Homemade Falafel

Have you fallen for falafel yet? Seems like a silly question, but I am half-serious.

To me, falafel is one of those anomalies- it is delicious, we all know it, but somehow it rarely shows up on the menu. And when it does, the crowd goes wild. Strange? I think so. Especially when you take into account how incredibly easy it is to make as well as it's undercover nutrient-prowess. 

So I propose a falafel revolution. Let's take it from the back alley of some dingy street into the spotlight- from the old-forgotten-cookbook to the absolute recipe staple.

We start with garlic. The young green sort, harvested from the fields this time of year. Add some onions, fresh herbs, and seasonings. Simple, right? This is an easy recipe to make ahead in bulk and freeze at any point, to finish off later, if strapped for time or hungry mouths.

Chickpeas, or garbanzos: your pick. A plump legume rich in insoluble fiber, protein, manganese, folate and iron, as well as flavenoids such as quercetin and phenolic acid.  Spelled out: Chickpeas are extremely rich in antioxidant power, capable of protecting the body against intruders as well as neutralizing internal abnormal cellular activity. Furthermore, with an ideal ratio of protein to fiber, these delicious beans promote blood sugar regulation as well as cardiovascular health. In other words: Eat Up.

Falafel

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas

4 cups stock/water

2 garlic cloves

1 large onion, in eighths

1 cup parsley 

1 cup cilantro

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2- 1 tsp sea salt

fresh pepper, to taste

cayenne, to taste

Directions

Set dried chickpeas to soak in hot water for 8-16 hours in stock/water in a large pot, with plenty of wiggle room.

Drain, rinse and set aside.

In a large food processor, mince garlic. Add onions, parsley and cilantro and pulse until minced. If possible, freshly grind cumin, coriander and peppercorn, and add to mixture. Add baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and drained chickpeas. Process until smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time if necessary. Taste, and add salt, cayenne and pepper to taste.

At this point, you can freeze "dough" to finish later. To prepare falafel patties, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take 2 tbs. of dough and roll into desired shape (flattening slightly to make a patty). Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. This is another opportunity to freeze patties if desired, first on the baking sheet, and then removing to a bag once frozen.

Let patties rest for 15 minutes on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove, flip and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately, or freeze in prepared form if necessary. I recommend serving patties as part of a falafel salad with mixed greens, tomato, red pepper, cucumber, olives, feta and carrot with a lemon-cilantro dressing.

Relax. Eat Well.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Cakes with Cilantro Almond Aioli

Whew, that is quite the title. Maybe Sweet Beans with Green, instead? Nah, I'll stick with what I've got.

I've been on a black bean kick lately. I like them mixed with a sweeter vegetable, such as sweet potato or golden corn. This dish would work even better in the summer when the corn is tall, but sometimes you just have to break away from the root vegetables when it is MARCH and STILL SNOWING. Ok, I'm done.

For a little info on soaking and cooking beans from dried, check out this post. The same basic method for cooking all beans applies, although the cooking time varies depending on the size.




I served these petite cakes as an appetizer with a dallop of aioli on top, but they could be the main show as well in a larger format with some rice and greens on the side. I like the idea of aioli, but don't appreciate the massive amounts of oil involved. This version uses soaked raw almonds that are creamed into a smooth base and spiked with a latino beat: cilantro, lime, garlic and cayenne. Once they have soaked, it easy to squeeze gently to pop off their skins. They look so funny lying there all naked!




The date adds a sweetness that balances the acidity of the lime and pungency of the garlic. I love using dates in raw concoctions because they bring loads of fiber, a modest dose of potassium and TONS of depth. I love the medjool variety which is often found in the produce section as they are moist, rich and malty.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Cakes

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ jalepeno, minced (or less, depending on heat of your particular pepper)

¼ red onion, chopped

½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 /2 tsp cumin

2 cups black beans

½ cup cornmeal

1 cup corn

2 tsp. honey

Salt and black pepper to taste

Coconut oil for cooking

Directions

Place ground flax in a small bowl with 3 tbs water and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place onion, garlic and jalapeño in the food processor and pulse to mince.  Add cilantro, cumin, cornmeal, honey and 1 cup of black beans. Process until fairly smooth and blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add flax mixture, corn and remaining cup of beans. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a medium cast-iron pan over medium heat with 1 tbs. of coconut oil. Shape patties with your hands and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. These work well as mini cakes for a cute appetizer topped with Raw Almond Cilantro Aioli (recipe below). 

