FALAFEL

falafel

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 egg white
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs, unseasoned
Oil for frying or nonstick vegetable spray

Preparation:

In food processor place onion, parsley, and garlic. Pulse until finely minced. Add drained chickpeas and pulse just until they are mashed, but not a paste You want very small chunks of beans. (You could also press the garlic, grate the onion, and mash the chickpeas with a fork, if you don’t have a food processor.)

Transfer to a bowl and mix in the egg white, cumin, cilantro, salt, pepper, oregano, cayenne, lemon juice, baking powder, and olive oil. Stir in the bread crumbs. Chill for 15 minutes to allow the crumbs to soak up the liquids and the patties will hold together better.

Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick frying pan, or spray with nonstick spray. Heat pan over medium-low. Form patties from 1/8 cup of falafel mixture. These are very soft so keep them more rounded, as they will flatten slightly when turned. Fry patties until golden brown on each side. Serve with Tzatziki sauce. Makes about 14 patties.

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Photography by Yummyporky

ROASTED GARBANZO (CECI) BEANS

ROASTED GARBANZO (CECI) BEANS

Ingredients:

1 (14.5 ounce) can of Garbanzo beans
kosher salt and pepper
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the garbanzo beans and gently pat dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

In a resealable plastic bag shake together flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and granulated garlic. Add garbanzo beans and toss to lightly coat.

Shake off any excess flour. Lay garbanzo beans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake 25-35 minutes, shaking the baking sheet every 10 minutes or so to roll the beans around. When they are done they will be golden brown and crunchy.

from: http://www.lifesambrosia.com

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Photography by Little Li

PUMPKIN HUMMUS

hummus

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pumpkin
1 small handful fresh pumpkin seeds
16-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Preparation:

In a glass baking dish, roast pumpkins at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, or until soft. You may also roast the pumpkin seeds at the same time, then set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine roasted pumpkin, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water, and olive oil. Process until smooth, then add sugar and salt. Adjust saltiness to your taste.

Dish out into serving bowl, drizzle with additional olive oil, and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with pita chips or raw vegetables like baby carrots or cherry tomatoes.

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Photography by philosophygeek

FARINATA (Chickpea flour pancake)

farinata.jpg

Farinata, that deliciously rich Ligurian street food rarely made at home, is a thick pancake made with a thin mix of chick pea flour, quite a lot of olive oil and some sea salt, cooked in a pan in a very hot oven until it is gold and crusty.
Ingredients:
  • 3 3/4 cups spring water
  • 2 1/3 cups Italian chick peas flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • rosemary
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • pepper
Preparation:
Mix the water and the flour with a wooden spoon; make sure there are no lumps, add salt to taste, and mix again. Add the rosemary and let it sit for a while (one to three hours or even better overnight).
At this point add the olive oil. Remove the rosemary and pour in a baking pan (the right one is called testo, made of “tinned copper”). It should be about an eighth of an inch thick, perhaps a little more.
Put it in a preheated oven at 190-200° C (375-400° F). Remove from the oven when one of the corners (or the edge) starts to appear dark. Sprinkle plenty of pepper and serve.

It is of paramount importance that the pan is perfectly flat and level when in the oven, otherwise one of the corners will be thicker and will be undercooked when the opposite corner starts to darken.
Serves 10 people
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Photography by Boots in the Oven