So this happened.
Pita Bread (yield 8)
- 2T active dry yeast
- 1/2t sugar
- 1C lukewarm water
let proof, then mix with
- 310g flour
- 1t salt
- 2T olive oil (optional)
knead until smooth; let rise to double, divide into eight pieces, roll flat into a circle and bake on a heated stone or cast iron at 475F
Beet Hummus
(adapted from Dr. McDougall’s recipe)
- 1.5C cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 can)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons water
- salt to taste
- a little bit of raw beet
- spiralized beets for garnish
put everything in a food processor except the garnish; blend to consistency; garnish.
Baba Ghannooj
Justin used the Minimalist Baker recipe, except he added more garlic (of course!)
Tahini Dressing
I used this recipe from Cooking With Plants, except I didn’t have enough tahini to make that much, so I scaled it down and then just tasted it along the way.
Falafel
This isn’t going to really be a recipe because I’m such an a-hole that I forgot to mark what I did, and it doesn’t matter anyway because falafel is an experience, not a recipe. So basically, you’re making a chunky hummus and then baking it. I used:
- Chickpeas
- Besan flour (chickpea flour, for binding)
- Garlic
- Parsley (I always use more parsley than most would find reasonable)
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Cayenne pepper (I use our “pepper surprise” which is a mix made of last fall’s garden peppers, dried and ground into a powder)
- Salt
- Pepper
Keeping to the low-fat ideal, I did not fry the falafel. We can all agree that fried falafel really is better than baked falafel, but I will say that this was very good. I did brush each falafel on one side with oil, and baked them on the hot pan on which I had just finished the pita, so they did have a little crispness to the outside, which is all I really wanted.
Justin picked up the dolmas at the store. I didn’t care for them much, but he really loves them. They seemed a bit oily and soft to me. I think I’d like it better if the rice was a little more “rice-like” and not quite as softened. I’d also like it better if the grape leaves were just a tiny bit firmer, and if they weren’t quite as oily. Maybe “fresher” is the idea. The grapevine at the garden is just starting to leaf out, so maybe this year I can get some leaves to prepare to make our own.
Blah blah blah, anyway: I think my most favorite thing right now is the Baba Ghannooj. It’s creamy and rich, but not heavy. It works really well as a “mayonnaise” for a pita sandwich, but truth be told: I’ll just eat it with a spoon. We bought some on a whim last week and haven’t been able to get enough of it since. 🙂 If you’re not into making it on your own and you’re in the neighborhood, definitely pick some up from East Side Pockets.
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