Easy Italian Summer Vegetables

I promise this is the last Sweet Pea recipe for a while. I found this recipe last fall and held onto it waiting for all the veggies to come into season. It was SO worth it, I've made this three times in the past two weeks, once just for me. I hope you enjoy.

4-5 cups diced vegetables (I used about 2 ears of corn, straight off the cob--no need to boil, 2 yellow squash, and a zucchini, but you can use cucumber, sweet peas or even thawed frozen green beans)
1/4 cup sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or apple cider or rice wine)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine vegetables, onion, basil and mozzarella in a medium or large bowl.

Add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Let sit for at least one hour before serving. The vinegar in the dressing "cooks" the vegetables a bit and they are soft to eat.

Serves 4-6.


I used all the veggies and the vinegar it called for, not the suggested substitutions. I also made this once without the red onion because I was in a hurry, very regrettable decision. It was still good, but not great. I also never had fresh basil but I'm sure that would make this stupendous. It's hard to win me over with vegetables but this may be a first.

Pizza Sauce

Some of you may have this recipe already from me, but I wanted to share it with those who don't. Every Saturday night at our house is homemade pizza night. When I shop during the week, I go to the bakery counter and ask for a loaf of french bread dough (because I'm domestic like that). It freezes just fine until I'm ready to use it.

Pizza sauce from a bottle is really expensive and to be honest, too sweet for my liking. The following oh-so-simple recipe came from Kimball's family and is the only way to go for us around here.

1 - 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. Oregano

Combine in saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. TaDa!

Crescent Rolls

These are the rolls I made for our family campout. The key to these is the butter. Butter! Not margarine. Butter! Again, not margarine. Butter! Anyway, they do use yeast, so factor in about an hour and a half of rising time. I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook.

Crescent Rolls:

*3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/4 cup butter, softened
*1 tsp. salt
*1 package regular or dry-active yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
*1/2 cup very warm water (120 to 130 F)
*1/2 cup very warm milk (120 to 130 F. I used to warm this up on the stove, but then I realized that it's much easier in the microwave. Do what you please.)
*1 large egg
*More butter, melted

In large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter, salt and yeast until well mixed. Add warm water, warm milk and egg. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until dough it smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with shortening or cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle on floured surface. Spread with softened butter. Cute each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge, beginning at rounded edge. Place rolls, with points underneath, on cookie sheet and curve slightly. Brush with butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush warm rolls with more butter. Makes 32 rolls.

Saucy Stuffed Shells

We had this baby for dinner last night, but I forgot to take a picture. It is one of our favorites and the meal that I always make when I am taking dinner to someone. The original recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but I have made a few modifications.

12 dried jumbo shell macaroni (I always do 15 because some break)
12 ounces ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 - 26 oz. can meatless spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain again.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook ground meat, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.

In a medium bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, fennel seeds, salt, and black pepper. Add the meat mixture and 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce; mix well. (At this point I usually drop in a teaspoonful or two of minced garlic). Spoon about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture into each macaroni shell. Arrange the filled shells in a 2-quart square baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the filled shells. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

So. It's no secret that I love limes. No seriously... lllove them. I love them in almost ANYTHING.. main dishes, salads, sauces, drinks and desserts. I even love them straight. Oh... and don't even get me started about how they smell! So when my sister Lisa told me she had a good honey LIME enchilada recipe?... I was all over it! Not only was a hit with the fam, I served it with, what else?... the Limonada drink that I posted last week of course. I'm all a pucker!

6 Tbsp. Honey

5 Tbsp. fresh squeezed Lime Juice

1 small can, diced Green Chili's

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 lb. Chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts) cooked and shredded.

8-19 Flour Tortillas (I prefer the uncooked kind.)

1/2 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)

1/2 lb. Mexican Style Cheese (shredded)

1- 14 oz. can Green Enchilada Sauce

1 cup Salsa Verde

1 cup Heavy Cream

Fresh Cilantro (chopped)

Mix the first five ingredients and toss with the shredded chicken. Put in a Ziplock bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or longer if preferred.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the salsa verde on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Fill each flour tortilla with chicken and the Monterey Jack shredded cheese. Roll them up and place in baking pan.

