Lebanese Dreams

I'll be honest.  I really just made these falafels as an excuse to showcase and devour more of a big batch of pickled turnips I made.  Bright magenta and oh-so-snappy, I love Lebanese pickled turnips.

Dont even turn your nose up at the idea of pickled turnips, they are crazy good and resemble their cooked and/or raw counterparts in almost no way.  I know, because after this past winter, me and turnips are no longer on speaking terms.  It started out nice, I would roast them with our dinner and D and I would happily munch away, proclaiming not to understand people's strong distaste for the vegetable.  But week after week, a giant bag of them tucked into every single veggie box, I've come to understand.  Turnips, I am so over you.

Still, I am not one to just waste food and there was one last bag of snowy white orbs lingering in my crisper drawer.  And then I saw the big bunch of beets next to them.  Inspiration struck; I would make pickles.  Their zippy crunch is the perfect counterpart to a falafel sandwich slathered in a garlicy yogurt-tahini sauce and tucked into plenty of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber.

Did you know that falafels are made from chickpeas that have only been soaked and not cooked? Me neither. I was even a bit skeptical of the whole idea, but decided to push forward after recipe upon recipe yielded the same instructions - to soak the beans for 24 hours and not cook them before frying. After their day long soak, the beans are just soft enough to process into a crumbly puree along with an onion, a big handful of fresh parsley leaves and some other spices, without becoming a soggy mush. A little hot oil in a heavy skillet and a few minutes to cook on each side and you've got some mighty fine falafels.

Since the only cooking time the beans ever see in a quick fry in oil, you can expect a whole different flavor and texture experience.  The insides are moist but crumble just enough and you get a more pronounced starchy bean flavor rather than fully cooked chickpea's typical sweet and creamy taste.  There's a great supporting cast of spices and a bit of heat from cayenne pepper that recall memories of the falafels served at a Lebanese deli just down the street from where I grew up.  Mark Bittman, who this recipe is from, cautions that you'll need a food processor or a heavy duty blender to get the job done, but my wimpy blender prevailed once again and turned out excellent falafel mix in two batches.

I'm only sorry I didn't double the recipe so I could freeze them and have more on hand for when my next pickled turnip craving hits.

Falafel Sandwiches
Adapted from Mark Bittman

As comfortable as I am in the kitchen, I'm still not comfortable with the idea of deep frying, so I more or less pan fried these falafels after shaping them into little patties.  They still got a nice crispy crust on them and held their shape well, so I'd call it successful tweak to the original recipe.  I didn't change much else, but might suggest one more clove of garlic and a bit more salt.

6 to 8 servings

falafels:
1 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
2 large cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 small onion, quartered
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 scant teaspoon cayenne
1 cup chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, for frying

sandwich:
whole wheat pita or flatbread

cucumber

tomato

lettuce

pickled turnips

tahini sauce (equal parts plain yogurt and tahini, seasoned with pressed/grated/minced garlic, salt, and lemon juice, thin with water to reach desired consistency.)


Put beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 or 4 inches; they will triple in volume. Soak for 24 hours, adding water if needed to keep beans submerged.

Drain beans well (reserving a bit of the soaking water) and transfer to a food processor. Add remaining ingredients except oil; pulse until finely minced, just shy of puréed, scraping sides of bowl down; add soaking water if necessary to allow machine to do its work, but no more than 1 or 2 tablespoons. Keep pulsing until mixture comes together. Taste, adding salt, pepper, cayenne or lemon juice to taste.

Put oil in a heavy skillet, like cast iron, to a depth of about 1/4 inch.  The narrower the saucepan the less oil you need, but the more oil you use the more patties you can cook at a time. Turn heat to medium-high and heat oil to about 350 degrees (a pinch of batter will sizzle immediately). Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into your hands and shape into a small patty about 2-3 inches in diameter. Fry in batches, without crowding, until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side.

Assemble each sandwich with two patties and your choice of toppings.

Spring, Sandwiched

I've had this sandwich bookmarked for a few weeks now.  But a few weeks ago the only asparagus I could find was pencil thin, limp and priced way too high.  These are not the qualities I look for when shopping.  Instead I just stared longingly at it on my computer screen, imagining its fresh flavor, its perfect representation of spring.   I needed this sandwich in my life.

