Tatziki Sauce and Felafels

The traditional sauce for gyros is tzatziki (Greek name), or cacik (pronounced jajik) in Turkey. I've lived in both countries and the recipe is the same. This is a traditional recipe.

First, pick up a large container of plain yogurt, full fat, low fat, or fat free. They all work. Line a collander with plain white paper towels, dump the yogurt into the middle, top with a paper towel. Set the collander over a bowl to catch the whey and set it in the refrigerator to drain. The longer it drains, the thicker it will be. If you let it go long enough, you'll have yogurt-tart cream cheese!

Peel a cucumber, cut it in half, stem to blossom end. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard. Grate cucumber, place it in a paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Place drained yogurt in a bowl, add the cucumber and two or three cloves of chopped/mashed garlic. I simply use a garlic press. Add a scant teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Stir to blend and refrigerate for a couple of hours while the flavors merge. That's it! No mayonnaise, and for pity's sake, do NOT use sour cream! A local Greek restaurant does, and it's a travesty! Tzatziki will keep in the fridge for four days or so, but mine is always gone a lot quicker than that!

Oh, and fresh garlic has a nice bite. Garlic powder does not. I prefer the fresh. It's not unheard of to add a bit of dill weed or even spearmint. Or both. Fresh dill is better than dried. But the basic recipe is pretty close to universal in both Greece and Turkey. It's delicious!

(This is from a message board in which someone asked what the white sauce on a gyro was).

• 1 3/4 cups , or 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Cooked Dried Chickpeas
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
• For serving: pita bread, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, romaine lettuce leaves, and store-bought tahini sauce.

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Place half of chickpeas in food processor and pulse a few times until chopped, transfer to a large bowl.

2. STEP 2

   Place remaining chickpeas in food processor with garlic, onion, herbs, spices, baking soda, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse to a thick, chunky paste, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with chopped chickpeas.

3. STEP 3

   Add egg and sesame seeds to bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill batter in fridge 30 minutes.

4. STEP 4

   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil shimmers, drop heaping tablespoons of batter into skillet and gently press batter into 2-inch-round patties. Cook, turning once, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

5. STEP 5

   Serve falafel with pita bread, sliced tomatoes and red onion, romaine leaves, and store-bought tahini dressing.
   
   
   ALso, green felafels made with collards look good through I am unconvinced that it tastes like a true green felafel. http://minimalistbaker.com/better-than-restaurant-falafel-vegan-gluten-free/

Slow Cooker Recipes from Cooks Illustrated Make-Ahead book, which is wonderful

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

2T oil
3 medium onions minced
3 ribs celery chopped med
2 medium carrots, chopped med
6 med garlic cloves, minced
5 t cumin
.5 t red pepper flakes
salt
3 cups water
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound dried black beans (2 1/4 cups), picked over and rinsed
2 medium smoked ham hocks
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
Ground black pepper

Brown veggies with spices 10-15 min.

Put these in slow cooker with water, broth, beans, ham, bay leaves. Cook 8-10 hours on low.

Remove hocks and leaves. Puree 2 cups of coup in blender, then stir back in. Remove meat from hocks and return to pot. Stir in cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.


Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

2 T oil
6oz pancetta minced
3 med onions minced
8 med garlice cloves minced
3 C water
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb dried cannellini (2.25 cups) picked over, rinsed, socked overnight, and drained
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
2 bay leaves
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 spring fresh rosemary
pepper
parmesan

Brown pancetta 10 min. Add onions garlic and salt until all is soft. (1/4 t salt)

Transfer the pancetta and onion mixture to the slow cooker insert and stire in the water, broth, beans, Parmesan ring (if using), bay leaves, and pepper flakes until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the beans are tender, 10 to 12 hours.

Add the rosemary sprig, cover, and continue until lightly fragrant, about 15 min longer. Remove bay leaves, rosemary and Parmesan rind. Salt and pepper.

