Meatless Mondays: Pea-Lafels

Wow, this whole Meatless Mondays thing is becoming a real habit for me! What has it been now, three I've done? It's been so easy to go meatless at least once a week for us. It's truly been refreshing to see what else is out there in terms of creative entrees.



Hey, speaking of creative entrees, check out these Pea-lafels I recently made! This recipe comes from the reigning champ of Food Network's show, The Next Food Network Star, Aarti Sequeira. I've made a few of her recipes now, and I've loved every single one. This one is certainly no exception. I actually found this one on her blog, Aarti Paarti. There's some really good stuff over there, stuff that she hasn't cooked on her Food Network show. Check it out if you are at all into Indian food!

So what are pea-lafels, anyway? Well, they're a riff on the more traditional falafels, which are chickpea balls that are normally deep-fried. These little green wonders, on the other hand, are made of peas and edamame. Yum! You add in some freshly ground spices, such as fennel and coriander (and the fenugreek that I bought especially for this!). There's some shallot, some garlic, and salt and pepper. Oh, and mint. That adds a nice zinginess. You puree the mixture in a food processor, add some flour to bind everything, and you're ready to bake them. Well, I baked them, but in Aarti's recipe she gives instructions for deep-frying. I decided to modify this just slightly, since it worked well enough when my CEIMB group did Ellie's Baked Falafel.

This results in a crisp, brown pea-lafel on the outside, with a creamy, soft interior. They were delicious! In the future, I may try to add some spice to the mixture. Then again, that is probably why Aarti advises you to add horseradish! I didn't have any, so I obviously couldn't do this, but I see now why she did. These make a great pita sandwich with veggies and either yogurt or ranch dressing inside. They're easy, they're scrumptious, and they're exotic! How's that for a Monday night dinner?

Pea-Lafels

adapted from Aarti Paarti

makes enough for 4 or 5 pitas

Ingredients

1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/4 tsp. coriander seeds

1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained

1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed and drained

1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled

Handful of fresh mint leaves, plus more for yogurt sauce

Extra-virgin olive oil (I used 1 Tbsp.)

Salt and pepper

Squirt of horseradish sauce (optional; I omitted)

1/4 cup flour (Aarti used chickpea flour, which I do not have)

2-3 pita breads, sliced in half

Fresh spinach leaves

Thinly sliced radish

Plain yogurt, or

Ranch dressing

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small skillet, toast the fenugreek, fennel, and coriander seeds for several minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker. Remove from pan into a small bowl to cool. Meanwhile, mix yogurt with desired amount of fresh mint leaves and salt; chill in fridge until ready to eat. Throw cooled seeds into a coffee/spice grinder and powder.

2. Throw the peas, edamame, spices, shallot, garlic, mint, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Puree the mixture; add up to 1/4 cup water, one tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is not coming together. Note: the mixture will not be completely smooth, because of the edamame, but blend as best you can.

3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl; add horseradish, if using, and flour. Mix well. Using your hands, form the mixture into balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet lined with foil (or spray the sheet with nonstick cooking spray). You will probably get about 12 or so total.

4. Spray the tops of the balls with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the sheet, from the oven, and flip the balls. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven when the pea-lafels are crisp and browned.

5. Assemble pitas: add fresh spinach leaves, thinly sliced radish, 3 pea-lafel balls, and your choice of yogurt sauce or ranch dressing to each pita half. Enjoy!

Baked Samosas with Quinoa Pilaf

I had the opportunity to make a couple more recipes created by The Next Food Network Star winner, Aarti Sequeira. It's funny; I actually stumbled upon this awesome recipe for Baked Samosas with Mint Chutney when I was perusing Aarti's blog. It's a cute blog, one I had never found before her stint on the Food Network. I recommend checking it out if you have a free moment and are looking for some innovative Indian dishes to make!

Anyway, I found this recipe and knew right away that I wanted to make it. Then, a couple days later, I looked at the TV listings and discovered that Aarti was going to be making those very same samosas on her show that weekend! It was fate. I had to make them. I had such great success with the other dish of hers that I'd made, so I was excited.



So, onto the recipe itself! It does take a bit of time, and there are a lot of steps. However, I am here to tell you that it was all worth it. We loved every bite of these, and I had leftover filling that my hubby threw into a tortilla for lunch leftovers. He said it was awesome!

