I wanted to add dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), but the two jars of grape leaves at the grocery store both expired in October and had weird white floating things inside. It is too bad, because I had a recipe for them in the slow cooker cook book. I plan on going to the natural food store some time this week and maybe they will have grape leaves.
The menu tonight, all homemade:
Flat bread
falafel
hummus
tabbouleh
tzatziki sauce
Flat Bread
(From Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads. This book is awesome. I bought it for $7 from Powell's and it has 750 pages full of bread recipes.)
2 cups white wheat flour
1 t active dry yeast
1 t salt
2 t olive oil
3/4 cup hot water (120F - 130F)
(I wish I had kneaded in some roasted garlic for a bit more flavor)
In a bowl combine half the flour, yeast, and salt. Add in the water and oil and combine. Keep adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until you are able to knead the bread easily.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the bread until it is soft and elastic. Do not add too much flour or the bread will be dry and dense.
Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning once to cover it in oil. Cover tightly and set aside in a warm spot to rise. It took about 40 minutes to double in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into 4 parts. Roll the dough with your hands or a rolling pin, until it is about 8 inches in diameter.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add oil olive. Cook the flat bread for 3 - 4 minutes per side, or until brown and risen slightly. Cover with a damp towel to keep warm and moist while the other breads are cooking. Serve warm.
Falafel
(Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance and Great Vegetarian Food)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 T flour
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onion, chopped
1/4 t baking soda
cumin, ground
coriander, ground
cayenne pepper, ground
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt
black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. You don't want it to be hummus, it should be small bits of food that hold together when pressed. Place in fridge for about 30 minutes.
Form into patties and cook in a bit of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Hummus
1 cup chickpeas
4 cloves garlic
1 T tahini
salt
black pepper
sriracha sauce
olive oil
Add everything, except the oil to the food processor. Blend until everything is combined. While the processor is running, slowly add oil until it looks smooth. Continue processing until a paste has formed. I meant to add lemon juice to the mixture, but I did not have a lemon.
Tabbouleh Salad
(Adapted from Great Vegetarian Food)
2 T bulgur wheat
boiling water
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced (I didn't have a lemon on hand, but it would have added much more to the salad)
Place bulgur in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Drain and dry the bulgur. Add the bulgur to all the other ingredients and mix to combine. Alternatively, you can add everything to a food processor and pulse several times until it is the consistency you desire.
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
salt
pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced (I didn't add this and it came out fine)
Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the cucumber is liquified. Chill until ready to use.
Oh my goodness, this was so deliciously good. And all the homemade items tasted fantastic. Neither my husband or myself like any of the hummus we can buy in the store, so making it from home is a necessity.
No comments:
Post a Comment