Lentil and Chard Stew

2 T oil
3 onions minced
1 lb Swiss Chard, stems off, 1/4 inch pieces
6 med cloves garlic, minced
6 C veggie broth
1 lb carrots
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz portobello mushroom caps
7 oz brown or green lentils (1 cup) rinsed and picked over
2 bay leaves
1 T minced fresh thyme leaves.
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
1T balsamic (optional! Aahhh!)
salt, pepper, olive oil

Heat oil in 12 inch non-stick pan until shimmering. Add onions, chard stems, garlic and 1/3 teaspoon salt and cook until veggies are soft and lightly browned 10-12 minutes

Transfer the onion mixture to slow cooker, add broth, carrots, tomato sauce, mushrooms, lentils, bay leaves, thyme and porcini mushrooms until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the soup is thickened and the lentils are tender, 8-10 hours.

Remove and discard bay leaves. Puree 2 C of soup in a blender until smooth, then stir back into slow cooker insert. Stir in the chard leaves, cover, and continue to cook until the leaves are wilted and tender 10-15 minutes longer. Stir in the vinegar (if you don't hate balsamic like I do).

Greek Turkey Burgers and Casino Egg Salad

Last night, I made some turkey burgers for my mom with steamed potatoes and carrots. She made us a lot of hamburgers back in the day, and since I had gotten nice turkey from the co-op that had thawed, this was a very quick way to make something with it. Sometimes crumbled ground turkey doesn't have the greatest texture.

1lb ground turkey

2T chopped onion

1 egg

2T chopped parsley

salt and pepper

.5 t cumin

.25 t cinnamon

handful of oats

Mix all the ingredients above together.

Heat pan and add olive oil. Form the patties in the pan with your fingers. Flip after two or three minutes. Cover and let cook through for 10 minutes.

*

And I just saw this from The Splendid Table and it looks wonderful:

This egg salad supposedly originated with a chef who cooked for European royalty before a stint at the National Casino in Budapest, Hungary. Odds are you won't find this delicious dish on any Las Vegas or Atlantic City menu, but it is a sure bet for lunch or at the dinner hour. Butter and sour cream lend a rich foundation, but it's still lighter than a typical mayonnaise-based egg salad. And the anchovies add a hint of salt and briny depth. This is terrific served with lettuce and fresh vegetables as a salad, or with lettuce and tomato on toast as a sandwich.

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained and minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped capers
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion or shallot

Scoop the yolks from the halved eggs and put them in a medium bowl. Add the butter, sour cream, vinegar, and pepper. Whisk together until a creamy, smooth paste forms.

Coarsely chop the egg whites and add them to the egg yolk mixture, along with the anchovies, capers, chives and red onion. Gently fold the ingredients until fully mixed.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The egg salad can be made up to 3 days in advance.

I also want to try this.

Green Velvet Dressing and Roasted Fennel Summer Salad

A dressing I would love to make some day.

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 
1/2 cup raw tahini or sesame seeds
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup raw cashews or 2 tbs raw cashew butter
seasoning, to taste
1/2 tbs fresh tarragon
2 garlic cloves

Blend. 

Also, here's a salad I made accidentally for J this summer and I think it bears repeating.

1 head of fennel diced and roasted at 450 for 30 minutes with evoo, salt and pepper.
1 large yellow potato, roasted same way with the chopped fronds and stems of fennel
Arugula
Grilled chicken broccoli rabe sausages from Martin's
Vinagrette: lime juice, evoo, salt, pepper, cumin, touch of mustard if you have it
Chopped parsley for garnish
Grated fresh Romano Peccorino

Pear Saffron Upside Down Cake from Martha Stewart

I have made this so many times that I will be really in a bad way if it is taken off the M.S. website. I USE BETTER BATTER FLOUR AND IT COMES OUT FINE.

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil, cooking spray
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Comice pears, (6 to 7 ounces each)
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square or round cake pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper, and set aside.

2. STEP 2

   Pulse saffron and 1/4 cup sugar in a spice grinder until well combined. Put butter and saffron sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, spread mixture into prepared pan.

3. STEP 3

   Peel pears; halve lengthwise, and core. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange pears decoratively in pan over saffron-butter mixture.

4. STEP 4

   Whisk together flour, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, ground ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking. Stir in crystallized ginger.

5. STEP 5

   Spread batter over pears. Bake until set and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Place a serving platter upside down over pan; flip to unmold cake. Peel off parchment.