Vegetarian Cooking For Carnivores

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GNOCCHI WITH BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

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Making Potato Gnocchi from scratch sounds scarier than it really is. Honestly! Basically, all you have to do is make mashed potatoes, roll them into ropes, cut them into 1″ pieces, and boil them. You can even get the kids involved…or your spouse.

The potatoes need to be lump-free, so you’ll need either a ricer or a food mill. Another tool that is nice, but not essential, is a gnocchi board (see photo) to form the ridges. A fork will work if you don’t have one. (The ridges help hold the sauce.)

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A huge bonus to making gnocchi is they freeze well so, as long as you’re at it, you may as well make extra for those days when you lack the desire, time, energy, and desire (it bears mentioning twice!) to cook.

I’ve included a Brown Butter Sage Sauce recipe below, but you can top gnocchi with pesto, pink sauce, or anything you fancy.

POTATO GNOCCHI

  • 1.5 lbs (approximately) russet potatoes
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Peel and chop potatoes in thirds. Boil in salted water until easily pierced with a fork. Drain.

Immediately put the hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill. Stir in the salt and flour first, then the egg. (Adding the flour first cools down the potatoes a bit to prevent cooking the egg.)

Empty the potato mixture onto a well floured board and knead the dough for about 30 seconds to get it to stick together.

Have ready a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and, if you’re going to be eating immediately, start the water boiling in a large pot.

Pull off kiwi sized (it really doesn’t matter is it’s not exact) hunks of potato dough and, on a well floured board, roll into a rope 1/2″ in diameter. If your rope is too long for your board, use a smaller hunk for the rest. Slice into 1″ segments. Form ridges by rolling each one along a gnocchi board or the backside of a fork, going towards the tip of the tines. The ridges help the sauce to adhere to the gnocchi. Place them on the cookie sheet, not touching. Continue until all dough is done.

When the water is fully boiling, drop in desired amount of gnocchi. Once they’ve all floated to the top, turn off heat and let them sit in water for 30 seconds. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the sauce. Save the gnocchi water to add to the sauce, as needed – the water will extend the sauce, and the flour will thicken it.

NOTE: If you don’t want to cook the gnocchi immediately, place cookie sheet in freezer. When gnocchi are frozen, store them in portion sized containers.

BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE – for 2-3 servings

  • 4 T butter
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

NOTE: Prepare the sauce just before cooking the gnocchi.

Melt butter in a 10″-12″ skillet over medium-high flame, swirling until butter turns amber and becomes aromatic (about 1½-2 minutes). Remove pan from burner and add in sage and shallots, stirring for 1 minute off-heat (the residual heat is enough to cook the sage and shallots). Blend in salt and lemon juice. Cover to keep warm.

Spoon cooked gnocchi directly into sauce. Add gnocchi water, if needed to expand the sauce.

Top with a grated hard cheese such as Pecorino-Romano, if you like.

 

 

 

 

 

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QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT – Get Ready For Summer!

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Last week I wrote about CHOCOLATE WACKY CAKE after being asked to use and critique a coconut balsamic vinegar. I know vinegar, particularly balsamic, sounds like a crazy ingredient for a chocolate cake, but it’s amazing – try it, and thank me later.

This week I’m posting about about QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT, which also calls for vinegar. It’s an easy recipe, and excellent to add to your repertoire for when your friends come calling with bags of eggplant from their garden.

NOTE: You can substitute rice or sorghum for the quinoa.

QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT

  • 1 large eggplant, or 2-3 smaller ones
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 c quinoa, raw
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic, pressed
  • 1 T fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 lb Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup hard cheese (such as Parmesan, Romano, or Pecorino-Romano), grated
  • 2 T pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 T parsley, chopped

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Score each half by making slashes diagonally through pulp, half an inch apart. Do the same going the opposite way. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T CUT THROUGH THE SKIN! Brush a liberal amount of olive oil on cut sides, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplant cut side down. Bake on lowest rack at 400º for 40-50 minutes, until softened. Drain by laying the eggplant cut side down, on a terry cloth towel that’s topped with a couple of layers of paper towels.

