Recipes to Rival: Chickpea Fries and Falafel

I chose the recipe for this months Recipes to Rival. It's such fun to be able to choose the recipe. So much to pick from and of course you want to pick something that you have been meaning to try but haven't. So that is exactly what I did. I have made falafel before but it always fell apart on me. Now I know the secret for patties that don't fall apart. The fries I have been meaning to try for a while but just never got around to it.
Homemade pita with tahini and falafel. OMG!

Beans have such benefits. They help reduce cholesterol, cost relatively little, offer more fiber in your diet and are environmentally friendly. By that I mean, people don't realize that there is quite a cost in eating beef for instance. They are pretty heavy animals that have to be cargoed around to graze or be moved before and after slaughter. So for this reason it is quite expensive and detrimental to the environment. Now, before all you beef lovers get up in arms, I want to say that beef is great. I could write a whole post on it's virtues too. I just want to suggest that we have a meal once in a while, if not weekly, consisting of beans.

Stop by Recipes to Rival Blogroll for other R 2 R's to see what they cooked up.
Little hands reaching for some fries... yeah.

CHICKPEA FRIES
Mark Bittman, How To Cook Everything; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

neutral oil, like grapeseed, corn, for greasing and frying
1 cup chickpea flour, sifted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Finely grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Grease a baking sheet or pizza pan with a rim and set aside. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Gradually add the chickpea flour with a large pinch of salt and pepper, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce to a gentle bubble, stir int he olive oil and cook for just a minute.

2. Scoop the chickpea mixture onto the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Let cool for a few minutes and then cover loosely with parchment or plastic. Refrigerate until chilled through, about 30 minutes (but up to a day, covered tightly, after it's completely cool).

3. Put 1/8 to 1/4 inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut the chickpea flour mixture into 3 x 1/2- cutter). Gently put batches of the fries into the hot oil, rotating them gently for even cooking and browning on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Drain the fries on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt, lots of pepper and a good dusting of Parmesan if you like. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

These ones are fried.

These are baked. Both were good but tasted quite a bit different.

Falafel: Chickpea Patties

Recipe by Madelain Farah, Lebanese Cuisine, Four Walls Eight Windows, 2001

* 1 pound dried chickpeas
* 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
* Salt and pepper, as needed
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Sandwiches:

* 6 to 8 pitas, tops sliced open and lightly toasted
* Shredded lettuce, as needed
* Tomato wedges, as needed
* Sliced red onion, as needed
* Sliced cucumbers, as needed
* Tahini Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Make the Falafel: Soak the chickpeas in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and place them with the onion in the bowl of a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil. Mix well. Process the mixture a second time. Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls and deep-fry or pan-fry in hot oil.

Make the Sandwiches: Stuff the pitas with lettuce and nestle the falafel patties inside. Top with the rest of the ingredients and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Serve immediately.

Tahini Sauce:

1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Mash the garlic and salt together. Add the tahini, mixing well. The sauce will thicken. Gradually add the water, blending thoroughly. Then add the lemon juice. Blend well.

Note: This can be a thin or thick sauce, depending upon the use and preference. Simply adjust with lemon juice and water. This can be used with vegetables or in combination with other recipes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

PITA

Pita Bread
Adapted from Bernard Clayton's Pita Recipe
Makes 8

2-1/2 cups bread flour or all purpose will work
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees)

8 8-inch squares of aluminum foil for baking pitas

In a large bowl (I used my wooden dough bowl), combine 1 cup flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the oil and water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for three minutes, then stir in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be a rough, shaggy mass that will clean the sides of the bowl. If the dough is moist, add a small amount of additional flour.

Gather and put on the counter. Cut into eight equal portions. Cover, I use the bowl to cover them. Let them rest 30 minutes. In the mean time preheat the oven to 500F. Then roll them out one at a time onto the foil sheets. Place in the bottom rack of the oven. I can get four in at a time. Let them bake for 8 to 12 minutes. They should puff. I find that if I let them rest after I roll them then they tend to puff better.

When you take them out of the oven, immediately put them in a paper bag to let the moisture keep them nice and soft.
Caramelized Onion Dip

3 large onions, s;iced or chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet sauté onion in butter and oil until soft. Add some salt continue sautéing until the onions are caramelized. Remove from heat, cool and process in a blender or processor. Add sour cream, balsamic and s and p to taste. Chill.