Saturday, January 31, 2015

Falafel Again

Day 106

We got to have falafel again. And there is still a lot left, since Laura made a double batch, but it freezes well, so we can have something new tomorrow night.

Falafel wrap

Falafel Dough

The raw falafel dough was stored in the fridge so Laura made some patties to fry.

Rolling falafel patties

Fried them in coconut oil.

Fried falafel

Pita Wraps

The pitas were wrapped airtight to keep them as fresh as possible. Homemade pitas don't contain any preservatives so they need to be well wrapped to keep them usable for a couple days so they don't dry out. They're wrapped in a clean towel then super-wrapped in plastic.

Homemade pitas

Then they just had to be warmed a bit on each side before making the wraps.

Warming a pita


The Fixins'

The tahini sauce and the rest of the chopped tomatoes and lettuce had been stored in the fridge too, with no further prep needed, so after the falafels were cooked and the pitas warmed, we were ready to wrap!


I sliced an avocado to have on our falafel tonight. Why didn't I think of that last night? We love avocado!

Avocado

This meal really is a healthy one. Even the sauce is super good for you, as it is only sesame paste, garlic and lemon, so you needn't feel guilty taking extra sauce. Which I did.

Falafel with tahini, tomatoes, Romaine & avocado


Good & Good For Ya

When you're enjoying a falafel, it feels like you're eating something naughty...like a fried treat from the farm market. In reality, everything in it is nutritious with the exception of the pita itself. The only downside is that they are a bit messy to eat. In the pic below you can see that a falafel, some avocado and tomato slipped out the back-end while I was biting in. Not the worst thing ever by any means.

Half-eaten falafel

Reviews/Comments

Even better tonight because we had avocado on it. Another 10 :) Laura agrees.


Friday, January 30, 2015

Falafel

Day 105

Laura Makes Kickass Falafel

I can't remember exactly when we first made falafel. Somewhere in the 2006 - 2008 range of Fredericton living, since I do remember that we were renting a basement on Barton. We had never tried it, so when Laura "whipped" up a batch-after a certain amount of research on YouTube-Laura's own falafel became our reference point for what was henceforth our favorite sandwich on the planet, and the model and standard from which we hold all falafel. The first time I tried non-Laura falafel was at Boyce Farmers Market and it was a huge letdown. I think the only other falafel we have had was at Calactus in Moncton, which was actually really good-just not as good.

Falafel Sandwich


Falafel Recipe

Original recipe here.

Falafel is easy to make in that it nearly always turns out. It's not tricky. But it will eat up a bit of your time and suck the feeling out of your mashing arm unless you have a good food processor.

Ingredients

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 onions, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
2 dashes pepper
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups dry bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Mashing

Ohh, the mashing. Maybe I'm just an out-of-shape whiner, but mashing two cans of chick peas is excruciating. Could also be that my hands are slightly arthritic, so they always cramp up. Laura and I take turns doing it. Mash for as long as you can take it and then pass it over. I remember using the food processor for this step in the past, but granola bars.

Directions

When you're done mashing you will have a bowl of mashed chick peas. :)

Mashed chick peas

The parsley, onion and garlic is blended into a fresh, green puree and added to the chick peas, along with the rest of the ingredients. Laura adds more garlic than the recipes call for.

Blended parsley

Falafel dough

Roll into balls and fry or bake in 400 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes each side until brown. 

Pita Bread

Original recipe here.

Ever try a homemade pita? So much better than store-bought. I'm lucky Laura's not afraid to make her own bread. She seems to think of it as something quick you can whip together anytime. Not I. Sadly, I'm not a breadmaker at all.

This one makes 8 pita breads. Buying pitas at the grocery store is another option for those willing to sacrifice taste for time.

Cooked pita

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (90 to 100 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
1 tsp olive oil, divided

Directions

Refer to original recipe for directions.

Laura let the yeast rise 20 minutes in the dehydrator at 105 degrees.

Yeast sponge

Mix in the flour, salt and olive oil until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise for an hour until doubled in size. Divide eight ways.

Dough divided by eight

Form into balls.
 Dough formed into balls

Roll the balls flat on a floured surface. Let them rest while you start another one and roll a bit more after about 5 minutes. They should have about an 8 - 9" circumference.

Tahini Sauce


Laura's Recipe

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/2 tsp salt
Water

Directions

Add first 4 ingredients and stir well, add water until desired consistency.


Falafel Assembly

Serve on a pita with diced tomatoes, lettuce and tahini sauce. 

