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Baked Pistachio and Herb Falafel

September 18, 2012

baked-pistachio-herb-falafel

baked-pistachio-and-herb-falafel

There are Mediterranean dishes that I have become enamored with. With refreshing dishes like tabouleh and cucumber salads, bold use of garlic and onion, many vegetarian options, and of course, hummus, how can you go wrong?

Quick and easy weeknight cooking is something I try to focus on here. I quite enjoy the process of cooking, especially when I’m feeling inspired, but I think simpler is better. This is one of those meals that we’ve been eating a lot lately and not writing about because it always seems to get gobbled up before I get the chance to capture it in a photo.

These falafels are baked to perfection and burst with flavor from the nuts and herbs. Keeping ours gluten- free, we wrapped it up in some delicious and crisp white cabbage, but if you want a more hearty meal you could certainly wrap it all up in a good pita or flatbread. They received rave reviews in my house and I’m sure they will in yours.

healthy-falafel
Baked Pistachio and Herb Falafel
Adapted from Green Kitchen Stories
Makes about 12  falafels
Ingredients:
  • 4 sprigs of fresh parsley
  • 4 sprigs of fresh mint
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 cup pistachio nuts
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Dash of cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. flour (I used gluten-free rice flour)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • Salt and Pepper
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) .
  2. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and herbs together for a few seconds. Add in nuts and pulse until well combined. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until mixture is almost smooth, but still a little rough in texture.
  3. Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until they are browned and warmed through.
Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in the blender.
  2. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If sauce gets too thick as it sits, stir in a little more water or lemon juice to thin out.

Assembling the falafel
1 head white cabbage (or any lettuce with big leaves)
falafels (recipe above)
tahini dressing (recipe above)

Hold one cabbage leaf in your hand, add 2 or 3 falafels, a spoonful of tahini dressing and top with some fresh herbs and whatever creations you may fancy. Fold it gently. Enjoy!

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Orange & Pomegranate Salad

September 12, 2012

orange-pomegranate-salad

One of the most annoying questions that you come across as a vegan is: “What can you eat except for salad?”

I love soup, pasta, indian food, veggie burgers, cookies … but the thing that is kind of ironic is that I really eat a lot of salads. And often as the main meal. I try to vary them in different ways but one trick that I often come back to is adding fruit to the salad. Pear, strawberries, pomegranate, apple, orange, kiwi and mango all works well in salads.

In this particular salad I used orange and pomegranate. Since the salad is quite light I would normally make it for lunch or as a side dish. The last time I served this we ate it along side falafel wraps (hmmm, maybe a future blog post…)

You may have heard time and time again how antioxidant-rich pomegranates are. But you may not know that the jewel-like seeds also contain iron, calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, and a good dose of fiber.

pomegranate

orange-and-pomegranate-salad

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
  • 1 orange, peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. onion, thinly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • pinch of sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sunflower seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Peel and chop the orange. Divide the chopped orange and pomegranate seeds among the two bowls and mix gently.
  2. In a small bowl combine the onion, natural sweetener, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil.
  3. Slowly add desired amount of dressing into bowls of salad. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
  4. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over salad for a little something extra.

(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)

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New York City – Part 3 & Recipe

August 29, 2012

katie-in-new-york-city-part-three

A great trip lingers with you long after you return home. A successful holiday is one where memories are unpacked long after the suitcase is emptied and the laundry is done. It’s been more than a few weeks since I came back from New York City and I’m starting to realize that my trip reorganized a few things in my life while I was away: I’ve got a travel bug to foster and a whole new set of cravings to grapple with.

The city has instilled in me more purpose and inspiration in the every day, which are ultimately great things. NYC is where trends are set, tastemakers abound, and culture flourishes. I find inspiration comes from noticing what’s around…the sites, sounds and even smells. From the graffiti on the street to wandering local markets –  it’s a wake up call for my senses. I take this newly refreshed outlook with me to the kitchen and other areas of my life in the hopes I can inspire others to lead full, happy lives.

Since my return to Ireland, my imagination whirls over gems of stories of the NYC food world. I ate pretty amazingly on this trip. We tried the brand new raw eatery of Gingersnap’s Organic, had fresh baked treats from Life Thyme Natural Market, had a picnic salad in Central Park courtesy of Whole Foods, ate exotic cuisine (Thai, Japanese, Pakistani), purshaced a quinoa falafel while browsing Smorgasburg Flea Food Market in Brooklyn, drank a delicious smoothie on the boardwalk from Rippers and devoured a homemade meal while sipping on cocktails on my sister’s rooftop oasis. In sum: we ate great food.

