Homemade Falafel Salad with Sesame Tahini Dressing
I love chickpeas in every shape and form, but falafel makes the top of the list! Most people wait to enjoy falafels at the store, but they are pretty simple to make in the comfort of your own home. All you need are dried chickpeas, fresh herbs and some spices. A food processor for appliances will make this a lot easier. I used this one from Hamilton Beach.
I'm not going to assume everyone reading this knows what falafel is or where it originated! As a Southern African, I was introduced as a young adult on the streets of New York, from one of the many mouthwatering Halal trucks parked on the side of the road or one of the shawarma stores littered throughout Lower Manhattan. Falafel balls are deep-fried fritters that came out of the Middle-East, and can also be made using fava or broad beans. They can be eaten as they are, on top of a salad or bed of vegetables, but typically stuffed in a pita or flatbread pocket.
Served with what you may ask? Tahini-based sauces, derived from sesame seeds.
This small women-owned business makes natural vinaigrettes and dressings. Their Sesame Tahini is not only one of my favourites but goes perfectly with my homemade version of falafel; I recommend giving it a try; it will give a lot of other dishes a toasty tang. It has two awards for a reason: a 2018 Good Food Award and a 2018 SOFI Award! No junk, just delicious flavour to compliment the food! This recipe calls for a condiment you can find at your local grocery store or online at dressitupdressing.com.
Ingredients
2 cups dried and (soaked overnight) chickpeas--don't use canned!
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (to help soften the chickpeas)
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 cup fresh parsley
6 fresh garlic cloves
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 jalapeno
2 tablespoons toasted sriracha sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
Peanut oil for frying
Salad:
1/2 bag arugula
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 large seedless cucumber
Sesame oil
2-4 scoops roasted red pepper hummus
1-2 avocadoes
Sriracha mayo
Wasabi sauce
Sesame tahini vinaigrette
Instructions
You'll need to start this recipe the day before to soften the pulses. Soak the dried chickpeas by submerging them in water with baking soda. Drain when ready to use.
Combine the chickpeas, dill, parsley, garlic, onion, sesame seeds, jalapeno, spices, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Transfer to a food processor, then pulse or blend ib high until thick paste forms.
Heat the oil in a frying pot—mix in the baking powder then cook the falafel in batches at 350F until brown and crunchy. Use a cookie dough scooper for uniform balls. To freeze the remaining dough, allow scoops to harden, then transfer to a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.
In a large serving bowl for the salad, combine the cabbage and arugula, drizzle lightly with sesame oil and toss. Slice and overlay the tomatoes, avocado, hummus, and falafel, then drizzle with the sesame tahini dressing and a bit of sriracha drizzle. Serve!
The recipe makes about 24 falafel balls; salad serves 3-4. Freeze the falafel dough once scooped into balls to fry another time.
Pistachio and Orange Pancakes
I had some pistachios and had been reading up on North African cooking, plus, it was breakfast time! I was instantly inspired by baghrirs, which, with the addition of yeast, are enjoyed in the North African region, often served with a mix of honey and butter. They are also known as Moroccan pancakes. The spongy appearance and texture come from the yeast and semolina flour, but I used regular whole wheat flour, they came out great!
Raisins are a common addition, but I decided to add pistachios to the mix as a topping to add crunch and compliment the citrus element. Pistachios are also no stranger to Maghreb kitchens! Cooking with citrus is underrated, but commonly paired with pistachio so I grated in some orange. I have made orange glaze for babka which I sprinkled pistachios over, and that was delicious proof! It also helps that orange mixed with honey is a glorious combination.
The holes allow the pancakes to soak up your sauce.
These pancakes serve as a fabulous breakfast, brunch or tea time addition, definitely try them out! I will be making these more often.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat or semolina flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup pistachios, crushed
1/2 teaspoon fast acting dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/8 + 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon orange juice
1/2 orange herbal tea bag
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
In a blender (or bowl where you'll use a hand mixer), add the sugar, water, and yeast. Sit until the yeast activates and foams, in about 5-10 minutes.
Add the flours, milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, and eggs. Beat the mixture until smooth and the flour is all incorporated with no lumps. Sit the batter for 35 minutes.
Scoop a 1/4 cup on a non-stick pan and cook until bubbles show and burst, don't turn over! Just remove from heat once the pancake has browned underneath.
Heat the butter, orange zest, orange juice, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, and honey in the microwave until the butter melts, stir well. Mix in the tea bag contents.
Pour the hot honey orange butter sauce over your pancakes, sprinkle with pistachios and serve! Makes 12-16 pancakes.
Tip: as you cook your pancakes, occasionally blend your batter for a few seconds to revive the fluffy factor.