Falafel

Here in the Cleveland area, there is a legendary restaurant named Tommy's. It's a favorite of mine, and pretty much my entire family. The menu is loaded with lots of healthy vegetarian options, including the delicious falafel, which is a small, fried patty made out of chick peas. My favorite sandwich that features a falafel is called the Ceebee, which is pita bread with muenster cheese, falafel, hummus, green peppers, tomato, sprouts and sunflower seeds. Delicious! Ever since I first had the falafel at Tommy's, it's been one of my favorite foods. However, I can't always go to Tommy's when I'm craving a falafel. So I set out on a quest to find a suitable recipe so I could make it at home.


I found a good recipe in Better Homes and Gardens 365 Vegetarian Meals, which I adapted to suit my tastes a little bit more. I've made this recipe frequently since I first came across it. While it's not quite the same as a Tommy's falafel (I don't think anything ever will be), this recipe is very good and easy to make. I would highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you've never had falafel before!


Recipe
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons freshly snipped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon round cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil


1. In a food processor, combine the drained beans, flour, parsley, the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, halved garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper. Cover and process until finely chopped and mixture holds together. Some pieces of garbanzo beans should still be visible. Shape the bean mixture into four 3-inch diameter patties.


2. In a large skill heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium-hgh heat. Add patties. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until brown and heated through turning halfway through cooking.


3. Serve up in pita bread with some cheese, tahini or hummus, and veggies of choice.

couscous patties.

I was looking for something different to enjoy, so when I was looking through my Vegetarian: Tasty Recipes for Every Day book and found this recipe for couscous patties, I decided to give them a shot.


the recipe
Makes 4
1 cup couscous
4 tablespoons oil
1 eggplant, finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 red capscium
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons natural yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaton
oil, for shallow-frying


1. Place the couscous in a bowl. Add 1 cup of boiling water and leaves for 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff up the grains with a fork.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the eggplant until soft and golden, then place in a bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pan. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and ground coriander. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until soft, then add to the bowl. Heat the remaining oil and cook the capsicum for 5 minutes, or until soft. Place in the bowl and stir well.
3. Add the vegetable mixture to the couscous with the fresh coriander, lemon rind, lemon juice, yogurt and egg. Season to taste and mix well.
4. Using damp hands, divide the mixture into four portions and form into large patties-they should be about 3/4 inch thick. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Shallow-fry the patties over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain the patties well and serve with yogurt.


substitutions
I've got a lot for this one:
-I'm not a big eggplant fan. I chopped up a tomato instead.
-I did not have red capsicum, and I'm not even going to pretend that I know what that is.
-I did not have lemon rind.
-I did not have fresh coriander, and decided not to compensate for that with the ground coriander. It's a strong flavor.
-I used Greek yogurt for the natural yogurt. It's what I had, and it worked fine.


great with
As the end of the recipe suggested, I had one of these patties with a small helping of yogurt, along with a salad.


the review
I liked these. Even a fan of couscous (which I am) must admit that on occasion, plain couscous can be just a little bit too plain. I wouldn't have thought of couscous as a medium to mix all of these ingredients and flavors, but it definitely worked. And I was surprised--the patties actually held together quite well. I wasn't expecting them to be so easy to form together. I would definitely recommend these if you like couscous, coriander and cumin. 

garlic, chick-pea and spinach soup.

Supposedly, it's spring. Therefore, soup would be considered somewhat anti-seasonal. However, I'm not entirely convinced that it's spring, considering that it's still been very cold in good old Cleveland, Ohio. So warm up a little bit with one of my new favorite soups, once again from The Best-Ever Vegetarian Cookbook. 

the recipe

serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

5 cups vegetable stock

12 oz potatoes, peeled and finely chopped

15 oz can chick-peas, drained

1 tbsp cornflour

2/3 cup double cream

2 tbsp light tahini

7 oz spinach, shredded

cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic and onion for 5 minutes, or until they are softened and golden brown

2. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook for a further minute.

3. Pour in the stock and add the chopped potatoes to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chick-peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and chick-peas are just tender.

4. Blend together and cornflour, cream, tahini and plenty of seasoning. Stir into the soup with the spinach. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Service immediately, sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper.

substitutions

I use regular white flour for the cornflour, and have also substituted milk for the double cream. All works the same. I also want to point out that I usually cut this recipe in half, as it makes quite a bit, and I'm usually only cooking for myself. 

great with

This stands really well on its own. I usually like dipping something into my soup, so I'll usually toast some whole-grain bread and add some butter and garlic powder onto it. If I'm having it leftover for lunch the next day, I'll pack it up with a handful of Wheat Thins.

the review

This is a delicious and filling soup that I absolutely love. I've never cooked with cumin or coriander before this recipe, and now, I really love both of them. This soup has an excellent flavor and several healthy ingredients to feel good about eating. I made this several times in the winter months, including for some dinner guests, and everyone enjoyed it. Soup has turned into one of my very favorite things to make, and this particular soup has become a stand-out.