Kosher Vegan Southwest Falafel

I love being an American! We get the best of everyone's foods. Let's take a little bit of Mexico, a little bit of Texas, and a little bit of Persia and throw them all in a blender. It turns out they play very nicely together.

As I've said before, you really can't go wrong with chickpeas. They're crazily versitile. Any time I start wondering what to do with a new spice blend or random vegetable I find in the fridge, somehow chickpeas creep into my improvised meal.

Therefore, I unwittingly turned an experiment with southwest spices into what I later realized was just fancified falafel. Ah, well. It felt so creative at the time. Somtimes it's fun to throw a couple different kinds of cuisine together and see what happens. This southwest falafel is just as easy as classic falafel but with a little fun for those of you who can't put the chillies down.

I suspect these would be even better in a deep fryer, but they're pretty darn tasty pan fried.

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 four oz can diced green chilles
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 2 tbsp cilantro
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil

In a large skillet, bring the oil to a medium heat. While the oil is heating, throw the chickpeas, chilles, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, oregano and cumin into a blender or food processor. I like to leave mine a little bit gritty, but you're welcome to blend it until it's completely smooth.

Mix the flour and baking powder. Now scoop everythign out of the blender or food processor and combine it with the flour mix. You should end up with a stiff dough. If it's too wet or falls apart in your hands, add another 2 tbsp of flour.

Make the dough into balls about the size of a silver dollar, then squish them slightly flat in your hands. Basically, you're trying to make sure the oil will cover most of the falafel patty. Don't mash it paper thin. Then you just end up with a confusingly crunchy crust.

Try one patty first to make sure it comes out alright. If the first one falls apart in the oil, add another 1 - 2 tbsp of flour to the batter. Once you're sure they're a texture you like, feel free to fill your pan with as many as it'll take.

Fry the patties for 2 - 4 minutes per side - basically until they're golden brown. Drain them on a few paper towels to cut back on any greasiness. If you have a deep fat fryer, try making the falafel into balls and cooking it for about six minutes. I'm guessing here, so if you try this, please let me know.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Since these are southwestern flavored, I recommend making sandwiches with tortillas instead of pita bread. Pile the patties with your favourite salsa, some corn relish, lettuce, and soy pepperjack cheese.

Kosher Vegan Lentil and Onion Soup

I love onions. When I lived in Germany, I'd sometimes saute a sliced onion with a couple cloves of garlic and eat it on a toasted baguette. My roommates thought I was The One Poor American, and therefore kept trying to kindly slip meat into my food for fear I'd starve to death.

• 1 pound brown lentils
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 small red onion
• 1 cup peeled pearl onions
• 2 leeks
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp olive oil

In a very large soup pot, bring the vegetable broth and bay leaf to a boil.

Meanwhile, dice the onions into different sized chunks for texture variation. Personally, I dice the red onion pretty fine, the yellow onion into larger chunks, and the white portion of the leeks into broad strips. Throw away the green portion of the leeks.

Bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil and all your onions (including the peeled pearl onions). Saute until the the onions start to turn translucent. Now press or dice all the garlic and add it in as well. Stir heartily and continue to cook until some of the onions just start to caramelize. Don't worry that a lot will still be translucent. They're different sizes and types. They're supposed to cook at different rates.

Now add the rest of the spices. Stir well so your onions are thoroughly coated.

Hopefully, your stock is now boiling. (If not, take the onions off the heat until the vegetable broth boils.) Add your pound of lentils to the boiling broth and stir well. Now dump in your onion mix. Try to scrape any lingering spices and such out of your skillet.

Once the mix is boiling again, give it another good stir. Now cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. If your pot is prone to boiling over, leave a tiny crack for steam to escape.

Stir once every half an hour. It should take about 2 hours for the lentils to fully cook.

Serve with a hearty brown bread. On the second day, it'll be thick enough to serve on top of cooked rice for a complete protein in one meal.

