Falafel is a small, deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas and a blend of herbs and spices. For my own signature version, I also incorporate ground split peas (which is optional) and season with my own blend of spices. Falafel is a traditional Arabic food, usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread and topped with various sauces and vegetable garnishes. This recipe yields about 16 falafel patties.
Ingredients for the falafel:
• ¾ cup dried chickpeas and ¼ cup dried yellow or green split peas
– or 1 cup dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• ¼ cup diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 and ¼ tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried powdered rosemary
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 T garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour or soy flour
• 2 T olive oil
• ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, loosely packed
Other ingredients needed:
• vegetable oil for frying
• pita or flat bread
• Tzatziki sauce, Tahini Sauce and/or Hummus
• thinly sliced onion
• sliced cucumbers
• chopped tomatoes
Technique:
Place the dried chickpeas and split peas (or chickpeas alone) in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let them soak for 24 hours, then drain thoroughly. DO NOT use canned chickpeas.
Place the drained, soaked chickpeas and split peas, onion, garlic, salt, rosemary, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process the mixture until all the peas are coarsely ground. Remove the lid and scrape down the peas as necessary to incorporate them into the mixture. DO NOT purée! It is important to retain a “grainy” texture”.
Sprinkle in the garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour, olive oil, black pepper and parsley and pulse the mixture several times to combine. Turn the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts and then gently press to flatten into small patties. The mixture will be moist and some will stick to your fingers, so keep a moist towel on hand while you work. Place the patties on a plate or cutting board.
In a deep skillet or wok, heat ½-inch of oil to 375°F, or for a full 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Fry the patties in batches for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Stuff half a pita with 3 falafel patties or serve on a plate. Garnish with fresh produce and condiment(s) of your choice. Store any remaining falafel in a covered container or zip-lock bag and refrigerate.
To reheat, wrap the falafel securely in foil and place in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes – or briefly reheat in the microwave.
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Fresh cooked green beans, mukimame (shelled edamame aka green soybeans), chickpeas and sliced onion are tossed with a light and refreshing cumin-scented vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 lb. frozen mukimame (shelled edamame)
• 1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed well and drained
• ½ small sweet onion, sliced paper thin
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T sesame tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic (1 tsp minced)
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• coarse ground black pepper, to taste
Technique:
Steam the green beans until crisp tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and drain. Cook the mukimame according to the package directions; rinse with cold water and drain. Add the green beans and the mukimame to a large mixing bowl. Add the thoroughly rinsed chickpeas and the sliced onion. Set aside.
In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until fragrant. Place the cumin seeds in a blender with the remaining ingredients except for the black pepper and process until smooth. Pour over the beans and gently toss to avoid breaking the green beans. Add the black pepper, to taste, and gently toss again. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes to blend the flavors before serving.
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Three Bean Salad with Cumin-Scented Vinaigrette
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Yes, you heard correctly, sweet and gooey marshmallow creme without using egg whites. The secret ingredient to this deliciously spreadable confection is Versawhip 600K™, which is a modified form of soy protein. Versawhip 600K™ will need to be purchased through the internet and I recommend ModernistPantry.com as the source from which to order.
A stand mixer is REQUIRED for this recipe. The technique involves whipping molten hot sugar syrup, so do not attempt with a hand-held mixer or splattering can occur which can result in severe burns. Food processors, stand blenders or immersion blenders are not recommended for this recipe either as they will not work properly. So please don’t try it. It is also recommended that the stand mixer be equipped with a splatter shield to prevent the sticky marshmallow mixture from splattering out of the mixing bowl.
You will also need a candy thermometer to determine when the molten sugar syrup has reached the proper temperature. Light corn syrup is also required for this recipe and due to the concern about GMO products, a non-GMO light corn syrup is available by searching on the internet. This recipe yields about 4 cups.
Ingredients for the sugar syrup:
• ¼ cup water
• ⅓ cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup organic sugar
• pinch of sea salt
Ingredients for the fluff:
• ¼ cup water
• 1 and ½ tsp Versawhip 600K™
• ¼ tsp guar gum or xanthan gum
• ½ tsp real vanilla extract
Technique:
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of a small saucepan. Be sure the base of the thermometer rests just above the bottom of the pan without touching the metal.
