slaving over a hot stove

I am too  tired to write anything meaningful (not that I am trying to suggest that I usually do, I am simply stating that I am not even trying this time) yet I feel moved to work on this blog, since I am not doing anything else even close to creative at the moment.   So I will write about the cooking that has been going on over the past few days.

falafel, baked not fried, since I have a deep seated fear of hot oil.

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 tiny zucchini grated
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for frying
•  
• Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. 

Drain chickpeas, and place in pan with fresh water, and bring to a boil.

Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then let simmer on low for about an hour.

Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour.

Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).

Serve hot.  or bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for 45 minutes of so, if you are a coward like me.

Sunday we were feeling too lazy to cook, so we had salad, and labneh, a fabulous, super sour, yogurt cheese, with some breadsticks, and a little can of octopus salad, which no one really liked except Mark and Rolf.

Everyone was much happier the night before with this knock-out mole, saffron rice, cabbage salad, and fresh tortillas from the Mexican bakery down the street.