Falafel on a pita

Falafel on a pita with lettuce & tomatoes

Falafel on a pita with lettuce, tomatoes & tahini sauce

Please feel free to refer to original falafel recipe for this. The only difference, is that Laura baked hers rather than frying them, as she usually does. Turned out well!

Falafel ready to eat

Reviews/Comments

Awesome as ever. Tenner from me.

Laura: Oh, they're always a 10....especially with homemade pitas.


Thursday, January 29, 2015

Potatoes, Corn, Broccoli & Cauliflower with Hollandaise

Day 104

Came home from work all hangry and pissy and in the mood for some butter. Well, not just butter, obviously...food with butter on it. My real motivation was the other half of that broccoli which was probably not going to last more than another couple days. I couldn't even think of it without imagining it smothered in Hollandaise sauce.

Potatoes, Corn, Broccoli & Cauliflower with Hollandaise

Get 'er Done

So, I peeled a couple potatoes, washed and cut the broccoli florets, and then for some reason, also opened the bag of corn which had been in the freezer for months. It was a bit freezer-burnt, not gonna lie, but it was okay. Good with some butter and black pepper.

Veggies and sauce cooking

Relatively Quick Meal

Altogether, everything took about 20 - 25 minutes to cook. Five minutes to bring salted water to a boil, another 15 or so to cook the potatoes in it.  Meanwhile, I steamed the broccoli and cauliflower, which was only about a 10 minute thing. The corn went in next, in a bit of water and butter, on medium low. Last, I melted the butter for the Hollandaise, and by the time it came to a simmer, all I had to do was add the water and the packet and bring it back to a simmer.

Done? Good, Let's Eat

Everything was ready and man, was I ready to eat. Oh! And I also served it with Lady Ashburnhams just to make it more perfect.

Lady Ashburnham pickles

Just Pour Some Hollandaise on That

I have to stop eating so much. I swear to God, just pour Hollandaise over something and I will eat until my stomach bursts...almost.

Potatoes, Corn, Broccoli & Cauliflower with Hollandaise

Reviews/Comments

It's no Eat Street, but it was sinfully, starchily delicious and it punched my butter craving in the throat!

I give it a 9.


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Boston Pizza Take-Out

Day 103

After Shovelapalooza today, Laura claimed to not feel like cooking, and since I was counting on her to do it we decided to order something. So, we went with BP. Laura ordered pizza and I got a veggie burger because I had had pizza for lunch.

Boston Pizza

Mediterranean Pizza

The Mediterranean pizza looked really good. I didn't try it, but I was kind of bummed that I didn't just split this with her.

Toppings:

  • Feta
  • Pizza Mozzarella
  • Fire-Roasted Portobello
  • Marinated Artichokes
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • Spinach
Mediterranean Pizza

Laura said it was really awesome. Might have to try it next time. Actually, you'll probably see more homemade pizza blogging before you see more BP ventures. Julie gave us a pizza stone! Perhaps we'll make our own Mediterranean pizza with fancy artichoke hearts.

Veggie Burger

These were blogged back in October, so you can check out the BP veggie burger deal there. I love the sweet potato fries...especially the excellent sauce they serve with them.

Veggie Burger & Sweet Potato Fries

Dessert

Don't hate.
New York Cheesecake

Reviews/Comments

My burger was really delicious, as usual. But, it was twice as much burger as one person can eat, especially with the sweet potato fries, so I couldn't finish it.

Laura says the pizza was really good. A 7 or 8 rating.


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Deep Fried Broccoli & Homemade Fries

Day 102

Last night, no post; we just had leftovers. Same tonight. Laura made a lot of rice and 16 dim sum, so we've had it for 4 meals in 3 days. Now it's all gone! But, rather than bore you with leftover details, I had the presence of mind to take pics while I fried our lunch.


Deep Fried Broccoli & Homemade Fries

Deep Fried Broccoli

The broccoli had been in the fridge for a few days because I bought it about a day before we made the dim sum, so it hadn't gotten used. So, after I made the fries, I mixed up some batter and fried some of the florets to go with them.

Batter and broccoli florets

I mixed the batter from Compliments pancake batter. Just add water and it's ready to go. However, I also added some salt and paprika for flavor. To me, it's just as good as any other batter out there (with the exception of tempura), and believe me, we've tried some fancy ones.

Compliments pancake batter

Broccoli in batter

Deep fried broccoli is so delicious but probably not real nutritious. A way to take a good, nutritious vegetable and defile the goodness. But sooo yummy, as a treat. And very quick and easy to make.

We serve it with ranch dressing.

