Baked Spinach Falafel with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

No once cares what you had for lunch. It's a handy little book I picked up when I first contemplated writing a blog. Here I am, several hundred posts later, violating that first tenet. And I'm pleased to do it; it was a great lunch. Easy, too. Moreover, I think some of you may care what I ate for lunch, because I suspect you will want to make it for your lunch, especially after you see how simple and healthy it is to make and eat, and read my testimony of how delicious it is.

Why I think it's worth sharing: I'm always looking for easy ways to add vegetables into my lunches and breakfasts; it hit me that chopping fresh spinach and herbs and adding to my favorite falafel was (pardon my boasting) a great idea. Plus, not everyone knows about my easy-bake rendition of making falafel: the patties still get crispy, but you slash the grease (on your stove and in your stomach), and (there's more!) you can make all the patties at once, instead of in batches).

I've never met a falafel mix I haven't liked, but some do stand out more than others. Here are my top three, in no particular order:

Fantastic Foods Falafel Mix
Near East Falafel Mix
Casbah All-Natural Falafel Mix

Here's to vegetables for lunch that aren't always baby carrots!

Baked Spinach Falafel with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Speaking from many years of falafel mix-making: be sure to let the mix soak for the entire time. It will look very wet when first mixed, but will absorb it in due time. Too little water and too little time will produce sandy, raw-tasting patties.

2 cups falafel mix
1-1/2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped (yields about 2/3 cup chopped)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

1/2 cup plain lowfat or fat free yogurt
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin

salad greens for serving

Falafel: Mix the falafel mix, water, oil, spinach, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Let the mixture stand for five minutes to absorb the liquid. The batter should be thick.

Preheat oven to 350F. Form small size patties and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden brown. Using a spatula, flip the patties over and return to the oven. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Sauce: Whisk the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and cumin in a small bowl until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the falafel atop fresh salad greens. Makes about 20 generous patties, or 4 to 5 servings (depending on how hungry you are).

Uber-Healthy & Delicious Granola

You will not learn to make granola from at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Classically trained chefs can show you how to make a dacquoise out of nuts and eggs. Or crispy tulipes a la glace pralinee. And they do have a fabulous, multi-purpose crumb option, gratin, in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. But French chefs can't teach you how to make the perfect granola, especially one free of butter and excessive amounts of oil.

Granola is an American invention, and is better off made with the old-fashioned American ingenuity of the home cook.

In my early years of graduate school, I counted myself among those granola makers who had tried and failed. It seemed like such an easy task, but my renditions were always too sticky, too sweet, too fattening, too oily, too bland, and, too often, scorched. But still, I harbored hopes that one day I might create a paragon of granola in my own oven.

I persevered. My attempts were usually edible, and often delicious (especially the ones with butter), but they were never quite right. I wanted a lot from my granola--great taste, great nutrition, the right texture, and still quick and easy to make.

By jove, I think I've done it. Healthy fats from olive oil (not too much, but enough to get a crispy-crunch), nuts, and seeds, chewy (not scorched) fruit, and not too sweet (but still sweet enough to convince Nick that he is snacking on a crumbled oatmeal cookie).

The variations are endless and the results are far healthier and delicious, as well as much less expensive, than good-quality packaged granola. Yum!



Ultimate Healthy Granola
As one who has suffered through far too many scorched raisins, heed my advice: do not, I repeat, do not add the dried fruit until AFTER the granola has been baked and cooled. My current favorite rendition (as pictured) is cardamom with dried apricots and some chopped crystallized ginger.

For an egg-free, VEGAN version, eliminate the egg whites and add 3 extra tablespoons olive oil (the egg whites are here to add crispiness to the granola with less fat, but you can achieve the same crispiness with the extra oil)

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raw sunflower or pepita seeds
1/3 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
Optional: 1 teaspoon favorite ground sweet spice (or combo of spices), such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, etc.
3 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or molasses
1/3 cup olive oil or other neutral oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried fruit, e.g., chopped apricots, cranberries, raisins, cherries, chopped figs, or blueberries

1.Preheat oven to 350F.
2.Combine the oats, nuts, seeds, flaxseed meal, and spice in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the egg whites and the salt in a medium bowl until frothy. Whisk in the sweetener, olive oil, and vanilla until blended.
4. Add egg white mixture to the oat mixture; stir until to dry ingredients, and stir until the oats are evenly coated.
5.Spoon and spread the mixture onto two rimmed baking sheets.
6.Bake 20 minutes, then gently flip with a spatula, moving granola from the outer edges to the center of the sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes longer until golden. (If the granola starts to brown too much at the edges, gently stir those parts into the middle.)
7.Cool completely on pan, then stir in the fruit. Transfer to an airtight container. Will keep for 3 to 4 weeks (or freeze in airtight container/ziplock bag for up to 3 months). Makes about 8-1/2 cups granola.

Whole Wheat Orzo & Lentil Salad with Orange Dressing

Sunday in East Texas was clear and beautiful following a night of showers. Thank heavens. The humidity from the day before had me grumpy and lethargic; my downward dogs were droopy dogs in yoga class.

The shift in weather--and Nick sleeping past 7 am, hurrah!--was merely the start of a great day, the highlight being a birthday party at Eralda's house to celebrate the 4th birthday of her son (and Nick's best buddy) Jack. In addition to bubbles, birthday cake, and rides in a wagon pulled by a bladeless riding lawn mower (I only partook of the former two), I witnessed a first: my husband doing an airbound somersault on Jack's new trampoline. I was (and remain) speechless and smitten.

I was blissfully oblivious of dinner preparations until we returned home, pooped and famished. Kevin unearthed some chicken sausages from the depths of the deep freeze, and I set to work on an impromptu salad, cobbled together from bits and pieces from the pantry and refrigerator.

