Pepper Relish to top Four Bean Veggie Burgers. While I'm generally happy to spend hours in the kitchen on the weekends, weeknights are another story. I try to do as much over the weekend to prep for the week ahead, like making pizza dough, sauces, roasting or cooking double or triple batches of dried beans and grains. 

One of the last convenience food items I've been working to completely eliminate from my freezer is veggie burgers. While I'm sure there are some 100% natural and organic products out there, they're probably quite expensive! However, many other veggie burgers contain a huge list of ingredients, and I don't know what half of them are. I've also read in Prevention, Health, and other magazines to stay away from processed soy, a key ingredient in many commercial veggie burgers. On the rare occasion that I purchase veggie burgers, I lean toward the bean based, and scan the ingredient lists for the most real food ingredients.

For the past few weeks, I've been craving a big, fat, juicy veggie burger. I didn't want a specific bean burger, and I wanted it to be healthy and homemade, so I went with a mixture of vegetables and beans. I decided to make a huge batch so I could keep these in the freezer to use at my convenience. These had great flavor and texture, they held together well, and have been the perfect base for several topping variations. My favorite was this with red pepper relish and goat cheese. My husband's favorite was avocado, sprouts and cheddar  cheese.

This recipe relies heavily on a food processor to do all of the mincing. The recipe could be made without one, but you'd probably then want to grate your vegetables rather than mince with a knife.

Tips and Trades:

-I used dry, cooked beans, however you can use 1 can of each variety of beans listed in the recipe. Look for beans that say BPA free.

-If you're going to grill these burgers, freeze them first, then grill on a foil lined grill sprayed with nonstick spray.

-Wrap burgers in saran wrap, then place in a freezer safe storage bag or container. Burgers will keep for up to 3 months if wrapped well.

Four Bean Veggie Burgers

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeño

1/2 red bell pepper

2 medium carrots

Salt and pepper

1 dozen kalamata olives

1/4 c. water chestnuts

1/4 c. parsley

2 c. kidney beans

2 c. garbanzo beans

2 c. cannelini beans 

2 c. black beans

1 c. rolled oats

1/4-1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 tbsp. Mexican chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. Sriracha 

1 tbsp. Soy sauce

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Heat a skillet over medium, add EVOO.

Peel and chunk onion, garlic, jalapeño, bell pepper and carrots.

Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade.

Pulse and run until vegetables are in a fine mince.

Add to skillet, season with salt and pepper, sauté for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender and moisture is cooked out. 

Set skillet aside and allow vegetables to cool.

Place olives, water chestnuts and parsley in the food processor, pulse to a mince.

Dump into a very large mixing bowl.

Add 1 c. of each variety of beans to the food processor along with eggs.

Run food processor until beans are pureed, spoon into mixing bowl.

Add remaining beans to the food processor, pulse 10 times, until beans are just broken up, dump in the mixing bowl.

Place oats in the food processor, pulse 10 times, dump into the mixing bowl.

Add Italian seasoning, chili powder, cumin, Sriracha, soy sauce, mustard and 1/4 c. bread crumb to the mixing bowl.

Add cooled vegetables to the mixing bowl. 

Using hands or a large wooden spoon, mix very well to evenly distribute all ingredients.

Taste (if you don't mind the raw egg) and adjust seasonings, there's a good chance it will need more salt and pepper, but feel free to add Sriracha, mustard, etc.

Place mixture in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1-2 hours to firm up.

If the mixture seems too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. 

Score bowl into 4 sections, out of each section form 3 patties, yielding 12 patties total.

Place on the baking sheet and into the freezer. 

Freeze for 4-6 hours, then wrap each patty very well in saran wrap, then stack in a freezer safe storage container or bag.

To cook, grill on foil spray with nonstick spray for 8 minutes per side, bake at 400* for 30 minutes, or sauté in a skillet until heated through. 

Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing

As much as I hate to admit it, some of the cheapest organic produce I can find comes from Sam's Club. The reason I feel so much shame is because I've developed a relationship with the farmers at the market, and believe they deserve my business. I would have to research more, but I assume Sam's Club has a greater carbon footprint with their produce. However, they have giant tubs of organic spinach for about $4, 5 lbs. of organic baby carrots for $5, and occasionally I'll spot some other organic goods, like apples and pears. I've read that when given the choice between organic and local, it's best to choose local. Spinach is #6 on the dirty dozen list, so I feel that choosing organic is more important than local in this case. But do you ever feel like the more you learn, the more torn you are? I'm so happy there's a wealth of information available, but it leaves me wondering if I'm making the best choice. 

