Before I get to today’s post, I would be remiss in if I failed to mention that Abigail is a star this week for my article over at Kids Cuisine. In the first of many articles to come, I let Abigail have total control over choosing a recipe and making it. She had a blast and was very proud of herself. Do check it out if you have a minute.
Yesterday was a great day, as I finished filling my third garden bed and got that mostly planted and ready to go. It really was thrilling to finally get all my plants in the dirt and step back and see all the good things to come. I also went to plant my hot peppers in my pots when I discovered that I actually had more plants than I thought! I sure hope they continue to thrive! Watch for a full garden update in the next day or so.
Before I tackled the garden though, I needed some nourishment to motivate me to actually doing the work.
After running around with the kids all morning, it would have been very easy to call it a day and wait for another nice day to plant. So I opened up the fridge and saw those fajita vegetables again. I pulled them out, figuring I would just do another quesadilla again when I thought of the sweet potatoes I happened to have. It took no time at all to warm up the sweet potatoes, followed by the fajita vegetables. Then I topped the potatoes with the veggies, took a bite, and was subsequently disappointed. Good, but not anything special, it needed something to tie the two together. So back to the fridge I went where I combined a scoop of sour cream, a handful of cilantro, the juice of half a lime, and a few generous shakes of the chipotle chile powder. I had my magical chile-lime crema and my lunch began to sing. It’s amazing how one component can just tie everything together so nicely. Lunch was delicious and very satisfying, as I didn’t think about food again until dinner time.
Dinner was a whole different affair. The night before I had set some chickpeas to soaking in water, where they needed to soak for a full 24 hours before being turned into Falafel. I have never made falafel before, but I’ve really been meaning to for some time now. In fact, falafel have really been on my mind since the day my parents e-mailed to say that they were eating Falafel in Jerusalem, way back last fall. What intrigued me about them was that they actually are made with uncooked beans. The dried chickpeas are soaked, but not cooked before using. The soaked chickpeas are ground up with plenty of spices and herbs and garlic before being fried to a crispy golden perfection. I used the recipe found in my trusty How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, because I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I so wasn’t.
I cut the recipe in half, because I knew it would be just me eating them, and as it was the size patties I made I ended up with 8 of them. When I first tasted the raw unfried mixture, I was concerned, because I could taste the “rawness” of the chickpeas- if that makes any sense. The flavors were good spice-wise, but I wondered how that raw flavor was going to be eliminated in just a few minutes in the oil. Turns out I needn’t have worried. I barely waited for that first falafel to hit the paper towel before digging in, and oh were my tastebuds doing a happy dance! The texture on the inside was soft and creamy and the frying gave the outside this crispy golden crust and the flavor was just what I was hoping for. For dinner I actually took two patties and wra
pped them up in pita bread with some cucumber, sprouts, tomatoes and a yogurt sauce that I’d made with lemon juice, parsley, and vidalia onion. Oh so good. And even though one sandwich really satisfied me, I simply had to have just one more falafel patty, this one without the pita bread. I snapped a picture of that one too, because you can sort of see the inside of the falafel- the parsley and cilantro turned the inside green definitely different from the dark golden brown outside.
I will most definitely be making Falafel again. In fact, since we have dance class tonight, and it could be a late one, I see a potential repeat for dinner tonight. And I wouldn’t be the least disappointed. Don’t be daunted at all by the 24-hour soaking here. Other than that, this recipe was a snap to throw together. A quick whir in the food processor, followed by a bath in hot oil, I had falafel on the table in less than 20 minutes.
Falafel
From How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
makes 6 servings
1 3/4 cup dried chickpeas 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed 1 small onion, quartered 1 teaspoon coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 scant teaspoon cayenne, or to taste, or mild chile powder, to taste 1 cup chopped parsley or fresh cilantro leaves 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Neutral oil like grapeseed or corn, for frying1. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover the water by 3 or 4 inches- they will triple in volume as they soak. Soak for 24 hours, checking once or twice to see if you need to add more water to keep the beans submerged.
2. Drain the beans well and transfer them to a food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the oil; pulse until almost smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary; add one or two tablespoons of water if necessary to allow the machine to do its work, but keep the mixture as dry as possible. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne, or lemon juice as needed.
3. Put neutral oil to a depth of at least 2 inches in a large, deep saucepan (more is better); the narrower the saucepan, the less oil you need, but the more oil you use, the more patties you can cook at the same time. Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the oil to about 350ºF (a pinch of the batter will sizzle immediately).
4. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the mixture and shape them into balls or small patties. Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, turning as necessary; total cooking time will be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.