Something familiar was speaking to me, but it took me a while to connect the dots.  You see, this is practically the spring vegetable version of the tuna nicoise sandwich I made way back when.  Almost.  This one is more elemental, simple.  You char some asparagus in a skillet, just enough to get a bit of color and caramelization on the outside, but keep some of that lovely crunch.  In the pan with that asparagus goes some crushed garlic cloves that first flavor the oil, then once they soften and sweeten a bit, get smeared on the bread.  The eggs, with their deep golden yolks (straight from some happy chickens on a friend's farm), lend some creaminess to the otherwise bright flavors.  Some mustard, my favorite pickled red onions, a squeeze of lemon and a good helping of dill round out the ingredients.  It sounds like more work than it actually is.

Asparagus is now flooding the markets and I've already begun to think of new ways to redo this sandwich.  Keep the asparagus as is, top it with a bit of sauce gribiche a handful of baby lettuces, thinly sliced cucumber and a few chopped kalamata olives.  Or toss lightly steamed asparagus in a mustard and caper vinaigrette and lay it over wild arugula.  Then pile on the hard boiled eggs, pickled red onion and fresh tarragon.  Each a new springtime collaboration.

Pair any of these with a colorful fruit salad and a chilled bottle of rosé and have yourself a perfect picnic.

Spring Asparagus Sandwiches
Adapted from TheKitchn

Measurements are hardly important here, but be sure to use the best quality and freshest ingredients. They're fantastic still slightly warm right after assembling, but if you don't mind sacrificing some crunch from the bread, wrap it all up and let it sit together in the fridge for a while before serving.  Perfect for a spring picnic.

Serves 2

about 12 medium spears of asparagus
2 pieces of baguettes, about 6"-7" inches long
2 hard boiled eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup pickled red onions
2 tablespoons French mustard
lemon juice to taste
fresh dill
salt and pepper


Trim the asparagus by cutting or breaking off the woody ends, then cut the spears in half length–wise as best you can.  Slice your hard boiled eggs.

In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the 2 cloves of smashed garlic. Sear the asparagus spears, about 3 minutes on each side, then remove from pan. You want a little bit of char, so don't move the asparagus very often. Split the baguette pieces in half.  Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toast the baguettes, cut side down in the same skillet just until it turns a bit golden.  Scrape/smear the garlic cloves that were cooked with the asparagus on one side of the toasted baguette, on the other side smear the mustard. 

Place half the asparagus on each sandwich, topped with sliced egg, dill, pickled onion and squeeze a little lemon over everything. Season with salt and pepper.

The Great (Veggie Burger) Hunt

I am a woman obsessed. On an endless quest for the perfect veggie burger, and not the store bought kind either.  My teenage years spent as a vegetarian ruined those for me.  Plus, let's not kid ourselves, they're a rather processed food.

I don't want a veggie burger that's trying to be anything like meat.  No offense to regular burgers out there - because I love those too - it's just that I don't see the point of not eating meat but still wishing that it's replacement was vaguely meaty.  My ideal veggie burger would be free of the sog factor and not one bit mushy. It would retain it's ability to stand up to a good bun.  It would be a big vegetable party in my mouth.  

If I had any intelligence my quest would have stopped here.  I would have just put the search on permanent sabbatical and called it a day.  No really, those beet burgers are out of control delicious (if a bit labor intensive) and I would happily eat them forever.  But no.  I still give into the draw of each new veggie burger recipe I come across, hoping and praying that this next one will be "the one".  Alas, most are not and I'm left disappointed.

This burger though, it has great potential.  It's got the flavor down and it's not too fussy to make.  Black beans and quinoa are a great pair.  The beans kinda glue the patty together and the nutty flavor of the quinoa makes for a hearty flavor.  Studded throughout with bits of roasted red pepper and cilantro and enhanced with earthy spiced like cumin and paprika, this veggie burger was about this close to perfect.  Where it falls short is in the texture department.  It still mushes out the sides of the bun, it still crumbles if not perfectly balanced when stacked with ingredients.

However, I'm fairly confident that this is a correctable problem.  Adding a few eggs to the mixture before chilling would probably go a long way towards helping this patty retain a sturdy shape.  (I was hoping the addition of panko crumbs and the chilling before cooking would be the golden ticket, but you know, live and learn.)  I kept the preparation pretty standard - lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayonnaise and a good bun - and I'd recommend the same to you.  There's already a lot going on in there, no need to pile much more on.

And if you try them with eggs?  Please report back.  The weather is warming up and I see the need for veggie burgers in my life greatly increasing.


Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers

There are two parts here I know you'll be tempted to skip, but please don't.   The first is chilling the mixture in the fridge for about an hour.  The second is finishing them off in the oven.  The thing about veggie burgers is that they tend to be a little too moist and squishy in the center and that time in the fridge help the panko crumbs suck up excess moisture and the extra 20 minutes in the oven helps them firm up. That being said, mine still wanted very badly to crumble and fall apart (but not nearly as bas as when I didn't bake them!), so I think the addition of 2 or so eggs to the mixture would have really helped.

