Turmeric Chickpea "Burgers" with Tahini Garlic Sauce

Finding a good veggie burger is not as simple as one may think.  There are thousands out there.. it's not the veggie burger that is hard to find.. it's the really good one that is.  It's a texture thing.  I like my burger to hold together when I eat it.  Otherwise I would just plate it and stop trying to call it a burger.

There are the countless processed veggie burgers out there mostly using grains and soy.. but for me, those ones are really unappetizing.

I did have some luck with my black bean and beet burgers.  They were really good and had lots of flavor, but I think I did better with texture this time around.  These turmeric chickpea burgers have a whole different flavor profile, and the chickpeas are not all the way cooked through, which completely changes the texture issue.

These do hold together.  I was flipping them with no problems.. and when you bite into it.. you are definitely biting into something that holds a little resistance.  That is exactly what I wanted.

Vive la Résistance!!

Yield 6 patties

Ingredients

Patties:

1 1/4 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 knob fresh turmeric, grated (about 2 Tbsp)

2 small red onions, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

juice from 1/2 lime

1/4 cup chickpea flour + more if needed

Olive oil for cooking

Tahini garlic sauce:

3 Tbsp tahini

1 clove garlic, grated

juice from 2 limes

2-3 Tbsp water, depending on how thick you want the sauce

freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1.  Cook the drained chickpeas until almost done.  You don't want them to be mushy when you smash them between your fingers.  I did mine in a crock pot for 4 hours (instead of 7).

2.  Drain but reserve some of the cooking water just in case.  Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor. Don't puree them, but make sure none are still whole.

3.  Add all the rest of the patty ingredients except the oil and stir well.  If the mixture is too dry, add some of the chickpea cooking water.  If the mixture is too we, add some more chickpea flour.  You want the mixture to hold together if you make a ball with your hands.

4.  Make the sauce by stirring everything together.  You don't want it to be too watery, so add the water 1 Tbsp at a time until it gets to the saucy thickness you desire.

5.  Make and shape the patties.  I used a burger press.  I placed some parchment paper into the bottom of the press, then scooped in the mixture, pressed, removed, and repeat.

6.  Heat some olive oil in a flat skillet or frying pan.  Carefully place each patty down and cook on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. 

7.  Place onto a toasted burger bun with the sauce and whatever fixins you desire!

I had red onion, tomatoes, avocado, and lettuce.

This was the most satisfying veg burger I've had so far!  That Tahini garlic sauce is its perfect match.  Do not consider skipping it.

I've been requested to make it again for a crowd.. which obviously means it's a big hit!

Cardamom-Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Marinated Limes and Black Chickpeas

I love squash season.
It makes me happy.
I also love that you can eat the skin.
I just discovered this.  When it is well roasted, most squashes skin is edible, and even quite enjoyable!
Since this discovery, I've making a squash dish once a week.  Actually, I had already been making weekly squash dishes, but this makes it so much more exciting for me.  No tough peeling!
Lucky for me, there is a whole chapter on Squash in Ottolenghi's Plenty.  This one is mostly his recipe, but I added some sweetly spiced black chickpeas and some quinoa to make it a filling meal.  If those are left out, this can be an appetizer.

Plenty, page 65
Serves 4

Ingredients

Roasted Squash:

1 red kuri or butternut squash, seeded and sliced int 1-1.5 cm thick slices, skin on

2 Tbsp cardamom pods, powdered with a mortar and pestle, pods removed

1 tsp allspice

3 Tbsp olive oil

few pinches fleur de sel

Marinated lime:

2 limes

1 Tbsp olive oil

pinch fleur de sel

Tahini Yogurt Sauce:

1 greek or plain yogurt

1 Tbsp tahini

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp water

Topping:

2 sliced green chiles

handful chopped cilantro

crumbled feta

Black chickpeas (not from Plenty, this is my own thing):

1 cup dry black chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 star anis

2 black cardamom

1 green cardamom

1 bag black tea

2 dried red chiles

1 inch piece cinnamon

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 Tej Petta (Indian bay leaf)

1 tsp salt

6 cups water

Directions

1.  Place all the "Black chickpeas" ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for at least 7 hours.  This is very hands off.  If you don't have a slow cooker, cook in a pressure cooker under pressure for 15 minutes, opening only after cooling.  Otherwise, simmer stovetop for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  This is why I love my crockpot.

2.  Whenever you feel ready, preheat the oven to 210°C 410°F.  In a small dish, mix the powdered cardamom, allspice, olive oil, and salt together.  Brush this mixture onto the squash slices and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Cook this for 20 minutes or until tender when poked.  This doesn't need to be served piping hot.  It's actually better warm.

3.  While that is happening, make the marinated lime.  Trim off the tops and tails of the limes, stand them on a cutting board, and cut the skin off following the natural curve of the fruit.  This should remove most of the bitter white part as well.  Then quarter the limes from top to bottom and cut each quarter into 1-2 mm slices.  Place these slices in a small bowl with the olive oil and fleur de sel.  Set aside.

4.  Make the tahini-yogurt sauce.  Whisk together the yogurt, tahini, and lime juice.  The tahini should tense up, but then relax.  Add water as you stir.  If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more water. You should be able to pour it.

