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August 12, 2009

Baked Falafel

nom you very much

At least once a week, I like to make something vegetarian for us. I am always looking for some creative ways to do so! So when I spied these falafels at Chow Vegan a few months ago and knew I had to try them! They are BIG on flavor and HUGE on taste! I could seriously eat all 10 that I made…and then some!

They satisfy that protein craving and they are perfect for someone who is watching their waistline!

(ahem, moi)

EXTRA PLUS: They were a snap to make!

I started with some canned garbanzo beans…

rinsing beans

Mashed them up with a potato masher- it’s easier!

smashing!

Lined them up on an oiled cookie sheet

piles of falafel

I made a greek cucumber yogurt dip with lemon zest, yogurt & cumin

making a dip

Here they are!

hello there!

I served them with pita, hummus, cucumber yogurt dip, lettuce & tomatoes from our garden.

what it was served with

I had feta, but I didn’t think remember to put it in and totally didn’t miss it.

It’s soo good when you slather a bit of chili sauce in the pita pocket!

especially good with some chili sauce

You won’t be disappointed!

you tasted gooood

I am sooo gonna make these repeatedly!

Baked Falafel


(recipe Chow Vegan)

Makes about 10 balls

1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2? in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).

Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

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August 10, 2009

Mexican Chicken Soup

overview before i dig in

There’s seriously something wrong with me to think it’s OK to make soup in this heat…but I couldn’t resist!

It was sooo worth battling the heat over!

It all started a few weeks ago, when my mom gave me a bit of her leftovers. I WAS HOOKED. It’s one of the latest recipes she tried from her beloved Ina! I’m extremely grateful she had leftovers to share! YUM

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August 9, 2009

i caught the organizing bug!

started off by cleaning out my pantry this weekend.

Here’s what it looked like BEFORE:

BEFORE

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August 7, 2009

Jicama & Orange Salad

jicama salad

My neighbor makes this and it is EXCEPTIONAL! I improvised this afternoon and it turned out pretty good.

Jicama & Orange Salad


-1 large jicama- the size of a cantaloupe (peeled & chopped up into cubes)
-5 clementine oranges (3 for the salad and 2 for the dressing)
-handful of chopped cilantro
-juice of 1 lime
-3/4 teaspoon chili powder
-salt to taste

Mix it all up and devour. It’s very crunchy and the sweet spicy salty balance is the BOMB. I have the aftertaste in my mouth right now and it is delightful. I plan on serving it with some grilled chicken tonight!

***You could use regular oranges, I just didn’t have any! Because these clementines were soo small, I didn’t bother cutting them into segments. It tasted just fine!***

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August 6, 2009

tonight’s loot

pulled from the garden

When I set up my tomato garden, I had visions of drowning this site with tomato porn….I had soo many recipes to test!

Reality set in and I caught myself snacking out in the garden more than bringing them in the kitchen to use in recipes. Tonight was a bit different though! I took a break from snacking for a few days and had this loot tonight!

topping on pizza

And because I needed to make something quick and simple, I made little pizzas (with Trader Joe’s Flatbreads)

ding ding ding ding!

The results? AMAZING.

I have never experienced that much sweetness from a tomato. The roasting of the tomatoes on that gooey mozzarella really brought out their natural sugar.

tomato aftermath

There’s nothing better than cutting up tomatoes from your own garden!

Oh the visions I have for NEXT summer. I might just go a little overboard….

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August 5, 2009

keep calm, carry on

Today was one of those mornings…where Coop woke ready to go before the sun came up.

he woke up sooo early

in my head I’m screaming “MORE SLEEP MORE SLEEP

but then I look at my 10 month old (YES! 10 MONTHS) and I see him ready to face the day.

He’s got a zest for life and it reminds me…

These moments are fleeting and I should relax and enjoy a sunrise with my boy.

We wake up and eat breakfast together and prepare for the day. His cuteness is worth every second of sleep I lose.

Just get me another cup of coffee please!

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August 1, 2009

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Tabbouleh

dinner tonight

I’ve been holding onto the summer issue from Everyday Food for awhile now….I have A LOT of the recipes marked but haven’t gotten around to making anything UNTIL tonight. This is one of those recipes that required very little and fortunately I had all of the ingredients! Boy do I love when that happens.

tomato pluckage

I even got to use some of my tomato harvest from today too!

This meal was very very tasty. Casey and I agreed that we could have easily eaten EVERYTHING on the table. Everything is so light and refreshing that it takes awhile to feel full. Which I guess is a dangerous thing… But it’s all pretty healthy so why feel guilty?

summer summer summer eatin

I paired the chicken & tabbouleh with some grilled Lavash bread & some feta. They were excellent pairings!

I like to put a bit of every ingredient on a piece of the lavash bread and gobble it up!

a perfect bite

I think you’ll like making this too. It’s super simple and very good for you!


Grilled Chicken with Tabbouleh

(recipe EVERYDAY FOOD)

– 1/2 cup bulgur
– Coarse salt and ground pepper
– 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley
– 1/2 English cucumber, halved, seeded, and chopped
– 1 large tomato, chopped
– 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
– 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill
– 1 small garlic clove, minced
– 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)

Directions

1. Heat grill to high. In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a simmer. Add bulgur, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes; fluff bulgur with a fork. In a medium bowl, combine bulgur, parsley, cucumber, tomato, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss tabbouleh to combine.

2. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Clean and lightly oil hot grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper; grill until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Brush chicken with lemon mixture and serve with tabbouleh.