• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 176 0

mashed potatoes. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, or pass the garlic through a garlic press. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic for the sauce and add the remainder of each to the mashed chickpeas. Stir in the parsley, cumin, and flour until they are completely combined. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Form the mixture into small balls about the size of ping-pong balls, and press them gently between your palms to flatten slightly into patties.

Pour about 1 inch of oil into a deep skillet or large saucepan and place over medium-high heat until very hot (about 350°F). (A tiny drop of water flicked into the pan should immediately cause the oil to bubble up.) Carefully add a few of the patties to the oil using a slotted spoon. Make sure not to crowd the patties in the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with several layers of paper towels to drain and repeat the process with the remaining patties.

Place the sour cream in a bowl and add the reserved onion and garlic. Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and cut the cucumber into thin slices. Stir the cucumber into the sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

Peel and grate the carrot. Cut the tomato in half, remove the seeds by scraping them out of the tomato with a small tool or your finger, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Cut the pita breads in half and open the pockets. Place 3 or 4 falafel in each pocket and spoon on some of the cucumber sauce. Top with some of the grated carrot and tomato and serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

Temperature control is the key to nongreasy frying: if your oil is hot enough when you add the food, and if it stays hot enough, the food will cook fast and absorb a surprisingly small amount of oil. Fry the food in batches to keep the pan uncrowded—adding a lot of food to the pan can cool the oil down too much.

Chapter 3:

Avoiding the Freshman Fifteen

Lettuce Wraps

Teriyaki Tofu with Vegetables

Eggplant Curry

Tempeh Stir-Fry

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Vegetable Barley Soup

Asparagus Quinoa Salad

Pasta with Braised Leeks and Winter Squash

Green Bean Salad

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Lemon

Tabouleh

Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce Wraps

These are light and healthy, and so packed with flavor that everyone will love them. The sauce has a classic combo of Southeast Asian flavors that go so well together—salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Just be careful with the chili paste. It’s hot … really hot. –J

Serves 4 to 6

Sauce

½ cup soy sauce

⅔ cup lime juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili paste

Wraps

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 small zucchini

1 pound mushrooms

1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots

1 cucumber

½ red bell pepper

1 head iceberg or butter lettuce

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

Cooking spray

½ cup chopped salted peanuts

To prepare the sauce: Place the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and chili paste in a small bowl and stir until combined.

To prepare the wraps: Peel the onion and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Trim the zucchini and mushroom stems, discarding the ends, and dice into ¼-inch pieces. Drain the bamboo shoots and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Peel the cucumber, cut into matchstick-sized pieces (about ⅛ by ⅛ by 2 inches), and set aside (you’ll use these for garnish). Halve the bell pepper, remove and discard the stem, seeds, and pale membranes, cut the pepper flesh into very thin slices, and set aside (more garnish). Separate the lettuce leaves from the head, wash, and let dry on paper towels. Place the lettuce, cucumber, and bell pepper on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms, cover, and cook over medium-high heat,