To serve, I put some quinoa and some of the drained black chickpeas in the plate, then arrange some of the roasted squash slices over it all, spoon some of the lime slices with their juices, and scatter the garnish of sliced fresh green chiles, cilantro, and feta.

This seems like so much, but really is hands-off except for the sauces and lime.  The oven and crockpot do most of the work.  The stove-top only had quinoa going, and the rest was just lingering cooking time.
I like using the full potential of my equipment.  It makes all the "hard work" looking types of meals like this one so effortless, but so beautiful.  The textures of all the combination of elements is surprising with each bite.  This is hands down state of the art.  I would have dedicated a chapter of my life to squash as well.  As would any brilliant person.
There is something about that orange color....

Leek Fritters with Cilantro Garlic Dressing

Whenever I buy leeks, I never know ahead of time what to do with them.  It always reminds me of a woman I met in a grocery store in Florida while doing my weekly shopping.  I grabbed leeks, and she looked at me with awe and admiration and asked,

"What in the world can you do with those?"

This made me smile inside and out, because I love to share food knowledge with anyone willing to chat with me, and I'm usually on the receiving end of the knowledge, so being on the giving end made my heart warm.

I don't remember what I told her exactly, but I must have given her examples (stew, slice and sautée, use the greens, etc..)

That day, the woman bought leeks for the first time in her life, and I really hope she enjoyed them, because leeks are fabulous.  They are like giant sweet green onions.  No, they aren't like them, they are them.  They pair superbly well with seafood, but they also pair extremely well with themselves!

Naturally, as I cook my way through Plenty, I knew this recipe would be another lesson in life.  The funny part is, as I was cooking, I was reminded of the method of Japanese Okonomiyaki.  This is really like a Mediterranean version of the Japanese pancake.. with a bit of egg snow genius, of course.  Brilliant, as usual.

From Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty, Funny Onions page 36.

Yield 8 "burgers"

Ingredients

Main Event:

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 leeks, trimmed and sliced into 2 cm slices

5 shallots, diced

few pinches fleur de sel

cracked black pepper

1 fresh red chile, seeded and diced

handful chopped parsley

3/4 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric (I used freshly grated)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sugar (optional and totally unnecessary)

Batter:

2 eggs, whites separated

150 mL (5 fl oz) milk

30g melted butter

120g (4.2oz) self rising flour (I used normal + 1/2 tsp baking soda)

1 Tbsp baking powder

enough olive oil to cook the patties

Cilantro Garlic Dressing:

1 plain yogurt (125g or 4.4oz)

1 handful fresh cilantro

1 handful parsley

3 cloves garlic

juice from 1/2 lime

pinch salt

cracked black pepper

drizzle olive oil

Directions

1.  In a wide heavy based pan, heat the oil and sautée the leeks and shallots with a few pinches fleur de sel and some cracked black pepper.  Cook, stirring on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender.

2.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the "main event" ingredients.  Let cool.  You don't need it to cool down to cold, but you don't want it so hot that the batter cooks as you mix it in.  

3.  While you are waiting for the main event to cool, make the dressing.  Blend the dressing ingredients together.

There, you're done with that dressing.  That took about 3 seconds.

4.  Make the batter.  In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the melted butter, then beat in the milk until homogenous.  Add the flour and baking powder and beat well.

5.  Pour this part of the batter into the bowl with the leeks and stir to incorporate.

6.  In another bowl, make snow with the egg whites.  Or to be less poetic, beat them stiff.  Carefully fold this into the leak and batter mixture.  This is the secret weapon part.

7.  You are ready to cook the patties into fritters or burgers or pancakes or whatever you want to call them!

Heat about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil in your wide heavy based pan and spoon the leek mixture into approx 4 large patties.  These should be burger sized (not oversized burger, but to give an idea).  Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp.  Remove onto paper towels and keep warm while you do the next batch, adding oil each time.

I served mine over some salad and baby spinach with daikon and sweet potato fries, drizzled with the dressing.

This was such a lovely creation.  It was a huge success.  The texture was crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, full of spice with a bite of garlic in the dressing.

This is real art.

This would do well as an appetizer in smaller "patties" dipped in the dressing as finger food as well.  It is actually so versatile I've been eating it for 3 days and I'm still not tired of it.

Pair it with pasta, with chickpeas, with tomato salad... dream of it, have the aroma follow you to work, look at the remaining patties longingly.. plan to make it again..