Mix the Green Enchilada Sauce, and the remaining 1/2 cup Salsa Verde with the cream.

Pour the sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the Mexican Style Cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until brown and crispy on top. Top with fresh Cilantro.

* You can also add black beans to the chicken mixture.

Southwest Rice and Bean Salad

This is one of those recipes that I would NEVER choose to make if it hadn't been recommended to me by someone I trust (aka my sis). But it is awesome. We probably eat it too much.

This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. It serves 8-10.

Salad:
*5 cups cooked rice, warm or at room temp (that's about 2 cups uncooked. ish. sort of.)
*2 teaspoons salt
*1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
*2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
*1 (12 oz.) can corn, drained
*4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
*1/4 cup fresh lime juice (I've used fresh lemon juice and it tastes just as good)
*2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
*2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
*2/3 cup canola oil
*2 teaspoons chili powder
*1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all salad ingredients in large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix well to combine. Serve warm or room temp ( I prefer warm, Sky prefers cold).

Cilantro Lime Empanadas

This is another winner from Sweat Pea. I love that I get to hide vegetables in a fun package, even though hope to some day not have to. I've only made this with taco seasoning, but if I can find the Penzey's spice I'm getting it. I highly recommend the salsa, sour cream with a little fresh cilantro dip at the end. These are very hot when they first come out so be careful.

Easy Cilantro Lime Empanadas

1 package frozen filo, thawed (they usually come with two separate rolls, you will only need one)
1 -12 oz package frozen pureed butternut squash
1 - 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Arizona Dreaming seasoning (a new Penzeys spice mixture, or you can use taco seasoning)
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the filo on a counter and cut it in half lengthwise and be sure to cover with a barely damp cloth when you are not working with it.

In a medium bowl, mix the squash, black beans, salt and seasoning. With a pastry blender or the back of a large fork, smash the mixture together, breaking up the beans a bit while you do so. Add the cream cheese, cilantro and lime, and mix well until everything is fully incorporated.

Take 2-3 sheets of the filo and place 2 tablespoons of the cilantro lime mixture at one end like this:


Fold in triangles, much like you would fold a flag, like this:


Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat liner:


Brush with a bit of oil or spray with cooking spray. Repeat until the filling is gone.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until slightly browned.

Makes about 18.

Serve with sour cream, salsa and a touch more cilantro:

Mayberry's Italian Wrap

This morning while going through the books in mom and dad's basement I pulled out a few bookmarks that were in the ones I took. It was cool to see some of these little gems that they used to save their places while they were reading and I actually saved a couple of them.



Like the ticket stubs from Hong Kong to San Fransisco and from Charlotte to Cincinatti. I wish I had noted which books I took them from so I could see what Dad was reading on the plane. There's a piece of hotel paper from the Commerce Casino Crowne Plaza in Los Angeles; a Shirley's bakery punchcard with only one punch, and a receipt from Trade Secret. Apparently Mom bought some Kenra Volume Spray in 2001 and it was only $12.95 - it's $21.39 now! Geez, look at that inflation over the past decade.

There was also a recipe for Mayberry's Italian Wrap. I have no idea where it came from as there's no source or cookbook noted on it - but it looks delicious. I haven't even made them yet but I thought I'd share. Maybe one of you guys could make them and then invite me over for dinner...m'kay?


Mayberry's Italian Wrap

Spread (mix well):
1 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
16 oz. cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise

Layer the following:
spinach leaves
sliced salami
provolone cheese slices
tomato slices
sliced olives
sliced artichoke hearts

Refreshing Summer Drinks

We're in the middle of July and YIKES, it's hot! Since we are having so many cookouts, I thought you might enjoy these refreshing drink recipes courtesy of my sissy Lisa. I have not made the Limonada, but Leese says that one is great with Mexican dishes.

