Golden Nuggets

Even though I sometimes wish that I was born in the 50's so I could stay at home and cook all day, I hate to clean my house. This winter I'm trying a new tactic. I have friends over once a week which forces me to at least clear off the table and as a reward I get to cook all day. Sounds like a win/win to me. Today Jason came over and I made homemade falafel and pitas.
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and delicious they were.


Tahini Sauce- from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman

1/2 c. tahini
1/2 c. yogurt
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

I made mine in the blender because the tahini was a bit chunky. Very thick and tasty.

Falafel- from The Best Recipes in the World

1 3/4 c. dried chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cayenne
1 c. fresh parsley, chopped
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 egg
oil for deep-frying (awww yeah!)

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Strain and combine with the rest of ingredients (except oil) in a food processor and pulse until minced. I don't have a food processor so even though I thought it was a bad idea, I decided to try bashing up the chickpeas in the blender. It worked like a charm. Who knew?
I put the chickpea bits in a bowl and mixed in the the rest of the ingredients by hand. This reminded me of making meatloaf as a kid. It was one of the first things I learned to do in the kitchen. I guess I found the squish of ground beef, eggs and ketchup irresistible. The thought of that now kind of grosses me out.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a wide pot until a small pinch of the chickpea mixture sizzles vigourously in the hot oil. Roll golf ball-sized falafels and fry until golden brown. I recommend cutting one in half and dipping in it in the waiting tahini sauce before popping it in your mouth to check for doneness- cooks privilege.
Serve in warm, homemade pitas (or storebought if you must) with mixed greens, cucumbers, roasted red peppers and big globs of tahini sauce.