First - am happy to report that I have ventured into FB with my page Divalicious. It is full of exciting and easy to make recipes without you having to read my long musings :). It just helps me stay connected on a more regular basis with those who are passionate about vegetarian food in its various forms.
Bringing back a little bit of my travels and sharing it with friends in the form of inspired meals is truly one of my greatest joys from traveling. In fact, there is a post from last year on a meal inspired from my trip to Barcelona.
Since this summer's trip included a short detour through Turkey, it just seemed befitting that I carry the tradition forward :). The only thing is, the recipes in the post seemed a lot more extensive, so I decided to break this post into 2 parts.
Falafel - the very word brings about an image of standing with friends, on the streets of NYC at 3 am. after celebrating new year at a club and being told that the falafel vendor who is serving us is the best this side of the country. I will admit that it was no such thing - the falafels were average to say the least, however, the fact that we had sufficient alcohol within us, the stand was open at the hour and the pita pockets were hot - made me agree with the rest of our friends.
Another memory that comes to mind is of walking around the street of Amsterdam around lunch time and sighting a Maoz. If you are a vegetarian who has traveled within Europe, you know exactly what happens the first time you enter this easy-on-the-pocket restaurant. It was like we were kids running thru a candy store! The falafels were fresh and delicious with the most fantastic accompaniments!
For me, falafels are the sort of comfort food which remind me of warm and wholesome meals that allow a good amount of customization while staying true to its original roots.
Bringing back a little bit of my travels and sharing it with friends in the form of inspired meals is truly one of my greatest joys from traveling. In fact, there is a post from last year on a meal inspired from my trip to Barcelona.
Since this summer's trip included a short detour through Turkey, it just seemed befitting that I carry the tradition forward :). The only thing is, the recipes in the post seemed a lot more extensive, so I decided to break this post into 2 parts.
Falafel - the very word brings about an image of standing with friends, on the streets of NYC at 3 am. after celebrating new year at a club and being told that the falafel vendor who is serving us is the best this side of the country. I will admit that it was no such thing - the falafels were average to say the least, however, the fact that we had sufficient alcohol within us, the stand was open at the hour and the pita pockets were hot - made me agree with the rest of our friends.
Another memory that comes to mind is of walking around the street of Amsterdam around lunch time and sighting a Maoz. If you are a vegetarian who has traveled within Europe, you know exactly what happens the first time you enter this easy-on-the-pocket restaurant. It was like we were kids running thru a candy store! The falafels were fresh and delicious with the most fantastic accompaniments!
For me, falafels are the sort of comfort food which remind me of warm and wholesome meals that allow a good amount of customization while staying true to its original roots.
One side of the Dining Table....
There is falafel, muhammara, hummus, sesame yogurt sauce, harissa, avocado salad and store-bought, warmed pita in the above picture. See below for some of the recipes.
Falafel
Made with 2 cups of chickpea that had been soaked overnight and boiled al dente, these balls of deliciousness transported me back to the Spice Market in Istanbul! To the mashed chickpeas, add 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions, 2 tbsp. of parsley, 2 tbsp. of cilantro, 1 tsp of grated garlic, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp of cayenne pepper and cumin powder, salt to taste and 3 tbsp. of bread crumb and 2 tbsp. of whole wheat flour. Add more flour if needed to make into compact dough shapes that will hold the shape in the fryer. Add an egg for binding purpose, if needed. Part fry and then re-fry before serving to ensure that your falafels are crisp and delicious.
Muhammara Dip
I used the recipe from this website, with a few variations. The recipe called for pomegranate syrup and since I did not have any handy, I simply reduced 1/2 cup of fresh pomegranate juice mixed with 2 tsp of sugar to half the quantity by boiling it for 20 minutes or so. The dip was perfect with just the slight addition of paprika powder.
Mint Salsa Hummus
Falafel
Muhammara Dip
I used the recipe from this website, with a few variations. The recipe called for pomegranate syrup and since I did not have any handy, I simply reduced 1/2 cup of fresh pomegranate juice mixed with 2 tsp of sugar to half the quantity by boiling it for 20 minutes or so. The dip was perfect with just the slight addition of paprika powder.
Mint Salsa Hummus
This was another easy recipe from this website. All I added to this was the hummus recipe created by simply blending 1 cup of boiled chickpea (water saved to add for consistency), with juice of 1 lemon, 2/3 cloves of garlic, salt and 1/4 cup of olive oil. In case your hummus seems to thick still, add the water the chickpeas were boiled in 1/2 tbsp. at a time. Keeping in mind that the salsa will also release extra water, I kept the hummus consistency somewhat thick.
Sesame Yogurt Sauce
Made using 1 cup of hung yogurt, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp. of roasted sesame seed and a little salt - all blended together. This one was a lick-worthy side dish!!!
Harissa
Made with 6/8 non spicy, dry, red chili softened in hot water for 2 hours, this sauce was the fiery ingredient in the menu. It was a huge hit. To make, I simply blended the softened chili (water removed) with 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp each of cumin and coriander powder and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. It was seriously divine.
Avocado Salad
This was a simple mixture of ripe avocados, red onions, basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber - dressed simply with lemon juice, salt and pepper to provide the fresh ingredient for the falafel pockets.
The best part, by far, about this meal was how we all gathered together on the table and started making our very own version of the falafel sandwich. It was a smorgasbord of taste, flavor, textures and smells. Which is exactly how I would describe our time in Turkey!
Will hold off on telling you about the Moroccan style pumpkin and orange stew accompanied with fried onion couscous. Keep the anticipation for the next post going!!!