Can be made in advance and fried just before serving, or shaped and baked if serving more guests. 

Raw Almond Cilantro Aioli

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight

1 medium garlic clove, minced

juice of ½ a lime

1 cup cilantro

1 medjool date, pitted

½ tsp. smoked sea salt

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup water

pinch of cayenne

paprika or sumac for garnish

Directions

Pinch soaked almonds to pop skins off.  Place skinned almonds with remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, adding water a tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Serve on top of mini sweet corn and black bean cakes with paprika or sumac as a garnish for a darling appetizer. 

Relax. Eat Well.

Basil Hummus

There are several dishes I tend to make on a weekly basis (vegetable stock, tacos, kim chee), but I have to say that hummus is an absolute must in our humble house. I quickly learned that anything you create (and enjoy) on a weekly basis needs to have a back stock of creative variations to keep it fresh and interesting, so I have tested quite a few twists on hummus in my day. Some have tantalized my taste buds and tempted me to consume by the spoonful, while others left my palate bored and a little perturbed. I’ll spare you the rejects, but this week I wanted to highlight two wonderful hummus recipes that will liven up your kitchen as well. Inspired by the summer bounty that blesses our land, I present to you:

Basil Hummus

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

2 tbs. tahini

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

a handful of walnuts (about 6)

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

24 basil leaves

a dash of hot sauce

cracked pepper

1 tbs. nutritional yeast

Directions

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. This may require stopping to scrape down the sides a few times, as well as the addition of a few tablespoons of water (I ended up using about 2). The goal is a thick but creamy consistency.

This recipe was inspired by the flavors of a fresh summer pesto, using basil freshly picked from the garden. It is popping up in the farmer’s markets around Santa Cruz, although my east coast friends may have to wait a few more weeks. I used walnuts instead of pine nuts to add a healthy dose of Omega-3 fatty acids. If you don’t have nutritional yeast on hand, feel free to leave it out, but it is an ingredient I would recommend adding to your pantry. Chock of full of B-vitamins, it adds a certain “cheesy” quality to dips and casseroles. My mom would say that it was created for the sole purpose of adorning popcorn, as she often justifies popcorn, butter and nutritional yeast as her dinner when visiting the Savoy theatre in Montpelier. I say many people eat worse.

A tip about chickpeas (and all legumes): Buy them dried in the bulk section of your local market (for WAY less than you would pay for the canned variety). Let them soak overnight in a large bowl with plenty of wiggle room and water (they absorb and expand substantially) and then cook them the next day for about 30-45 minutes, or until they are tender. The ratio of cooking water does not matter because you simply drain them in the end. Adding a strip of kombu seaweed also accelerates the cooking process and adds valuable minerals to your end product, although it is not necessary if you don’t have it on hand. Legumes that are prepared at home have a more vibrant flavor as well as structural integrity, you will really notice a difference. My last tip is to buy about 2 cups of dried chickpeas at a time, soak them in LOTS of water and cook them all together. You will end up with about 6 cups of cooked peas, but simply let them cool, divide them into containers (1 1/2 cups in each, about the amount in one can) and place the extras in the freezer. They freeze wonderfully and you can simply take a container out of the freezer each week for your next batch of hummus. So easy AND inexpensive.

Ok with that I will leave you with my final hummus recipe for the week. This one is an exceptionally creamy variation reminiscent of Latin guacamole. I am already dreaming of next week....

Avocado Hummus

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

¾ cup cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

2 tbs. tahini

1 garlic clove, minced

juice and zest of 1/2 a lime

1 tsp. jalapeno, minced

1 tbs. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil.

1/4 tsp salt

a pinch of black pepper

Directions

Blend in a food processor until thick and creamy, adding a tablespoon or two of water as necessary.

Relax. Eat Well.