Chunky Hummus with Roasted Garlic

Instead of the same old mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich, I love to spread hummus on the bread instead.
l also use it as a dip with crackers, chips and vegetables. This time I used baked pita triangles. Hummus should keep for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, but feel free to add more if you like your hummus really spicy.
I also made this batch of hummus chunkier than usual, and I think it worked out great, but I’m still not sure if I prefer it this way or creamy smooth.

Ingredients: (makes about two cups)
2 cups garbanzo beans, soaked overnight or 1 15 oz can
1/4 cup Tahini (sesame paste)
3 tbs roasted garlic cloves or 1 mashed clove
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
pita bread (cut into triangles, see below for instructions)
water
salt

Preparation:
Hummus:
Cook garbanzo beans in about 5 cups of water for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
Add to a food processor, along with tahini, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.
Process in a food processor until it’s smooth. If it becomes too thick add 1 tbs of water at a time until it gets smooth again. (The picture above is chunkier than normal.)
Pita triangles:
Cut pita bread into 8 triangles, open triangles up and cut the two halves — you should now have 16 triangles.
Rub roasted garlic over each triangle, then brush on a bit of olive oil.
Sprinkle pepper and salt on each triangle and toast in a 375 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Presentation:
Empty the food processor into a small serving bowl. Sprinkle a bit of extra virgin olive oil on top. If you like, garnish with paprika and/or cumin and add parsley to the center of the dish.

Prepared on 2011-05-14 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Crispy Flavorful Falafels

The falafels pictured above are the first ones I’ve made on my own. Many years ago I watched my late friend Bob make them. Actually, he taught me many cooking basics, and he was also quite a character, so someday I’ll tell you more about him.

Even though I used many spices, these falafels were not all that spicy, just full of wonderful flavor. Mom liked them so much, that she asked me to make them as often as possible.

Half were fried and the other half baked (the greener ones you see above were baked and they tasted great, but were not as crispy as the fried ones). I found that frying them was difficult. At first my oil was too hot and the outside would crisp too quickly, leaving the center raw. Perhaps in the future I’ll bake them for a bit first, then finish them by frying.
There are so many ways you can use falafels. Put them in salads, falafel-humus sandwiches or just eat them as snacks.
This is my first vegetarian recipe on the blog, and if you’re vegan you can skip the breadcrumbs (or use vegan-friendly bread).

Ingredients:
4 cups raw (soaked overnight) garbanzo beans
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp dill
2 tbs flour
1 tbs bread crumbs
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed coriander seed
canola oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:
In a food processor, chop the garbanzo beans until you get a crumbled mixture with pieces about the size of sesame seeds.
Move this mixture to a bowl. In the food processor place the parsley, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, onions, garlic and 1 cup of the crumbled garbanzo beans. Chop until well combined.
Spoon the blended mixture into the bowl with crumbled garbanzo beans along with the flour, cumin, crushed coriander seeds, baking soda, and about 1 tbs of salt. If you chose to use cayenne pepper add it at this time too. Finally add some black pepper to taste.
Combine everything thoroughly with a spoon. Squeeze a small amount of the mixture in your hand. If it falls apart, add a few drops of water.
Form the mixture into 25 to 30 balls. If you’ll be baking, place them on a baking tray covered with olive oil.
To fry: In a deep frying pan, on medium heat, add enough oil to cover the falafels.
When the oil is hot, fry them 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
To bake: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the falafels on the center rack of your oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning the falafels over halfway through.

Prepared on 2011-04-13 (Tulsa, OK), photograph by Michael Findley