Butternut Squash Couscous

When I read reviews about Ottolenghi's recipes, I see many people are put off by the number of ingredients.  I find that funny because most of his recipes are things I can make without going shopping for extras.  A well stocked spice drawer (or spice room) is the key to being spontaneous.  Plus, many things can be exchanged without altering the heart of the recipe.  Don't have parsnips?  Who cares, use a different vegetable or extra carrots.  Don't have dried apricots?  Use dried figs or raisins.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks

8 shallots, peeled but left whole

2 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

3 bay leaves

4 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1/4 tsp chile flakes

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into chunks the same size as the carrots

1 zucchini chopped into chunks (original uses parsnips)

1-2 whole serrano chiles

1 handful dried raisins (original uses dried apricots)

200g (7 oz) cooked chickpeas (I cooked mine in the crockpot)

35-40 cL (11-14 floz) chickpea cooking liquid or water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups dried couscous

large pinch saffron threads

1 1/2 cups boiling vegetable stock

1 Tbsp butter or more olive oil

1-2 preserved lemons, pulp removed and skins finely sliced

harissa and chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1.  Place the carrots, shallots, serrano peppers, cinnamon, star anis, bay leaves, 4 tbsp oil, few pinches salt, and all the other spices in a large baking dish.  Mix well and bake at 190°C 375°F for 15 minutes.

2.  Add the butternut squash and zucchini to the baking dish, stir well, being careful not to break the pepper, and bake for another 40 minutes.  The vegetables should be slightly tender.

3.  Add the chickpeas with their cooking liquid along with the dried raisins, stir well, and cook for another 20-25 minutes.  It should start to smell amazing.

4.  About 15 minutes before serving, place the couscous in a heat safe bowl that can be covered.  Drizzle a pinch of salt, a bit of olive oil into it and add the saffron threads.  Pour the boiling vegetable stock onto the couscous, then cover and let sit for 10 minutes.  The couscous will drink up the saffron infused water.  Open and add a pad of butter or a more olive oil and fluff with a fork.

Serve the couscous with the baked goodness topped with some preserved lemon slices topped with some harissa hot sauce and chopped cilantro.
That roasted serrano pepper went onto my plate.  It was divine intervention.

This meal was full of pleasant flavor.. the cinnamon and star anise make a nice fragrant broth that infuses the vegetables.  The butternut squash and shallots are nice and sweet, the chickpeas roast a bit while being heated by the fragrant broth.
Partaking in this feast was like breathing in Love..

Griddled Cuttlefish....

Heaven is This.

Chana Dal and Split Fava Lazy Hummus

Hummus = Love
Served with its special man'ouché Lebanese bread and local olive oil, it becomes the most sublime mezze you can possibly be served.
The thing about making very good quality hummus is that it can be very time consuming.  Ok ok.. while the chickpeas are soaking overnight, you are (presumably) sleeping.  While they are simmering away in the crockpot, you are going about your day as usual.  Technically, those are the longest parts, but they are not the most bothersome.  The part I dislike the most about making hummus from scratch is the unsheathing of each and every chickpea.  I usually make big batches and freeze portions, so I end up with many many chickpeas (or favas) to peel.  I once spent about 2 hours just peeling chickpeas!  Don't get me wrong.. I'll do it, and I never regret it, but its not quite as indulging as.. say.. kneading dough, or rolling rotis, or filling samosas or dumplings.  It just feels like work you would give to an intern to free up your skilled little fingers for more important tasks.
For those of you who feel the same way as I do, and don't have an interne to keep busy, I've found the miracle solution to the hummus dilemma!
Use split chickpeas!
Yes!
Chana dal is just that: a sheathed, split chickpea.  Split favas are sheathed (and split as the name implies) fava beans.
I call this a "lazy" version of Hummus-Ful Bi Tahini  only because the cooking time is reduced and the peeling time is no longer part of the deal.
yield about 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1/2 cup dried chana dal, soaked
1/2 cup dried split fava beans, soaked
4 cups water (for cooking)
150g excellent tahini (Al Wadi if you want it to be perfect)
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves
Enough cooking water for the hummus to be of desired consistency
some excellent EVOO for drizzling
black sesame seeds for garnish (I chose black to go with the black salt on my eggplant caviar)
Directions
1.  Place the soaked chana dal and split favas in a pot with the water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the chana are tender.  You may want to regularly scoop the foam off the top.  I'm not sure that does anything, but that is the traditional way and that is how the best hummus is made in its mother land.
2.  Remove the cooked chana and favas into a blender and pulse a few times to break them apart.  Add in the lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and tahini and blend, adding some of the cooking water to smooth it out if too dry.
How much water should you add?  Well, at this point it is still hot, so you want it to be a little more "wet" than you expect the finished product to be.  As it cools down, it will thicken, and you don't want your hummus to be dry now do you?
3.  Actually, warm hummus is delicious too.
Serve by making a small well in the middle of your serving dish and drizzling a small pool of olive oil into the center.  Sprinkle some sesame seeds all around and contemplate the beauty.

The hummus is on the left, the eggplant caviar on the right.

So does it taste different than the traditional lengthy hummus making business?

Call me crazy, but I found it to be creamier and more addicting than usual!  

I would have to taste them side by side to really give an honest opinion, but this is one of the best outcomes I've produced so far.  

In terms of time vs quality, this version is the ultimate hummus, even if they call you "lazy" after hearing your secret.

Works well with piment d'espelette olive oil as well.