8 veggie burgers

1- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1.4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed


In a medium sized pan heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sautee shallots just until translucent (1-2 minutes), then add garlic and sautee about 30 seconds more. Toss in the roasted red bell pepper and turn off the heat.

Next, in a food processor, add the beans, sauteed shallot mixture, cumin, smoked paprika, and good pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until just combined. Add the cooked quinoa and cilantro and again pulse until combined and cilantro has been chopped up a bit. Remove to bowl, add panko crumbs and stir. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Form mixtures into palm-sized or slightly larger burger patties, you should get about 8.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan you cooked the shallots in. Sear each patty for about 3-4 minutes on each side until nice and browned. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Assemble as you like and eat!

The Beet Goes On

 

These last few weeks it's felt like my kitchen has been turning out nothing but disappointing food.  Food that would sustain, but was nothing to write home about or even worth the effort to try and remember what exactly it was that I cooked.  There was a tortilla soup in there that was so underwhelming I had to go back and delete the bookmark from my recipes list in case I forgot its mediocrity and one day try and make it again.  I was just that disappointed.

So when I went to make these beet burgers I couldn't help but grumble a bit under my breath at the multiple steps it was taking to assemble something that sounded simple enough but had no guarantee it was going to be worth it.  I won't lie to you, the steps are kind of tedious - grate a couple of good size beets, cook some brown rice then puree it into a pile of mush, toast some walnuts and then chop those up, caramelize onions, and we haven't even got to the assembly or cooking yet - but here now at the other end of it all, I can wholeheartedly tell you it's worth it.

They're earthy and savory with pleasant little crunchy bits from the rice that crisps up on the edges while baking and toasted walnut pieces within.  Nothing compared to those soggy droopy things you find in the freezer section that squish out of all sides of the bun when you take your first bite.  You can of course play around with your seasonings, but I went with a combination of cumin and dried oregano and thyme to play off the earthy sweetness of the beets and caramelized onions.  I won't go so far as to say these could change the minds of beet haters out there, but I think they'd be a good candidate for the experiment.

We ate these two nights in a row, happily, and could have done another night had I not been in such a practical mood freezing the last 2 patties to eat at a later date, perhaps when the kitchen magic runs out again.

Beet Burgers
Adapted from Lucid Food

Like I said, these are quite tedious to make, but the payoff is great.  You'll dirty quite a few dishes and your hands may be tinged pink after all is said and done, but on the up side, if you're only 2 people, these burgers hold well in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for a bit too, so you'll get several meals in one.  For the final cooking definitely use a pan not a grill because while they're not mush, a few of mine really wanted to break when I flipped them.  I served mine simply with a slice of cheese melted on top on toasted bread with just a bit of mayonnaise, grainy mustard and a mix of salad greens and it was tops.  Don't pile too much on or else you won't fully appreciate the beet burger.

6 burgers

1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water
2 beets
1 cup walnuts halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

buns or bread, toasted
cheese slices (provolone, cheddar, monterrey jack)
toppings of choice


Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small sauce pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil, add brown rice, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.  When the 20 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered for another 10 minutes.

Trim the tops and tails of the beets, then grate on the large side of a box grater onto a plate so as not to stain a counter top.

Meanwhile toast the walnuts on a cookie sheet until they became fragrant and turn a deep golden color, about 8 minutes.  Cool then chop finely (I just used a food processor for this) and set aside.

In a small saute pan (or use the same pan as the rice after it's done cooking and sitting), heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, add onion and stirring often, cook until the onion starts to caramelize and turn a light brown.  Add the minced garlic and herbs and spices and cook for 30 seconds more.  Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar making sure to scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan and set aside.

In a food processor, process 1 cup of the rice, 1 cup grated beets and 1 teaspoon salt until it reaches a paste like consistency - this will be what holds your burger together.  Then add what remains, if any, of your cooked rice, the shredded beets, the chopped walnuts and caramelized onions, and pulse just a few times just to get everything incorporated.

Separate into six balls and form into 1/2" patties, placing them on a cookie sheet (the same one used for toasting the walnuts) that's been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Lightly spray tops of patties again with nonstick spray and bake for 45 minutes.

When ready to eat, heat a small amount of olive oil in a nonstick pan and reheat the beet burgers for 3-4 minutes per side, topping with a slice of cheese in the last minute or so to melt.  Serve on a toasted bun or bread with your toppings of choice.

