Falafel Obsession

Strange as it may seem, I consider myself to be a falafel connoisseur of sorts. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this particular Mediterranean dish, it's basically a mixture of chickpeas, herbs and spices that you fry up and eat in a pita with vegetables and yogurt sauce. It's pretty healthy and really delicious. 

My first falafel was at Andy's Mediterranean Grille close to downtown Cincinnati. My dad brought me there in high school, and I've been going back there to get my falafel fix ever since. There are only a few other places in Cincinnati where you can get one, and everyone does it differently depending on what part of the world they are from. However, I've never met a falafel I didn't like.

When I'm up at school, I usually don't have time to run out to a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurant to grab a falafel. So I make them myself. I wish I could say I can make them from scratch, but sadly this is not the case. I would like to learn, though. If anyone has any good recipes, please send them my way!

[Random side note: as I was preparing dinner, I was snacking a little bit on these Terra veggie chips I've started buying. They are awesome! Try them, you'll see how addicting they are.]

So when I make falafels at home, I use a falafel mix. You can find these at most specialty food stores, or in the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern section at Kroger. For this post, I'm using Ziyad brand, but I've tried several different types and the directions are more or less the same. The whole thing is pretty straightforward, and you wind up with a delicious, healthy, exotic meal. 

Ingredients:

1 box falafel mix

Pita pockets

Tomato

Cucumber

Plain yogurt

Canola oil

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the falafel mix box. The Ziyad kind calls for mixing with water and letting stand for half an hour.

2. Chop up your tomato and cucumber, as much or as little as you like. Other veggies to include, if you wish:  roasted eggplant, lettuce, cabbage, or pickles.

3. Grab a medium-sized pot and pour in roughly an inch and a half of canola oil. Heat on the stove on medium-high heat until it's hot--you can tell if it's hot enough by flicking a drop of water off your hand into the oil to see if it sizzles.

4. Once your falafel mixture is ready, shape it into balls a little over an inch across. Using a large spoon, gently place each ball in the hot oil. I recommend only frying 4-5 at a time, so it doesn't get too crowded in there. 

5. Fry each falafel ball until golden, approximately 2 minutes. After they've been in the oil about 30 seconds, it's a good idea to gently nudge each one with the spoon so they won't stick to the bottom of the pot. Careful not to break them, but it doesn't really matter if you do--they'll still taste awesome!

6. As those are frying, warm your pita in the microwave by covering with a paper towel and zapping it for 20 seconds.

7. When the balls are done, lift each one out onto a paper towel.

8. Time to build your falafel: place 2-3 balls in each pita, then add your veggies and dollop a generous amount of plain yogurt on top. Enjoy!

Don't they look yummy?

What's your favorite exotic meal?

Cooking at College: Pasta Bolognese

Hello there everyone! I apologize for the long absence...I was finishing up my internship, then I was on vacation, and now I'm settling in back at school. We have a pretty spacious kitchen this year, albeit one with very limited counter space. My roommate's boyfriend may be building us an island, though, which would be sweet!

Anyhow, I have been eating nearly all my meals at home since I've moved back to school, which is quite nice. I'm sure as my schedule becomes more demanding I will have to eat in the cafeteria more frequently, but for now I am really enjoying cooking at home. It's a lot easier to know exactly what is in the food you're eating when you're cooking it yourself!

I've made quite a few dishes since I've been back, lots of salads, roasted veggies, fresh fruit. Today for lunch I made panko-breaded baked chicken tenders with Greek yogurt dipping sauce. Definitely something a little different, but very yummy. But that's a story for another time.

The weather has been so rainy and gray here that I figured tonight some comfort food was in order. And all things considered, I've been eating pretty healthy lately and getting back in the groove of being active, so a little pasta was warranted. So, tonight was a night for one of my favorites: pasta bolognese. I also had some nearly-stale sourdough from the weekend, so I made garlic bread as well. And of course, a salad. Have to balance out all those carbs!

Pasta Bolognese
Ingredients:
Your favorite pasta (I use Barilla Plus because of the whole grain)
1 pound ground beef (92/8)
1 jar marinara sauce
3 large cloves of garlic
olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp herbs de Provence (any Italian seasoning will work here also)

1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Chop the garlic and add it to the pan once the oil is warm. Saute for a few minutes, or until the garlic has just begun to turn golden.

2. Once the garlic is ready, add in the ground beef. Use a spatula to break the beef into smaller pieces and incorporate the garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the beef is mostly or entirely browned, stir in the entire jar of marinara sauce. Add the basil and herbs de Provence, and more salt and pepper if needed. Sometimes I add some extra garlic here for good measure. Let simmer until your pasta is finished cooking.

4. If you put your pot of water on to boil at the beginning, right about now it should be boiling. At least, if your apartment has an ancient electric stovetop like mine does. Pour your pasta in and cook it until it is just al dente (usually 10 minutes or so).
5. Strain the pasta, pour it back in the pot, and add a little touch of olive oil to prevent congealing. Plate the pasta with a healthy dose of the bolognese sauce, and top it all with parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.

Bellissimo!

The great thing about this dish is that you can really cut the fat. You can get away with using 92/8 beef instead of a higher fat content (like 80/20) because most of the flavor is imparted via the tomato sauce, garlic, and herbs. If you closely monitor how much olive oil and cheese you're using, it is easy to keep this dish low in fat.

Bonus: Garlic Bread! (Great for mopping up that extra sauce on your plate...)

Ingredients:
Artisan bread, on the stale side
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Pecorino romano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice your bread and brush one side of each slice with olive oil.
3. If you are using minced garlic from a jar (such as Spice World brand), take a spoon and press the back of it into the jar to collect a spoonful of "garlic juice." Spoon it over each slice. Then spread a teaspoon of garlic over each slice. If you are using fresh garlic, cut a clove in half and rub it vigorously on each slice.
4. Sprinkle a generous pinch of pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese over the slices.
5. Pop them in the oven until the edges of the bread begins to brown and the cheese melts, about 6-7 minutes.

Nothing better than garlic bread and pasta bolognese. Enjoy!

What's your favorite comfort food on a rainy day?