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Sauté onion in the 1 T olive oil. Add garlic, basil, cinnamon, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook 30 seconds only, then stir in cooked quinoa, tomatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, pine nuts, and vinegar.

Turn eggplant cut side up, and smash down pulp with a spoon to make eggplant into a bowl. Divide the quinoa filling between the eggplant halves, compacting and mounding it.

Top with remaining cheese and return eggplant to parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400º in the upper third of oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese browns.

Sprinkle on fresh basil and serve.

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WACKY CAKE: It’s Crazy Good!

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I was recently asked to try a coconut balsamic vinegar and give my opinion. I used it in recipes you’d expect: Apple Sorghum Salad, Quinoa Stuffed Eggplant, and Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts. But, I also wanted to do a think-outside-the-box dish. A dessert perhaps? WHAT????

Then I recalled a chocolate cake recipe, called Wacky Cake, I found years ago in a lady’s club cookbook. At the time, I thought it was so named because all of the ingredients were put in a bowl and mixed at once. Now that I have made MANY cakes from scratch, I realize it’s because there are NO eggs, butter, or milk. Crazy, right?!

Wacky Cake came into frugal existence during the days of rationing, when these ingredients were hard to come by. The recipe called for cocoa, oil, baking soda, sugar…and white vinegar. At first glance, vinegar sounds like a horrible ingredient for a chocolate cake. But then I remembered, you can make buttermilk by combining milk with vinegar. So suddenly the vinegar didn’t seem so odd….until I realized there was no milk in this recipe. Hmmmm.

Since I’d made the cake before and knew it tasted good, I decided to take a chance and use the coconut balsamic vinegar. (I like to live on the edge….or, at least, nearby.)

Believe it or not, the Chocolate Wacky Cake came out utterly delicious! It was moist, firm, rose beautifully, and chocolaty. Day 3 tasted just as good as Day 1. There was no Day 4.

I topped it with a  Brown Sugar Frosting (Betty Crocker’s recipe), which was the perfect complement to the rich chocolate. I’ve included the recipe below.

Note:  You can make 29 cupcakes from this recipe.  Bake them at 350º F for about 17 minutes.

CHOCOLATE WACKY CAKE

  • 1 T instant coffee granules (you can probably use 1 cup of coffee & dilute it with 1 cup water if you don’t have the granules – but I’ve never done this myself)
  • 2 cups (473g) water
  • 2 cups (387g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cup (165ml / 141 grams by weight) vegetable oil
  • 3 cups (364g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 T vinegar (I’ve used both white and balsamic)

Preheat oven to 350º F (177°C) and grease and flour a 9″ x 13″ (23cm x 33cm) pan.

Into a large mixing bowl, add the coffee granules. Bring the water to a boil and stir into the coffee granules.

 

Add in the sugar, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla, and oil, stirring to blend by hand.

Add in the flour, baking soda, and vinegar. If using an electric mixer, use low speed and blend just until flour is incorporated – don’t over mix.

Pour into a greased and floured 13″x 9″ (23cm x 33cm) baking pan, tapping the filled pan 2 or 3 times on the counter to remove any air pockets.

Place in preheated 350°F (177°C) oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until top springs back when lightly pressed. Also, if you put the pan close to (BUT NOT TOUCHING!) your ear, you can hear a faint crackling sound if it’s not done. If you hear the crackling, return pan to the oven for another minute and check again until the sound disappears – mine baked for 34 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING – covers a 13″x 9″ cake

  • 1/2 cup (112g) (1 stick) butter
  • 1 cup (148g) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 (49g) cup milk
  • 2 cups (217g) powdered sugar, measure before sifting

In a saucepan melt butter. Over medium heat, stir in brown sugar and bring to boiling. Lower flame to low and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add milk, increase heat, and bring to boil. Then, remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

Sift powdered sugar to prevent lumps. Gradually stir into butter/sugar. If you let the butter/sugar cool too long and it’s not mixing well into the powdered sugar, just put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and try blending again. You may need to zap it another 15 seconds or so.

