Red Lentil and Bulgur Kufteh in Lettuce Leaves

Last night I was lucky to be at the super creative PEM/PM Artopia event doing a demonstration on my meatball cookbook. The theme matches so well with the museum's focus on global cross-clutural exchange that it was a fun fit. They let us pass out samples and make a mess but we couldn't actually "cook" with any flame. Besides that technical issue, it all was fun! I am so glad that so many people came out to see us!  

These Kufteh are a traditional and popular appetizer in many middle eastern homes. They are like a vegetarian meatball, the texture of a chunky hummus made from red lentils and cracked wheat. The lettuce leaf provides an enjoyable crunch and an edible wrapping. They are eaten chilled or at room temperature, and made a delicious lunch or afternoon snack. A sprinkle of finishing salt and lemon juice is usually squeezed over the top. Last night we added a sliver of spicy cucumber pickles as well. 

If the appetizer presentation doesn't suit you, try the kufteh on top a large salad. They are naturally vegan. to make a gluten free version try replacing the bulgur with quinoa (but it would have to be simmered along with the lentils.) 


Red Lentil and Bulgur Kufteh in Lettuce Leaves

makes 20 veggie balls

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1/2 cup bulgur wheat (fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper

20+ little gem lettuce leaves
1 handful parsley, chopped fine
lemon juice
spicy pickles (optional)

Toast the cumin seed in a dry pan on high heat. When the cumin becomes fragrant and the seeds darken a little in color.

Combine the lentils and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, reduce the heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Not all of the water will be absorbed. 

Add the bulgur and salt, into the pot with the lentils. Stir together, cover and let sit for 30 minutes, until the bulgur is tender and all the liquid absorbed.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, until transparent and tender. Stir often. Add the ground cumin and stir together for about 30 seconds, then stir into the lentils and bulgur.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, beat the lentil mixture in the bowl for a few minutes. This makes the mixture creamy. If it seems dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and Aleppo pepper if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Using two soup spoons form the lentil mixture into quenelles, (football shapes). Or, moisten your hands and shape the mixture into small lime-size balls. Moisten your hands again whenever the mixture begins to stick. 

Place on lettuce leaves arranged on a platter. Garnish with parsley and sprinkle with lemon juice and a dash of salt. A small slice of pickle is an untraditional but delicious addition. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

You love it? Its in my book, along with a bunch of other veggie balls and more!

Crispy Chickpeas for Salad and Snacking

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, Garbanzo is a great word to say out loud, gar-ban-zo! Just last week I was in the grocery store, in the canned beans area, picking up some black beans and a guy was staring at the wall of beans and looked so overwhelmed. He caught my eye and asked "can I ask you a question?" I love being asked question in the supermarket because i am full of knowledge in this area. Like the elderly lady who likes to hang around the yarn store to tell people the best way to put fringe on their afghans, (this happens). So back to beans, this guy was so confused if the can marked Garbanzo Beans was the same thing as chickpeas. I assured him they were one and the same, and go by both names. I guess he was British, from his accent. And in the UK the little things are always called chickpeas, and in other areas (Spain, for one, they are garbanzos) We in the USA cannot decide.

Which brings me to think about canned beans, I used to buy many more canned beans, and chickpeas were always canned. I thought they never got soft if you made them from dry ones. Sometime in the last few years this changed, I began making a pot of beans every week or two, and I tried chickpeas a few times, now I alternate beans one week, chickpeas the next. I make hummus and these yummy spiced crispy fried chickpeas. I still make sure to have a few cans of beans in the cabinet for "emergency" food if we need huevos rancheros one morning.  

You can make the spicy crispy chickpeas with either type, you may be like me and think that dried beans and chickpeas in particular take too long to cook and are too much trouble. I will just remind you that dried beans cost pennies compared to canned ones and the trick is to properly soak them. Proper soaking is especially important with chicky-chicky garbanzos. 

I put them in water at night before bed, if i am going to cook them the next evening. I soak most of my beans for 6 hours, but chickpeas (it sounds extreme) I like to soak 12 to 24 hours on the counter. But this is so easy: a bowl, dry beans, water to cover by at least twice the volume. In this time, they plump up and release all these foamy gassy bubbles (see the picture!) After 24 hours they have an almost transparent quality and rattle around like marbles. I like to stir them around with my fingers. 