Limonada

1 - 12 oz. can frozen Minute Maid Limeade
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 of a 2-liter bottle of Club Soda

Rasperry Lime Sprite

1/2 gallon raspberry drink (Cream 'O Weber, found at Walmart)
1/2 - 12 oz. can frozen Minute Maid Limeade
2 liters of Sprite

Lemonade/Orange Fizz

1 - 12 oz. can frozen Minute Maid Pink or Raspberry Lemonade
1 - 16 oz. can frozen Orange Juice
2 liters of Ginger Ale

Add ice right before serving.

Kalua Pork

Oh Crockpot, how I adore thee. You make my life so happy. So little work and yet when people walk in my house in the middle of the day, they think I've been working my little tail off. Keep up the good work.

1 Pork Roast (3-4 lbs)
1 Can of Chicken Stock/Broth (14-15 oz.)
1 Stick of Butter
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tsp Liquid Smoke
1 Tsp Olive Oil

Heat olive oil in frying pan. Brown roast on each side. Place all remaining ingredients in the crockpot (it may help to cut up the butter). Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred and enjoy! We serve this over rice sometimes, or on buns for sandwiches. Both are so good, although I think I prefer it with rice.

I'm pretty sure Kimball got this recipe from Uncle Dave.

Grilled Pizza

Sorry I didn't post on Saturday. I was in St. George getting a sunburn bad enough to cause my face to swell. Lovely.

Anyway, even though the resemblance between an Avatar and me right now is uncanny, I still have a delicious recipe for you. Last night we grilled 3 pizzas. They. were. awesome. Way better than cooking them in the oven. Unless you have a fancy pants brick oven. Then it might be debatable. But probably not even then.

So there are some essential things for this pizza. The first is the dough. Here is the recipe for the best pizza dough:

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar


1 tablespoon honey


1 tablespoon olive oil


2 teaspoons salt


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

*****makes 2 medium pizzas or one extra large pizza

Make the dough the night before or early the morning on the day you want to make the pizza. In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), mix the water, yeast, sugar, honey and oil. (If using active dry yeast, increase the amount of yeast to 2 3/4 teaspoons and proof the yeast in the water until foamy before mixing in the sugar, honey and oil.) Then mix in 1 cup flour and the salt. Continue mixing in all the remaining flour until you get a nice, soft dough. Knead until dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a stand mixer.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly (with a lid or plastic wrap). Place the dough in the refrigerator to slowly rise until three hours before baking. Three hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, keeping it lightly covered.

The next thing you need is great toppings. We did 3 pizzas: one pepperoni, one BBQ chicken(use barbecue sauce on the bottom and top with bite size pieces of chicken coated with barbecue sauce, finely sliced red onions, slices of fresh mozz and cilantro) and one margherita (tomato sauce, slices of fresh mozz and fresh basil). The fresh mozzarella is so important. Totally worth the extra money. Even though it's convenient to buy pre shredded cheese, there is a huge difference between it and fresh cheese that you shred yourself. Also worth the extra effort. The pre shredded stuff doesn't melt as well or as quickly, plus it doesn't taste as good. Last night I was cramming for time so I ended up using some store bought tomato sauce and adding some oregano, basil and crushed red pepper flakes, but next time I will definitely make my own tomato sauce. Cheaper and tastier. 

Alright, now I'm going to link you to the blog that I got this recipe from. It gives a great tutorial on the actual grilling of the pizzas. Plus it has lots of pictures and helpful hints. I'd follow all of the instructions diligently. Grill on. 

Rice, Chicken, and Veggie dish

If someone can come up with a better name for this, do tell.

This is something I put together last night inspired by a meal I had a while ago that was delish, but didn't know how to get the recipe. When we dived into it last night it was actually surprising how similar it tasted. I don't know if I'd be able to tell the difference accept that I put way more veggies in it that the original dish had.

As you can tell by the ingredients, there is nothing new or special about this. This is one of those things you can make when you haven't been to the store in forever but you need to make something! These are all ingredients that most of us have on hand at any given time, so this can just be a back-up plan recipe for those of you who aren't fans of casseroles.

Ingredients:

About 2 cups (uncooked) Rice
Shredded Chicken
About 1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies (peas, corns, beans)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
3/4 cup Milk
Corn Flakes
Shredded Cheese (optional)

Cook the rice in 4 cups water. In the meantime, cook the chicken and shred, and steam the veggies. Once all are done, mix together and put in large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine cream of chicken soup and milk.. whisk well, then add the mixture to the large bowl of ingredients.
Spread in large casserole dish (9x13 works great).
Layer top with crushed corn flakes.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so.

