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Chickpea falafel

Chickpea falafel patties

I’ve been kicking back enjoying a bit of a stay-cation for the past few days. I’ve been favored with blissful weather, good naps, and excellent eating. I confess I haven’t cooked anything interesting other than a batch of paella last week, but we did eat our way through three of Madison’s brasserie/bistro offerings and yes, we are lucky to have so many excellent restaurants in town.

After that bacchanalia of drinks, wines, frites, mussels, steak, frites, duck confit, frites, more wine, more drinks, and desserts we were in the mood for something a bit more healthy, simpler, and yet full of flavor.

Have I introduced you to my favorite sandwich? No, well meet Mr. Falafel, he’s from the chickpea side of the world and he’s an easy friend to make if you have a food processor and a hot pan of oil.

Chickpea falafel patties

Chickpea Falafel
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/2 large onion
1 bunch of parsley, chop all but an inch of the stems off
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
Several vigorous shakes of tabasco
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
vegetable oil for frying

Toss everything but the vegetable oil into the food processor and process until it’s a rough blend but not pureed. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the workbowl down to get a even consistency. Let it set for 10 minutes while you prepare the yogurt/cucumber sauce and slice some tomatoes and lettuce.

Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce
1 smallish cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup plain yogurt
dash of lemon juice
salt

Once everything is ready heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot (350 degrees F). Place globs of the falafel in the hot oil and cook until it browns, then gently flip it and cook again until golden brown. Place these golden/green nuggets in a pita pocket along with some Tzatziki sauce, some tomatoes, and some lettuce. Your only regret will be that you didn’t make a double batch.

Chickpea falafel patties

While walking through the nearby Pheasant Branch Conservancy I spied this odd looking thing hanging from the branch of a tree. At first I thought it was a banana slug due to its yellow color and sluggish curl. But it turned out to be inanimate so I was wondering if any of you might know what it is.

July 7, 2009 | Filed Under beans, food, geek fast food, quick and easy, soup, salad, sandwich, vegetable | 9 Comments 

Chicken and Eggplant Ragout

chicken and eggplant

Travel pushes me to look at my own life in a new way and I think that may be its biggest payoff. Certainly in the moment, when I’m walking the streets, smelling the smells and hearing the sounds I am blissfully happy to be right there, right smack-dab in the middle of Madrid. But, back home in Wisconsin I find myself looking for ways to relive the Spanish experience. As soon as I walked in the house and surveyed the empty refrigerator I began to imagine meals with a Spanish influence…nothing overt…no big productions, just a little bit of flavor here and there.

A quick stop at the market replenished our refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables and even provided a gorgeous eggplant. Not wanting to let my Spanish vibe slide away I concocted a quick meal that actually succeeded in recreating a bit of the Spanish flavor. I applied liberal amounts of olive oil, lemon juice, and spices to a ragout of chicken, eggplant, and chickpeas. Served alongside some steamed rice it was a pleasant meal for a weary traveler. The flavors were bright and balanced and it’s easy to put together…perfect for a week night supper.

Chicken and Eggplant Ragout
(printer-friendly recipe)

2 chicken breast (boneless), diced
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp allepo pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/3 cup green olives, rough chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, wait 30 seconds and add the chicken. Saute until lightly golden, add the lemon juice and stir. Add the onion, allspice, ginger, allepo pepper, and paprika and saute for a few minutes. Add the eggplant, tossing to mix it into the chicken mix, cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so until the eggplant is almost cooked through. Add the chick peas and olives and simmer for about 5 minutes, taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve over steamed rice.

April 1, 2009 | Filed Under Madrid, beans, beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, geek fast food, quick and easy, recipe, rice and other grains, spicy, vegetable | 7 Comments 

Kushari – because carbs are good too

Kushari

Special times we are living in folks…but you know how it is and I’m sure you don’t want to hear me moaning about intolerance, ignorance, greed, and injustice. 13 days until the election and I’ve voted, have you?

This morning’s car conversation consisted of a debate regarding who would reign supreme in a battle royale involving a giant squid, a communist whale, and Woody Allen. The consensus was that Mr. Allen would form an alliance with the communist whale and soundly defeat the giant squid. This conversation brought to you by Alex and Dexter Balchen…they approved this message.

I watched Anthony Bourdain in Egypt and it seemed pretty clear that he didn’t not enjoy Egypt. I did enjoy the Kushari joint and I thought it was a wild take on a Cleveland-style chili. It’s been a carb fest around here this week because when you need warmth and comfort you can always get satisfaction from a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese, or kushari.

Kushari

Kushari is basamati rice and brown lentils, pasta, chickpeas, a tomato sauce, and fried onions. It sounds strange, looks even stranger, but tastes really good. This is a dish that could have saved me from bowls of ramen noodles while in college. It’s simple to make, requires very little cooking skill, has great flavor, and an awesome nutritional profile. The cumin and garlic in the sauce makes it spicy but not too spicy and I recommend a stiff dose of either sriracha sauce or tabasco on top…but that’s just me.

Kushari
(printer-friendly recipe)

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and steamed
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and cooked until tender
1 cup pasta, cooked and rinsed
1 can chickpeas
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
4 onions, peeled and sliced
canola oil
salt

Heat a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once it’s hot add 2 tablespoons canola oil and dump the sliced onions into the pan. Lightly salt the onions and allow them to brown before stirring. You want the onions to be a sweet, almost crunchy brown fried onion when they’re done.

Combine the steamed rice and the cooked lentils in a large bowl. Stir and fluff unti the lentils are evenly distributed.

Heat the chickpeas either in the microwave or in a small saucepan on a burner.

Throw the garlic cloves, tomatoes, and cumin into a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until heated through.

Note, to cook the lentils put them in a pan with water covering them and bring them to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer or a low boil. Check often to make sure there is enough water in the pan. They’re done when they are tender to the bite.

Once the pasta is cooked, drained, and rinsed you can assemble a bowl of kashari. It’s a big scoop of the rice and lentil mix, a small scoop of pasta, a smaller scoop of chickpeas, a dose of sauce, and a pile of fried onions. That’s it. Make it once, love it forever.

October 22, 2008 | Filed Under beans, food, pasta, pizza, noodles, spicy, vegetable | 13 Comments 

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