Things I Love (about food)

No recipe to post, but sometimes you just want to declare what you love about food:


1. That first whiff of lemon or lime zest while grating it for a recipe
2. The smell of fresh herbs, especially basil
3. The salty-sweet combo of chocolate-covered pretzels
4. Bright red bell peppers in a stir-fry
5. The sizzle from dropping vegetables in a hot skillet
6. Tearing off a piece of crusty bread, hot from the oven
7. Blueberries in every way- jam, muffins, bagels, pie, or just fresh
8. Chocolate chip cookies with crispy edges and a soft middle
9. Roasted vegetables of any kind- tomatoes, onions, potatoes, even brussels sprouts
10. The smell of freshly ground coffee

Sun-Dried Tomato Falafel

I love falafel, but the box mixes don't cut it and there's not too many places to get it where I live!  I can't take full credit for this recipe--I picked it out of the Let's Eat section in the STL Post-Dispatch a few years ago, though I changed a few things that I thought would make these better.  These are healthier than some falafel recipes because they are not deep-fried, though if you're absolutely deep-fried crazy, I suppose you could deep-fry yours!

For the falafel:

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pieces (preferably not oil packed)
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp olive oil plus more for pan-frying
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup wheat germ (could probably sub whole wheat flour)
• 2 tbsp minced onion
• 2 tbsp minced celery
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Start by making a yogurt-tahini sauce for the falafel:  1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp tahini (sesame-seed paste), 1 clove minced garlic, and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice.  Mix well and refrigerate until using.  In a small bowl, pour the water over the sun-dried tomato pieces to reconstitute them (let sit for 10 minutes).  Drain off any excess water and transfer to a food processor with the chickpeas, garlic, salt and spices.  Process until the mixture is relatively smooth, drizzling the 2 tsp olive oil in as you go.  Next, add the onion, celery, cilantro, and wheat germ, and process until combined (just until the cilantro is chopped up and incorporated).  At this point, I transferred the mixture to a bowl and refrigerated it for a few hours, but you could make it right away too. 

Using a large skillet, put in about 2 tbsp olive oil and heat it on the stove over med-high heat.  Meanwhile, take a rounded tablespoon of the mixture and shape it with your hands into a small patty (not too thin, maybe a 1/2 inch thick).  You should make around 12 patties if they are all the same size.  When the oil is hot, add 6 at a time to your skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side; if they're browning too quickly, turn the heat down.  Drain on a paper towel before serving.

To serve:  Pita bread is the best option, but I've also eaten falafel in a whole-grain tortilla too.  Additionally, you could eat these like crab cakes and then have a rice pilaf or couscous salad on the side.  Serve the falafel with the tahini-yogurt sauce, cucumber slices, and lettuce (if desired).  Enjoy!

Zucchini and Cheese Lasagna

Even if you don't have any Italian blood, lasagna is always a favorite.  Recently, I made a classic meat lasagna for some friends that visited, but wanted to make one that my vegetarian friend would be able to eat.  Zucchini seemed like the perfect vegetable to pair with the sauce and ricotta cheese in a lasagna recipe, so I gave it a try.  The result was delicious, and even a non-vegetarian can appreciate it!

Lasagna Ingredients:

• 1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
• 4 to 5 cups tomato sauce (see recipe below or use jarred sauce)
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced
• 15 oz ricotta cheese (low fat or reduced fat is fine)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan plus ¼ cup
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil

Easy Tomato sauce:

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (blend of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram)
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the minced garlic and stir frequently for about 2 minutes.  Add the crushed and diced tomatoes; stir in the herbs and some black pepper.  Bring to a high simmer and then lower the heat, simmering for 15 minutes.  Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings; based on the salt content of the tomatoes, you may need more salt.  Try not to cook the sauce any longer than 20 minutes to keep the tomato flavor at its best.

For the lasagna:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Slice the zucchini and toss in the olive oil.  Spread onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.  Meanwhile, beat an egg in a bowl, add the ricotta, some black pepper, the dried basil, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and ladle some tomato sauce to cover the bottom.  Lay 4 to 5 (whatever number fits best) un-boiled noodles directly on the sauce, then dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture onto the noodles, spreading into a thin layer.  Add a layer of the cooked zucchini slices and then the 6 slices of provolone cheese.  Cover with a few ladles of the tomato sauce and repeat the noodle-ricotta-zucchini layers.  Add another coating of sauce and repeat the noodle-ricotta-zucchini layers.  The final step is to add the remaining sauce, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, and the ¼ cup Parmesan last.  Bake in the oven, covered with foil, for 50 to 55 minutes.  Then uncover and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.  Let the cooked lasagna stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it.  Enjoy!