Spicy Roasted Eggplant Caviar

My love affair with eggplant continues (and is not ready to end).  This time, I exposed its caviar and sublimed it with pure adornments such as olive oil from Nyons, toasted pine nuts from Pakistan, and black lava salt from Hawaii.  Did you know the active coconut charcoal made to blacken the lava salt is an antitoxin and digestive aid?  Intriguing!
Something magical happens when you combine quality with spice and mix it together with love.  Today, that is this caviar.
The difference between my eggplant caviar and the traditional baba ganoush is the use of tahini.  Since I was already serving some lazy hummus at my little dinner party, I didn't want to double up on the tahini doses and risk having the variety be too similar.
yield about 2 cups

Ingredients

2 eggplants (600g) halved lengthwise

1/4 cup yogurt

1 clove garlic, grated

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp quality EVOO plus more to drizzle

1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp piment d'espelette
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Few cracks black pepper

1 tsp Hawaiian black lava salt (or smoked salt)

Directions

1.  Rub some olive oil over the eggplant halves and roast flesh side down for about 50 minutes at 190°C 375°F.

2.  Scoop out the flesh and blend together with the yogurt, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

3.  Stir in the toasted pine nuts.  

4.  Add the black salt just before serving with a drizzle of excellent olive oil.

This was a creamy smokey spicy dream come true...
The pine nuts make it even more interesting than the regular old eggplant caviar and that lava salt just takes it over the top!

Chicken Soup with Ras el Hanout

 I know it's the middle of July, but it's raining today and I've been feeling slightly under the weather.  There's nothing like a good chicken soup to knock you back into shape..

well, that and a bit of Motivation.

I was planning on making a minestrone type of soup, but something North African swept underneath my soul and the lovely smell of Ras el Hanout materialized in my brain and before I knew it, I was swept off my feet.  Eating this really gave me the peps I was lacking and I'm sure tomorrow I will be just as energized as I usually am.  It reminded me of couscous, but that must be the wonderful workings of the spices.

Serves 4

Ingredients

 2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp EVOO

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp harissa

1 heaping Tbsp ras el hanout

1 cube lamb bouillon (or chicken or veg)

4 or more cups water

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 handful fresh spinach

few cracks fresh pepper

pinch of salt (if needed)

Garnish:

squeeze of lime

chopped scallions

chopped cilantro

Directions

1.  In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sweat the onions until translucent.  Add the carrots and stir about 1-2 minutes.
2.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, harissa, and ras el hanout.  Stir into a paste, then add the bouillon cube and the water.
3.  Bring to a boil, then add the whole chicken breasts.  Let boil for 5 minutes, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.
4.  Remove the chicken breasts and let cool before shredding with your fingers.  I really like this part.. it's like string cheese but with chicken!
5.  Place the soup back to a simmer and add the bell pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
6.  Throw in the spinach and let wilt.  Stir the shredded chicken back in and heat through.  Add a few cracks of fresh pepper.  Taste and adjust the seasoning and water level if needed.  I didn't need any salt.

Serve garnished with some lime juice, chopped cilantro, and chopped green onions.

This little creation works very well as a soup, but would be equally satisfying over some couscous or bulgur..

Oooh that gives me an idea for leftovers!

Needless to say, I feel much better..

Sesame or Peanut Buckwheat Cookies

I know I've already posted several versions of Tahini cookies, and also several versions of Peanut Butter cookies.. and both versions are excellent and essentially the same except for the flavor element.

One uses tahini and is topped with sesame seeds, the other uses peanut butter and is topped with peanuts.

Other than that major factor, the doses and quantities are exactly the same, which is why I'm showing both of them.

What I did this time was swap out the ground almonds for buckwheat flour.  That's it.  And it yields a completely different cookie.  These ones are light and crunchy, unlike their dense counterparts.  It's amazing how buckwheat makes everything seem so light and airy.. light you're floating with your cookie, naturally, flying above your life.

I no longer need to look at the recipe when making these types of cookies (or muffins by the way.. they just.. happen).

Who said you can't freestyle with baking?

Yield 40 cookies

Ingredients

130g (4.6oz) buckwheat flour

170g (6oz) whole wheat flour

100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter

150g (3/4 cup or 5.3oz) cassonade or brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 packet vanilla sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

200g (7oz) tahini or peanut butter

toppings:

various colors of sesame seeds or crushed peanuts

Directions

1.  Sift together the flours, salt, cinnamon, and cinnamon.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together, then add the tahini or peanut butter and beat until smooth.  

3.  Get rid of your whip and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add the dry mixture little by little into the wet mixture until all incorporated.  The end result should be crumbly, but should come together if you pack it into a ball.  You may need to add 1 Tbsp water or milk at this point just to help the dough come together.  Sometimes I need to, sometimes I don't.  Knead it well.

4.  Get your toppings ready.  Take a tablespoon sized amount of dough, make a ball with your hands, then dip it into one of the toppings and press it onto your cookie sheet to the shape you want.  Since there is no baking soda or egg in this recipe, the cookies will not expand or change shape while cooking.  

5.  Bake for 180°C 350°F for about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove and let cool on a wire rack.

The correct way to enjoy these is to take a bite.  The brittleness of the cookie will have you getting crumbs everywhere.  This is ok.
Breath in deeply.
Taste the aroma and smell the flavor as it melts on your tongue and fusions with the inside of your mouth.
Now try the other one.  Do the same.
Try to decide which one you like better.  Try to compare..
but fail because they are both equally delicious and incomparable.
Both win.