I'll back up, though. What exactly is a samosa? Well, it's an Indian pastry filled, in this case, with chicken, potato, and apple. Aarti made these with mango on her show, but I had tons of apple on hand and decided to sub that in instead. I was aware that it might not work out, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a great alternative to the mango, although I'm sure it'd be great both ways.

You prepare the filling, and then you make a simple dough of flour, buttermilk, oil, and salt. Aarti's blog post about these samosas contained instructions for this method, so I was surprised when I watched the episode and found out she was making them with puff pastry on the show. The Network must have told her to simplify the recipe, or something. The Food Network website has the recipe done both ways, though, so you have the choice of making it with or without the puff pastry. I decided to make my own dough, since that's what I was already going to do after looking at her blog.

The dough was easy to make, and I think I did okay with forming the samosas. A couple of them looked a little funny, but that's fine. I just didn't take a picture of those, ha ha! The samosas are then baked after forming them, which I am always a big fan of. I would much rather bake then deep-fry any day. While these were in the oven, I made a quinoa pilaf for the side dish.

Now, I've been preparing quinoa in different incarnations for several years now, and my husband said that this dish was the first he actually really, really liked. That's not to say that our previous adventures with quinoa were horrible, but this dish was just exceptional. I had to agree; it was delicious! Aarti incorporates Indian spices, pine nuts, and dried fruit into her quinoa, and then finishes the whole thing off with some fresh citrus zest and juice. Yum!

I'm sorry to say, I didn't manage to get a picture of the mint chutney that went along with the samosas. I don't know how that happened! It was scrumptious, and quite easy to toss together. There's a cool little flourish at the end, after you blend all the ingredients in the food processor. You sizzle some mustard seeds in oil and then throw them into the chutney. It makes the whole concoction sizzle and hiss, and the seeds infuse the oil with their tanginess and just enhance the flavor of the chutney. Plus, it's very showy, so if you're looking to impress someone with your culinary skills, it's a great way to do that! This whole meal is impressive, though. I highly recommend it for a lazy weekend day when you have the time to prepare it.

Baked Samosas with Mint Chutney
adapted from Aarti Sequeira, via Food Network.com
makes 8 samosas

Ingredients
For the filling:
1 large russet potato
Water
Salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
3 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 apple, peeled and finely diced (Aarti used a mango)
Juice of 1/2 lime
5 Tbsp. chipotle sauce (I used Chipotle Cholula)
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (I omitted)
Big handful cilantro leaves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
Big pinch salt
1/2 tsp. ajwain seeds, optional (I omitted)
1 egg
1 tsp. water

For the mint chutney:
1 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and soft stems
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced, plus more to taste
About 1/4 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable/olive oil
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds


Directions
Make the filling: 1. In a small saucepan, add the potato and enough cold water to cover. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

2. In a second small saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a simmer and add a generous pinch of salt, bay leaves, 1 tsp. coriander seeds, peppercorns, chili flakes, and chicken breast. Simmer until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Mash the potato and finely shred the chicken and put into a large bowl. Combine with apple, lime juice, chipotle sauce, remaining coriander seeds, cumin, cilantro, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix with a spoon or your hands until well incorporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Set aside.

Make the samosa pastry: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, buttermilk, oil, salt, and ajwain seeds, if using. Bring the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead until it has softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest, at room temperature, for about 15 minutes. You can put this in the refrigerator, but make sure you let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so, in order for it to soften.

2. Roll the dough into a short cylinder. Slice in half, then slice each half into two pieces, so you have 4 bits. Roll each bit into a ball. Flatten the balls into disks and then, on a floured surface, roll them each into a 1/8-inch thick, 7-inch wide circle. Cut in half to form 2 semicircles.

Assemble the samosas: 1. Put a tablespoon or so of the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange each samosa so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the left corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom right side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner.

2. Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tsp. water with a fork until thoroughly combined. Brush the tops of the samosas with the egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. You can flip them over before turning the heat down, if you like.

Make the chutney: 1. In a food processor, whiz together the mint, cilantro, ginger, lime juice, and water until it all comes together as a sauce. There'll probably still be little bits of leaf in the sauce, but no worries. Pour the chutney into a bowl.