(If you want to add shredded cheese, do so under the cornflakes or mix into the rice mixture).


Fresh Side Salad Idea:

Sliced apricots
Sliced bananas
Sliced cherries
Blueberries
Grapes

... mix and serve in side bowl. It was a great combination and looked pretty, too.

We loved this meal and stuffed our faces big time.. and we still have a 1/2 a dish or more left of leftovers, which we are looking forward to. (Especially me.)

Don't be afraid to try things out- most of us have cooked enough to know what combinations will taste good together and it's nice not to have to follow a recipe sometimes. You know what your family will eat, so why not slosh it all together in a pot and serve? :)

Vegetable camoflauge

In my ongoing effort to get more vegetables into me and my family, I found this little trick online. Shred a yellow summer squash and cook it up in your scrambled eggs. Yesterday I did 5 eggs and 1 cup shredded squash with a little bit of milk. No one was the wiser and the kids scarfed it down. Next time, I'm adding more squash.

Does that look like vegetables? I don't think so.

Chipotle Chicken Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce

This recipe is from Rachael Ray. I have to admit, I don't make too many of her recipes mainly because there seems to be some mystery ingredient I have never heard of, let alone know where to go to find it. I also have to admit that every time I do get lucky and find all of the ingredients to make the meal, I end up loving it. I know that some of you do not like cilantro in the least, so you can leave it out. Rachael's recipes are always packed with enough flavors.

I don't know the purpose of the olive oil. I would prefer to leave it out next time or even mix the dipping sauce with some ranch dressing, but it can stand on it's own! Make sure you read the whole recipe before you begin. I know it's wordy, but it makes it so easy. Dad loved these.

I doubled it and it served 6 for dinner. I think it's written to serve as a starter dish but they were easy, fast, and actually fun to make.

Chipotle Chicken Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce:

1 package (1 1/3 pounds) ground chicken breast (the meat department in your local grocery store will grind it for you)

6 scallions, thinly sliced, then chopped

1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese

1 garlic clove

1 Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely chopped (sold in jars in international foods isle), or 3 tablespoons of a chipotle flavored

salsa

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

6 sheets frozen Phyllo dough, defrosted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Dipping Sauce:

1 ripe Hass Avocado

Juice of 3 limes

A handful of fresh cilantro leaves (2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon course salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO... eyeball it)

Bibb lettuce, to serve rolls on

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, scallions, Cheddar cheese, garlic, and chipotles, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a sealable plastic bag. To turn the ziplock into a homemade pastry bag, trim 1 1/2 inches off one of the bottom corners of the bag. Push the chicken mixture to the cut corner without pushing it through the hole. Reserve while you prepare the phyllo.

Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo dough with the long side closest to you on your kitchen counter, brush liberally from edge to edge with the melted butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Place another sheet of phyllo on top, again brush liberally with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the third layer of phyllo.

Place the trimmed end of the pastry bag 1/2 inch in from the left side and 1/2 inch up from the bottom of the phyllo sheet. Squeeze half of the chicken mixture from the bag while moving along in a straight line from left to right. Roll the front edge of the phyllo sheet away from you, encasing the chicken mixture. Continue until you have completed a long roll. Tuck the ends in and then brush the entire outside of the phyllo log with more melted butter. Transfer the first log to a rimmed cookie sheet, putting the seam side down. Repeat this process to make the second log with the remaining half of the chicken mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs feel firm to the touch.