Split Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

Anything served cold is now a salad, ok?

Ah I feel better now that I let that out...a salad doesn't always need to be leaves and vinegarette.  It can be noodles, veggies, eggs, and yes, beans.  When I say beans, I mean beans, lentils, and split peas.  Here is a mix of all three..split chickpeas.  In hindi, they are called Channa Daal.  Daal is usually lentils, although any split pea or split bean are included in the term.  Since I'm in a major fusion mood these days, I'm going to fuse some Indian beans with some Lebanese dressing, and some Asian style toppings.

I like it because I'm reaching a part of my path where I'm less looking at recipes and more listening to my inner desires, which break all boundaries.

I'm starting to feel like maybe Europe was the right choice for me...even if every once in a while, I would rather this country have borders.
Serves 4 ish
Ingredients
1 cup dry channa daal/split gram (chickpeas), rinsed well and soaked a few hours in cold water
1 small carrot, julienned
1/4 cucumber, julienned
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 large handful mung bean sprouts
1 whole bell pepper (I used yellow) halved and seeded and oiled with some EVOO
2 steamed or hard boiled eggs, halved (optional)
1 avocado, cubed
1 handful chopped scallions
1 handful chopped basil
1 handful chopped cilantro
1 handful chopped feta (optional)
4 romaine or large batavia leaves
Dressing:
3 Tbsp tahini
juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp water
1 large garlic clove, grated
sprinkle fleur de sel
lots of fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
1.  Place the soaked channa dal in a pot and cover with 2-3 inches water above level.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, skimming the surface of foam every once in a while.  The daal should be bite tender but not mushy.  Drain and rinse well with cold water.  You want them to cool completely.
2.  During this time, roast the oiled bells skin side up at 210°C for about 25 minutes.
3.  When the channa dal is done, roast a small handful of it for about 10 minutes.
4.  Make the dressing.  Stir all the ingredients together until well incorporated.  Set aside.
5.  Assemble.  This is the best part, really.
First, place the large romaine or batavia leaf in the serving plate and add a few tablespoons of channa daal.

Then add the veggies and herbs, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, and scallions

Then add the half egg, some avocado, and roasted bell

Then add the feta and sprinkle some toasted channa daal onto the mix... this will give it some crunchy texture

Then add a few tablespoons of dressing and mix it all around until it climaxes into this incredible salad of equal parts of joy.

I'm really digging this unmade bed analogy and the montage part of dinner...

it's the only way to live in the moment..

Grated Carrot Kohlrabi and Herbed Salad

I'm on yet another carrot craze.  I want to put them everywhere.. desserts, roasted, raw, alone, with friends, but most importantly, in my welcoming mouth.
After hand grating a bunch of carrots for the halwa cookies, I switched grates and started on these.  I have no idea what motivates me sometimes..
I had a few slices of that delicious spinach thing over there to finish and I'm quite enjoying the contrast of warm/cold on the same plate.
Then this salad was born.. and the mint leaves wanted join the fun!

Serves 3-4 as a side

Ingredients

3 medium carrots, coarsely grated

1 small kohlrabi, coarsely grated

juice from 1 lime

2 Tbsp EVOO

pinch fleur de sel

some freshly cracked black pepper

1 handful chopped cilantro

1 handful chopped mint leaves

3 Tbsp pitted sliced olives

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/4 chopped red onion

few more olives for garnish

few marinated anchovies for garnish (optional)

Directions

Toss together and serve cold.

The mint gives it a nice bite and mixes well with the sweetness of the kohlrabi.

This was another perfect side to my slice of Spinach Feta Quiche.. and if I had more feta I would have added it to the salad as well!

Tahini Fig Muffins

This morning I woke up with 3 ideas floating around..

I need a meat grinder

I want carrot halwa

I need to try putting tahini in a muffin

As I'm writing this, my snazzy meat grinder will be arriving on thursday.. (Major event), I have a batch of Indian fusion cookies finishing up in the oven, and my tahini muffins are staring at me from the table, inviting me to nibble their earlobes.

Yes..they are a major success!  I might not be the first person in the world to do it, but I freestyled the recipe from beginning to end, hoping they would come out like a muffin (and not like custard as the avocado ones did) and I'm very proud to say that they are rather delicious, especially with those baby dried figs hiding inside them!

Yield 16 muffins
Ingredients
2 eggs, well beaten
100g (3.5oz) cane sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
1 plain yogurt
200g (7oz) tahini (I used Cortas)
60g (2oz) canola oil
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
150g (5.3oz) whole wheat flour
chopped dried figs for filling
Sesame seeds for garnish
Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, milk, yogurt, oil, and tahini.  Beat it well.  The mixture should not be pasty.  If it is, add just a bit of milk.  The tahini will cramp up at first, and then relax.  You need to be gentle with her.. she's new to muffins..
2.  Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Carefully stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full, drop in some chopped figs (and make sure they are covered by the batter), sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180°C 350°F.

Tahini can almost be used interchangeably with peanut butter, so I was almost sure this would work, but I had no idea how delectable and addicting these would be!