Battered broccoli, frying

Deep Frying Safety

I got some criticism today for frying food in a saucepan instead of a Fry Daddy or a deep fryer. This person posted a comment with an angry emoticon, as though my saucepan deep frying caused some anger. Just so you know, I always take a number of precautions when frying:

  • First of all, I never leave the oil unattended. 
  • I use a heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan and make sure it completely covers the burner so the oil doesn't spatter onto the hot element.
  • I am always prepared to extinguish flames if need be, with pot lids and baking soda. 
  • I always use fresh oil.
  • I never cook on a high enough temperature to cause it to smoke. 
  • I only use about 1/2" oil in the pot, typically, for most things I fry, like fries and cheese rangoons. Today, however, I probably used an inch of oil to fry the broccoli, because it's bigger. 
So, don't worry, folks, I am always aware of the risks and do everything I can to fry safely.

French Fries

French Fries

I know we've been making these a lot, but I have a weakness. Maybe even a problem.

French fries

Made way too many. No, we didn't eat them all. Not sure why I thought we needed all those! I fried 3 batches  and kept them warm in 250 degrees F oven while I cooked the rest.

Reviews/Comments

It's nice to have a fried treat without leaving the house. It was really good too. I'll give it a 7 in the grand scope of what a great lunch entails, since it did lack the health aspect, but I'll give it a secret 10 for taste!


Sunday, January 25, 2015

Vegan Dim Sum & Veggie Fried Rice

Day 100

Wow, one hundred days already! Where does the time go? I know I haven't been diligent in posting every single night, but man, some nights just aren't worth sharing. Last night, for instance: We had lunch in early afternoon, then I made some fries a bit later. We planned to make supper eventually and we just never did. So lazy! I ate a rice cake before bed to stave off the hunger I caused myself. So, yep, bed without supper as punishment for being too lazy to bother making supper.

Tonight, however, Laura was back in the kitchen slaving. She really did make stuff that takes effort, too. Lots of chopping, various things to cook.

Vegan Dim Sum & Veggie Fried Rice

Vegan Dim Sum

We made these awesome steamed buns on Day 24 way back in November. I laid out the recipe and process quite well on that page, so if you want to see how they're made, please click here, because tonight's focus will be on the rice dish. I did follow her around to take pics for you to enjoy!

Mushrooms were on sale today at Sobeys so I grabbed 4 packages, which was the main inspiration to make the dim sum tonight...although I'm pretty sure Laura has been craving it since November. Mushrooms are the main ingredient for the dim sum filling.

Mushroom sale

Dim sum filling, cooking

Dim sum dough...weighed for even-ness and...OCD.

75 g of dough

See? All the same size.

16 Dim sum x 75 g

16 dim sum, ready to steam

Veggie Fried Rice


Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1 lb of mushrooms, sliced
4 cups cold cooked rice 
6 scallions, sliced
Can of water chestnuts, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions

Some of these steps combine multiple actions, but this is how I chose to break them up for organization's sake.

Step 1: Boil some rice. White rice, unfortunately, works best.

Boiled white rice

Step 2: Set aside to cool. It MUST be cool before it can be fried or it will be all gummy and not good. We wanted to work with it the same day, so after it had cooled about an hour and a half we covered it and set it outside in the snow to cool faster.

Rice cooling on the deck

View from indoors, of rice cooling

I checked on the rice once or twice to make sure no animals had discovered it, but Laura said she couldn't deny a hungry animal some boring white rice.

Step 3: Peeling, chopping and more chopping. In the pic below from left and going clockwise: Chopped green onions (white part), minced garlic, chopped green onions (green part), bowl of sliced mushrooms, shredded carrot, and sliced water chestnuts (because I was dumb and bought whole ones).

Chopped stuff

Step 4: Scramble egg in wok or large nonstick pan, remove to plate. Add 2 tbsp sesame oil, onion and garlic. Saute until fragrant, add mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook until liquid is mostly gone. Add carrot. Transfer to plate.

Sautéed veggies

Step 5: Add 2 tbsp sesame oil to hot pan and add cold rice, stir to break up chunks. Add veggie and egg mixture along with the water chestnuts and stir well. Heat through adding soy sauce to taste, a tablespoon at a time, stir often. Add scallions at end, stir and serve.

Sesame oil

Rice with eggs, veggies & water chestnuts added

Done!

So, all in all, it took awhile to make, but sooo worth it. We had to cook some egg rolls while we were waiting, about two hours before it was done to tide us over. But we were so ready to eat this by the time it was done. 

Dim sum & fried rice

Reviews/Comments

I rate this a 10. So much work but so worth it. Many thanks, Laura, for supper and lunch tomorrow!

Laura: It's a 10 every time I make these. They're (dim sum) the best thing I've ever eaten.