Sitting here the other day I was thinking of what to make over the weekend. Having just signed up for Ten in 10 for eating healthy (read more vegetarian food), my foodie resolutions hung like a sword over my head. Have to look for more fun vegetarian options to feed the kids, the question was how to make it fun and healthy. I was thinking pita bread and falafel, but the kids were thinking burgers!
Decided to meet half way through, and thought of falafel burgers. Hmmm, tweeted out sweet and affable Beth, a lady whose first love seems to be chickpeas, to ask of she had ever tried making them before. Incidentally, she is my chickpeas 101, and was last reported soaking chickpeas for Mowie and Bruce!
Well, she hadn’t heard of something of the sort, but she squealed with chickpea kinda joy, and booked 2 burgers for herself! These are for you Bethany…
I based the patty recipe on the earlier falafal recipe I had used. Added some sauteed garlic, garlic greens, spring onions & bell peppers to the chickpeas while grinding to a lovely texture. Also added some falafel mix that my niece had got me from Dubai. That is optional though. The burgers got their beautiful green colour from lots of fresh coriander. Great taste and a welcome change from chicken burgers. Ten in 10!!
Originally made with fava beans in Egypt, the dish later migrated northwards, where chickpeas replaced the fava. Falafel is made from fava beans or chickpeas or a combination of the two. The Egyptian variation uses fava beans exclusively, while other variations may use only chickpeas. Palestinians and Yemenite Jews in Jerusalem historically made their falafel from chickpeas and parsley only, as in Syria and Lebanon, and this continues to be how falafel is known throughout the Levant today.
Unlike many other bean patties, in falafel, the beans are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked with bicarbonate of soda, then ground with the addition of a small quantity of onion, parsley, and spices such as cumin and coriander.
Falafel Patties Adapted fromEpicurious 1 cup dried chickpeas 2-3 stalks of garlic greens with stems 4 cloves of garlic 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper 2 tsps falafel mix (optional) 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 tablespoons flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Method:
Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, and then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
Saute the garlic, garlic greens and red bell pepper in 1 tbsp oil till soft (4-5 minutes).
Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the bell pepper mixture, coriander, salt, hot pepper, falafel mix and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
Form the chickpea mixture into patties, and shallow fry.
Use sandwiched in burger buns with a hung yogurt garlic dip, tomatoes, lettuce,onions etc.
Note: Use patties immediately as they tend to harden up as they stand. The burgers taste best fresh!
Yay…finally managed to bake bread. No mean task these days. We live in the so called millennium city, but have suffered unannounced power outages this winter from 4 hours to 6 hours daily, sometimes even more. It’s bad enough for a daily routine, but spells desperate times for the baker in me.
But bread I had to bake for Jamie who is hosting Zorra of Kochtopf’sBread Baking Day #26. Bake something special for Jamie’s special BBD theme –“Baking Bread for a Birthday Party”! How could I go to her birthday empty handed? So began the search for a suitable bread!
Didn’t have to look far because my current obsession made me reach out for Ottolenghi… a book that is possibly the best & most used one that I own. The fact that Jamie also has the same book, adds to the connect. {Add Hilda & Meeta to this explosive package, & you have the Ottelenghi sistah’s!! YAY}.
My attention was held by the Sour Cherry & Walnut Stick. I just had to make this. The pictures in the book are moreish. Bread that called my name because it looked so artisanal. Fitted in with my ‘Ten in 10′ resolution too… as it had healthy flours in it! Of course we have very limited flour varieities available here, so I substituted a bit here & there. Was thrilled to see buckwheat flour in the ingredients. I had buckwheat!! Yippee…
The Ottolenghi bread is much darker in the picture cause they use country brown flour. I used a combination of all purpose, whole wheat and buckwheat flours. Didn’t have sour cherries so used dried cranberries instead. The bread was wonderful. I made it over a 2 day period. Did the first rise & kept it in the fridge overnight to get a quick start the next morning. Worked fine, though I think warmer weather will give me a lighter, more airier crumb & texture. Can’t wait to try it again!
It tasted like an artisanal bread, full of deep wonderful flavours, the sweetness of the cranberries coming out beautifully with the nutty walnut. Also tasted quite like the artisan bread Jamie & I had with our sweet potato soup at The Natural Kitchen in London. I knew she was going to love this bread…so here it is for her, with flowers!!Happy Birthday twin sistah!