Spinach Feta Quiche in a Sumac-Laced Shortcrust

It is officially quiche season!  It's actually always quiche season, but as the weather warms, it's nice to be able to sit down to some not so steaming hot food with a nice cold salad.  That is exactly what quiche brings into the picture.  It can be made ahead of time, then eaten when slightly cooled, or cooled completey, especially when that quiche has festive ingredients such as spinach, feta, red onion, and mint!
Here I used finely chopped frozen spinach, but tis the season for fresh.. go for it if you have it:
I also did a little twist on the shortcrust.  Instead of paprika, I added sumac and za'atar.  Since it's been a while, I've reposted my shortcrust ingredients with the new little twist.  The only thing I change is the spices and egg to water ratio.  When I use the whole egg, I use less water.  When I make a dessert shortcrust, I usually add about 1 Tbsp sugar.

Serves 6 as a meal, 8 or more as an appetizer
Ingredients
For the Sumac-Laced Shortcrust:

125g (4.4oz) buckwheat flour

125g (4.4oz) whole wheat flour

100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter

1 Tbsp yeast extract (non active)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sumac

1 tsp za'atar

1 egg yolk

approximately 5 cL water
use the method and precook at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes

For the Quiche:
1 slightly precooked shortcrust

350g (12oz) thawed spinach (or lightly cooked fresh)

200g (7oz) feta, crumbled (I used Gazi)
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp chopped mint leaves

3 beaten eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp piment d'espelette
pinch nutmeg
fresh cracked pepper
pinch of salt

Directions
1.  Beat the eggs very very well until they become bubbly, then add in the cream, milk, piment d'espelette, pepper, and salt and beat well.
2.  In your delicious precooked shortcrust, place a layer of spinach, then sprinkle on the cilantro, some of the red onion, and most of the feta.  Add the rest of the spinach, red onions, and feta, and sprinkle on the mint leaves.
3.  Pour the beaten egg mixture "appareil" all over the filling into the shortcrust.
4.  Bake for 45-55 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Remove and let cool at least 20 minutes before tearing it apart.

I absolutely loved this.  I cut it into 6 and 1 slice was more than enough (along with a tomato salad and all the raw veggie and anchovy happy hour business that preceded this).  It's funny how something so simple can be so satisfyingly filling!

Roasted Eggplant vs Gazi Feta

Having all of this on my plate was too much for me to handle as a sane "normal" person.

I'm not saying it was too much food, but I couldn't help going back and forth from the salad to the eggplant and saying "you win me over each time" and "how interesting I'm so happy I finally met you" and then trying not to mix the two but then happily mixing them while contemplating the other plates at the table, hoping there would be more eggplant... err I mean Gazi feta.. no I mean eggplant..

aaaahhhh!

This amazing duel make an exquisite duo.
So Gazi feta is Turkish and comes from a refrigerated can..

.. but don't let that fool you!  This feta is tender, not too salty, almost sweet, and extra tangy.  It is the most incredible feta I've ever had, and I can't stop putting it everywhere.  Eggs, asparagus, salad (well, that's standard) and then I sprinkled it all over the grilled chicken and roasted eggplant.

I had a similar thing going on with the eggplant.  First I scraped it out of its skin, then quickly retrieved the skin and cut it up and sprinkled it over the feta.  It was like a tug of war between the two hemispheres of my brain.

Here is the composition of my insanely delicious plate:

half of a Roasted Eggplant with Za'atar

handful home fries tossed with olive oil, fleur de sel, and za'atar

griddled chicken rubbed with olive oil and za'atar

salad of chopped bok choy with sliced tomatoes, scallions, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, some fresh pepper, that addicting Gazi Feta and a drizzle of olive oil

I may have gone a bit over the top putting Za'atar in everything, but it really connected everybody in a way that was so simple yet almost spiritual...

Tahini Almond Cookies with Dates

I play around with tahini cookies quite a bit.  I mix and match the nut powders by switching out almond for hazelnut, chestnut, pine nut, or even coconut.  I play around with the flours by adjusting quantities of white, whole wheat, and sometimes buckwheat.  I mix and match the spices.. cinnamon, cardamom, pain d'epices.  My toppings, however, usually stay the same.  Some with black sesame and some with white sesame.  I do this because at any given moment I can have several different types of cookies in my cookie jar (or cookie tupperware) and the toppings make them easily recognizeable.  My peanut butter cookies usually always have chopped peanuts as a topping.  My chili cookies usually sprinkled with cayenne and sugar.  My buckwheat cookies are always accompanied by poppy seeds.

Why am I going on and on about this?

I don't know, but this time, I wanted to try dates.  They fit the theme.  Tahini.. middle east (well, kind of) home of desert candy known as dates.  This could also work with figs, which also fit the theme.

Mmm figs.

It also gives me a reason to repost the recipe I use most often for tahini.