Kosher Vegan Yellow Lentils with Whole Spices

I love lentils. This sometimes surprises me, because I grew up hating beans. In retrospect, it turns out I didn't like the spices. Discovering South Asian and Middle Eastern food opened up a whole new word of tasty goodness for me.

Since they both take time to make and always taste better the next day, I tend to make lentil dishes in large batches so I can leave a pot in the fridge and graze out of it all week long. This particular lentil dish is a nice sweet variation loosely based on something I recently enjoyed at a Turkish restaurant.

• 2 cups yellow lentils, soaked overnight
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic (or 4 cloves)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground white or mixed peppercorns
• 6 cups water

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic, cinnamon stick, ginger, bay leaf, cloves, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well, cooking the spices for 2 - 3 minutes. Trust me - this really brings out the flavor. You'll notice a real difference if you skip the step (although I've dumped spices in the pot without cooking them first in plenty of recipes and had the result turn out perfectly edible. But that's not what you want. You want mouth watering.)

Now add the chopped onion and apricots. Stir frequently, cooking 4 - 5 minutes, until the onions turn translucent. Once the onions are ready, you can finally add the water and lentils. Stir everything well, then bring it to a boil. Cover the pot and bring it down to a simmer. Let the lentils boil for a good hour.

Now you get to decide if you want them slightly soupy or thick enough to stand a spoon in. If you'd like a more soup like consistency, take it off the heat, fish out the bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon stick, then serve. If you like your lentils thicker, take the lid off and continue cooking for another half hour - longer if you like your lentils really thick.

If you're feeling schmancy, let the lentils cool slightly, pick out the spices, and puree everything in a blender until it is nice and smooth. Personally, I like the mouthfeel of bits of onion and apricot (and, being honest here, I hate cleaning my blender).

Serve over rice or with naan.

VARIATIONS

Brown or red lentils don't need to be soaked overnight. If you're in a hurry, go ahead and use either of them. Red lentils hold up to to the sweetness of the apricots better, but they will fall apart faster, so you won't want to use the longer cooking time. You might also want to reduce the water by 1 cup. Brown lentils won't balance as well with the sweetness, but have a hearty solidity to them.

If you're feeling bold and daring, try substituting dried cranberries for the apricots.

If you'd like something a little mellower, try substituting diced dried apples for the apricots.

Kosher Persian Inspired Beef and Yellow Split Pea Stew

This is a dirt simple recipe, perfect for stuffing into the crockpot on your way out the door to work. It works equally well with beef or lamb, depending on your preference, but use a cheap, tough cut! Otherwise, the meat will fall completely apart after cooking for 8 hours. If you use cheap stewing meat, it'll be deliciously tender without falling to pieces.

• 1 pound inexpensive stew beef or lamb, cubed
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 fourteen point five oz can stewed or diced tomatoes
• 3 (newly emptied stewed tomato) cans of water
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (about half a 6 oz can)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tbsp tumeric powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 lime, juiced

Mix everything BUT the time in your crockpot. Stir thoroughly. Leave the crockpot on low for at least 6 hours, preferably at least 8. Just before serving, juice 1/2 of the lime into the crockpot. Taste, and if it needs a little more lime, squeeze in the other half.

Don't put the lime in while cooking! The cirtus acids don't play nicely with the meat.

Serve with hot rice and/or pita bread.

Variations:

• If you can find them, use 2 - 3 dried persian sour limes instead of a single regular lime. Ethinic groceries might have them. If they're not available where you live, don't worry.
• Most versions of this recipe call for eggplant. I've never developed a taste for it, so I leave it out, but if you like eggplant, chop up a medium one and add it to the crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients. Eggplant lovers tell me it's a very tasty addition.
• A bay leaf added to the crockpot adds nicely to the flavor.

Kosher Vegan White Beans and Corn

I've never been fond of black-eyed peas, but I absolutely love most white beans. This is my (much lighter) take on a colorful southern dish.