Dried Cranberry & Walnut Stick adapted from Sour Cherry & Walnut Stick, Ottolenghi – The Cookbook 160ml lukewarm water (not more than 30C; I used a little extra) 2 1/4 tsp tightly packed fresh yeast (or 1 1/2 tsp active dried) 1 tbsp olive oil 40ml orange juice (from about 1 large orange) 200gm plain flour 50gm whole wheat flour 65g buckwheat flour 1 tsp salt 50g dried cranberries (or sour cherries) 50 gms walnuts, roughly broken up into pieces Oil to oil bowl
Method:
Put the yeast into the warm water & stand for 10 minutes, then add the orange juice, olive oil & salt. Stir to mix well. Mix the flours together in a big bowl, and knead with yeast mixture for 8-10 minutes into a smooth and silky dough, adding a little more water if required. Knead in the cranberries & walnuts. Put into an oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap & leave in a warm place to double. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Trying not to beat too much risen air out, pull the edges so that they all met in the centre to form a puffed round cushion shape.Using a long object, divide the dough into 2 equal spheres.Press down a little & fold one half over he other. Crimp the edges with your fingers like you were making Cornish pastry. Now roll this on th floured surface to create a torpedo like baguette shape. Lay it gently on a floured tea towel, cover loosely with cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 220C, place a bowl of hot water on the base. Roll the bread off the tea towl onto the baking sheet gently so as not to lose air. Use a sharp serated knife to give it 3 diagonal slashes, 1cm deep. Bake for 20-25 minutes, till the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. (I baked for about 30-35 minutes). Leave to cool on a wire rack.
The Ottolenghi cookbook is a celebration of tastes, texture, flavours, complexity, simplicity… so much. The glossy colourful pictures have the food leaping out of the pages, the presentation droolworthy. It is comforting, rustic and tantalizing! A book I have an instant connect with. Just my kind of book. Never have I baked/cooked so much out of a single book! Thank you Hilda.
We just had the bread for lunch…with this flavourful roasted bell pepper sauce pasta from Muneeba’s blog An Edible Symphony. I connect to Muneeba, her taste, her blogging style and her food, like I do to Ottolenghi. I know that whenever I stop by, she’ll tempt me to make something. That was the case with these Apple & Brown Butter Tartlets, and so too with this pasta. She said it was the fastest pasta ever…how true. I made the sauce while the pasta was boiling, and LOVED it. I didn’t have pine nuts, so I used walnuts instead. Worked fine!
Also used some garlic greens which I currently tend to use in all my savoury dishes as I really love the flavour this imparts to food. Lunch came full circle with Ottolenghi’s chargrilled broccoli made for the nth time on Mr PABs request. Never has broccoli been so popular in our home. (I made 3 heads of broccoli, all disappeared… & he’s asked when I’m making it again. YES!!)
The kids loved the pasta to bits, nuts and all. The flavours really come out deep and strong thanks to the roasted bell peppers. The sauce would have been redder, but I had 2 red & 1 yellow bell pepper, which explains the orangish hue! The recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s recipe here. In Muneeba’s words, ” The Pioneer Woman, Ree, being a cowgirl who is also usually short on time and needs to take a break from her typical man-pleasing food, had the perfect recipe for me. A pasta dish that came together in almost no time flat.”
Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce adapted fromAn Edible Symphony based onRee’s original recipe Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 3 roasted bell peppers(charred on the stove, skins removed, then deseeded) 3 tbsp walnuts 2 tbsp olive oil 4-5 garlic greens with stems, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup cream fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated fresh parsley OR cilantro OR basil 1/2 lb penne pasta Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Lightly toast walnuts in a skillet and set aside. Puree peppers with walnuts with a stick blender and set aside. Cook pasta according to package instructions. In a pot over medium heat, drizzle in the olive oil, and saute the garlic and garlic greens till soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt and pepper – for some reason this sauce needs it. Pour in cream and stir over low heat to combine. Add the cooked pasta and stir again. Taste for additional seasoning if needed. Place pasta in a comfortingly large bowl and sprinkle your fresh herb of choice over the top, as well as lots of shaved Parmesan. …Then smile as you dig in to this bright, cheerful and super-quick pasta… in true ‘edible symphony’ style!!
