Falafel Inspired

It is a weeknight and post-work energy is low. It is not gone, however... there seems to be just enough energy to dismiss digging into the take-out menu stash. That said, what can we make for dinner that is quick, easy, and healthy? I had a craving for comfort food, and to me, that denotes hot "out of the oven" items. Both Charlie and I are trying to be more health-conscious, so that slashes the initial comfort food ideas (such as Macaroni and Cheese). While on the subway, I was brainstorming in my head ... Empanadas? ("Nah... too Heavy.) ... Taco Salad? ("Nah ... too much stuff to buy) ... Falafel? And the eyebrow raises...

The pantry was stocked with canned Garbanzos which makes making falafel (chickpea patties) an obvious choice. And thanks to Charlie's shopping spree this past weekend, the pantry now features some unique items like Artichoke Hearts. How could I add this to the menu? The never-fail combo of Artichokes with Spinach made my mouth water, but what does that have to do with Falafel? I said to myself, "David, just get in the kitchen and have some fun".

This is what I came up with:

Items:
1/2 10-oz. bag of pre-washed spinach leaves, raw
1/2 15-oz. can of garbanzos (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 14-oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained
1-2 TBSP. of Tahini
1/4 cup of crumbled Feta Cheese
1 egg
A splash of water

... and heavy dashes of:
salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, corriander, pimenton, cumin, and oregano

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all items into a food processor. Mixture will be dry. (If you feel that your mixture is too dry, add some additional water, but not too much.)
3. Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper.
4. Scoop mixture onto parchment into roughly 1-1.5 inch-wide circles. (I used our baby ice-cream scoop.)
5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. "Falafel" will be light, but just firm enough to hold together without falling apart. Makes about 18-24 mini-Falafel balls.

This dish is so easy and could easilly be served as an appetizer at a party. You can hardly taste the spinach, which could make this a great candidate for getting kids to eat their leafy greens. I served this alongside a simple salad of cherry tomatoes in oil, salt, and oregano. Dinner could not have been easier (or healthier). And Charlie even licked the bowl... A sure sign that this invention is "blogging material". Happy cooking, and happy inventing!

Huevos Arriba

Since David will be starting graduate school in Spain for a year, I have decided to try some classic Spanish recipes with a few adaptations. Spain is legendary for the thousands of egg (huevos) dishes, so I started with a less common, but beautiful egg dish.

Huevos Arriba is a "puffed egg" dish, in that the yolk and white of the egg are used separately. Basically, seasoned, beaten egg whites are piled on to slices of lightly toasted bread. A well is made in the whites and a yolk is placed on each well. After 15-20 minutes of baking, you have a beautiful presentation.

Ingredients:
For the eggs:
4 eggs, separated (be careful not to break the yolks)
4 slices good quality firm bread (we used Portuguese Saliol, but any good quality Italian bread will suffice - each slice should be 4"x5" (length/width) and no more than 1" thick)
1/2 cup finely diced or shredded cheese (such as manchego, gruyere or asiago)
1/4 cut finely chopped olives (I used a combination of green and kalamata marinated in garlic, olive oil, and parsley)
1/4 cup finely chopped pimiento (roasted red peppers preserved in oil)
small amount of butter or margarine


For the garnish
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped mushrooms (1/4"-1/2" pieces)
6-8 small pieces of pimiento
2 tbs butter
1/8 cup olive oil
salt
ground pepper
1/2 garlic clove (finely minced or use a press)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter one side of the bread and place on a jellyroll pan, butter-side up. Once oven temperature is reached, place bread in for 1 minute. Beat the egg whites into hard peaks. Gently fold in the cheese, olives, and pimiento. Place 1/4 of the mixture on each slice of bread, building a mound. Using a spoon, make a well in the center of each mound and carefully place one egg yolk in the mound. When finished return the slices to the oven for at least 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are soft cooked and the whites are browned. (if you like "well done" eggs, turn the heat down to 300 and bake a bit longer).

While the eggs are cooking, saute the shallots for 2 minutes in the butter and olive oil on medium/medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cook another minute, then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they are tender, about 7 minutes.

To serve, spread a small mound of the mushroom mixture on the plate, place a few pimiento pieces on top and then place one or two of the bread/egg slices on the plate.

The garnish, bread, and egg white/yolk create a ravashing mixture of textures and layers of flavor. If you guest are not eating with their eyes closed, then check their pulse! David claims this is the best breakfast dish I've ever made. How I will top this remains to be seen.

Buen Provecho & Buon Appetito!

Aperitivi

Recently, on a vacation in Chicago, some family members let us stay in their home. Charlie and I rolled up our sleeves on our final night in the city. As a "thank you" gesture, we treated our hosts to a home-made dinner. A request was put in for a lighter meal, which immediately made us think of our many aperitivi in Milano.

What is "aperitivi", one might ask? Perhaps you have heard of similar versions hailing from other cultures. For example, Spainish small plates (tapas) or Greek appitizers (mezes) are in the same category as Italian aperitivi. The principal is the same: Snacks to be shared in a group accompanied by wine to satisfy one until the later dinner hour.

Spring has sprung! Asparagus, naturally, was the first item purchased. This started our "wave of ideas" for all of our aperitivo items:

Roasted Asparagus - Red Pepper Salad

Olive Oil Seared Scallops

Crostini with crushed Herbs and Melted Buffalo Mozzarella

Grape Tomato, Feta, and Almond Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Rocket dressed with Oil, Sea Salt, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts

Chilled White Wine


The funniest thing to happen to us on this cooking adventure was the space. The Piccolo Gourmet was no longer "piccolo". The kitchen was the largest in which we have worked. In fact, despite cooking in the space of our dreams, we still worked close together out of habit.

So now that warm weather is upon us, get out to your market and enjoy that special, seasonal produce. Such savoured ingredients, like asparagus, are available at their peak for short windows of time.

Making aperitivi is a great concept to springboard from. Having multiple plates makes even the smallest meal feel more "upscale". And think of how you can use ingredients in a different way. A single mushroom is a bore, but by simply stuffing the cap with a filling, you create something elegant in a matter of seconds. Enjoy those warm breezes that are upon us, and good luck creating light bites in celebration of summer!