Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

Or, by its much less attractive name, Middle Eastern Chickpea Balls!
NOTE: I’m sorry I don’t have a picture – I was too distracted by how good they tasted to take any photos! But if you check the website where I found the recipe, you’ll find lots of falafel pictures associated with this recipe.

Recipe found here. I don’t know who Sean is, but he sure makes tasty falafel. I made these for the first C.I.A. meeting of the year, and they all disappeared in just a few minutes!

Traditionally, falafel is prepared by deep frying and then served wrapped in a pita with other delicious things. I do not own a deep fryer, nor do I intend to start deep frying my food any time soon. So I pan-fried it, unsure if skipping the frying process altogether would render an acceptable falafel. But then I found this helpful comment on the recipe page by HEAVENSNT86:

“So yummy and very easy to make! Instead of frying, I baked them in the oven. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F. Spray the baking sheet and then the falafels with vegetable oil cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes, flip and spray again, then another 10 minutes. Then broil each side for 2 minutes. So good and much healthier! Thanks!”

So yes. Although I did not do so, falafel can be baked!

Sean’s Falafel and Cucumber Dip
*servings vary depending on how large you shape the balls to be.

Ingredients
1-15oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup parsley (fresh is better, but as a poor college student I just heaped in the dry stuff)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs
oil for frying

In a large bowl mash chickpeas with a fork until thick and pasty. Avoid using a blender for this step, as the chickpeas should be on the chunky side to avoid a thin consistency. DO use a blender to process the onion, parsley and garlic, then stir the mixture into the mashed chickpeas.

In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir this into the chickpea mixture, along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but holds together – you can add as many or as few breadcrumbs as you like. With the final mixture you can either shape them into balls or flatten them into patties.

Heat up to an inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the falafel in the hot oil until they are fully browned.

Cucumber Dip
Ingredients
1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber – peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

-Lauren

Zucchini Gratin

So this morning I was watching Down Home with the Neelys on Food Network and they made this dish – a delicious, creamy, and cheesy baked zucchini casserole. It looked delicious, and I made a mental note to make it someday soon. Then later this afternoon the question came up of what we were having for dinner, and with this recipe idea still in my mind I set out to prepare it. Being the lazy slob that I am, I didn’t feel like looking up the recipe, so I just decided to wing it from memory and adjust things as needed based on what we had in the fridge. It turned out beautifully, although it was slightly different from the casserole the Neely’s had prepared on television. This zucchini gratin makes for an excellent side dish, or can be served as a meal unto itself. If you crave a bit more, try adding some pasta, meat, or beans, or serve atop a large slice of your favorite artisan bread.

Zucchini Gratin
*makes about 4-5 servings

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, skins on, cut into half-moons 1/2″ thick
1 large tomato, chopped into large chunks
2-8 oz packages baby portabella mushrooms, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
3-4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, if desired

1. In a large sautè pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sautè the onion until translucent, then add the garlic, sautèeing for another minute or so.

2. Add zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and olive oil, cooking for about 10 minutes (be sure to keep the pan covered as often as possible). During this time, add the thyme, flour, salt, and pepper.

3. Add mixture to a buttered 9 by 11-inch casserole dish (or one of similar capacity). Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes.

5. If desired, remove from the oven and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.

–Lauren