#250 The Case of Falafels

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup vegan (coconut) yogurt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Falafels

1/2 cup dried chick peas, soaked overnight, drained, rinsed, then patted/spun dry

1/6 cup roughly chopped red onion

1/2 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil (separated)

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/6 cup loosely packed fresh parsley

1/6 cup loosely packed fresh dill or mint

pinch cayenne

pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Sandwiches

4 pita breads

1-1/3 cups seeded, chopped tomato (or halved/quartered grape tomatoes)

1-1/3 cups chopped cucumber

Mix together all the ingredients for the tzatziki sauce. Set aside.

Pulse the falafel ingredients, including 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, together in a blender until they're worked into a mixture with a grain to it (not super smooth). Roll tablespoons of this mixture into 12 balls.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, non-stick pan, over medium-high heat. Drop the falafel balls onto the pan and flatten into small pancakes, browning them on the bottom (about 3 min.). Flip and brown the other side.

In the meantime, lay the pita breads flat, one per plate. Spread with the tzatziki sauce, keeping the edges dry.

When cooked, line up three falafels down the centre of each pita, starting at least an inch from the bottom. Sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes and cucumber.

To eat, fold up the bottom edge of each pita then pull/roll the two sides together into a wrap.

Serves 4.

♥ Becki

Comments

The Case of Vegetarian Detective in Italy

B uon giorno! I feel like a snob saying, "I'm just back from Italy." That's me: jetsetter. Yeah, right! But wow...Italy! I could talk up a storm, and I surely will as I adjust to being back here, six time zones from magnificent Italia . I often ask people who've just travelled what was their favourite part of their trip. If I ask the same of myself, my answer is seeing Michelangelo's sculptures. His Pietà and The Statue of David literally moved me to tears. I just can't believe I saw "him" in person! So...our plane from Toronto was delayed six hours and we missed the first day of activities, but we still visited Rome, Montecatini, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Vinci, Florence, Cinque Terre and Assisi. Quite the agenda for ten days, including the two flight days, wouldn't you say? But Trafalgar made it work. I would go on a Trafalgar trip again in a heartbeat. Things I learned in Italy: In the regions we ...

#262 The Case of Lasagna

T he most important thing about making Lasagna is to NOT use ready-to-bake noodles. They will never, never, never, ever turn scrumptiously fork tender. Please note that this recipe is still a fast, easy version of Lasagna. If you're super full of love and energy, sub in homemade Anne's Favourite Spaghetti with Neat Sauce for the first 2 ingredients. 1 340g pack plant-based ground 24-oz jar of your favourite purchased pasta sauce 20 lasagna noodles, cooked until al dente, as usual, but with a tablespoon of olive oil added to the water to prevent sticking vegan Parmesan to grate on top Preheat oven to 375ºF. Sauté the plant-based ground over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning, for 4 min. Stir in the pasta sauce. Spread some of the sauce over the bottom of 2 loaf pans. Lay down the first noodle, followed by a layer of sauce then another noodle... Repeat using all of the noodles and finishing with a last, generous portion of sauce. ...

#266 The Case of Royal Icing

T o make filling your pastry tube easier, cut a tiny bit off the very tip to allow air to escape before you add your icing. Later, make the hole larger if you wish. 19-oz-can chick peas, shaken 2 cups icing sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon vanilla food colouring (optional) Add 3 tablespoons of liquid from the chick pea can (aquafaba) to a large bowl. Beat on high for four min., until foamy and thick. (Make Hummus with the chick peas.) Add the icing sugar, salt, vanilla, and colouring as desired. Beat until combined then on high for six min., occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl. A spoon stuck upright in the icing should remain standing but you want the mixture to be thin enough to squeeze easily out of your pastry tube. Add drops of water to thin, if necessary. Fill your pastry tube. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container with a clean, damp cloth. ♥ Becki

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