Falafel

Now that I’ve made it, I can see why falafel was so popular in the Islamic world, where cooking fuel was expensive! This is a way to cook beans that requires almost no fuel, as opposed to boiling them where you have to keep a hot fire going for a couple of hours.

How to make Falafel from scratch:

After breakfast or lunch, put a cup of dried chickpeas in a bowl with a lot of water to soak. About half an hour before dinner, drain off the water and use a food processor to pulverize the chickpeas. They should be pasty but rough, not smooth. Also add an onion, four cloves of garlic, and a cup of cilantro, and pulverize some more. Then add a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and a teaspoon of cumin. Mix. If it doesn’t stick together, add 1/4 cup of flour and/or an egg.

Preheat the oven to 425. Let the falafel sit while you make the bread. In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix three cups of flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 olive oil, 1/2 cup of yogurt and a cup of water until it forms a ball (add more water if necessary). Turn out the ball onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Form the dough into golf-ball size balls and roll each ball out about half an inch thick with a rolling pin . If the dough sticks, sprinkle a little more flour on it. Lay the breads on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until they puff up and begin to get golden-brown.

While the breads are cooking, fry the falafel: Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large frying pan. Make the falafel into golf-ball size balls and flatten in the pan. Fry about five minutes until browned on one side, then flip with a spatula and brown some more. The centers will still be green; that’s okay.

Serve with chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, onions and peppers, Greek yogurt, tahini-garlic sauce, and/or hummus thinned with water into a sauce.

Vegetarian or vegan?

Naturally vegan, if you don’t use an egg to bind the falafel.

And will falafel keep?

Yes, it will be fine the next day. You can microwave it to heat it up. It doesn’t freeze well though.

Eggplant and ground lamb

From Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem

Well, except for Ottolenghi’s version (which I’m sure is delicious) requires three hours of slow cooking, and needs paprika and tamarind sauce. Whereas this version requires about half an hour of cooking, and more ordinary ingredients. Everyone loved it though.

How to make eggplant and ground lamb:

In a large frying pan, pour a liberal amount of olive oil, and while it’s heating cut a medium eggplant into little cubes and then add that. Stir frequently while you chop an onion and add that. Add more olive oil if needed. Peel and cut up a potato into small cubes and add that too. Keep stirring. Add about 1/3 pound of ground lamb, and reduce the heat to low – keep stirring pretty frequently.

Now add the spices: about a tablespoon of cinnamon, a tablespoon of cumin, a teaspoon of brown sugar, a large pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper. Keep stirring. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, the juice of half a lemon and its zest, half a clementine orange cut into small pieces, and half of the peel, also cut into small pieces. Add a handful of chopped parsley or kale. Keep stirring until the potatoes are soft, and serve hot with yogurt and a green salad. If you want to dress it up for company, serve with small squares of broiled polenta.

Vegetarian or vegan

Nope; this has lamb in it. It’s gluten free and lactose-free though.

Can I keep eggplant and ground lamb for later?

Yes, it will taste even better the next day, but we didn’t have any left when four people ate it. Double this recipe if you want leftovers. Would not freeze well.

Egg Salad

Easter Eggs

Do you hard-boil your Easter Eggs? At my house we always blew ours out, so we could make the eggs into matzobrei, and keep the eggs forever (or until we smashed them). But if you hard-boil at your house, well, that’s what egg salad sandwiches are for. You can also use the eggs to make chopped chicken liver.

How to make egg salad:

Start by making two hard boiled eggs (or make some extras and eat them another day) (or use your Easter Eggs!). While the eggs are cooking, chop a stalk of celery and a quarter of an onion in a wooden bowl, using a curved chopper. When the eggs are done, peel them and add them to the vegetables and chop them too. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce, a half a spoonful of mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash together with a fork and eat immediately, or chill and then eat.

Serve egg salad with crackers or on bread as a sandwich, or on a bed of lettuce.

Will egg salad keep?

Egg salad will keep for a day or two, but then you’d better eat it.

Duck with cranberries

A Paris recipe

My sister created this recipe when she was living in Paris, and posted it on her blog. Her main idea was to show that you didn’t have to sweeten cranberries in order for them to taste good. It was a huge hit at our house, although I think it’s easier to make for two people (as she was doing) than for five (as I do).

How to make duck with cranberry sauce:

You don’t want a whole duck for this, but a magret – a duck breast. Or two duck breasts. Slice deep cuts across the fatty side, down to the meat, with a sharp knife. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown the duck, fat side down, for about four minutes. Take the duck out of the pan and set it aside. Peel and dice four large potatoes and fry them in the duck fat in the frying pan, adding some olive oil if necessary.