• 1 cup Habichuelas Blancas (small white beans), soaked overnight (you can find canned ones in some Mexican groceries)
• 1 cup (two large ears) fresh corn, cooked
• 3 cups water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or two cloves, chopped)
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp basil
• juice of 1 lime

Bring water to a boil. Add beans, cover, and reduce to low. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes. If you haven't already boiled the corn, this is a good time to do so. You'll have some time to kill.

When the beans are nearly ready (no more than 15 minutes left to go), put a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Saute the chopped onion until translucent (longer if you like). Add the bell pepper, cooked corn, tomato, and garlic. Saute until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

When the peas are fully cooked (all water absorbed, tender when tasted), add the corn mixture and all remaining ingredients. Stir until well blended. Serve hot.

Variations:

• If using canned beans, cook the corn mixture as per directions. Drain the beans and add them directly to the frying pan, along with the vinegar, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Mix well and serve hot.
• You can make this even more colorful by adding half a green bell pepper to the corn mix.

Kosher Lite White Chicken Chilli

This is a lite take on the heavy southwest inspired soups which are usually served with a ton of shreaded cheese and fried tortilla strips. In this version, the lack of cheese not only keeps it kosher, but also strips away a ton of calories. If you love cheesy soups, try adding a quarter cup shreaded soy cheese before serving.

• 12 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
• 6 cups veggie broth or low fat, low sodium chicken broth
• 3 fifteen oz cans Great Northern Beans
• 2 four and a half oz cans diced green chilli peppers, undrained
• 1 can "Fiesta" corn
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp minced bottled garlic
• 1.5 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Bring oil to medium-high heat. Add diced yellow onions, cloves, and garlic, then cook until onions are translucent. Add broth and stir well. Add all other ingredients, mixing well. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, preferably for about an hour. Serve hot.

There are 30 Weight Watchers points in the entire pot. That adds up to 3 points per 2 cup bowl of soup - not as lite as the Confetti Soup, but incredibly filling.

Kosher Chicken Vatana Soup

It was 20 degrees outside and I was in the mood for a thick, hearty, chicken soup. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to experiment with the Vatana Dahl I picked up at Jungle Jim's. If you like light, sipping broths, cut all solid ingredients in half. I prefer dense soups that will fill you up on a cold night. This is a flavorful, colorful soup that helps warm the belly and sustain you for a long night out in the cold. Incidentally, Vatana Dahl is the same as yellow peas (remember Mendel's genetics experiments? These are the peas the west decided they disliked in favor of the common green peas found in the supermarket.)

• 1 cup dry vatana dahl/yellow peas
• 2 fourteen and a half oz cans fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans water
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast (about 2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ear corn (or 1/2 cup drained canned corn)
• 1.5 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 fresh chopped cloves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cover the beans with 2 - 3 inches of water and soak overnight. Trust me, you really have to do this. Dry beans stay ubercrunchy if you don't.

The next day, put the broth and 2 cans of water (just refill the broth cans) into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add all spices. Drain the soaking water off the beans and add them to the pot. Let boil uncovered for about 45 minutes. You'll boil off about 1 can of water. Don't worry. You're supposed to.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and red pepper and cut the kernels off the corn cob. When the soup has boiled for half an hour, add the onion, pepper, corn, and chicken. Cover and let simmer for another half hour. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup of water and adjust seasonings to taste.

Points estimate for entire dish: Broth, 0; Water, 0; Vatana Dahl, 4; Chicken, 8; Onion, 1; Corn, 1; Bell Pepper, 0; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 2 (8 side dish servings), 4 (4 meal sized servings).

Variations:

• Add 1 can diced mild green chillies when adding spices to broth
• For a hotter soup, add 1/2 tsp red pepper or a few drops of your favourite hot sauce
• For a stronger base, substitute more broth for the cans of water

Kosher Turkey Val Soup

I tried to wait until we were out of Thanksgiving leftovers, but my new bean collection just calls to me. Instead of waiting, I've decided to combine something old and something new into something tasty. This soup is loosely inspired by the seasonings in white chilli (sans dairy), with the Val dal substituted for navy beans and the addition of seasoned tomatoes because, what the heck, they're in nearly every dal recipe I've ever seen.