Summer, Sandwiched

I think my first encounter with nicoise salad was when D and I were living in Davis.  There was this cute little new wine shop/restaurant tucked in a corner of downtown, right across from the train tracks, that served bistro-type fare and sold wine at retail.  Inside was small with warm lighting and most of the tables were high and you sat on stools.  In a small town, it felt very international and sophisticated.  Now that I'm trying to recall everything, I realize I don't actually remember much besides my tuna nicoise salad and this really yummy bottle of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir we bought.  You'll have to excuse me, this must have been 5 years ago.

I didn't grow up eating tons of seafood (although I think there's a story floating around about me asking for shrimp on my 4th birthday) or at least that wide of a variety, so I was pretty slow to the whole "fish is delicious" scene.  Couple that with being a vegetarian for my teenage years, and I'd say I was real late.  When I did eat seafood, it was the safe stuff, like fish tacos or tuna - usually from a can and usually in the form of tuna salad - or unadventurous sushi.  I might have had mahi-mahi too.  5 years ago, I was still getting used to the idea of eating meat and kept my fish choices to those previously mentioned.

Back at the restaurant, like I said before, all I can remember of the meal was the nicoise salad and the bottle of pinot noir.  Tuna enrobed in fruity olive oil, roasted fingerling potatoes, just crisp green beans, hard boiled eggs with the center still creamy, salty olives, butter lettuce and a tart shallot vinaigrette.  It was really phenomenal.  I never would have expected to be that impressed with a salad.  It was late summer when we were there, celebrating D's birthday and it's never failed since then that when the weather turns warm I start craving this dish.  This sandwich is an easy-going take on that meal.  I don't know, composed salads can seem so stuffy for the everyday.  Put all the same ingredients into a sandwich and you've got something you can take on a picnic, or to the beach and it won't be out of place.


Tuna Nicoise Sandwich
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Here I substituted dill for basil in the sandwich.  The basil is probably more "authentic", but I really dug the flavor from the dill and will probably make this a permanent change.  I made the sandwiches in the afternoon and they probably sat wrapped in plastic wrap and pressed for 5 hours in the fridge, which was a perfect amount of time for all the flavors to get friendly with each other but not enough for the bread to become soggy (yick! soggy bread).

4 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans tuna (6 ounces each), drained
1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 square ciabatta rolls, about 5" across, or small ciabatta loaf
3 tablespoons jarred olive tapenade
1 scant cup fresh dill
2 hard-cooked large eggs, sliced

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, white-wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.  Toss with drained tuna.

Cut ciabatta rolls in half horizontally. Spread 3 tablespoons jarred olive tapenade on bottom half. Top with dill, then tuna mixture and any remaining dressing, the hard-cooked eggs, red onion and finally the cucumber and close sandwich.  Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic and place between two baking sheets. Weight with a heavy skillet. Let stand 1 hour (or refrigerate, up to overnight). To serve, cut into quarters.

Love Affair with a Sandwich

I'm not in the habit of mastering exotic cuisines.  It's so unsatifying to cook up a craving, only to be disappointed by the results, I'd rather leave it up to the experts.  But people, such is not the case for this sandwich.

Banh mi are delicious.  Banh mi are cheap.  Unfortunately, there are no Vietnamese sandwich shops that sell banh mi near my house.  There is a shop right near my school, K Sandwiches, that used to be convienent, but with all my classes being online this semester I just can't make myself drive 10 miles for a $2 sandwich. Enter Bon Appetite magazine.  While the recipe is a little fussy (especailly when you're cutting the veggies into a julienne by hand, sans mandoline), it's pretty straight forward and the ingredients aren't hard to track down in a grocery store.  Typical me made a few changes to the original recipe (julienne the veggies instead of grating, used plain mayo instead of one seasoned with Sriracha) based on personal preference and to better match the specimens I've bought in the past.

The result?  A party in my mouth!  The meatballs are flavorful and not a bit dry.  It's got all the elements: savory, spicy, sweet and sour.  D. says he'd happily eat this every day, and I've got say, I'm pretty impressed by the results too.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi
Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2010

makes 6 sandwiches


Meatballs:
1 pound ground lean pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

Sandwiches:
2 cups julienned carrots
2 cups julienned daikon radish
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 6-inch French style sandwich rolls
Mayonnaise
2-3 jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Toss carrots, daikon radish, rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Gently mix all the meatball ingredients in large bowl, excluding sesame oil. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each roll in half horizontally, not quite all the way down.  Spread mayonnaise generously over one half of the roll. Fill each with meatballs. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro along one side of the meatballs and the drained pickled vegetables along the other.  Serve with Sriracha at table.