When the potatoes are soft in the middle and browned and crisp on the outside, set them aside in a bowl, covered to keep warm, and put the duck back in. Cook over medium high heat on the fatless side this time, about four minutes or until done. The duck should still be dark pink in the middle. Remove the duck to a plate, and cover it to keep warm.

Deglaze the frying pan by adding 1/2 cup of water or red wine. Add two cups of cranberries, cook over medium heat until they pop and become a mush. Serve with the cranberries piled on the duck, and the potatoes on the side.

Can I keep this for later?

Nope. This one you have to eat while it’s still hot. Later, it will be soggy and tough.

Cucumber soup

Cucumbers for snack

It’s very hot in North Africa in July, and Tunisian women spend most of their time behind the thick high walls of their courtyards, lying down on mats in the shade and fanning each other. The women’s usual snack, all over our village, was cold cucumber sticks, sometimes salted and sometimes plain. Cucumber soup is fancier, but just as refreshing on a hot day.

How to make Cucumber Soup:

Combine half a mild onion (chopped), one large clove of garlic, 1/3 cup fresh mint from your yard, and one cup of whole milk, and puree in the blender.

Next, peel and quarter five large cucumbers. Working in batches, puree the cucumbers with another two cups of whole milk, one cup of full-fat Greek yogurt, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Make sure there is some milk in each batch so it will blend. Mix this together with the onion puree, and chill the soup for two hours in the refrigerator. Before serving, taste and adjust the seasonings.

Vegetarian or vegan?

Naturally vegetarian.

And will cucumber soup keep?

Yes, you can keep it for a day or two in the refrigerator, but cucumber soup is best fresh. After a couple of days you should freeze it if you want to keep it longer.

Couscous

Embarrassing Cooking Moments, Take 1:

I’m spending the summer in Tunisia, and I’m cooking couscous for my family, because that’s mainly what people eat in Tunisia. So I’m boiling water and couscous in a saucepan, and our landlady, Zachia, walks in, and she thinks it’s so funny that I’m boiling couscous instead of steaming it. I try to explain that since I’m only here for a couple of months, I don’t have a steamer, but she can’t resist passing this nugget on to all the women in the village. For the rest of the summer, every time I leave the house, it’s all women whispering behind their veils, “That’s that American lady who boils her couscous!”

How to make Couscous:

Cut up two zucchini, two carrots, and two bell peppers into strips. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a medium-size frying pan, and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables soften and are somewhat browned.

Meanwhile, put a kettle or a saucepan of water on to boil. Put two cups of dry couscous in a medium-size mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix a cup of tomato sauce with 1/4 cup of olive oil and a tablespooon of harissa (a Tunisian hot sauce) or chopped jalapenos or a teaspoon of cayenne (or just leave out the hot part if you want). Add a can of drained chickpeas (or make chickpeas from dried beans). Mix well and let the sauce sit. When the water in the kettle boils, pour it over the couscous in the bowl until the water’s not quite up to the top of the couscous, and let it sit for a minute. Then fluff up the couscous with a fork and mix in the spicy tomato sauce. The couscous should turn bright orange. This is *not* the traditional steaming, but it’s quick and easy.

When the vegetables are done, serve the couscous in a mound with the sauteed vegetables piled on top. Tomato and cucumber salad is traditional on the side.

Vegetarian or vegan?

Naturally vegan. You can make it simply vegetarian by adding hard-boiled eggs, or not-vegetarian by adding some roasted chicken or broiled lamb sausages if you like. Do the meat on a cookie sheet in the oven while you’re cooking the rest.

And will couscous keep?

Yes, mix it all up together and leave it in a tupperware in the refrigerator, and couscous will be better the next day. You can eat it leftover cold or hot for a week.

Corn pancakes

Breakfast for dinner

Sometimes, you just don’t feel like regular dinner stuff for dinner. Maybe everyone’s tired. Maybe you just want something sweet. Or it needs to be really really cheap. Maybe you’re just looking for another way to eat sweet corn while it’s still in season. Those nights, we have corn pancakes.

How to make corn pancakes:

Make regular breakfast pancakes, but throw a handful of sweet corn in – this is a great use for leftover corn on the cob. Just cut it off the cob and throw it into the pancake batter. Serve the pancakes with applesauce or sliced peaches.

Vegetarian or vegan?

Vegetarian, but not vegan. If you need meat with your dinner, add some sausages or sliced ham. If you need your pancakes vegan, follow the vegan pancakes recipe at the bottom of the pancakes page.

And will corn pancakes keep?

Yes, you can wrap the leftover pancakes in a plastic bag and refrigerate them and they’ll be great the next day. You can reheat them in the toaster, or by putting them in the oven for a few minutes at 300 F.