Add the water, corn syrup and then the sugar into the center of the mixture. Swirl gently and place over medium-high heat. Do not stir while the sugar mixture is heating. The mixture will need to be boiled and brought to the “soft-ball candy” stage or 240°F. This will take several minutes.
While the sugar syrup is boiling, add the water to the bottom of the mixer’s bowl. Sprinkle in the Versawhip 600K™ and the guar gum or xanthan gum. Reserve the vanilla extract for later. Turn on the mixer and increase the speed to the highest setting. The mixture will whip into a voluminous white foam.
When the sugar syrup has reached 240°F, remove the saucepan from the heat and with the mixer running at high speed, pour the molten sugar syrup into the foam. Set a timer for 10 minutes while whipping at high speed. While the mixture is whipping, add the vanilla extract. That’s all that is necessary to make marshmallow creme. Transfer the marshmallow creme to a container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Marshmallow Creme
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Kids will love this and your “inner child” will love it too. This recipe yields 4 cups or 1 quart of the finest chocolate cashew milk or hot cocoa. Chocolate cashew milk has a brief refrigerator storage life, so consume within 3 to 4 days (this has never been an issue in my home). Shake or stir well before serving.
For hot cocoa, gently heat in a saucepan on the stove – do not boil! Cashew milk makes a wonderful base for hot cocoa because it has a tendency to thicken slightly when heated. Top the hot cocoa with Marshmallow Creme (recipe in this blog) or Heavenly Whipped Cream (from my cookbooks) if desired.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup (5 oz. by weight) whole raw cashews
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup organic sugar, or more to taste
• ⅓ unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp real vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt (optional)
You will also need a high-powered blender and a nut milk bag or fine mesh strainer lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth to strain any residual solids from the milk.
Technique:
Soak the nuts for a minimum of 8 hours in the refrigerator with enough water to cover. Drain the nuts, discarding the soaking water. Add the nuts to a high-powered blender with 4 cups of fresh water. Process the mixture on high speed for 2 full minutes.
The milk will now need to be strained to remove the solids. To do this, wash your hands thoroughly and then pour the milk into the nut milk bag over a large bowl or pitcher. While holding the top of the bag with one hand, gently knead and squeeze the bag to help the milk pass through the ultra-fine mesh.
Optionally, the milk can be poured (in increments) into a strainer lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth. Stir the milk gently with a spoon to help it pass through the cheesecloth.
Pour the strained milk back into the blender and discard or compost the solids in the bag or cheesecloth.
Add the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt to the blender and process until smooth. Store the milk in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve or heat on the stove. Chocolate cashew milk has a tendency to separate, so shake well or stir before using.
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Chocolate Cashew Milk or Hot Cocoa
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Named after the Stockholm restaurant that first introduced them, Hasselback potatoes have been adopted widely by other European cuisines.
Ingredients:
• Yukon gold or russet potatoes
• 1 T Better Butter (from either of my cookbooks) for each potato
(or substitute with commercial vegan margarine)
• optional: 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced for each potato
• coarse sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
• coarse ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnish:
• finely chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley or minced chives
Technique:
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Place 2 chopsticks on your cutting surface parallel to each other and place a potato in between them. The chopsticks will be used as a cutting guide to prevent the knife from cutting all the way through the potatoes when slicing. If you don’t have chopsticks on hand, use the handle side of 2 table knives. Using a sharp chef’s knife, begin making ⅛-inch slices throughout the entire length of each potato.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat; alternately this can be done in the microwave. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and with a pastry brush, brush the melted butter into the gaps of every potato. Use your fingers to gently separate the layers if necessary. Make sure that every potato gets a generous amount of the melted butter. Generously season the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. If using the optional garlic, insert the garlic slices randomly between the potato slices.
Place the potatoes in the preheated oven on a middle rack and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Garnish with fresh chopped Italian parsley or minced chives if desired.
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Hasselback Potatoes
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