• 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 2 cups shreaded chicken or turkey (leftovers)
• 2 cups Val dal
• 1 can Italian Seasoned tomatoes
• 1 empty tomato can of water
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Put everything in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, until beans reach desired tenderness. Be careful not to overboil the soup, or these beans will disintegrate and turn into a gross mush.

Variations:

• Try adding 2 ears of fresh corn
• Try adding one diced red or green bell pepper
• I'm still new to Val dal, but I'm guessing this might be a good crockpot soup. Try dumping all the ingredients into a crockpot set to low before leaving for work in the morning, then serving it up for dinner. If you try this, please email and let me know how the beans turn out.

Kosher Parve Lentil & Egg Curry

High in protein, low in fat, low in calories, and amazingly cheap to make - sounds like the worst dinner ever, right? But South Asian spices can rescue even the dullest of ingredients, and this combination transforms plain brown lentils and boiled eggs from sparkling glass to the rarest diamond. This a wonderful Parve dish is great as a side at either a meat or milk meal, or as the centerpiece of a hearty vegetarian meal. Like most (non dairy or soy based) curries, it tastes even better as leftovers, when the flavors have had a chance to mingle overnight. Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 3/4 cup water
• 6 eggs
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 chopped tomatoes or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic (or 6 minced cloves)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (or 1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (unnecessary if using canned tomatoes)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Egg and Lentil Curry

Boil lentils according to package directions - approximately 30 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, hard boil eggs. When cool enough to touch, peel eggs and cut lengthwise.

Fry onions in a large saucepan until almost translucent. Add all spices and continue to fry another 5 minutes, or until onions are tender and spices are aromatic. Add tomatoes, sugar, and 3/4 cup water. (If using fresh tomatoes, add 1 full cup of water rather than 3/4). Stir well and bring to a boil.

Simmer 5 - 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Add boiled lentils and stir well. Drop in boiled eggs, drenching with sauce but not handling too much.

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice or warm bread to sop up the juices.

Variations:

• I like my curries hot, so I use the canned tomatoes with "zesty jalapeno" and add another 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
• Add 1/4 cup of diced dried fruit when you add the tomatoes to add contrast to both the flavor and texture.
• Simply leave out the eggs to make it vegan.

Kosher Curried Chicken and Chick Peas

I've already said I love Chick Peas. To me, they're the vegetarian version of chicken - little flavor on their own, but so versatile, so able to absorb any spices, and so tasty in so many different contexts. So I was craving curry curry tonight, but too lazy to drive to Shalimar or Annapurna's Veggie Place, my two favourite Indian restaurants here in Louisville. Instead, I raided my cupboard and came up with this quick and easy curry. It took half an hour, start to plate. Ingredients

• 1 can chick peas, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes (unseasoned)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup "goldens and cherries" or your preferred dried fruit
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 heaping tsp your favourite curry powder (Madras Hot, if you don't have a fave)
• 2 tsp olive oil

Curried Chicken and Chick Peas

In a medium saucepan, brown onions until almost translucent. Add chicken and brown.

Dump everything else in the pan and stir until well mixed. Cook over medium heat until the liquid is boiled down.

Serve with basmati rice, hard boiled eggs, and hot naan or pita bread.

Variations:

• This can be made vegan by simply excluding the chicken. If so, double the chick peas or just cut the curry powder by 1/2 tsp.
• If you don't like a sweet bite with your hot food, leave out the dried fruit.
• If you're not fond of hot food, use a mild curry powder. There are plenty of good curry powders out there which don't have a bit of heat. Don't reduce the quantity of curry, though, or you'll end up with a boring, bland plate.

Kosher Channa Masala

I adore chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans). My quick version of channa masala (there are as many versions as there are languages in India) substitutes olive oil for dairy and canned beans for ones you'd otherwise have to soak overnight. Served with rice or bread, this makes a great weeknight meal. For carnivores, it also makes a great side served alongside curried chicken or spicy steak.