2. In a small pan over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add mustard seeds; they should sizzle. Immediately cover with a lid until they stop spluttering. Make sure they don't burn! If they do, just start over. Immediately add the seeds and oil to the chutney. It will sizzle, so stand back. Once you've poured in all the oil, you can spoon a bit of the chutney into the pan so that you can capture all the oil. Pour into the bowl with the chutney. Serve the samosas hot, with the chutney alongside, as well as the quinoa pilaf (recipe follows).


Quinoa Pilaf
adapted from Aarti Sequeira, via Food Network.com
makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained (I used half red, half white)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Tbsp. chopped dried cranberries (Aarti used cherries)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, zested, plus 2 Tbsp. juice (Aarti used grapefruit)

Directions
1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until quinoa is cooked and the white curly germ shows, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and spices, and saute until the onion has softened and the spices are very fragrant. Stir in the pine nuts and cranberries and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the cooked quinoa (all the water should have been absorbed) to the skillet. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Allow to sit, off the heat, for 10 minutes so the flavors seep into the quinoa. Serve alongside the samosas.

Sloppy Bombay Joes

Being the Food Network-aholic that I am, I was following this past season of The Next Food Network Star. It's your garden variety reality competition series, in which foodie finalists compete to win the grand prize of their very own cooking show. Said show is then aired on weekend mornings on the channel, and if their first, six-episode season turns out to be a success, then the winner continues their cooking show. It's a pretty cool concept, and I've enjoyed watching for 3 or 4 seasons now. I can't say, though, that I have ever been as excited to make the winner's food as I was to make Aarti's food.



Food blogger Aarti Sequeira took home the title this year, and her cooking show, Aarti Party, began two Sundays ago. In her show, she tries to take the mystery and challenge of cooking Indian food, and turn it into something accessible for the home viewer. She likes to put an Indian spin on ordinary American dishes, thus showing the home cook how to utilize Indian techniques and spices to turn the familiar into the exotic. It sounded like a great way to branch out and try new things. Plus, I thought Aarti was great when I watched her all season long. She has a very calm, soothing presence on camera, and she definitely seems knowledgeable and creative in her cooking.



The first main dish she made on her new show was this: Sloppy Bombay Joes. She turns the average, everyday sloppy joe into international cuisine by transforming the messy, tomato-ey sauce we're used to in this dish into an Indian-style sauce. I was intrigued, and the food looked delicious on the show.

As it turns out, I loved these sloppy joes! The flavors were at once familiar and unknown, as the Indian spices mingled with the traditional tomato sauce and the meat and veggies. Her addition of raisins and pistachios was, I thought, inspired. The idea of extra textures in my sloppy joe was a welcome one; it made the meat mixture more interesting and much more flavorful. I didn't know how I'd feel about all these components working together, but it was fantastic.

If I had any gripes about this dish, they'd be very trivial. I felt like the slop was almost too sloppy, if that's possible. I mean, just by looking at this recipe's title, you'd think I'd be prepared for a mess. But I think I made my sauce a tad too runny. I'm sure I could have simmered everything longer and thickened it up a bit more, but I guess I was just eager to eat! I just served the meat mixture up with a slotted spoon to drain some of the excess liquid, and it was fine. My buns began to fall apart while being eaten, but I can imagine that the joes could be served up in pita bread or even tortillas, and still taste great.

Now that I've tasted her food, I can't wait to see what else Aarti's got in store for us. I'm sure this was just the first of many of her creations that I'll be trying out!

Sloppy Bombay Joes

adapted from Aarti Sequeira's recipe, found on Food Network.com
makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water

For the turkey:
3 to 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup shelled pistachios (about a small handful)
1/4 cup raisins (about a small handful)
1 tsp. cumin seeds (I had to use ground cumin; I had no seeds)
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (not chopped)
Kosher salt
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup half-and-half (I used 1% milk)
Small handful cilantro, chopped (soft stems included)
4 to 6 hamburger buns

Directions
1. Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic, and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

2. Begin the turkey: In a large skillet, warm 2 Tbsp. of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more Tbsp. of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened (since I had ground cumin, I just threw the cumin in with the onions and peppers). Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with the salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

5. Once the turkey has cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper. Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios, and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro (I stirred my cilantro in at the end).

6. Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture, and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!