Place saucepan into a bowl of ice water, and stir continuously until spreadable, but not too thick.

Frost cake. Let set at least 20 minutes before slicing.

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MINI YORKIES: Fun Sized Yorkshire Puddings

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As promised in last week’s TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE post, this week I’m writing about Mini Yorkshire Puddings, which were the container for this scrumptious dish. (Often, puff pastry shells are used, but who needs the fat and calories!)

Yorkshire Pudding is traditionally made in a large pan, using drippings from whatever roast you’re cooking. But the sides would became tall and crispy, while the large center sunk and was kind of flabby and tasteless. Since the best part of the pud is the crispy edge, baking Yorkshire Pudding in muffin tins has gained in popularity.

I tried different ratios of eggs to milk to flour, achieving the best texture for my palate.

I also experimented with shortening versus butter versus oil to grease the cups. Shortening won that contest – it yielded a crispier pudding.

The final variable was whether to flour the sides. It didn’t seem to matter that much – both versions were crispy, however, the floured ones were very slightly taller. Since flouring muffin tins is kind of a messy task, it wasn’t worth the effort to me.

NOTE: The batter needs to rest for at least 30 minutes before baking, so plan accordingly. They need to be served immediately.

MINI YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS – makes 12

  • 4 eggs
  • 123g (1½ cup) milk (I used nonfat)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 186g (1½ cup) all purpose flour
  • 1 T vegetable oil

Into a bowl beat the eggs and milk. Whisk in the salt and flour until fairly smooth (some small flour lumps are acceptable). Place a plate over bowl and let rest for, at least, 30 minutes.

With rack in middle position, turn oven to 450º F.

While oven is heating, grease cups (sides and bottoms) of a 12-cup muffin tin with shortening.

In a small saucepan pour 1 T vegetable oil. As the oven gets close to 450º F, heat up the oil and drizzle it into the batter, whisking continuously. Pour batter into a container with a spout (such as a pitcher or measuring cup) to make it easier to fill the muffin cups. Fill each cup halfway to start, then go back and evenly divide the remaining batter amongst the cups.

When oven is at 450º F (don’t jump the gun!), put muffin tin in oven and set timer for 20 minutes. Do not open door!!! (The cool air will prompt the puds to deflate a bit.)

After 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 350º F and set timer for 7 minutes. Again – do not open door!!! Turn on oven light and peer through door to see if they’re well browned. If they look satisfactory, open door, pull out rack, and pierce tops with a skewer to allow steam to escape. Remove tin from oven and empty Yorkies into a bread basket.

Eat immediately – they’re at their best when fresh and hot. However, if you have leftovers, you can reheat them for a couple of minutes in a toaster oven (or standard oven, if you don’t have one).

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TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE: OoLaLa!

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Throughout our marriage, my husband’s dinner choice for special occasions has always been Coquilles St. Jacques á la Parisienne (scallops in a white wine sauce).

Being a vegetarian, once I discovered fake (or, ‘faux’, since we’re talking French here) meats, Skallops and its like were substituted. These worked well since real scallops taste kind of fake anyhow.

Don’t get me wrong, I love imitation products – at least, SOME of them (you have to experiment). They talk you off the ledge when you crave your mom’s chicken casserole or spaghetti with meat sauce. Also, they allow you to revive those recipes you thought were unusable in the vegetarian world. BUT…they are a processed food and, as such, I try and limit them to once or twice a week.

So, I decided to try extra firm tofu in place of the fake scallops. It actually works quite well. True, tofu doesn’t have the chew of imitation scallops, but it blends quite well with the mushrooms and white wine sauce, and makes a tasty alternative. I added in diced pimentos for a little extra flavor and color. (Quel horreur!)

The final change I made (which you don’t have to) is replacing the high fat, calorie laden puff pastry shells usually used to contain the St. Jacques, with mini-Yorkshire puddings. The recipe for my Mini-Yorkies will be in next week’s blogpost.

TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE – makes about 3 cups

  • 1 block extra-firm tofu
  • 175g (3/4 cup) vermouth
  • 261g (2 cups) mushrooms (5 oz), chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 30g  (1/4 cup) shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 T butter
  • 30g (4 T) flour
  • 183g (3/4 cup) milk (I use half cream, half nonfat milk – don’t judge!)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • 45g (1/2 cup) (2 oz) Emmentaler Swiss cheese, grated
  • 44g (2 oz jar) diced pimentos, drained
  • 4 puff pastry shells or mini Yorkshire puddings

Remove tofu from package and extract liquid by sandwiching it between 2 plates for 30 minutes, at least. Pour off water periodically. Cut into 1/2″-3/4″ cubes.

Into a skillet place the tofu, vermouth, mushrooms, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and shallots. Top with about 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce flame to simmer, cover skillet, and cook 5 minutes.

With slotted spoon, remove the tofu and mushrooms to a bowl. Boil down liquid to 1 cup. Remove bay leaf and discard.

In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Turn off heat and carefully mix in flour to make a paste. It’s best to use a flat-headed wooden spoon for this to mash out all lumps. This is the only chance you have to get rid of lumps – once you add liquid, they’re there for good. When the roux (paste) is perfectly smooth, cook it over a low heat for 1 minute.

Turn heat to medium and pour milk and reduced vermouth liquid into the roux. Stir often until sauce begins to thicken. Turn off heat. Slowly drizzle about 1/2 cup of this sauce into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so they don’t curdle. Turn the flame to medium again under the saucepan, and pour the yolk mixture back into the sauce, stirring constantly until thick – about 1 minute.

NOTE: You never introduce egg yolks directly into a hot liquid – they’ll cook. Rather, you temper the yolks by slowly introducing a small amount of hot liquid into them, and then pouring them into the sauce.

Add the lemon juice, cheese, and pimento to the sauce. Taste and season, if needed. (I never do.)

Blend the tofu mixture and sauce together in the skillet – off heat.

Bake the puff pastry shells or mini-Yorkshire puddings. Just before they’re done, heat up the tofu mixture. If using puff pastry shells, remove the center holes and doughy bits inside; if using the Yorkies, split open. Pour the heated TOFU ST. JACQUES A LA BONNIE on top and serve.

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SALSA VERDE – Could NOT Be Easier!

Salsa Verde with text

I finally decided to woman-up and learn to make salsa. This was one of the few food items it never occurred to me to make. For one thing, I don’t use salsa that often.  And, for another, I envisioned lots of ingredients and lots of mincing.

But after washing and storing yet another plastic container that held my favorite store-bought salsa, I made up my mind to make my own. (I was running out of storage space – and, really, how many containers does one need?!)

I did my usual research of various recipes and then came up with my own – fine tuning it after the first attempt. I was surprised at just how easy salsa is to make. Since Salsa Verde was a success, next time:  Salsa Roja!

SALSA VERDE – makes 2 cups

  • 1/2 lb fresh tomatillas
  • 1 jalapeño chili
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 57g (1/2 cup) white onion, chopped
  • 3 T fresh cilantro
  • 1 T fresh parsley
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup water

In upper third of oven, broil the tomatillas, jalapeño, and bell pepper. When tops start turning black, flip them until that side turns black, too.

Remove stem ends of jalapeño and bell pepper. Slice open and discard seeds.

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse on a high speed until salsa is consistency you like. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

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CARROT-GINGER SOUP: Easter Bunny Favorite!

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This recipe is perfect for Easter! Why? Because the Easter Bunny is a rabbit…and rabbits love carrots, of course!

Okay, I may be stretching the association a bit (a BIT?!), but this soup is delicious, filling, and low-cal. And, like most soups, is very easy to make.

NOTE: You can make this soup with carrots of various colors – purple, white, yellow, and orange. Choose one, or mix and match. Warning: mixing the colors (particularly with purple) produces a soup color that’s not very pretty, although it’s still scrumptious.

