Falafel

Daniel and I have been wanting to try to make our own falafel ever since we went out to eat at a local falafel restaurant. I finally conquered my fears and made some. It was delicious! And although it did take some time to fry it all up, it was relatively quick to put together. I was so pleased with how it turned out. I copied and pasted this recipe and directions with no changes, from The Shiksa but the photo is mine. She has lots of great ideas for variations and also how to eat it. It was very helpful and detailed. Check it out!

Falafel (Traditional Recipe)

1 pound (about 2 cups) dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans 
1 small onion, roughly chopped 
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 
3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted) 
1 1/2 tbsp flour 
1 3/4 tsp salt
 2 tsp cumin 
1 tsp ground coriander 
1/4 tsp black pepper 
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom
Vegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)

Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well. Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.

Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides. Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste. You want the mixture to hold together, and a more paste-like consistency will help with that... but don't overprocess, you don't want it turning into hummus!

Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.



 Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Note: Some people like to add baking soda to the mix to lighten up the texture inside of the falafel balls. I don’t usually add it, since the falafel is generally pretty fluffy on its own. If you would like to add it, dissolve 2 tsp of baking soda in 1 tbsp of water and mix it into the falafel mixture after it has been refrigerated.

Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches. I prefer to use cooking oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop. I usually use about 2 tbsp of mixture per falafel. You can make them smaller or larger depending on your personal preference. The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.

Note: if the balls won't hold together, place the mixture back in the processor again and continue processing to make it more paste-like. Keep in mind that the balls will be delicate at first; if you can get them into the hot oil, they will bind together and stick. If they still won't hold together, you can try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix. This should fix any issues you are having.

Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again. When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.

Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon. Set on a paper towel to dry.

These can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. We ate ours in a pita, with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and hummus. Enjoy!
 

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (we used 3)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, etc.

Add all ingredients except for quinoa into crockpot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. When time is almost up, cook the quinoa. In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Add to chili. Stir, and serve. Garnish the chili with green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, if desired. This chili freezes well.

Source: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

Chipotle Chicken Soup

Chipotle Chicken Soup

Extra virgin olive oil
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce *(you may be tempted to use more than one chili. DON'T!)
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground oregano
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 small chicken breasts, cut into bite size cubes
1 cup beans (I used pinto)
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
lime juice
avocado


Heat a some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the chile, adobo sauce, onion, carrot, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Cook until the onion is tender, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the broth, and bring to a boil. Add chicken, beans, and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender, and chicken is done. Stir in cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then season with the salt, adding more to taste, if necessary.

Source: http://ourlifeinfood.com

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits (Similar to Red Lobster Biscuits)

YAY! It's soup season! I absolutely love soups. And I love these biscuits. Is there anything better than warm soup and biscuits on a cold night? I think not! These biscuits are yummy, and hit the spot. Every time.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups biscuit mix. (Use store bought, or make your own)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder. Add in milk, and stir until well mixed. (Heads up - the dough will get very sticky!)

With a spoon or with your fingers, shape the dough into biscuit-sized clumps, and drop onto the baking sheet. (Note that the dough will pretty much hold its shape when baked, so feel free to pat down random peaks in the dough if you'd like them to look more uniform!)

Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until biscuits begin to brown slightly around the edges.

While the biscuits bake, prepare the warm butter mixture by mixing together the melted butter, oregano and garlic salt in a small bowl. As soon as the biscuits are removed from the oven, brush the biscuits (while they are still on the baking sheet) with the mixture until they are well-coated.

Serve warm.

Source:  www.gimmesomeoven.com

Coconut Lentil Soup

This soup is super yummy, super clean, and super easy. Enjoy! 

Coconut Lentil Soup



2 cups red split lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup tomato paste
7 cups water
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving


 Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color.  Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant.  Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes adding the lime juice at the end of cooking.  Taste and adjust with more salt or more lime juice if desired.  Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.

OR (the easiest method) Throw it all in the crockpot! I don't notice a difference in taste, and it is definitely easier.

Source: http://www.scalingbackblog.com

Ratatouille Saute

Yeah, I know it's been a while. And that clean eating thing? It went really well for about a month until a series of vacations and we kind of slipped back down the slippery slope. HOWEVER, summer is over, so here's hoping we get ourselves back together.

To start us off on the right foot, here is a recipe I absolutely love! I've made it many times and served it over rice, rice noodles, and with fish. It's pretty versatile. Hope you enjoy!

Ratatouille Sauté

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1  or 2 chopped bell peppers (any color works!)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 1/2 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)
1 or 2 small chopped squash (I use yellow squash or zucchini)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained ( I have also used 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes)
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar


Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the eggplant, squash, salt, black pepper, and vinegar. Sauté 3-5 mins until squash is cooked. Add tomatoes; stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Source: Adapted from myrecipes.com

Clean Eating

So...Daniel and I have completely revamped the way we eat since I last posted. It started out as an experiment to see what might be causing Daniel's tummy trouble, but we really like it, and are planning on making it a lifetime commitment. Let me explain what got us excited about it....For a long time I have been concerned with the way we eat. I felt like it was fairly healthy (especially compared with the average American diet), and I tried to follow the word of wisdom, but I still felt like our diet was not quite right. Wondering what to do, and how to break the cycle, and concerned about Daniel's GI episodes, I started to do some research.

I found a diet I was interested in starting called "The Virgin Diet." It was basically an experiment to take certain foods out of your diet completely, and then add them back in again slowly, taking special note of what happened to your body. Those foods are Dairy, Soy, Corn, Eggs, Sugar (or subs), Peanuts, and Gluten.  We actually started doing that and did really great for 2 weeks, and then "summer" hit and we realized we were going to have to change our plans. Daniel has a conference this weekend that will feed him several times, and with the current American diet vs. the Virgin diet, we doubted Daniel would be able to eat anything at all. Because gluten, soy, and corn are in almost EVERYTHING! Not to mention scout camps (2) and weekend vacations. So the testing is put on hold until the fall when trips/vacations end and real life starts again.  However, that doesn't mean we are going back to the way things were. We now feel very strongly about this whole thing, and do not plan to go back.

During this time of research, I was talking to a friend about changing the way we eat and in particular about Daniel's episodes, he mentioned this documentary. Well, this is a trailer for it, but we watched the whole thing. You can find it at your library or if you have Amazon Prime or Netflix you can watch it there too.

Although we are sure there are hidden agendas with them (as well as with any other movie or organization), we feel that it really can't hurt to eat this way. I mean, who is going to die from eating more vegetables and fruits? No one. There are many instances in this documentary and I have also heard from others who have switched to whole foods, raw, paleo, green smoothie, etc. diets, of amazing turn arounds in health. AMAZING. My thoughts? Well, I'm not expecting amazing experiences or stories from changing the way I eat, like those people, but I am only hoping it makes me more healthy than I have ever been in the past. NOW is the time to change. NOW while I am still young, and can easily change my habits.

So we've been eating "clean" (no processed foods, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, and LOTS of vegetables and fruits) for a couple weeks now. We have already seen amazing results. We have both lost 5 lbs (or more...we weigh in on Mondays), I am fitting into my clothes better, and we have experienced WAY less cravings. (Although the first weeks was amazingly rough as far as cravings go.)  As far as non-measurable things go, we both feel that we have more energy (again, except that first week), I have been able to run when I never had been able to before, and we both feel great!

So, I would encourage all of you to re-think the way you eat, and be willing to make some changes for your health. 'Cause seriously, who's not gonna benefit from eating more veggies?