Yield 52 cookies

Ingredients:

140g all purpose flour

140g whole wheat flour (or just 1 cup of each)

70g (2.5oz) almond powder

100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter

150g (3/4 cup) cassonade or brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla sugar

1tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

200g (3/4 cup) tahini (I used Al Wadi)

toppings:

black sesame

white sesame

split pitted dates

Directions

1.  Sift together the flours, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then add the almond powder and mix well with your hands so everything is evenly distributed.  My almond powder is moist so it clumps together if I don't get my hands in there.  Set aside.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together, then add the tahini and beat until smooth.  Mmm tahini.  You know if your tahini is top quality if it tastes good raw when you lick it off the spoon.  Make sure to stir it well before adding it.

3.  Get rid of your whip and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add the dry mixture little by little into the wet mixture until all incorporated.  The end result should be crumbly, but should come together if you pack it into a ball.  If your almond powder is not moist, you may need to add 1 Tbsp water or milk at this point just to help the dough come together.  Knead it well.

4.  Get your toppings ready.  I have a little saucer with white sesame, one with black, and a bowl of my split pitted dates.  Take a tablespoon sized amount of dough, make a ball with your hands, then dip it into one of the toppings and press it onto your cookie sheet to the shape you want.  Since there is no baking soda or egg in this recipe, the cookies will not expand or change shape while cooking.  For the dates, make sure you get enough dough on the inside of them before pressing them onto the cookie sheet.  This will avoid the dates falling off the cookie when they're done and thrown into the cookie jar.

5.  Bake for 175°C 350°F for about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove and let cool on a wire rack.

That.. is how to get a perfect tahini cookie!!

Hummus-Ful bi Tahini (Chickpeas and Favas)

With the most delicious hand pressed olive oil and home made Lebanese bread, I may be in paradise...
It's Saturday Night Fava
haa I love it!
The Patels will be here in less than 2 weeks, and I promised them not to spend too much time in the kitchen while they're here... And since I don't get many opportunities to cook for them, I must optimize what I can by making ahead the things I most want to show off to them but that take time.  Hummus freezes well..and so do samosas, which is perfect for it will leave me time to plancha with the father and discuss different coffee and beer making methods with the brother during happy hour.
The reason behind tonight's endeavors are clear, and it is a perfect way to make it a Lebanese evening with man'ouché and a fresh salad.
This time though, I did half chickpeas, half fava beans.  At first I thought it would be ugly, since the favas turned the cooking water brown and tainted the chickpeas.  The puree pre-tahini was a brownish color, but once the tahini was mixed in, it lightened it all up.
The taste is just amazing.  It has a fresh springy taste, though very similar to plain hummus.
To serve I made a little well in the center and poured in an excellent olive oil made and gifted to me by a friend, and to dip I made some Lebanese bread and cut some cucumber into sticks.
The Ma'nouché was perfect this time with fresh yeast and za'atar.. mm
Lets talk about that now, shall we?
Today was my first time using fresh yeast vs dry.  There is absolutley no compairison.  Hands down fresh wins.  It rises like a skyscraper and gives the bread such a nice texture and tastes like love.
Seriously, it tastes like love!

Oven Roasted Eggplant with Za'atar

Eggplant is so sexy I just can't get over it!

The purple skin, the firmness of the raw flesh.

It's so "coquin" the way it becomes a creamy delight when cooked, and the way it pairs so hand in hand with quality olive oil and a minimum of fuss.

Here is somewhat of a recreation of something I ate at an Armenian fast food place in Gap.  It was a very large half eggplant, roasted, and topped with kebab meat and a tahini yogurt sauce accompanied with bulgur wheat.  The whole thing was good, but the texture of that roasted eggplant has been lingering in my mind ever since.

Tonight, I kept it simple, but again, that sexy purple vegetable just shines through and makes the whole world smile..

well, that's my perception of life right now.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise 

1 tsp thyme

sprinkle fleur de sel

a few cracks of black pepper

2 tsp za'atar

4-6 tbsp excellent quality olive oil (mine was homemade by a friend)

Directions

1.  Cut diamond shapes into the eggplant halves without slicing through the skin.

2.  Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, thyme, and za'atar and rub it all into the crevices.

3.  Brush the olive oil onto each half.  It should absorb it, but its good stuff, so don't worry.

4.  Roast for 40-50 minutes at 200°C 400°F.

Optional (and not pictured)

Serve with some tahini garlic yogurt sauce.  The photo was ugly, so I didn't post it, but it was really mind-blowing for something so simple.

I served with some eggs sunny side up and some roasted carrots.

I don't know what my deal is with roasted carrots these days, but I can't get over how delicious they are.. plus, I can't get over that orange color!!

Man'ouché Lebanese Bread with Sumac

I felt unusually inspired today.
While gazing distantly at my Saha cookbook, p 232 and 246.