Cornmeal crust pizza

Inspired by Dove Vivi Pizza in Portland

Dove Vivi pizza near my house makes incredible gluten-free vegan cornmeal crust pizza. Naturally they don’t give out the recipe, but this seems to be a pretty good imitation, if you don’t live near Dove Vivi or just want to stay at home. It’s quick and easy, anyway.

How to make cornmeal crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix in this order one cup of polenta (rough cornmeal), one cup of masa (fine cornmeal), a large pinch of salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, and one cup of water. Stir with a wooden spoon, then turn it out into a pie pan and press it into the shape of a crust. This makes enough for a large pie pan or cast iron skillet, or use a smaller pie pan and have a thicker bottom crust.

How to make the tart:

Peel an eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Place them on a cookie sheet with plenty of olive oil and salt and bake until they get soft, about fifteen minutes. They can bake while you’re making the crust.Then make your tart by layering inside the pie crust: a layer of sliced tomatoes, then feta cheese, then thyme and parsley, then eggplant. Repeat until the crust is filled. Over the top, scatter breadcrumbs, or, if you need this to be gluten-free, mix 1/2 cup of masa with 1/4 cup of water to make crumbs and scatter them over the top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and bake at 350 for about half an hour.

Or, to make this into a gluten-free deep dish pizza, use the smaller pie pan with the deeper crust, and layer on tomato sauce, grated mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings you have in mind (the tomato and eggplant will be great). For vegan, use vegan cheese.

Can I keep leftover pizza/tart for later?

Yes, they’re good cold or reheated for a couple of days as leftovers. Leftover pizza makes an excellent lunch to take to school or work.

Cod and corn fritters

A good solid summer meal

Quick and easy, and a good thing to serve with fish if you’re tired of rice and noodles, or want something a little more exciting (and gluten-free).

How to make the corn fritters:

Mix up a cup of polenta and a cup of masa, and a large pinch of salt. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and two teaspoons of baking powder, and mix. Add a cup of milk and an egg, and mix again. You should have a batter like pancake batter; if it’s too thick add some milk or water. Add three big handfuls of chopped kale (out of the freezer is good). Mix. In a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil. When it’s hot, drop in spoonfuls of the batter and turn the heat to medium. When they’re cooked on the bottom (don’t check too soon or they will stick), flip them over for a minute, then they’re done and you can start the next batch.

How to make cod:

While the first fritters are cooking, dredge the fish in egg, then in breadcrumbs or matzo meal or flour. When there’s room in the pan, put the fish in and cook that, or use two frying pans. When the fish begins to be white instead of translucent, flip it over and cook a minute more, then remove to a plate. When the fritters are done, serve dinner.

Serve with a slice of melon or mango, or avocados with salt and vinegar.

Vegetarian or vegan?

The fritters are vegetarian but not vegan because of the egg. They are gluten-free though.

And will these fritters keep?

The fritters will be fine the next day, microwaved, but the cod is better the same day.

Cioppino

Quick Fish Stew

I just read a recipe for cioppino that recommended sauteing onions and garlic, adding tomatoes, and then simmering for two hours before adding the fish at the last minute. What possible purpose could that serve?

How to make cioppino:

A great one-pan hot winter meal, ready in about half an hour and suitable for company. To serve to company, start an hour before dinner by making bread, and then when the bread is in the oven start the cioppino.

In a medium-size frying pan, heat 1/8 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Chop an onion and saute it in the oil. Meanwhile, crush five cloves of garlic and add them to the pan too. When the onions and garlic are soft and a little bit browned, add two cups of tomato sauce, a cup of thawed leftover chicken soup (or you can just thaw the soup right in the tomato sauce), and a cup of white wine. Chop half a head of cauliflower into small pieces and add them to the sauce. Add one bunch of chopped parsley (pull the leaves off the stems), and a teaspoon of dried oregano.

Simmer for ten minutes or so, until the cauliflower softens, and then add – in this order – 1/2 pound of cod chopped into chunks, 1/4 pound of crabmeat, 1/4 pound of tiny cooked shrimp, and one pound of fresh clams with the shells on. (Or use any other combination of seafood.) Cook about five or ten minutes more, until the clams open up, and the cod is opaque and not translucent, and then serve hot with the fresh bread on the side.

This stew is solid enough to serve on dinner plates, but if you like it more soupy add more chicken broth and wine, and use soup plates. We like cioppino with sauteed spinach or a green salad on the side.

Can I keep this for later?

Sure. Put the leftovers in a tupperware in the refrigerator, and the flavors will blend and it will be even better than it was at first. You can reheat it for a couple of days. Serve with the leftover bread, or over polenta.