Pizza Perfecto??

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/sep/08/how-to-cook-perfect-pizza

Is this the Falafel recipe that doesn't lead to me pulling my hair out and wondering why they fall apart in the pan?

Falafel

Delicious warm, but also great cold. Serve in flatbreads or pitta with salad for a main course or with a yoghurt dip for a snack. Makes about 14.

200g dried chickpeas
1 small onion, chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 small bunch parsley, stalks removed, leaves finely chopped
1 small bunch coriander, stalks removed, leaves finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Salt
2-3 tbsp plain flourGroundnut oil (if frying them)
To serve
Pitta or flatbreads
Lettuce, shredded
Spring onion, finely chopped
Red peppers, finely sliced
Hummus or tahini (or one of my quick dips above)

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl, add cold water to cover by at least 6cm and soak overnight. Next day, drain, tip into a food processor and pulse the uncooked chickpeas, onion and garlic until roughly combined. Add the herbs, cumin, chilli (if using) and some salt, and pulse to a coarse paste. Sprinkle the flour over the mix and pulse until it comes together roughly into a ball. Put into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Roll the mix into balls about the size of walnuts (slightly damp hands will make this job a bit easier). To bake the falafel, heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with lightly oiled baking parchment, put the balls on the tray so they're not touching and bake for 20-25 minutes, rattling the tin halfway through. To fry them, pour 8cm of oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan (it shouldn't come more than a third of the way up the pan) and heat to 180C (that's the temperature at which a cube of white bread turns golden in less than a minute). Fry in batches until golden, about four minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Roll up in flatbread or stuff pitta with some falafel and salad, and serve trickled with tahini thinned with hot water, spoonfuls of hummus or any of the dips above.

Hummus

Finally found a hummus recipe that looks like it might do the trick. (This is the LINK to it written out)

Gonna give it a try with this tahini

And also this one (the 454g pot)


(Both tahini's c/o Mattas - Liverpool)

Publish Post

Some more Hummus tips

Sunday Hummus

Serves as many gannets as you can get in a small flat...

1 can chick peas drained

4 tablespoons of tahini

3-4 garlic cloves

juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

cayenne pepper to taste [start with 1/2 a tea spoon]

paprika to taste [start with 1/2 a tea spoon]

Pimento [smoked paprika] if you like a smoky taste, as above paprika

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin seeds, or more if you like it hotter

salt and ground black pepper

1] Using a potato masher or food processor, mash the chick peas. if you like it smoother put in a food processor until smooth like a puree.

2] Mix the tahini into the chickpeas and then stir in the garlic, lemon juice, spices and salt and pepper. Mix well.

If it all goes a bit like quick drying concrete don't worry, just add a little water and one table spoon of olive oil until it smoothes out into a paste rather than a ball of cement render. Serve at room temperature with toast, or pitta breads.

...Nice

easy satay

2 table spoons of crunchy peanut butter
3/4 of a cup of coconut milk
pinch of chilli
2 table spoons light soy sauce

wack it all in a wok and heat gently until the peanut butter is melted whilst your chicken is under the grill and your egg noodles are in a pan simmering.

add the chicken and the noodles to the wok when cooked through and stir for a minute when heated thoroughly.

stand back and admire your handywork. easy.

Now that we've gone a bit "Good Life"

Some links for the "good" life"

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/allotment/

Maharajah (via a commnet left by Indy)

"Just to say, we had a really nice meal at 'Maharajah', London Road.L3.
Not your usual curry. It's a South Indian restaurant, specializing in seafood. Although milder than most curries we are used to, the food was excellent. Lots of coconut, ginger and coriander. Worth a trip to this somewhat neglected part of Liverpool that's for sure!
If it's good enough for Gordon Ramsey, It's good enough for us!"