I haven't yet read the Omnivore's dilemma, but have you? Does it touch on these issues? 

I found this recipe in the July issue of bon apetit magazine, and added it to my "to-make" list right away. Not only is it vegetarian, full of protein, cool and easy, it had a very interesting twist - smoked paprika! I absolutely love the smoky, sweet and interesting flavor of smoked paprika. It's definitely one of those spices that adds so much character and depth to a dish. I especially like to sneak it in any cumin/chili powder combination recipe. I had a hard time finding it a few years ago, so I bought a pound from Penzey's. Needless to say, I try to find recipes that use it up. A pound of Smoked Paprika goes a very, very long way! 

Keeping up with the in-season produce can be pretty obvious, it's what's available at the farmer's market, and what's at rock-bottom prices in the grocery store. However, if you're interested in learning more, I added a widget on the left side of the blog that shows you seasonal produce. You can use the drop down arrows to choose the state you live in, and the month you're looking for. Right now, avocados are in season here, so I added them to this dish, but kept everything else as written. 

This dish was fantastic when I had it for dinner, but I have to say the leftovers were possibly better! The ingredients had time to marinade together, the spinach wilted a bit more, and the feta softened a bit and melted right into the dish. 

VBS Tips and Trades:

-If you're interested in learning about the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15", go to this website, enter your email address and you can print off a small guide to take with you on your food shopping trips. I have it taped on the inside of my coupon carrier! 

-If you don't have sherry vinegar on hand, try using a squeeze of lemon juice to freshen up the dish a bit more.

Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing

slightly adapted from bon appetit, July 2010

1 c. quinoa, rinsed well

2 c. water

4 c. baby spinach leaves

1 15 oz. can chick peas

1 c. cubed English cucumber

2 heirloom tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 c. mint leaves, torn

1/2 c. crumbled feta 

3 tbsp. sherry vinegar

2 tbsp. EVOO

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 avocado, diced

Bring water to a boil in a small stock pot, add quinoa.

Bring to a boil, turn heat to low. 

Cook for 12-16 minutes, until tender, set aside to cool.

Add spinach to a large bowl, top with quinoa, toss a bit and set aside to allow warm quinoa to wilt spinach.

In a small dish, whisk together vinegar, EVOO, salt, pepper and paprika.

Add chick peas, cucumber, tomatoes and mint to salad, toss well to combine.

Add crumbled feta and avocado, drizzle with dressing and gently toss.

Serve at room temperature immediately, or refrigerate until serving. 

Mediterranean Veggie Flatbread Pizza

Thursday night tends to be pizza night in our home. It used to be Friday, but now I find myself so tired from the week that Friday is generally eat out night. Every week when I'm working on the menu, I ask JJ what kind of pizza he wants. Sometimes he'll answer, but he's constantly challenging me to create something new. I've had a few great successes with this, including these pizzas: Chicken Mole Pizza, Caribbean Jerk Chicken Pizza, and Grilled Zucchini, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza. 

I tend to struggle with creating vegetarian pizzas because they're always lacking protein. I've made Greek or Mediterranean pizzas before, but they had prosciutto. So for this pizza, I had an idea to use hummus as the sauce, and then top it with vegetables. However, I didn't want to cook the hummus, so I decided to cook the crust, top it with hummus, vegetables and cheese, and then broil it. This method worked exactly as I had hoped! It would also make for a delicious grilled pizza, if you desire! 

Note: I pre-cook my zucchini, but not all other vegetables. If you don't mind your zucchini on the raw side, you can just add them at the end. 

Mediterranean Veggie Flatbread Pizza

1 pizza crust (recipe below)

1 batch of hummus (recipe below)

1 medium zucchini, sliced thin

1 15 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts

2 roasted red peppers, sliced

2 slices red onion

1/4 cup halved olives

1/2 c. crumbled feta

1 tbsp. pizza or Mediterranean seasonings

(my pizza seasoning has fennel seed, crushed fennel, red pepper flakes, rubbed sage, salt, pepper and oregano)

Whole Wheat Mix pizza crust (makes 2, 10" crusts):

1 packet fast acting yeast

1 tbsp. honey

1 1/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. EVOO

In a standing mixer with the dough hook on, add water, honey and yeast, stir to combine, set aside for 5 minutes, until yeast froths.

Add 1 c. whole wheat flour, salt, EVOO and AP flour to mixer. 

Turn on low and begin to mix. 

Add more whole wheat flour as necessary if dough is too sticky, alternately add water if it's too dry. 

Knead on medium-low speed for 5 minutes, set aside to proof.

Punch down, divide in half. 

