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.

black bean quinoa bowl with peach salsa.

My quinoa obsession continues. Quinoa recipes are not difficult to come by, but I always like looking for something interesting that doesn't have some ridiculous ingredients that I don't always have on hand. When I came across this recipe, another creation from A Couple Cooks, I knew this was what I'd been looking for. The recipe is two-fold: one for the peach salsa, and one for the quinoa bowl itself. Let's start with the peach salsa.


the recipe
Peach salsa, serves about 4
4 ripe peaches
1/2 large red onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1 lime
Handful fresh cilantro
Kosher salt


1. Peel and core the peaches; cut them into small chunks. Finely dice the red onion. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs of the jalapeno pepper and finely dice half of it. Chop the cilantro.
2. Mix all ingredients together and add the juice of 1 lime. Add a bit of kosher salt to taste. If you can wait, let sit for a few minutes to let the flavors meld.


Quinoa bowl
2 cups quinoa
1 recipe peach salsa
2 cans black beans
6 to 8 green onions
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper


1. Rinse the 2 cups quinoa and drain completely. Place quinoa in a saucepan with 3 cups water and a few pinches of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 13 to 15 minutes, until the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and let sit covered to cool for about 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and add some salt and pepper to taste.
2. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the peach salsa.
3. Drain and rinse the beans. Chop the green onions, mix the beans and onions with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Taste and add more seasonings if desired.
4. When the quinoa is finished, dish the quinoa into bowls, and top with the black bean mixture and peach salsa.


substitutions
For the peach salsa, I didn't add the jalapeno, just because I made a half recipe for everything and didn't see the point in adding a fourth of a jalapeno pepper. For the quinoa bowl, I used cayenne pepper instead of chili powder. Though I included the green onions the first time I made this, the second time I didn't, and I really didn't notice much of a difference in flavor.


great with
The combination of quinoa and black beans makes for a filling dish and therefore, stands well on its own. This is a great one-dish meal.


the review
Mmm, this is so good. I realize that peaches aren't going to be in season for too much longer, so make this while you can! I love the combination of flavors in here. The spicy of the red onions combined with the sweetness of the peaches is delicious. The lime juice is a nice, subtle flavor in there too. And quinoa...well, I can't seem to find enough good things to say about it. This is a delicious, healthy recipe. Whenever I bring leftovers of this with me to work to have for lunch, people are intrigued!

mexican pizza.

So let me say first that I absolutely love Mexican food. Aside from the taste itself, Mexican food reminds me of college. At least every other Friday, my best friends and I would go to the Mexican restaurant in our college town, order margaritas and food and stay there for hours. It was heaven. Mexican food will always remind me of those times. And also, honestly, I just love the way it tastes. So I came across this recipe for Mexican pizza on A Couple Cooks and I knew I had to try it.


the recipe
Makes 2 10-inch pizzas
2 crusts pizza dough
1 can no-fat refried black beans (makes enough for around 4 pizzas)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 small red onion
1 tomato
1 jalapeno pepper
2 handfuls fresh cilantro
2 handfuls frozen corn
Mexican cheese blend
Kosher salt


1. Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the refried black beans with a bit of water to thin the consistency so that it is easily spreadable. Mix with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
3. Seed and dice the tomato. Finely chop the red onion. Chop the cilantro. Seed and dice the jalapeno.
4. When the toppings and oven are ready, shape the dough into a 10-inch round. Place the dough on a floured pizza peel or pull the pizza stone out of the oven and carefully place the dough on it.
5. Quickly assemble the pizza. Spread the bean mixture in a thin layer over the dough, sprinkle on as much cheese as you like, and add the red onion, tomato, jalapeno, corn, and cilantro. Sprinkle with kosher salt. If desired, brush a little olive oil on the crust to help it brown.
6. Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.


substitutions
I had a couple for this one. Instead of pizza dough, I used pita bread. It works perfectly for a single sized pizza. I didn't have refried black beans so I just pureed whole black beans in a food processor. Worked fine. I did not use the jalapeno but I added green onions because I wanted to use them up. Instead of an actual Mexican cheese blend, I just mixed some cheddar and mozzarella together.


great with
This is a filling pizza, I think, so it stands well on its own.


the review
This is so yum. Seriously, I can't wait to make this again. It's easy to make and the combination of flavors was awesome. I love how this uses black beans as the "sauce" and I think the inclusion of the red onions gave it the perfect little kick without being overwhelming. Make this pizza, especially if you have a weird nostalgia thing with Mexican food, like I do. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

hummus.

I'm making an honest effort lately to buy and consume less processed foods. That means making a lot more things from scratch. It's extra time spent in the kitchen, yes, but I feel good about what I'm making and better then, about what I'm eating. Something that I'm basically addicted to is hummus. I have it constantly and I put it on everything. Naturally, I've always bought packaged hummus from the store, and it's delicious. But I decided that I'd make it for myself one day, just to see how it would turn out. And since the recipe came from my trusty The Best-Ever Vegetarian Cookbook I knew I was in good hands.


the recipe
8 oz can chick peas
6 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper


1. Drain the chick peas, reserving the liquid from the can, and put them into a blender or food processor. Blend to a smooth paste, adding a small amount of the reserved liquid, if necessary.
2. Mix the garlic, lemon juice and tahini together and add to the blender or food processor. Process until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add 3 tbsp of the olive oil through the feeder tube or lid.
3. Add the cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Process to mix. Scrape the hummus into a bowl. Cover and chill.


substitutions
None! I used this recipe exactly as is.


great with
Let your imagination go wild. I love dipping crackers into it for a snack, or spreading it onto a sandwich or veggie burger. The veggie burger  might sound strange, but I had it at a restaurant once and I've been doing it ever since.


the review
Mmm...as it turns out, homemade hummus it delicious. It's ridiculously easy to make too, so there's really no excuse to not be making it yourself. The first time I made this, I was hosting some friends for the weekend, and they seemed to like it. I made it for myself a second time and added one less tablespoon of lemon juice. To me then, it tasted perfect. I know people are very specific about their hummus, so this could be a good recipe to start out with and tweak as necessary. Very easy, very delicious. And I don't think I'm ever buying hummus from the store again.

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.