“And When You Least Expect It, You Will See the Mountain Move…”
… lines from my little red book
All through my university days, and even while I worked, I had this little red book with a checked Scottish cover, in which I penned down quotes and poems I liked. I’d always had this thing for ‘words‘, and I still do. The quote, which formed part of a poem I’d saved, seemed an instant click with my battle of making the kids eat their veggies.
As they grow up, it’s becoming an uphill task. They are increasingly fussy about not eating their ‘greens‘, their vegetables and the outright ‘healthy’ stuff! The rebellion is quite strong, but Mum’s resolve is stronger, and we often find ourselves back at the bargaining table. No veggies = No dessert! Have now decided to make sure that the veggies get into them by gently coaxing them, and am on the look out for appealing and fun recipes!
Look no further shouted the gorgeous Ottolenghi cookbook … a cookbook which Hilda presented to me in London. It is my current firm favourite. I love Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s style of narrative, love the pictures, love the stories, love the way they credit the recipe when needed … and love the refreshing flavours they present. It’s a happy mix of cultures, of childhood influences, of sharing with each other, of evolving tastes, and yet at times, touching roots! Passionate book!
The chargrilled broccoli is one such interesting recipe from this beautiful book. It’s as simple as it is good looking. My kids enjoy eating food that looks good! Judge a book by the cover, or rather, a dish by it’s looks? Yes, fortunately or unfortunately, that is what they do! So the chargrilling ensured half the battle won. The flavours of garlic won the rest, and now I don’t have to cajole them into finishing the broccoli. Least expected to see this mountain move, but they will eat about 6-8 florets happily. Then the adults fight to finish the rest of this finger licking good salad!
My only addition to the recipe is a squeeze of lime juice to the garlic & oil as I enjoy the twang of citrus! The good thing about this salad is that you just need to blanch the broccoli for ONLY 2 MINUTES, and then leave it to drain. I do this much earlier, and then chargrill it just before serving. On a hot grill this takes just 5-7 minutes, and offers a fun and flavourful addition to the table. As the authors say, “In all honesty, broccoli is a boring vegetable and you need a magic touch to bring it to life.”
This magic is en route to Sudeshna of Cook Like A Bongwho is the guest host for this months Monthly Mingle. She has chosen a great seasonal theme for the new year – Winter Vegetables and Fruit, and this fits in perfectly with my Ten in 10 plans!!
Chargrilled Broccoli with Chilli and Garlic Minimally adapted fromOttolenghi – the Cookbook About 500gms of broccoli, broken into florets 4tbsp olive oil 4-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced Coarse sea salt and black pepper Juice of 1 lime
Method: Bring a large saucepan of mildly salted water to a boil, and blanch the florets for only 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and quickly transfer to a bowl of ice cold water to stop cooking. Drain and allow to dry completely. Toss with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a grill pan till extremely hot. Grill the broccoli for a few minutes till they get chargrill marks, turn over and repeat for the other side. Don’t cramp the pan, and do it in several batches if need be. In a small pan, heat the remaining olive oil with the garlic and chillies, and keep over medium hat until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Take off heat, add juice of 1 lime. Pour the flavoured oil over the hot broccoli and toss together well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: You can garnish it with toasted flaked almonds or thinly sliced lime just before serving, if you like.
“One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.”
Thomas Fuller
Here’s a fruity filled beginning to 2010, a year that’s already beginning to look good. The year that we just wrapped up was filled with goodness too, ever so satisfying. The high points being blogging with friends, Food Blogger Connect, Twitter and macarons! Who would have dreamt that life would change monumentally with a microapplication called Twitter?? I’ve made breakfast club pals, macaron pals, laundry club pals, dragon pals and even snail pals!
Food blogging led to fabulous new friends, and some I was actually able to meet at the Food Blogger Connect! We exchanged gifts there, BIG TIME, and so came the idea of this absolutely delicious dessert! This is one from the heart, and is thus sweeter. It tasted so good!!