Before cooking, always pour out the soaking water (the water turns all yellow!), and give them a good rinse until the water is clear. Then it is a matter of boiling them till done. Cover with plenty of water two or 3 times the volume, no need to measure. Bring to a boil and keep at an active simmer for an hour, or until they are tender. When you press one between your fingers it should have some resistance and then smush. More al dente than smushy hummus. 

A few thoughts. If you have hard water, your beans will never really get soft because of the minerals, you might like to use filtered water. If you have a pressure cooker, this is the perfect time to use it! I use my pressure cooker always, I find if I time 15 minutes after the pressure comes up. Then turn it off and let the pressure come down by itself, they are perfect. 

Strain the little beauties through a colander. In order to get the crispy ones crispy, it is helpful to dry them for a bit. So pour them onto a tea towel in a layer and do something else for a half hour.  (The same goes for canned chickpeas, rinse well, lay to dry) 

Good, now the chickpeas go into a bowl with salt and the middle eastern spices; cardamom, cumin and allspice. Tossed around it all sticks to them, beautiful. 

Heat a heavy skillet with enough olive oil to coat the bottom like a puddle. When it is hot and shimmery, add the spiced garbanzos. Shake them about and leave them to fry for 3 minutes or so, come back in and stir them around, repeat. they cook in 10 minutes or so. I like when they start to split open, the frying bubbles will subside and there will be less oil in the pan, this is how you know they are done. Remove with a spoon to drain in paper towels for a moment.

Crispy crunchy chicky chicky! Don't burn yourself, wait a moment. When shaken around they sound terrific. These are an awesome snack by themselves.

They are so awesome they make any salad more awesome. Today I made a salad of fresh green lettuces, kale, cucumbers, and red spring onion. A squeeze of fresh lime and plenty of olive oil made a fine dressing. Then I had a hankering for some creamy tahini dressing on the chickpeas, so I mixed that up really quickly. It did make it that much more delicious. It was a nice dinner, I am eagerly catching up on Game of Thrones, as fast as Netflix can send them. Yes, I often eat on the couch in front of the TV. Quelle horreur! 

Note: Leftovers are so so, they looks the crispy pop. To refresh them, cook in a hot pan for a few minutes until dry and crisp again. 

Crispy Chickpeas 

1 1/2 cups Cooked Chickpeas (1/2 cup when dry)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cumin

about a 1/4 cup olive oil 

Cook, drain and dry the chickpeas. Toss in a bowl with the salt and spices. Heat a heavy frying pan with olive oil to create a puddle on the bottom. Toss in the chickpeas when the oil is hot (do in 2 batches if your pan is small.) Shake periodically, after about 10 minutes when the bubbles in the oil have subsided and there is less oil in the pan, and the chickpeas begin to split: remove them from the pan to drain on paper towels. 

Add on top of salads or eat with a meze platter of olives and other yummies. 

Roasted radishes

Roasting vegetables brings out all the sweet sugars hiding inside, making taste buds happy.

Radishes are the same as any other root veggie, when faced with oil, salt and 350° heat for 25 minutes they succumb to caramelization. No matter how sharp and crunchy they start out!

Roasted radishes

The first time I remember having roasted radishes was only this past May. They were served as an appetizer at a friend's house. Salty, soft, caramelized. Nothing which I usually associate with radishes. 

Visiting the farmer's market last week, I stopped at Grant's Plants, which always has tender lettuces and is also known for his prize winning chickens and their delicious eggs. I was too late for the eggs, which had all been bought, but there were bucketloads of the most beautiful radishes! 

Presented like red and pink rubies. I came home with far more bunches than needed! 

The red round ones are wonderful but there is nothing quite as charming as a neat bunch of long French breakfast radishes. The pink and white variety sooks sort of like little mice with tails. I hear that in France they eat them by dipping in butter and sprinkled with salt. I have never seen anyone in France do this, perhaps they do it for breakfast when nobody is looking? 

Butter dipping isn't for me. I made a big crunchy fattoush salad with many of them. And the remainder I roasted next to some colorful carrots. Which is what I will look forward to doing with the bunches I hope to buy next week! 

