Falafels With Pine Nuts Recipes

FALAFELS WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Soak the fava beans in 1 1/2 cups of cold water.
• Set aside for 48 hours, changing water once in a day.
• If the weather is hot, change water twice daily.
• Soak the chickpeas in 1 1/2 cups of cold water for 15 hours.
• Drain beans.
• Remove the skins of the fava beans by taking a handful of beans at a time and rubbing both the palms together making the beans rub against one another in order to loosen the skins.
• Combine the fava beans, chickpeas, chopped onions and garlic in a food processor.
• Grind till you have a fine paste.
• Put it in a bowl.
• Add parsley, cumin, coriander, red chili, salt, pepper, baking soda and pine nuts to the mixture.
• Mix well and knead it nicely.
• Keep aside for half an hour.
• Take a spoonful of the bean paste at a time.
• Shape into patties about 2 inches in diameter.
• Arrange the patties in a plate.
• Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat sufficient oil in a wok.
• Once its hot, gently lower the patties and deep-fry them until well-browned.
• Drain on clean paper towels before serving.
• To prepare the tahini sauce, put the tahini paste and garlic in a blender.
• Process for a few seconds.
• Add lemon juice and water.
• Process the paste well.
• Add salt to taste.
• To serve: Split up a khoubz and place a lettuce leaf in it.
• Place some tomato slices or sliced onions over the lettuce leaf.
• Spread some tahini sauce over the onions.
• Place 2-3 falafels on it.
• Serve hot.
• Enjoy!

MAUREEN ABOOD'S EGGPLANT WITH LAMB, TOMATO AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
• Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Arrange slices on prepared baking sheet and broil in batches until they are deep mahogany brown, turning once halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
• Adjust the oven to 375 degrees with rack positioned in the center.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground lamb or beef, stirring frequently and breaking up meat into very small pieces with the side of a metal spoon. Season with remaining teaspoon salt, cinnamon and pepper. Sauté until meat is just cooked through. Taste and add more salt or pepper, or both, as needed.
• In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pine nuts and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir nuts to coat them with butter and continue stirring constantly until nuts are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a close watch over the nuts; they can burn quickly once they begin to brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl while still warm and salt them lightly.
• Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lay 1/3 of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce, covering as much surface area of the bottom of the dish as possible. Spoon half the meat evenly over eggplant. Pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce evenly over meat. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the pine nuts. Layer again with eggplant, meat, tomato sauce and pine nuts. Finish with a layer of eggplant and cover with more tomato sauce, sprinkling top with pine nuts.
• Pour 1 cup warm water around the perimeter of the baking dish. (Sauce will thicken as it bakes.) Cover pan with foil and bake for 90 minutes. Remove foil and top eggplant evenly with mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes longer, uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve eggplant warm, over rice.

SPINACH & FETA FALAFEL BITES

Steps:

• Pour a kettle of boiling water over baby spinach in a colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out any water - do this really well or your falafels will be too soft. Pulse in a food processor with drained chickpeas, feta, cumin and plain flour until just combined. Roll into tbsp-sized balls with wellfloured hands, then flatten into patties.
• Fry in batches in vegetable oil for 2-3 mins each side, then leave to cool. Place on a baking tray, cover with cling film and freeze. To serve, defrost in the fridge overnight and cook at 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 for 5-10 mins. Serve with tzatziki.