• 1 can chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 chopped onions (or 2 cups frozen chopped onions)
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger, or 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (from a can is fine)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you don't like hot foods)
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a medium saucepan, over a medium heat, fry the onions in the olive oil until they turn translucent.

Add the ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, and tumeric. Stir well and continue frying spices for 1 - 2 minutes, or until the seeds start to pop.

Add drained chickpeas, undrained tomatoes, and brown sugar. Stir until everything is well blended.

Cook uncovered for around 15 minutes, or until the liquid has boiled down to a thick sauce. If you forgot to drain the chickpeas first, increase all spices by 1/4 tsp (it's fine if you throw them in at the last minute), up the heat to medium-high, and cook for an extra 15 minutes.

The end result should have a thick sauce, perfect for serving with basmati rice and naan or pita.

Variations:

• My heavily carnivorous husband loves this (and most dahl's) with a hard boiled egg. If you're octo/lavo, boil some eggs, slice them in half, and cover them with the hot channa masala when serving. The flavors soak in beautifully.
• Use 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter in place of the olive oil if you prefer the flavor of dairy.

Garam Masala is just a mix of half a dozen commonly used Indian spices. Using the mix is a lot easier than using 1/8 tsp of five different things. It is available in the spice isles of most mega-grocery stores these days, right alongside Garlic Salt. If yours doesn't have it, the staff of your local Indian grocery will be more than happy to introduce you to their favourite blend.

Kosher Winter Lentil Soup

Most hearty brown lentil soups are made with pork. People insist there is no way to capture the flavor of a thick lentil soup without a ham bone in it. Ah, the naivete. In response, I submit this kosher lentil soup. I always think I'll have enough soup to provide my lunch for 3-4 days and always end up staring sadly into a fragrant yet empty pot by day 2.

This thick, hearty, Kosher soup is perfect comfort food for a cold winter day. It is inspired by the first course I enjoyed at a medieval themed bed and breakfast. Serve it with a hearty brown bread for mopping up the bowl. Like most soups, this one is even better as leftovers than it is the first day, so make it on a weekend and eat it for the rest of the week.

• 1 lb brown lentils
• 3 fourteen oz cans reduced sodium beef broth
• 1 fourteen oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 medium yellow onions, diced
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 3 tbsp chopped garlic (or 2 1/2 tbsp garlic paste, or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
• 2 tbsp coarse ground pepper (mixed peppercorns are best, but plain black will do)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp olive oil

  Wash and rinse the lentils. If you don't, you'll find some stones in your soup.

  Brown the onions and carrots in the olive oil over a medium heat for about 10 minutes.

  When the onions start to turn translucent, add the beef broth. Stir well. Add all other ingredients, stir well.

  Bring the concoction to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for the next 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the soup thickens from lentils in broth to a thick lentils in paste texture, it is ready to eat.

  The soup will be VERY thick, almost more like a beanpot. If you prefer a thinner soup, add an extra ½ can of beef broth and stir. If that is still too thick for your liking, add another ½ can of broth.

  
  
  Variations:
  
  * Vegetarians substitute veggie broth for beef broth and increase the thyme and basil by 1/2 tsp each. It won't taste exactly the same, but it will still be surprisingly good.

  * Beef lovers, when you add the broth, also add either 1/2 pound lean browned ground beef or 1/2 pound lean stew beef minced very small.

  * Instead of regular olive oil, use basil flavored olive oil. Do not reduce the basil.

  * Instead of plain diced tomatoes, use some of the pre-flavored tomatoes on the market these days, such as the garlic and oregano ones. Stick with European themed tomatoes. Cajun style, for example, wouldn't taste right alongside the other ingredients.

  * Rather than chop onions yourself, buy bagged frozen ones instead. 4 cups frozen onion works well.

  *If you're a good person who likes fresh veggies, rather than chop all the veggies by hand, cut the stems off the carrots and the outer skin off the onion then drop them all in a blender. The finer the veggies the better.