I felt slightly saddened not to have any pita or Lebanese bread to eat with my hummus and falafels.
The answer was staring at me in the face with eloquent words and delicious descriptions… Man'ouché. A quick inventory of my pantry and yes, I have all the necessary ingredients!
(little did I know I would end up peeling chickpeas for almost 3 hours..)
These work best cooked in a stone oven.  The closest thing you can get to recreating a stone oven is with a pizza stone at the top rack of the oven at the highest temperature.  I suppose this would work on a cast iron skillet, but I have not tried so I cannot attest to the results.
Makes 12
Ingredients
12 oz (355g) flour (I used a mix of white and wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
7 oz (200 mL) warm water
3/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp EVOO
well oiled bowl
Topping:
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp sumac
Directions
1.  Stir the sugar into the water and add the yeast.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.  The mixture should foam.
2.  Meanwhile sift the flour and salt together.
3.  Pour the water mixture into the flour and knead.
4.  As it starts coming together, add 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Knead for at least a good 10 minutes until the ball is nice, firm and elastic.
5.  Place the ball in a well oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at least 2 hours.  I let mine rise for much much longer.
6.  Punch down the dough and separate into 12 equal pieces.  Mine were about 45g each.  Lightly flour the balls and cover with a towel.  Let rest again another 10 minutes (while you preheat the oven).
7.  Roll out each piece to a 15cm diameter circle.  My circles are never perfectly round.. but you get the idea.  Brush with a mixture of olive oil and sumac.  I was supposed to have some zahatar in the mix, but I ran out while making my falafels.
8.  Place on the pizza stone and cook for approximately 2 minutes.  It should puff up a bit, but not harden.

Serve with hummus or baba ganoush or whatever you want, but the combination pictured below was simply divine.

Hummus, cucumbers, halved yellow cherry tomatoes, falafels with tahini yogurt sauce.
This time I made my falafels without adding bread crumbs or flour.  They were just simply the most perfect falafels I've ever imagined.. and they materialized.
Maybe it was the hours of labor peeling each individual chickpea with cramped hand muscles and raisin fingers.
Maybe it was just the love….

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons

Driving home from work today, I had a sudden desire for a dish using preserved lemons.  I've never experienced them before.  The more I thought about them, the more precisely the image of what they would be used for formed in my mind.

I started salivating.

During the last kilometer of my commute, I gave in and stopped to buy some.

I wanted tagine badly.  I've never made it and don't have the necessary cooking equipment, but I'm pretty sure I can do a good job without the actual clay tagine pot.  After tasting the potent sauce simmering as I write, I'm certain I've done an excellent job.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs, skinned

3 tbsp EVOO

2 red onions, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp saffron, soaked in warm water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

2 preserved lemons, quartered

2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
3/4 cup water

3 tbsp pitted olives (which I didn't have, but its ok)

Few pinches salt

Some fresh cracked pepper

Chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions
1.  Heat some oil in a heavy based pan or tagine.  Cook the onions with a pinch of salt until translucent.
2.  Add the garlic, ginger, saffron with the water, cinnamon, and juice from the lemon.  Cook 1-2 minutes on high, stirring.  Pleasant aromas should be wafting.
3.  Add the preserved lemons, parsley, and a small handful chopped cilantro.  Stir well.
4.  Nestle the chicken pieces into the happy sauce you just made.  Sprinkle a bit of salt, some fresh pepper, add the olives (if using) and lower the heat.  Pour on the water and cook on low, covered, for about 1 hour, turning the pieces once during the process.

The chicken should be perfectly cooked with all the flavors of the happy sauce.  Serve topped with chopped cilantro over couscous or bulgur as I did here.
This was quite delicious, and as I mentioned, potent with preserved lemon flavor.  Next time I will remove the lemon quarters before eating, because they do tend to take over the whole dish when you pop a piece into your mouth.  When you take a "normal" bite, you can feel the deep flavors infused with cinnamon and saffron, which pair so nicely with the chicken and cilantro.
Cilantro is really the best herb ever invented.  Have I ever mentioned that before?
I can't say I'm a tagine expert, but I do trust my tastebuds and instincts and I think this is pretty close to the real deal… I'll have to consult some of my Moroccan homies to make sure.

Prasopita Terre & Mer

I'm in a leek phase.

I love the look of them.. like rebel vegetables sporting the unkept hairdo.

I love them in soups, the way they deepen the flavor.. I love them on pizza, with mussels, scallops, chicken.

I love the way they smell raw, and how the aroma is enhanced as they are cooking.

It's not a surprise that Prasopita, a dish made almost entirely of leeks, has found its way several times into my humble home.

This time, though, I only had 1 1/2 leek, and some leftover sautéed mushrooms, so I altered it a bit.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 leeks, sliced into rounds and thoroughly washed

3 Tbsp EVOO

3 Tbsp tarragon

4 cubes frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms (optional)

2 filets code, cubed

1/2 cup mix of quinoa and bulgur, soaked for at least 30 minutes

3 eggs, beaten

1cup (100g) grated Gruyere/Swiss or Kasseri cheese

3 Tbsp breadcrumbs

7 oz (200g) cubed feta

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1.  In a wok, heat the oil and fry the leeks for approximately 5 minutes.

2.  Add the tarragon and spinach.  Stir and cook for another 10 minites or until almost tender.

3.  Add the quinoa and bulgur and incorporate.  Add some salt and fresh pepper.

4.  Turn off heat and stir in the grated cheese, most of the feta, fish, and beaten eggs

5.  Preheat oven to 425°F-220°C.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into a baking dish and transfer the leek mixture into the dish.

6.  Arrange some feta cubes over the surface of the dish.  Cook for 30 minutes, then let cool for at least 10 minute before eating.