I have an over-abundance of lentils of all shapes at present (I go crazy in the bulk food section on visits to Whole Foods in Houston), so into a pot they landed.

In a second pot, whole wheat orzo. This is one of my amazon finds. Sometime last year I went looking for whole wheat orzo, mostly to see if it existed. Lo and behold, it is, and is available on amazon (Rice Select Whole Wheat Orzo). It's fabulous: nutty and flavorful, so much so that, when I first made it as a side dish, Kevin asked what I had done to the orzo, it was so good (my only additions had been salt and a drizzle of olive oil).

I finished the salad by combining the warm lentils and orzo with a quick citrus dressing, jarred roasted peppers, onion, and a bit of crumbled feta. It was wonderful warm, but equally good today as a cold lunch. Enjoy!



Whole Wheat Orzo & Lentil Salad with Orange Dressing

Regular orzo, or any small-shape pasta, would work equally well here.

1 cup whole wheat orzo (or regular), uncooked
1 cup lentils (any variety), uncooked
1 tbsp orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup packed fresh flat leaf parsely leaves, chopped
Optional: 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

Cook the orzo and lentils in two separate saucepans according to the directions (orzo should be al dente, lentils should be tender, but not falling apart). Drain both the orzo and lentils.

Whisk the orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard,cumin, salt, and peper in a large bowl; add roasted peppers, onion, parsley, and the warm orzo and warm lentils and remaining ingredients, tossing gently to coat. Season with additional salt & pepper to taste. The salad is delciious warm, room temperature, or chilled. Makes 8 servings.

Whole Wheat Crepes

Mea culpa for my unexplained absence, fair readers. As consolation, I promise sustained, indefinite activity--I have much to share, especially for the warm months ahead. I've had a head start; it's already sultry here in Texas

But I'm resuming with a multi-purpose, oh-so-simple recipe, one that appears on our table regularly: whole wheat crepes. They are both basic and endlessly versatile: paper thin, and easy to fork up (no wrestling or wriggling required), they can be filled with just about anything (think of a range from peanut butter & jelly to leftover Indian takeout). They're also great make-ahead food, ready for filling and gnoshing for quick dinners, breakfasts, and snacks.

Crepes were a regular feature for Saturday morning breakfasts at my house throughout childhood and beyond. The default topping was a sprinkle of sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. The Meyer lemons from the tree in our backyard were sweet-tart sublime (still are; the tree still stands). I thought it nearly impossible to rival the delicious memory.

But, thanks to my crepe-loving husband, who spent a year living in Paris, I've expanded my tastes. He makes a mean egg and ham crepe, and also introduced me to Nutella-filled crepes, a simple extravagance of oozing chocolate-hazelnut pleasure.

Similarly, I've expanded my crepe batter options. I've tried a wealth of unusual flours, from spelt to amaranth to brown rice, and I've come to love my husband's favorite, buckwheat crepes (gallettes), native to Brittany, and more typically filled with savory options. But whole wheat crepes have become my favored, multi-purpose crepe.

And as good as the lemon sugar, Nutella, and ham-cheese options, I must make a filling recommendation for the glorious summer produce days ahead: a spread of Greek yogurt, a handful of fruit, and a drizzle of honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup. Delicate, yet, hearty, heaven in a mouthful.

Whole Wheat Crepes

1 cup white whole-wheat flour (or 1/2 cup a-p flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt (preferably fine sea salt)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup lowfat milk
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted, or neutral vegetable oil
1/2 cup seltzer water, or club soda

1. Whisk the flour, salt, eggs, milk and butter (or oil) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth, scraping the sides once or twice. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2.Slowly whisk seltzer water into the crepe batter. Lightly oil a small nonstick skillet with a crumpled paper towel; heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Ladle about 2 tablespoons batter into the skillet with a small ladle or measuring cup; immediately tilt and rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly over the bottom.

3.Cook the crepe until the underside is lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Using a small metal spatula or a fork, lift the edge of the crepe, quickly grasp it with your fingers and flip. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 20 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a plate.

4.If serving immediately, fill and roll up like a jellyroll (I prefer this way for sweet) or fold the crepe into quarters (I prefer this for savory). Continue to cook crepes with the remaining batter, oiling the pan as needed and stacking crepes as you go.

Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate crepes between sheets of wax paper for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Fast Filling Ideas (10 of an infinite number):

Quick & Sweet
(1) lemon & sugar
(2) Nutella
(3) peanut butter & jam
(4) butter & sugar
(5) drizzle of liqueur & sugar
(6) Greek yogurt & fresh fruit or jam
(7) lowfat ricotta cheese or cottage cheese & drizzle of honey or agave nectar
(8) grated chocolate and(optional) toasted nuts
(9) jam, marmalade, apple butter, or lemon curd
(10) goat cheese, grated apple or pear, drizzle of honey/agave nectar/maple syrup

Quick & Savory

(1) Leftovers of all varieties (Indian, Thai, & Chinese especially scrumptious)
(2) Thinly sliced ham & Gruyere (or Swiss)
(3) Arugula (drizzled with vinaigrette), goat cheese, and fig jam
(4) Fresh herbs and cheese
(5) Sauteed spinach & shredded chicken
(6) Hummus, roasted bell pepper strips, fresh or sauteed spinach/greens
(7) Ricotta (optional--mix in chopped fresh herbs) and thin spread of jarred marinara sauce, sprinkle of Parmesan
(8) Sharp cheddar & tart-sweet apple (grated or sliced)
(9) Jarred caponata & a crumble of goat or feta cheese
(10) Thin spread of Jarred or homemade pesto (pesto alone is wonderful, or add leftover chicken, goat cheese, Fontina, roasted bell peppers...you get the idea)