While the phyllo-wrapped chicken is in the oven, cut the avocado in half lengthwise, cutting around the pit. Separate the halves and scoop out the pit with a spoon, then use the spoon to scoop the avocado from the skin. Place the avocado in a food processor bowl and combine with the lime juice, cilantro, course salt, and about 3 tablespoons of water. Process until the avocado mixture is smooth, then stream the EVOO into the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Once the chipotle chicken rolls are cooked, remove from the oven and let then cool just enough

to handle. Cut each roll in half then cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Serve 3 chicken rolls per person on a bed of Bibb lettuce with a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

4 servings

Recipe from: Rachael Ray 365 : No Repeats

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pasta

It has taken me 27 years to acknowledge that I am a picky eater. I get comfortable with food and see no need to branch out. I always order the same things when I go out to eat, and the majority of my cooking stems from Mom's and Grandma's mad skills. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
That being said, I must say I was quite surprised that not only did this recipe turn out fabulous, it made it into my top 3 favorite meals of all time. In our house, we have a special name for this dish...

"Hey Love, what do you want for dinner this week?"

"Awesome Pasta."

Enough said.

This is another recipe from Rookie-Cookie, but I have a couple of suggestions.
-It calls for Parmesan Cheese, but I know first-hand the the creator of this recipe is not the biggest fan of cheese. That is why she chose Parmesan. I always use shredded Mozzarella. It's cheaper and tastes so good.
-I always half this recipe because it makes quite a bit.
-It would be unwise to try to use dried basil instead of fresh. The fresh basil is one thing that adds so much flavor and makes it look so pretty. So to all my peeps, I planted two basil plants this year, just because I love this dish. Call me, I'll hook you up.

1 lb penne pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 7¼ oz jar roasted red bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp butter
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add garlic and saute until slightly browned. Add salt, tomatoes, peppers, cream, butter and crushed red pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup basil and simmer for 1 minute longer. Add pasta to sauce and add the cheese and remaining basil.

Yields 6 servings.

Meal in a spoon!

This is one of my favs, Skyler converted me, now I can't enough of this!

1 spoonful JIF peanut butter
18-24 milk chocolate chocolate chips
(you may sub butterscotch chips but they're not as good, it's a last resort)
2 pints milk (4 cups)

Creamy Pesto Pasta

This is actually two recipes in one. The creamy pesto is made by simply adding pesto to a great alfredo sauce.

Alfredo Sauce:

2 cups low-fat milk
3 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Put the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

Heat butter in sauce pan and add garlic. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds, making sure not to let it burn and become bitter.

Add milk mixture to the pan, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes and bring it to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a couple more minutes. It should be much thicker now.

When it's thickened, remove from heat and stir in cheese. Cover immediately and let sit for at least 10 minutes more to continue thickening before using. Enjoy over pasta and/or grilled chicken.

Creamy Pesto Pasta:

1/2 batch alfredo sauce
1/2 lb. farfalle pasta
1/3 cup pesto (I just bought a jar at the store, but by all means, if you're feeling up to it and have loads of fresh basil to use up, make it for yourself! Also, even though the recipe calls for his much, I only use about 3-4 tbsp.)
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese
optional:
roasted tomatoes
roasted mushrooms
roasted red peppers
toasted pine nuts

Make alfredo sauce. Set aside.

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Combine alfredo sauce and pesto and toss with pasta. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Sprinkle with cheese. Again, grilled chicken is awesome with this as are roasted vegetables. Enjoy!

Recipe from Our Best Bites.

Falafel with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

I got this recipe off of one of my favorite food blogs (Sweet Pea), it was completely outside the realm of things I've ever made before. I burned the first couple, I'm still trying to master pan-frying, but the rest were really good. The kids were afraid but Neil and I both really liked them.



Falafel:
2 - 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
vegetable oil

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except the flour. Pulse until the mixture is chopped (you may have to scrape the sides of the food processor a few times to help) into small pieces.

Add a few tablespoons of flour and pulse again. You want the mixture to resemble very coarse sand or small pebbles and to be able to be formed into small patties. If necessary, add a couple more tablespoons of flour.

Shape into 10-12 individual 2 inch wide disks (think slider burger size). If cooking immediately, set in the fridge for a few minutes or you can store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. They can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Heat a large skillet to high. Pour in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan about 1/4 inch high. Add the falafel patties and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip, repeat.

Serve in a pita with yogurt tahini sauce (see recipe below) or hummus, tzatziki or just lettuce and sliced tomatoes.



Mmmm...delish!

Serves 4

Yogurt Tahini Sauce:
1 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini*
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.