New Potato and Golden Beet Salad

Oh, beets, how I love you. If you are in tune with the culinary world, you would know that beets are the new thing.  They are all over restaurant menus, and people are gobbling them up at exorbitant prices.  On our last vacation in Chicago, I must have had at least 3 beet salads -all perfect in their own way.  This is an easy simple recipe that is a new take on traditional potato salad – combining beets and potatoes, along with typical flavors of the middle east. Although this may not be a roasted beet salad drizzled with some fancy vinaigrette and topped with toasted hazelnuts, it is simple, nutritious, and pretty darn good.

New Potato and Golden Beet Salad
Prep/Cook Time: 35 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour

3 beets – yellow, red or a combination
3 potatoes
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced/shaved
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tsp olive oil
salt
black pepper

(1) Remove the greens from the beets. In a small pot, boil the beets (as a whole) for approximately 20- 30 minutes – until fork tender.  In a separate pot, boil the potatoes for approximately 20 – 30 minutes, until fork tender.  You could presumably put these in the same pot, but the red beets will stain the potatoes red.  The yellow beets don’t change the color of the water as much.
(2) Rinse the cooked beets and potatoes with water, and peel.
(3) Cut the potatoes and beets into very thin slices.
(4) In a large bowl, toss with the parsley, red onion, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Use salt and pepper to taste.
(5) Chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator.  The flavors intensify the longer it stays in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant and Ricotta Tart

Every time I make a tart, I want to make more. There is something about savory tarts that are so fun to not only make, but to eat.  I had read on 101 cookbooks about the concept of a “lasagna” tart, and I got really excited.  What better dinner than one which combines my love for tarts with lasagna! I decided to make this using my trusty savory tart dough, and to use my favorite lasagna ingredients.  Also, feel free to add parmesan or any other favorite cheese to the ricotta mixture. It would also be fun to explore different grilled vegetables – like portabella mushrooms and zucchini. This recipe makes for a perfect dinner, serving 2, with a nice side salad.  Then the two of you can fight for the leftover pieces later 🙂

Grilled Eggplant and Ricotta Tart
1 eggplant, sliced into long thin slices
1 15-oz package of fat free ricotta cheese (or regular)
1 egg
2 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Olive oil
1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce
1/2 tsp of red chili flakes (optional)

Tart Dough:
1.5 cups of unbleached white flour
3 tbsp of butter substitute, softened (you can use real butter, but I try to cut some calories/fat this way)
1 eggs
2 tbsp of cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 cup of dried beans (will be discarded)

(1) Prepare the tart dough according to the instructions from the prior post on savory tart dough – note that the recipe above cuts the ingredients in half, but I still used the same amount of rosemary for flavor. Feel free to adjust accordingly.
(2) Place the tart dough into a tart pan. Add approximately one cup of dried beans to weigh down the tart dough. Put the tart in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes.
(3) While the tart is cooking, toss the eggplant with 1 tbsp of olive oil and salt (to taste). Grill the eggplant for about 5 minutes on each side.
(4) In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and parsley. Mix well.
(5) Remove the tart from the oven. It will not be completely cooked, but it will finish cooking with the remainder of the ingredients. Toss out the beans.
(6) Add the eggplant to the bottom of the tart. Top with the ricotta cheese mixture. Finish the layers with a cup of marinara sauce on top. I sprinkled red chile flakes on the top of the entire tart, but you can skip that part. I also used arribiata sauce, which has its own spicy kick to it.
(7) Place the entire tart in the oven, and cook for approximately 20 more minutes. Remove and enjoy!!

Spiced Fava Bean Falafel (Ta’ameeya)

Most Westerners are used to eating falafel the Lebanese way, which is made from chickpeas. However, in Egypt, our falafel, or ta’ameeya, is made from split fava beans, also known as broad bean. Also, in Egypt, the falafel is light, airy and crispy. I have always had a hard time eating any other kind of falafel because I am not a fan of the huge balls that are raw on the inside. Don’t get me wrong, chickpea falafal is good; it’s just not what I’m used to! I did add a poblano pepper, which had a very, very mild flavor. Next time around, I will definitely add pinch of cayenne pepper for added kick. My mom usually adds an egg to the mixture, which helps to hold the patties together when they are frying – definitely try this if you like more dense falafels. I also assume you can try baking these, by brushing both sides with oil and placing in a hot oven. But this is one recipe where I think fried is the way to go….

Spiced Fava Bean Falafel (Ta’ameeya)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes approx. 40 falafels

2 cups dried split fava beans (broad beans)
1/2 bunch dill
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 poblano pepper
1 yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Olive or vegetable oil

(1) In a large bowl, add the dried beans and cover with water. Set aside overnight. The beans will absorb the water.
(2) In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, poblano pepper, cumin, coriander and salt. Puree until you have a smooth paste. Place into a large mixing bowl.
(3) Add the dill, parsley and cilantro to the food processor (remove stems). Puree until the greens are thoroughly chopped. Add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Use a spoon and combine the two together well.
(4) Add 1 cup of the beans and 3 tbsp of the onion/greens mixture to the food processor. Mix well. Remove the mixture and place it into another large bowl.
(5) Repeat this step until you are all out of beans and mixture. I did this 3 times and had exactly the right amount, but I can see how the last round of beans may have too much or too little of the green mixture. It doesn’t really matter though.
(6) Add the sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and mix well with a spoon.
(7) At this point, you can decide whether you want to freeze some of the mixture for later use. Add the baking soda now if you are going to cook immediately. If you are going to freeze it, then do not add it until you are ready to cook it, otherwise the mixture will turn strange colors if you add the powder and then freeze (so says my mom…).
(8) In a large saucepan, heat a few tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil. Use a spoon and make a small patty on the spoon. Drop it into the hot oil and press down on the patty a little with the spoon. Let it cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned on both sides.
(9) Sprinkle some additional salt to taste, and enjoy!!

Shakshouka

I had heard of this infamous egg dish many times, but I had never had it.  I looked up a few recipes, including Claudia Rodan’s recipe in The New Book of Modern Middle Eastern Food.  Apparently this dish is popular across North Africa and comes in many different variations.  The common elements appear to be keeping the eggs whole (so they look fried), tomatoes and bell peppers.  My version was tasty but I have a few ideas for the next go-around.

Shakshouka
Serves 3

6 eggs
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt
pepper
olive oil

(1) In a large saucepan, heat up 1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add the garlic and onions. Once the onions are translucent, add the cumin seeds. Let them toast in the pan for a few moments.
(2) Add the tomatoes, parsley, and bell pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
(3) Drop in the eggs in one by one on top of the mixture in the saucepan. When you place the eggs in the pan, spread them evenly so that you can see the yolks all across the pan.
(4) Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. When the whites of the eggs are no longer runny, the dish is ready. You can serve directly from the saucepan, or you can remove it to a plate (although it is tricky to get it out of the pan).

(5) Serve with warm pita bread. Enjoy!

Barbari Caprese Flatbread

One of my favorite things to do is go to the farmer’s market and grab fresh tomatoes and basil.  Since I always came home with too much basil, I thought of this fun, easy recipe.  I purchase the Barbari bread from the Persian grocery store, although any flat bread will work. This recipe works for both breakfast and for a late night snack.

Barbari Caprese Flatbread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

1/2 loaf of Barbari bread
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
6 oz of favorite pesto (can be purchased in a jar, or fresh from the grocery store)
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
12 large fresh basil leaves

(1) Spread the pesto over the loaf of bread.
(2) Layer tomato, basil, then mozzarella over the loaf of bread.
(3) Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
(4) Serve immediately. Enjoy!