The salt is a key element, use a good sea salt. I are some in a salad at lunchtime and for dinner I dipped them in hummus-so delicious! 

Roasted Radishes

1 bunch radishes, tops removed
sea salt
olive oil

Wash radishes well, there is often silt hiding in the green tops. Place clean and dried radishes into a roasting dish.


If you care to, line the dish with foil, so you don't have to wash it! If you are roasting many things at once you can make separate foil pens for each thing, in case they finish before one another, which is what I did. The cut carrots and radishes were done at the same time, for the record.






Drizzle generously with olive oil, so there are puddles in the pan. And sprinkle liberally with sea salt.

Shake it all about...hokey pokey the vegetables.


Cook in a 350° oven for 25 minutes.

When done
they will be
fork tender, wrinkled,
with crispy tails
and golden brown
spots.

Fattoush Salad

Fattoush is an excellent summertime salad to utilize the produce of the moment, crisp crunchy vegetables. I came home from the farmers market with cucumbers and radishes. I had pita bread triangles in my freezer, leftover from a dinner party. I will add fresh mint and parsley next time, I didnt have any, and honestly it is good without it. All together it came into a good dinner. Allowing the salad to marinate for 30 minutes is helpful to infuse the crisp veggies with seasoning.

Garlic and salt in mortar and pestle

Very recently while in Pottstown, PA and hungry for dinner before running off to a movie, we found an amazing cafe hidden in a residential street. The iCreate cafe, revels nothing about what is inside.

A row house set up as an endless row of living rooms, with cafe tables and lounging areas. The world cup was playing on a projector. Everything mismatched, clearly homegrown, a space created by the owner, I sank into a couch in front of dishes of hummus and baba ganoush and pita breads, feeling entirely relaxed, happy and at home.

If it wasn't close to closing time, I would have sat there for hours. But it was almost closing time when we arrived, and we were happy to eat something which wouldn't be much work for the owner to prepare, as he was clearly cleaning up when we arrived, when we ordered the pita breads and dips, I wondered aloud if he had any fattoush salad, or something equally fresh. 

Toast pita bread

"You want fattoush?"

"Well, yes, only if it is no trouble, like if you have some made up...?"

"Its no problem." 

Ash began to make the fattoush salad from scratch. I peaked to see him mashing garlic in a morter and pestle, toasting pita breads, making dressing from scratch, tearing mint and parsley, adding more olive oil to the salad at the end. I felt sort of bad, that he was going to the trouble at the very end of the night. If you have worked in a kitchen, you know the feeling. He worked with ease, on the other side of a bar counter, where he chatted with us and the remaining guests who after their dinners had been hanging around like it was their own apartment.

The salad packed up in a large to-go container, we settled the bill and made our goodbyes to new friends. I smuggled the fattoush into the movies in my purse, with crossed fingers the dressing would stay put where it belonged! 

Cucumbers and Radish

The previews are too long these days, but it was devoured before they were over. Big chunks of tomato and cucumber, Loads of fresh mint and parsley. Tangy and fruity olive oil dressing and lots of toasted chewy pita bread torn into it. At that moment I was so grateful he went to the trouble to make this salad, this work of art. That is one of the best salads ive ever had. Defiantly the best ever eaten in the reflected light of a movie theatre.  

Leftover pita bread

The previews are too long these days, but it was devoured before they were over. Big chunks of tomato and cucumber, Loads of fresh mint and parsley. Tangy and fruity olive oil dressing and lots of toasted chewy pita bread torn into it. At that moment I was so grateful he went to the trouble to make this salad, this work of art. That is one of the best salads ive ever had. Defiantly the best ever eaten in the reflected light of a movie theatre. 

Inspired by the fattoush salad at iCreate cafe, and the one in Ottolengi's Jerusalem cookbook, this is my version of the classic salad from the Middle East. 