CARROT-GINGER SOUP

  • 2 T butter
  • 2½ cups onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup crystallized ginger (found in the jarred spice section or bins)
  • 1 T grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried ginger)
  • 2 lbs carrots (buy the ones with tops – they’re the freshest)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1½ cups carrot juice, divided
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 T red cider vinegar
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • grated hard cheese (such as Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan)
  • optional:  chives, sour cream, croutons

Melt butter in a stockpot. Add in onions, garlic, salt, sugar, crystallized ginger, and fresh ginger (or dried). Sauté for 5 minutes.

Remove tops from carrots and discard. Chop carrots into small pieces and add to onion mixture. Add in water, 3/4 cup of the carrot juice, thyme, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Cool for at least 15 minutes. Pour into a blender (in batches, if necessary) and purée. Return to stockpot and add vinegar and the remaining 3/4 cup carrot juice. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Heat and serve. Sprinkle on cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream, chives, and croutons, if you like.

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COLCANNON – Magically Delicious!

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My Irish mother used to say, “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.” So take advantage of the day by trying a traditional Irish dish.

One of my favorite Irish foods is colcannon, a potato mash and cabbage side dish. Add a protein such as tofu or cheese, and you’ve got a lovely vegetarian main course. It’s really quite easy – not much more trouble than making plain old mashed potatoes.

Be sure to wear green as you prepare this!

COLCANNON – makes 6 cups

  • 1½ lbs russet potatoes, skinned
  • 3½ T butter, divided
  • 3/4 cup onions, chopped
  • 2 cups green cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1 tsp salt, divided

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cut peeled potatoes into pieces so they cook faster. Add to boiling water and cook until easily pierced with a fork. Reserve 1 cup of the potato water, then drain potatoes. Return potatoes to the empty pot.

While potatoes are boiling, melt 1½ T of the butter in a saucepan. Add in onions and cabbage, and sauté until softened – about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and set aside.

Melt the remaining 2 T butter and add to the hot, drained potatoes. Mash, using a potato masher or food mill. Pour in the cabbage mixture (heat, if it’s gone cold) and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Add the reserved potato water, as needed, to achieve a creamy texture.

NOTE:  Much as I love my food processor, DON’T use it to mash the potatoes – you’ll end up with paste!

To bring leftover colcannon back to life as leftovers, add a bit of the reserved potato water (or, just plain water or milk if you threw it out) and microwave.

 

 

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EGGPLANT INVOLTINI – A New Favorite!

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I’d never heard of involtini before recently marathon-watching American’s Test Kitchen. (LOVE that show!)

Involtini is a food (such as eggplant or a meat) that’s sliced thin and rolled around a stuffing. They demonstrated a quick and easy version of Eggplant Involtini, which I immediately tried. Fabulous! Naturally, I tweaked the recipe a bit.

It’s fast enough for a weeknight dinner, and special enough for company. A perfect recipe to add to your repertoire.

NOTE: I followed America’s Test Kitchen suggestion to peel the eggplant. But since the skin contains the antioxidant nasunin, I also tested a version without peeling to see if there was a need for this step. Result: leave the peel alone! The Eggplant Involtini tasted delicious both ways – so why bother with the extra work?!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Buy eggplants no more than 1 day before usage – they don’t keep well.

EGGPLANT INVOLTINI – makes about 10 rolls

  • 2 long (about 8″) eggplants
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 T additional olive oil
  • 1  28-oz (793g) can whole tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp (or 1/2 tsp for the adventurous) dried pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • 18g (2 T) red wine
  • 37g (1/2 cup) pecorino-romano cheese, shredded
  • 32g (about 1 slice) hardened bread (I used whole wheat and pita – both worked)
  • 240g (1 cup) whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 9g (1/4 cup) chopped fresh basil (don’t use dried!)
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • extra pecorino-romano and basil to sprinkle on top

Cut top and bottom off eggplants. In order to keep eggplants steady as you slice them, cut off about 1/3″ from one side in the bulbous area. Lay this cut end down.

Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2″ wide slabs – there will be 4-5, depending on how fat the eggplants are.

Lay slices on a very large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush eggplant with some of the 1/3 cup olive oil, then salt and pepper. Turn slices over, then brush again with olive oil, and salt and pepper. You may not use up all of the oil.

Bake in a preheated 375° fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

While eggplant is baking, cut up whole tomatoes into small pieces (remove the stem end, and any skin or blemishes), saving the juice. In a very large skillet over medium flame, heat the 1 T olive oil. Add in garlic, oregano, dried pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp salt. Sauté 1 minute – don’t let garlic burn. Pour in the tomatoes and juice, and wine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce flame. Let cook 15 minutes.

FINAL NOTE – I PROMISE: If you like this dish, double or triple (or more) the marinara sauce and freeze in portions for future use.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the pecorino-romano, ricotta, basil, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt. Break bread slice into small pieces. Grind them into crumbs in a blender or food processor. Add bread crumbs to cheese mixture.

After eggplant has been out of the oven for 5 minutes, carefully flip each piece. Put about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on the wider end of the eggplant strips. Roll up eggplant and place in skillet with the marinara sauce, seam side down. Continue with each slice.

Cover skillet and, over medium flame, heat the Eggplant Involtini for 5 minutes. While that’s cooking, turn on broiler, placing rack about 5″ from top element.

Broil for 5 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle with additional pecorino-romano and basil.

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FALAFEL – Nix The Mix

falafel sandwich textI was recently in the mood for a falafel sandwich, but when I looked up the recipe in my cookbooks (this is what my generation used before the internet), they all listed falafel mix as an ingredient, followed by deep frying. Yuck on both counts!

For one thing, I HATE mixes. I want to know what’s in my food! Also, much as I love deep fried foods, I try to avoid them when I can. After a little research I found a recipe for falafel mix, tweaking it to suit me.

NOTE:  This Falafel Mix is Queen of Freeze approved! If you like the recipe, next time make double or triple the amount and freeze it uncooked for future use.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Falafels go great in pita bread. No surprise, I’m strongly suggesting you make your own. Click Pita Bread to get my “you’ll-never-go-back-to-store bought” recipe.

FALAFEL MIX – makes 2¼ cups (about 12 patties)

  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped in big chunks
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 T olive oil
  • about 1 cup plain bread crumbs
  • extra olive oil for brushing on patties
  • pita bread
  • tzatziki sauce – recipe follows

In workbowl of your food processor (please, tell me you have one!), blend together the onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, and baking powder. Add in the garbanzo beans, egg, and olive oil, and pulse until the beans are teeny sized pieces, but aren’t pureed (you want some texture).

Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in enough of the bread crumbs to firm up the mixture so it’s not too sticky, but not so dry that the mixture falls apart when you try to form a ball. (I used the full 1 cup.)

Preheat oven to 400º fahrenheit.

Divide mixture into 1″ balls, then press them between your hands to about 3/8″ thick (they’ll be about 1½” in diameter). Place the discs on a well oiled cookie sheet.

Brush the extra olive oil lightly on each patty and bake for 10 minutes. Flip discs, brush with olive oil, and bake another 10 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes, if you want them a little crisper.

NOTE: Quite often you see falafels shaped into balls. If you like, you can do this – they’ll still taste the same. But I prefer them flattened so they fit into the pita bread better. (Also, they don’t roll all over the cookie sheet.) If you’re making falafels as an hors d’oeuvre, then I would go with the spherical shape.

To assemble:  Either cut pitas in half and stuff them, or layer filling on top and fold (like a taco). Spoon on tzatziki sauce, and add in tomato, lettuce, red onions, or olives, if desired.

TZATZIKI SAUCE – makes about 3/4 cup

  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt (click Homemade Yogurt to make your own)
  • 1 cucumber, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp salt (I used kosher)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp olive oil

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.