Falafel Pita with Tzatziki Sauce

I have searched high and low for a falafel recipe that is authentic and as good as some of the falafel I had while living in NYC.  After several years, I've stumbled up on this, a Lebanese family recipe for falafel.  I have tweaked it a bit, but the original recipe comes from Esperance Sammour.  Enjoy!!

 

You can also serve the falafel with hummus or eat with a salad.  The tzatziki makes a great dressing!

I suggest making the tzatziki first.  That way all the components can marinate and get delicious.  Just cover and place in the fridge until you're ready.

This tzatziki is courtesy of Two Peas and their Pod.

Tzatziki Ingredients

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup diced seedless cucumber
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium bowl, combine Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, and dill.
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you have time, chill before serving.

Now, you're ready to whip up some falafel!

 

Falafel Ingredients

1 lb of dry peeled fava beans (you can also use all chickpeas)

¾ lbs of of dried chickpeas

1 bunch of Italian parsley leaves

2 bunches of green cilantro leaves

8-10 cloves of freshly peeled garlic, crushed

1 large red or yellow onion

1 bunch of green onions

2 table spoons of salt

A dash of black pepper

2 table spoons of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 dash of red chilli pepper (optional, if spicy falafel is desired)

1 teaspoon of cumin

3 teaspoons of Coriander

Optional: 1/2 tsp sesame seeds on the outside (for added crunch)

 

 

 

Preparing the Falafel Mix

1. Soak the fava beans and the chickpeas in water in separate containers overnight.
2. The following day drain the fava beans, rinse them with fresh water then peel them (you can save time by buying peeled fava beans).
3. Dry fava beans in a colander for a few moments then run them in the food processor for a minute or two until they look like thin bread crumbs. Put aside in a large bowl.
4. Similarly rinse and dry the chickpeas then run them in the food processor until they reach the same consistency of the Fava beans. Pour on top of fava beans.
5. Place the garlic, red onions, green onions, parsley, cilantro, coriander, salt, peppers and flour in the food processor and run for a couple of minutes until they turn into a paste.  (Depending on the size of your food processor, you can mix some of these steps together)
6. Add them to the container with the fava beans and Chickpeas and knead with hands until they reach a doughy texture. If they feel dry add a bit of water and kneed a bit more. At this point feel free to taste the Falafel mix to make sure it has a balanced flavor.

 

Frying the Falafel

1. minutes prior to frying, sprinkle baking soda on the Falfel mix, knead and let rest. When ready heat 1 inch deep of cooking oil in the frying pan on medium heat
2. Scoop the falafel into by using a specialized Falafel scoop, an ice cream scoop, or by using 2 spoons whereby you scoop the falafel paste in one, and press the other spoon against it to compact into a "cake" then drop gently into the frying pan.
3. Fry for a few minutes until the falafel turns brownish then scoop them out place on a paper town or in a colander and to dry out the extra oil.

Baking the Falafel

1. For the health conscious, you can scoop then layer the falafel patties on an aluminum/cooking tray that has been lightly oiled and bake in the oven at 400F for 7-10 minutes.  (But let's be real, they're better fried.)

Braided Cardamom Bread (Pulla)

I am absolutely OBSESSED with cardamom.  Best. Spice. Ever!!  This Scandinavian bread recipe makes it even more delicious and dreamy.

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ cups milk, heated to 115°
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 ¼-oz. packages active dry yeast
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into ½" cubes, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk
• Crushed lump sugar, for garnish (optional)
• Sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)

 

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine milk, sugar, 3 tsp. cardamom, and yeast; stir together and let sit until foamy, 10 minutes. Add eggs; mix to combine. Add flour and salt; mix until a dough forms. Replace paddle with hook attachment; knead dough on medium speed for 2 minutes. While kneading, slowly add butter in batches, mixing until incorporated before adding next batch, 3-4 minutes; continue kneading for 4 minutes more after last of butter is added. Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down dough; cover again with plastic wrap and let sit until fully risen, 30 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 375°. Transfer dough to a work surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Set 1 piece aside and divide other piece into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms and work surface to create a 16" rope. Braid ropes together to form a loaf, following the instructions below. Transfer loaf to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Repeat with second dough piece. Cover loaves with plastic wrap and let sit until slightly puffed up, about 20 minutes.

3. Whisk together remaining cardamom, cream, and egg yolk in a small bowl; brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sugar and almonds (if using); bake, one loaf at a time, until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a rack; let cool 10 minutes before serving.

 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

For my gluten-free friends! 

You can top the pizza with whatever you like, just make sure the toppings are already cooked since you’ll only be broiling the pizza for a few minutes. The crust already has cheese so you don’t need much on top. Also keep in mind that the cauliflower crust is less firm than most regular dough-based crusts so you don’t want to weigh it down with a ton of ingredients. Keep is simple. 

I found that it’s easier to eat this pizza with a fork/knife. Once you get to only a few bites left, it’s fine to pick up with your hands, but it tends to collapse if you try to pick up the whole slice early on.

Ingredients

•  ½ head cauliflower (about 2 cups riced)
•  1 clove garlic, minced
•  1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
•  1 egg, beaten
•  1 teaspoon basil
•  1 teaspoon oregano

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
2. Prep a cookie sheet or pizza stone by grease it with oil. It will stick if you don't grease it properly!! (I used a baking stone, and made sure to oil it before putting on the crust.)
3.  Remove the stems and leaves from your cauliflower and chop the florets into chunks. Add to a food processor and pulse just until the texture is similar to rice. If you don't have a food processor or Vitamix, you can grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater or chop it.
4.  Sauté cauliflower "rice" in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook until translucent, approximately 6-8 minutes.
5.  In a bowl combine the cooked cauliflower with all remaining ingredients.
6.  Spread dough out evenly over foil (or stone) - about ¼ to ⅓ of an inch thick. The pizza should be about 9-10 inches in diameter.
7.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden, crispy on the edges and cooked through the middle.
8.  Remove the crust from the oven.
9.  Top with pizza sauce and toppings. Be careful not to add too many heavy toppings as you don't want to weigh down the crust.
10.  Broil the pizza for 5 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted. Allow the pizza to cool for 2-3 minutes then cut and serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I had been looking all over for a good pizza dough recipe ever since we left NYC.  I didn't have much luck for the longest time, until now.  This one has been adapted from a few different recipes.  And I think I've finally mastered it.  

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can't find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 envelope instant dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

Directions

• Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine.
• While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball.
• If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball.
• If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
• Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
• Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Notes:
*You can freeze this dough as well, if you want to prep a few batches at once.
*This dough rises and will be thicker than it appears in your pan.

*To make the pizza, just top it how you'd like and bake at 450 (425 for pizza stones or dark pans) for about 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned on top.