Fattoush Salad

4 small cucumbers

1 cup cherry tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes

1 bunch radishes

4 garlic cloves

salt, to taste

two whole wheat pita breads, more or less

1/8 - 1/4 cup olive oil, more or less

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup plain yogurt 

1 tablespoon dried mint

handful of fresh mint and parsley (optional)

2 teaspoons ground sumac, to garnish

fresh ground pepper

Chop the cucumber into large bite size pieces. Slice the tomatoes and radish, put all the veggies into a bowl. Put a the garlic along with a pinch of salt into a mortar and pestle. The salt helps break down the garlic into a paste. Scoop the garlic paste into the veggie bowl. Add the dressing ingredients to the veggies, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and yogurt. Toss well to mix. Add the herbs, dried mint and whatever fresh mint and parsley you have on hand. Mix them in well, set aside for 30 minutes so the dressing marinates the veggies. 

Briefly toast pita bread, in a toaster, or a skillet. The effect is to dry and toast the outside, but keep the inside soft, we aren't making pita chips here. Keep the pita to the side until ready to eat. 

Tear the pita breads over the salad, garnish liberally with sumac and ground pepper. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top, why not!

Serves at least 4 as a side or 2 as a main course.

Fattoush Salad

Cooling Watermelon, Cucumber, Mint and Goat Feta Salad

Watermelon, Cucumber, Mint and Goat Feta Salad

It is officially summer time. Sunscreen and bug-spray perfume the air of weekends by the waters edge and long lazy evenings. It is suddenly hot all the time. The ice maker does all it can to keep up with the glasses of iced tea.

Wedding season coincides with this most glorious high point of summer evenings. This weekend I attended a beautiful farm wedding where guests were asked to bring all the side dishes. There was a grill filled with hamburgers and outdoor fryers for turkey. Three kinds of cakes were made by a friend of the bride. (This time it wasn't me! So relaxing.) The salads and veggie dishes were brought by an assortment of family and friends. 

Watermelon

Watermelon salad is the sort of thing I might order in a restaurant, but wouldn't normally think to make at home. I would just eat my watermelon straight up, for dessert. I got this recipe from my sister, instructing me over the phone while she was sitting in summer traffic. it was fun to make and not surprisingly just as fun to eat. Lime dressing pulls all the flavors together. And it presents sparkling and jewel colored on the table.

Limes have lately been unreliable due to droughts, sometimes having no juice. So good luck, you might need an extra one. 

Feta cheese holds together well in this juicy salad. Goat chevre could be used, but know it might melt melt in more than the feta does. Cow feta of course course could be substituted.

It is a matter of cubing the watermelon and cucumber in an attractive way. This gets a little juicy, if you have one of those cutting boards with a channel around the outside, use that to avoid puddles. The rest is easy as pie.  

Watermelon, rind removed and sliced

Cooling Watermelon, Cucumber, Mint and Goat Feta Summer Salad

1/2 a watermelon

1 English cucumber

Mint leaves, a big handful of fresh leaves

Lime juice from 1 to 2 limes

drizzle of olive oil

black pepper

salt

Goat feta cheese

Slice the watermelon in half, slice this in half again. From each 1/4 of melon, remove the rind in pieces with a knife, leaving a wedge of sweet watermelon.

Cubed watermelon

Slice the wedge of watermelon in even 1/2 inch slices. The slices are fanned out in the photo, but stack them up neatly to cut into cubes. Slice the long way into 1/2 inch lenghths, and then turn, slicing into 1/2 inch squares. This way, they are the same size, making perfect cubes. Very pretty!

Diced cucumber and mint

Dice the cucumber, which is easier to handle than the big melon. 

Combine cucumber and melon into a large bowl. Reserve some mint leaves to garnish the top of the finished salad. Tear the remaining leaves with your fingers into pieces. I love mint and it is a feature here, so put in a lot, I guess it was about 1 cup. 

Squeeze the limes and pour the juice over the salad. Toss and taste if more lime juice would be a good thing. 

Season with salt and pepper. A drizzle of good olive oil will bring the savory flavors together. 

When the seasoning is right, crumble goat feta into it. Toss briefly and put into a beautiful serving bowl. Garnish with mint leaves.

Watermelon, Cucumber, Mint and Goat Feta Summer Salad

Beet, Avocado, Cilantro and Goat Cheese Soft Tostada

Beet, Avocado and Goat Cheese soft tostada

I havent posted in a week because I was busy in San Fancisco doing too much of this:

How to have fun in SF

There was a little work involved somewhere in there, mostly it was eating tacos, drinking coffee, cocktails, and sitting around in the sunshine. Sitting around in the sun resulted in a nice sunburn, which my friends thought was the effects of frozen mimosas, but the next day was clearly a sunburn. (more on frozen mimosas later!)

