Baked Falafel Pitas

Jeff was away last weekend so I had to fend for myself on the food-and-house front. It was surprisingly difficult. Walking and feeding the dog twice a day, prepping food, cooking it and washing up afterward - it too up far more of my time than I would have liked. It's been awhile since I've had to fend for myself and I'd forgotten how much another pair of helping hands can really accomplish.

I was really glad, therefore, that I'd chosen baked falafel for my dinner on Saturday. This is a low-effort, high-reward sort of dish. Everything goes into the food processor, the mixture gets patted into patties and they go in the oven. While they're baking, the pitas can be prepped and the dishes done. I even had time to chop myself a mango and squeeze some lemon juice for my sparkling water. Dinner = done.

Baked Falafel
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Recipes. 

1/4 c onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp cilantro
1 1/2 c chickpeas
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp ground sumac
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice

whole wheat pitas
baby spinach
cucumber slices
hummus
Greek yogurt
harissa

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Combine the onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add the remaining falafel ingredients and pulse until a thick paste is formed.

Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Form the falafel dough into eight patties and place them on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden brown (I often forget to flip them and they turn out just fine).

(You may wish to wrap your pitas in foil and pop them in the oven to warm for the last 5 minutes of baking.)

Take a pita and smear hummus, Greek yogurt, and a thin line of harissa over the top (I used to cut the pitas in half and stuff them, but the whole wheat ones tend to tear so I've settled for using the pita like a giant soft taco). Top with a small handful of spinach, a few slices of cucumber and two falafel patties. Repeat with the remaining falafel or pop them in the fridge for another day.

Farm Fridays: Pasta and Chickpeas with Parsley, Garlic and Lemon

Today has been crazy hectic, what with my farm pick-up, grocery shopping, errands and our garage sale tomorrow. I've decided to forgo delighting you with a picture of my CSA share. Sorry about that.

Let it be known, though, that fall vegetables are in the house! I got a gorgeous bunch of carrots, a huge celery root with stems and leaves attached (a little too pungent for eating, in my opinion, but I'm going to dry the leaves and use them like an herb!), and a vibrant orange-red winter squash. The fall lettuce is looking gorgeous as well. And as if that weren't enough, I picked up an enormous cauliflower at the farmers market. I just couldn't resist.

What I have for you today is the perfect, healthy, quick dish for a hectic day: whole wheat pasta and chickpeas with delicious fresh parsley, garlic and lemon. The farm is overflowing with parsley right now and this is a great way to use a lot of it at once. Besides being pretty and green and fresh-tasting, parsley is full of antioxidants (most herbs are) and vitamins to help stave off fall head colds (I know I always get mine when the temperature drops, and it's going to drop tonight!). The whole dish comes together in less than half an hour, including chopping, so there's still plenty of time to make a batch for dinner tonight!

Pasta and Chickpeas with Parsley, Garlic and Lemon
Adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas (a 15 oz can will do)
two big handfuls flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 cloves garlic
small sprig sage
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 lb whole wheat pasta shells
shredded Pecorino-Romano, for serving

Combine the parsley, garlic, sage and lemon zest in a small food processor and mince. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and red pepper flakes and cook 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, and a third of the herb mixture to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through.

When the pasta is finished, drain it in a colander and then return it to the pot. Add the chickpea mixture and the rest of the herb mixture and stir well to combine. Top with shredded cheese to serve.

Stuffed Curry Sweet Potato

I totally wish I had one of these right now. This delicious sweet potato was made and consumed over a week ago. I sneakily stocked up on stuff to blog about, knowing I had many long hours of train travel to fill. So I sit here, rocking to the rhythms of the last car of the train somewhere between Buffalo and Rochester (actually, we seem to be passing near Attica - I'll be on the lookout for escaped convicts), mentally drooling over this healthy, flavorful lunch as I try to write about it.

Actually, my lunch today wasn't half bad. I got a pretzels and hummus snack pack on the train and followed it up with some vegetable crudites I got to take home from the conference yesterday (it pays to get to know the local grad students). But there is no question that I would rather have had this potato.

When this recipe showed up on Naturally Ella, I spent some time drooling over it, but for one reason or another months passed before I actually tried it. Warm, mashed sweet potato blends with dense chickpeas and a pile of curry powder for a healthy, tasty and well-balanced entree. It's a great go-to recipe to keep in your repertoire - the most time-consuming part is baking the potato. The first time I made it, I forgot how long that can take. Just make sure you plan ahead and you'll be fine.

I think I'm going to have to make one of these for dinner tomorrow. Or maybe lunch - dinner's too far away!

Stuffed Curry Sweet Potato
Very slightly adapted from Naturally Ella.

1 medium sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c frozen peas, thawed slightly
1/2 c chickpeas
2 tbsp vegetable stock
1 tbsp curry powder

Preheat oven to 400°F. Poke some holes in the sweet potato and place it on a baking tray. Bake 45-50 minutes, until softened. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add in onion, pepper and garlic and saute a few minutes until translucent. Add in chickpeas and frozen peas and cook until heated through. Set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to 375°F. 

Slice the sweet potato in half and scoop out the insides, leaving 1/4" or so around the edge (I like to use a melon baller for this). Mash the removed sweet potato well, then add curry powder and stock. Set aside about a third of this mixture, and combine the rest with the chickpea mixture. Stuff the sweet potato shells with it, then cover (as best you can) with the reserved sweet potato mixture. Place back on the baking tray and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!