Falafel

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons flour
Salt
Pepper
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:
1.Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans.

2. Drain chickpeas, and place in pan with fresh water, and bring to a boil.

3. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then let simmer on low for about an hour.

4. Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

5.Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour.

6. Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.

7. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a golf ball. Slightly flatten.

8. Fry in 2 inches of vegetable oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).

Source: About Middle Eastern Food

AMENDMENTS: Firstly, I like that the chickpeas make a popping sound when cooked. Secondly, this recipe was slightly dry and so you should serve these with tomatoes and humus or tahini to get a balance.

Couscous

Ingredients:
1 box couscous
1/4 cup chopped parsley
handful of raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 threads of saffron (for taste and color)
2 tbs butter
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 tbs lemon juice

Directions:
1. Boil water per the instructions on the couscous packaging.
2. Chop the pepper and the parsley and set aside.
3. When the water comes to a boil add the couscous and saffron, stir periodically.
4. After the couscous has absorbed half of the water it should look yellowish/ orangey. Add the pepper, butter, almonds and raisons and mix well.
5. When the couscous is done (absorbed all the water) add the parsley for garnish and serve hot.

Serves 2-4 depending on portion size. This can be the main dish or a side.

Recipe source: My father/ time in Morocco.

Tomate du Saltambique

Ingredients:
6 tomatoes ( I used plum tomatoes, but beefsteak or large tomatoes are probably best)

Filling-
1/4 cup pecans
1 orange
1 mango or passion fruit
1/4 cup cranberries

Caramel-
1 cup sugar
6 tbs butter
1/4 cup cream
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Make the caramel by heating the butter and the adding the sugar and salt. Dissolve the sugar slowly and add the cream. this should turn into a brown liquid.

2. Core the tomatoes, discard the and skin but save the insides for filling. Blanche the tomatoes in the caramel for thirty seconds and then place on a baking sheet. (I actually made a grid of rolled tin foil on the so the tomatoes would have their own compartments, this worked out well, and prevented the tomatoes from spilling over.) Preheat the oven to 250 F.

3. Dice the fruit and nuts and add to the caramel. Stew for 20 minutes. The cranberries will become sweeter the longer they stay in the caramel. But so will everything else. If you are try to avoid overly sweet things, perhaps leave them in for only 5 minutes, and use different fruits to substitute the cranberry like apple or kiwi instead of cranberry.

4. Drain the fruit from the caramel, while preserving the caramel. I used a meat strainer to pull out the fruit.

5. Stuff the tomatoes with the fruit. Over stuff slightly as it will cook down a little.

6. Cook in the oven at 250 F for 10-15 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and the extra caramel sauce.

Recipe Source: The IDEA comes from Alain Passard when he cooked at the White House, but since this recipe doesn't EXIST I used the description provided on the West Wing as well as my VERY FORTUNATE one time experience from eating at L'Arpege in Paris. The recipe is therefore my own meddling with the ideas of a true master, so forgive me.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients
Two hand fulls of fresh Spinach
1/2 small log Goat Cheese
1 lb. Ravioli (I used spinach and cheese, but four cheese or plain would be fine)
a small handful of pecans, chopped
1/4 cup cream (I later tried this again with 1/2 cup milk which I cooked down and bit and it was AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER)
2 tbs. butter
1 clove garlic
1 sprig rosemary
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese (if you like that on top)

Directions:

1. Boil a pot of water for the ravioli, add a tsp. salt. Wait for this to come to a boil. When it boils, add the ravioli and cook for the time stated on the packaging.

2. In a frying pan melt the butter (I also clarified the butter, which was to take off the white stuff that floats to the top. This is protein and it burns.), add garlic finely chopped or minced.

3. Add the chopped pecans.

4. Add the spinach and wait until it wilts only slightly. Try not to over cook it or it will get bitter.

5. Add the cream/reduced milk (see above) and cheese and stir together. The cheese should not melt too much.

6. Combine sauce and pasta in a bowl.

Recipe Source: MY OWN! yay!