La Palma's corn tortillas

There was a transportation strike one day, so I decided to walk instead of ride, all the way to what might be the center of the Misson at 24th and Alabama street, which is certainly the center of tortillas in San Francisco. La Palma Mexicatessen, the food there is good but the reason to go is the quality and variety of tortillas which you can buy in big stacks still hot from the griddle.


They are handmade by talented ladies in the back of the shop, and if you peek through you can see them at work. There are big tortillas, little and tiny baby ones. Double thick gorditas and hand flattened ones which are rustic with a thicker edge, like a pizza. In white, yellow, blue, and green. I bought a stack of handmade blue corn, white corn GMO free, and ones made with nopales cactus which were a grassy green.






Why did I buy so many tortillas?  The answer anyone who lives on most of the east coast would know, you just cant find them here. (If anybody knows of a place which makes real tortillas in/near Boston, let me know asap.)

GMO free corn gorditas

So there I was with my 8 pounds of still steaming tortillas, condensing in their packages and the sweet smell of corn wafting out of my bag. I carried them around most of the day, and then onto the plane. I didn't eat them the whole time. We opened the packages for lunch on my first day home, and I have had tortillas at least once a day for the last few days I've been home.


I did put some in the freezer to test if they would hold up.


When I run out, I will learn how to make my own masa and fashion homemade tortillas. It cant be too difficult, as households all across Mexico and beyond make them regularly. Ill write a post on that once I run out of La Palma's.


It is easy to come up with traditional and crazy taco variations. This one I loaded up too much and had to eat with a fork and knife like an open faced sandwich. It is neither taco nor tostada. Somewhere between. The flavors are likewise very Californian neither one thing or another. Cilantro is a fun way to wake up usual beets and goat cheese. Play around with the cheese also, a goat brie or camembert has more flavor and melting capabilities than fresh chevre.

Beet, Avocado and Goat Cheese Soft Tostada

for each serving:

1 corn tortilla

4 slices goat camembert or brie cheese

1/2 an avocado, cubed

1/2 cup roasted sliced beet

cilantro

1/4 of a lime

fresh ground pepper and salt

Heat the tortilla in a skillet until warm on the bottom. Flip over to the other side. Place sliced or crumbled goat cheese on the warmed upper side. It will soon melt or soften somewhat. Remove the tortilla to a plate cheese side up, careful not to loose the cheese!

Pile on the beets, avocado cubes and cilantro. Shower fresh ground pepper and some salt over it all. A squeeze of lime wakes up the avocado. Act fast to eat while warm with still gooey cheese.

Raw Asparagus Parmesan Salad

The freshest asparagus is upon us in the northeast. Roasted broiled and grilled it is sublime. I was urged to it thinly shaved and raw by my friend, an urban farmer and chef. The asparagus was so tender without any tough part at the bottom, crunchy and juicy. 

Bold flavors would go well with the raw asparagus. Lemon is my favorite with asparagus and parmesan, would add richness.

This salad is easy, it uses one tool: a vegetable peeler and 3 ingredients, 4 if you count the olive oil.

To shave it is easy, use a veggie peeler. Lay the asparagus on a cutting board. Run the peeler along the length of the asparagus, from bottom to tip. This makes lovely long thin ribbons.

Collect the asparagus ribbons in a salad bowl. Now it just takes some salt and the juice squeezed from half a lemon to wake it up. 

Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss around to coat it all.

Take the same veggie peeler and set it to work on a good hunk of parmesan cheese. Peel off large shavings of cheese, these pop with cheesy umami flavor when eaten in a bite with the lemony raw veg. 

Importantly, fresh ground pepper goes all over the top. 

That is the only recipe im giving; no measurements. Its a salad! I will say 8 asparagus spears served two with some leftovers. So about 3 servings. The leftovers were nice for lunch after marinating in the fridge. I loved the change of pace of keeping the asparagus raw and pure, I will do it again!