If only using 1 crust, the other can be wrapped loosely in plastic (it will continue to rise), put in a freezer bag, and frozen.

Roll or stretch out pizza crust over parchment, set aside. 

Original Hummus

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained (or 2 c. cooked)

2 tbsp. well-stirred tahini

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. EVOO

Add chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, salt and EVOO to a food processor.

Process until very smooth, adding water, tahini or EVOO to thin, about 5 minutes.

Refrigerate until using.

Preheat oven to 425*

Slice zucchini, spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, add zucchini, season with salt and pepper. 

Place in the oven.

Place pizza pan/baking sheet in oven.

Roll crust out on parchment, pierce the center a few times with a fork.

Drizzle with 1 tsp. EVOO.

Place crust, on parchment, on pizza pan.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on bottom.

Remove pizza pan with crust as well as zucchini from the oven.

Turn oven off, and broiler on high.

Slather with hummus, top with vegetables, cheese and sprinkle with seasoning.

Place under the boiler for 2-4 minutes, until cheese is melty and vegetables are hot.

Buffalo Chickpea Patties

Through the years, I probably have tried almost every fake meat product on the market. They never taste exactly like the meat product they're replacing, but since I don't generally like the taste of meat, it didn't bother me too much. It's a nice, quick shortcut for a dinner to use the frozen patty type products, and their nutritional information isn't too bad. However, these products are quite processed, and after reading more and more about processed soy, I'm trying to get away from it. 

I've been very successful at making bean patty burgers in place of a hamburger, but one of my favorite faux meat products is buffalo chik'n nuggets and patties. I decided to look at the ingredients on the box while grocery shopping to get an idea of what I should put in them. That was absolutely no help as I couldn't even pronounce or understand what some of the ingredients were!

I'm pretty happy with my end product. It's not as crunchy and dippable, but made a great burger, had fantastic buffalo flavor, no artificial ingredients, and cost a lot less than a package of MSF Chik'n Patties!

Buffalo Chickpea Patties

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. buffalo sauce, plus more for serving

1 egg white

1 small yellow onion

1 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper

For serving:

Buffalo sauce

Ranch or blue cheese

Carrot Sticks

Celery (or cucumber, in my case)

Buns, lettuce, tomato and crumbled blue cheese, if served as burgers

Add chickpeas to a bowl, use a potato masher and mash until about 2/3 of the chickpeas are pasty and 1/3 are in pieces or whole.

Add the buffalo sauce to the chickpeas.

Add half of the oats to a food processor, pulse to create a crumb, add to the chickpeas.

Beat the egg white in a small dish to a froth, add to the chickpeas.

Grate onion into the chickpeas, finally add the garlic powder, salt and pepper. 

Use a spatula and fold mixture, combining ingredients well. 

Heat a griddle over medium, spray with nonstick spray or add 1 tbsp. EVOO.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup to portion out chickpea mixture onto griddle, this yields about 5 patties.

Cook patties for 5-7 minutes, until crispy and brown, flip gently and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Serve immediately to retain maximum crispness.

Sarah's Delicious Chana Masala

When my sister Becky visited a few weeks ago, she mentioned her former roomate makes the best Chana Masala. I've had it in restaurants before, and it's definitely my go-to item on the menu when nothing else catches my eye. So I decided to ask Becks for her recipe and give it a try. When it comes to Indian or other Asian dishes, I like to have a recipe or at least ingredient guidelines because I'm not 100% sure of myself to make something up on my own. However, as I eat and cook more Indian food, I'm able to discern the spice profiles and combinations.

After recieving Becky's email with the recipe, I found out Sarah cooks just like me, taste and add, taste and adjust. This was the reply she gave me "garlic+onions+oil+curry+red pepper+turmeric+cumin+chickpeas+water+more of same spices+paprika+more of same spices = sarah's delicious chana masala. Serve over rice. She eyeballs everything."

So I could leave you with that recipe... or I could give you my approximate measurements. I'll give you my approximations, but honestly, I'd advise you to do it Sarah's way, and make it your own!

Sarah's Delicious Chana Masala

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, diced (after eating this, I wish I had used a mince rather than a dice)

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. curry powder (I use Penzey's Maharajah)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. cumin

2 15 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes

1-2 cups water

Heat a soup pot over medium, add EVOO, garlic and onions.

Saute' for 5 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

Add curry powder, cayenne, turmeric, cumin, paprika and tomatoes.

Bring to a simmer, use a potato masher and gently crush tomatoes (be careful, they spit when you smush them!)

Add chickpeas and 1 c. water, stir well and simmer for 30 minutes.