One of my favorite things to do at this time of year to find inspiration is to visit the local farmer’s markets – especially the ones that are so abundant in New York City. From the rows of fresh fruit and produce to bundles of cut flowers, it’s as much a treat just to visit as the fresh produce I take home with me is to eat. My last day in New York was spent with my sister wandering the Union Square Greenmarket. Hundreds of regional farmers, fishermen, and bakers descend upon Union Square to sell their products. The atmosphere on a market day is electric with bustling crowds and farmed culinary treasures as far as the eye can see. After a thorough perusal of the goods up for sale, I settled on the ripest mango, fresh berries, limes and the most beautiful flower arrangement.

katie-norris-new-york-city

farmers-market-beets

 

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union-square-farmers-market

Those memories have been just the reason why I’ve been spending so much time in my kitchen trying to recreate some of my culinary experiences. One of my favorite things I tried while on my travels were the Nori Rolls from Gingersnap’s Organic in the East Village. My sister and I popped in for a quick lunch and quite enjoyed the nori rolls, which were light but definitely flavorful and actually very reminiscent of veggie sushi. The dish features avocado, bell pepper, and sprouts, all tucked inside “rice” made from finely chopped cauliflower. Soy, pickled ginger, and wasabi stand guard to add additional flavor. I’ve attempted making this dish at home since returning from NYC. Though my version was almost nearly as delicious, my rolling skills could use some practice. It is a very simple recipe if you can master the art of rolling the nori. Why not give it a go the next time you’re in the mood for a raw meal?

raw-cauliflower-sushi-rice

Raw Cauliflower “Sushi Rice” 

Makes approx. 3 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 1 tsp. minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp. nama shoyu, or to taste
  • Pinch sea salt
  • a little squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is ground up small. Be careful not to over-process, stop when it looks like rice.

Nori Rolls

Makes two large rolls which can be cut into 8 pieces each

Ingredients:

  • 1 bamboo sushi mat
  • 2 nori sheets (if you want to keep it 100% raw make sure you get un-toasted)
  • 2 cups cauliflower “rice”
  • 1/2 large avocado or 1 small, sliced length ways
  • choice of vegetables, finely sliced and/or grated (I used sliced carrot, cucumber and grated beetroot)
  • sprouts of choice
  • sesame seeds for garnishing (optional)
  • low sodium gluten-free tamari or nam shoyu sauce, to serve (optional)

Directions:

  1. Prepare your work station with all ingredients ready to go into the nori rolls.
  2. Lie the nori sheet on your bamboo mat, with the smoother side face down and spread 1 cup of “rice” evenly over a section of it.
  3. Press the rice down firmly and top with veggies, avocado and sprouts in layers down the center.
  4. Take the side of the mat closest to you with only the small bit of seaweed exposed and gently roll over the mound of filling, squeezing lightly. Then continue to roll up tightly until you meet the other edge of the nori. Wet a thin strip at the far end to seal the roll together.
  5. Take a sharp knife with a serrated blade and carefully slice the roll into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy with tamari or shoyu dipping sauce.

 

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Pasta Alla Checca

July 18, 2012
pasta-alla-checca

Vegetarian delight, pasta alla checca is a simple, quick and delectable dish from Italy. It is served in the summer months when tomatoes and basil are at their peak. It is ideally savored during the sultry months when one doesn’t want to spend too much time over a hot stove. It consists of uncooked tomatoes and simple Italian herbs, basil and the outcome is delizioso (translated means “delicious”).

Earlier this summer my boyfriend and I spent a weekend in Rome for my birthday. We had such a wonderful time and I wanted to recreate one of our favorite meals from our travels, but with a little twist – make it completely raw. If you are an avid tomato grower or prefer purchasing them from your local farmers, this is just the recipe for you. Take maximum advantage of the freshest tomatoes that are so bountiful during the summer season. Actually, the secret to making this dish an utter success lies in the use of the freshest, ripest and most flavorful tomatoes. Heirloom or heritage tomatoes are great for this dish as they taste good when eaten fresh.

For the “pasta” in this dish, you can use yellow squash or zucchini, or a combination of both. It’s nice to leave the peel on for extra vitamins and color. A spiral slicer makes lovely noodles in just minutes, but you can always cut them by hand with a vegetable peeler, by just peeling the squash or zucchini lengthwise into long strips. Of course, shredded with a mandoline would be just fine too.

Tomatoes, which we know are a fruit and not a vegetable, are loaded with all kinds of health benefits for the body. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital antioxidant that it actually derives it’s rich redness from the nutrient. Intake of tomatoes has long been linked to heart health as well.

As a part of the summer squash family, zucchini not only offers delightful taste and texture to many dishes, but also carries with it many health benefits. One cup of zucchini has 36 calories and 10% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating.

pasta-alla-checca-zucchini-salad

Pasta alla Checca

Vegan, Raw, Gluten-free

Ingredients:

  • 2 large zucchinis
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1–2 teaspoons herbs (thyme, rosemary or Italian herbs of choice)
  • 12 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 dates
  • ½ cup olive oil, or to taste
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Freshly milled black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Soak dates in filtered water to soften.
  2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, basil, dates, salt and pepper to a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly pour in the olive oil and continue blending until fully emulsified.
  3. Trim the ends of the zucchini. Using a spiral slicer or hand vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini into noodles.
  4. Transfer zucchini noodles onto serving plates and add sauce generously over noodles. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt, as desired. Use basil as garnish.

Buon appetito!

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