I used the praline from Pamela and cranberries from Jamie, both fine foodies and fab friends from France. As a matter of coincidence, I had apples on hand and was browsing one of my favourite French food blogs, Bea‘s La Tartine Gourmand. I just had to make this comforting cake. Bea’s blog is heart warming, just like I love it … full of connections, memories, family, food and gorgeous pictures. If you need a dose of inspiration, do head straight here! Vive la France!!
Twittering with food bloggers offered things to make life even better this year. I am delighted to have joined up for a wonderful challenge Ten in 10: ten Weeks to Healthy in 2010, the brainchild of a wonderful blogger Lori @ Recipe Girl. What is this all about?
It’s about wanting to feel healthy.Everyone has a different vision of what being healthy means. Some want to lose weight, some feel that they’re already at a comfortable weight but they would like to make a commitment to exercise, some would like to eat healthier, etc. Everyone will have their own individual goals for this healthy challenge. Read about it here, and you can join in too.
I have penned down a few goals that I hope to work towards…(easier than putting down New Year resolutions LOL!)
Eat healthy
Increase vegetables in meals
Decrease non-vegetarian options on the table to 2 days a week
Make more stuff at home vs store bought to decrease preservatives, & my carbon footprint
Stick to local & seasonal food
Use more fruit in the daily diet especially for the kids
Focus on fruit and natural sugars in dessert
I have learnt to look at food in new ways. Fruit have become a HUGE part of my baking life, and I aim to include vegetable in the roll call too. I am waiting for a recipe of brownies with sweet potato that my sister has promised to mail me. Broccoli has been won, and I have my sights set on cauliflower. I can say from recent experience, persistence pays with kids; I can see them battling their veggies less now!
I will attempt to explore and achieve my healthy goals over the next 10 weeks, and will hopefully carry them through the rest of the year too.
Apple,Cranberry and Praline Cake Adapted minimally from this recipe from La Tartine Gourmand
Ingredients: 3 large apples 2 oz dried cranberries (soaked in hot water for 20 min) 3 eggs 7 Tbsp butter, melted (1/2 cup) 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt (or 1/2 tsp fleur de sel) 75gm plain flour 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar (or light brown sugar) 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 cup nut praline (optional)
Method: Sift the flours with the baking powder and keep on the side. Soak the cranberries in hot water for 20 min, then drain. In the meantime, peel your apples, remove the core and slice them thinly. Preheat your oven at 180C. Break the eggs in a large bowl and beat them with the sugar and salt, until light. Add the melted butter and the rest of dry ingredients. Mix well but not for too long, until everything is incorporated. Add the apple slices and half the nut praline. Butter a round 9.5″ mold and pour in the apple batter. Top evenly with the cranberries and nut praline. Cook in the oven for 30 to 35 min. Remove and let cool for a few min before unmolding on a large plate. Eat it lukewarm, it is even better.
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
A little news that I just got that I am excited to share. I am one of the 50 bloggers & chefs whose recipes have been included in the free STRAWBERRY mobile app for iPhone and iPod touch.
FREE IPHONE STRAWBERRY RECIPE APP LAUNCHES
“STRAWBERRIES” iPhone App to View and Share 50 Strawberry Recipes
from Top Food Bloggers and Chefs
Watsonville, CA (January 13, 2009) – The California Strawberry Commission today announced the availability of the free “STRAWBERRIES” mobile app for iPhone and iPod Touch users featuring more than 50 mouth-watering strawberry recipes from some of the most popular food bloggers and chefs from around the web. Individually selected for that “wow” factor, these recipes will inspire families, foodies, cooks, the health conscious and strawberry lovers everywhere to get even more creative with strawberries.
iPhone and iPod touch users can now access different strawberry recipes complete with vivid food photography and step-by-step directions to create that special dish for those around you. The free app neatly categorizes recipes under Snacks & Appetizers, Breakfast, Cocktails, Main Courses, Salads and Sweets. Recipes range from traditional favorites, such as shortcakes and pies to more exotic dishes like strawberry dumplings, salsa and ceviche.
Individual recipes can be shared with friends, family and online networks by simply posting the recipe to Facebook or Twitter with the click of a button. Recipes can also be emailed to anyone for viewing or printing.
Availability
The Strawberries app for the iPhone and iPod touch is available immediately as a free download at the Apple iTunes Store. Click here to download: http://bit.ly/8LANJo