Taste, adjust seasonings, add more water if simmering longer, if not serve over rice (I had cous cous on hand, so I used that instead)

Serve with chopped cilantro.

Sweet Potato Falafel with Tzatziki

Last week as I was browsing through my google reader, I saw Kelly's post for Sweet Potato Falafel. They looked fantastic! I was imagining a blend of chick peas and sweet potato, so I starred it and put it on the menu. Then I went back and pulled up the recipe, and saw that it was quite different from my imagination. See, I have a tendency to read a recipe and then create the process and ingredients in my brain without actually reading it. Sometimes this is detrimental because I'll end up without an important ingredient. But then sometimes it works out ok because I end up creating what I thought the recipe would be, and it's delicious.

In this situation, I ended up creating what I thought the recipe was going to be rather than what Kelly wrote. Though I do want to go back and try it the original way, I really liked my adaptation. These were slightly sweet, but had the familiar taste of a falafel. They were healthy (baked rather than fried) and I enjoyed them 'meatball' style over couscous and roasted vegetables instead of wrapped in a pita. I can't ever have enough tzatziki, I think JJ and I were fighting over the reminants. Overall, this was an absolutely delicious and really healthy dinner!

Sweet Potato Falafel

adapted from Kelly, who adapted it from the Happy Herbivore

Falafel:

1 large sweet potato

1 cup chick peas

1 tbsp. tahini

1 tsp. fresh minced parsley

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup. breadcrumbs (wish i had panko, but just had regular Italian style)

Tzatziki:

6 oz. plain greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. minced dill

1/2 cup minced cucumber

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. tahini

1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane

Whole wheat cous cous, prepared

Roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts

Pierce sweet potato, wrap in a paper towel.

Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, until softened.

(On a weeknight, I didn't have the time to bake the sweet potato, but that would be the preferred method)

Let potato cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, add chick peas, mash with a fork.

Add sweet potato, tahini, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic.

Mix well, leaving some little chunks of chick pea and sweet potato.

Roll into walnut sized balls, roll in breadcrumbs, place on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp on the outside.

In a small dish, use a fork to whisk together all tzatziki ingredients, refrigerate until use.

Plate cous cous, vegetables, top with falafel and tzatziki and extra parsley.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

Lately my posts have been few and far between. I'm not sure that I've really announced much on this blog since it's directed towards cooking, so I'll go ahead and spill the beans... First, I got a new job, second, we bought a house, and third, I am going to be a food blogger and foodie dining club host for Folio Weekly, a magazine here in Jacksonville.
Because I've taken on a job and a half and have been going through the home buying process, I've had little to no time in the kitchen. When I do, I'm not in a creative mood, I just cook my favorite, go-to meals. We'll be closing on the house between October 15 and 23, it just depends on when we get the word from our mortgage company (the sellers of the house would like it sooner, we don't care too much). So in addition to the jobs, I'll be moving....again! Luckily this time it's 2 miles away, not 1000.
The kitchen is not my dream kitchen, but it's great nonetheless because it's MINE! The house is everything JJ and I dreamed out first home would be. It's open and bright, great for entertaining, a lovely yard and a pond that's half ours with ducks! We're both so excited, and so fortunate that the home buying process this far as been so easy and drama-free!
Now about the Folio Weekly job... essentially I will be blogging about 3 times per week on anything and everything food/wine related in Jacksonville. I'll be doing restaurant profiles, going to farmer's markets, tastings, food and wine events, and many other things! The real focus of the blog is to be a central place for members of the Bite Club to chat. You can read all about what the Bite Club is here on the Bite Club Blog. If you're in Jacksonville, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have ideas for the blog!


Now for dinner... I have been meaning to make this recipe for such a long time. I never seemed to remember it when I had tahini on hand though, and at $10 a jar, I didn't want to buy it just for this. Now that I've had it, I will. I could eat this every day and every night. The only problem I had with it was sometimes I love raw red onion, and sometimes I pick one out that's just too strong. Tonight I had one that was too strong. In the future, I'll probably roast my onion in with the squash and garlic. This salad is definitely on my rotation! It's so creative and features one of my favorite fall flavors, butternut squash!
I first saw this recipe on Molly's blog, Orangette, years ago, and was reminded of it by Erin of Dinner and Dessert last week.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

adapted from Molly of Orangette

salad:

3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained

1/2 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. tahini

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Add squash, garlic, salt, and onions, if preferred.

Drizzle with EVOO, toss.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove and cool.

Whisk together dressing ingredients, add chick peas, cilantro and red onion, mix.

When squash cools, add to the salad and gently fold in.

Serve at room temperature.