Curried Falafels

In these last few weeks before the start of my senior year at Saint Joe’s, I can’t help but get a little bit nostalgic about how much this school means to me.  There seems to be little reminders everyday that take me back to my memories from these past three years.  Just the other day, for example, a friend of mine was eating a falafel for dinner and I was instantly transported back to the second week of my freshman year. One of my suitemates had suggested we go downtown to explore for the day as new residents of the great city of Philadelphia.  We hardly knew each other, as it was only the second week of school, but we deemed ourselves BESTFRIENDZ by the mere fact that we were going to be living together for an entire academic year.  See how awkward we were?

                                  

At least I was having fun...

                                

After some window-shopping on South Street we decided to stop for lunch at a cute little chain restaurant called Maoz, a falafel joint.  I had heard of this Middle Eastern sandwich before, but had never actually tried one; and although this falfael franchise was probably not the upmost authentic experience, I’ll still remember my very first bite and the uniqueness of the fried chickpea balls, cucumbers, tomatoes and tzatsiki sauce wrapped up in warm pita.

Inspired by this first falafel experience, and in attempts to make my four years at Saint Joe’s come full circle, here is a recipe I came with!

Click Here for the PRINTABLE RECIPE!

Ingredients

• 1 (15.5-ounce) can chicpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 small onion, chopped, about ½ cup
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
  
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons curry powder

For the yogurt sauce:

• ½ cup vanilla yogurt (I like the sweetness of it)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste 

Method

1. Combine chickpeas, onions, garlic and eggs in a blender.  Blend until the mixture has the texture of a chunky hummus, leaving some large chickpea pieces.


2. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a large bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Form into 5 patties or 9 small patties if you want to eat in a pita pocket.  The mixture should very wet to ensure a moist patty, but if you are having trouble forming them, stir in more breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon at a time.


3. Combine all ingredients for the yogurt sauce.  Taste for seasoning and set aside.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Drop the patties into the pan with space in between. Do this in batches if necessary.  Cook for 5 minutes, then carefully flip and cook the other side for another 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. These patties are nice because they are pan fried and not deep fried, making them healthier than a traditional falafel.

 

Serve in a warm pita with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and drizzle the yogurt sauce on top.

Fun Tip!
Don't know what to do with all of your extra pita bread? Cut them up into wedges, brush them with olive oil and top with salt and pepper or with cinnamon sugar! Bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy! Everyone loves a good pita chip! YUM! Now, Shut up and Eat!

Cherry Buckle Cake

During the time that I lived in France, I had the amazing opportunity to visit my good friend’s grandparents’ home in the southern countryside.  I had not yet travelled to this part of the country, and I was excited by the prospect of beautiful rolling plains and vast farmland that awaited me.
Upon my arrival, I was showered with les bises françaises,  (double-cheeked kisses), and back handed compliments like, “You’re rather thin for an American!” and “It’s good that you’re open to trying other foods besides McDonald’s”.  (Uhmm…McDonalds!? Please…) While the main course was cooking, my friend’s grandfather invited me to take a walk with him to cherry tree nearby their home.  “My bride makes the most delicious cherry cake with the fruit from this tree,” he told me. “And I like to eat a few before bringing the basket back to her.” We used a large hooking tool, pulling down the taller branches, to pick the sweetest cherries from the tree; and for every 10 cherries we picked, my friend’s grandfather ate 4 or 5 of them. 

  The cherries were exquisite. The loving care that this family had put into the growth and harvest of the tree was evident in each succulent and sun kissed fruit. 
                                         
I never considered myself much of a cherry eater before this experience, but I now find myself using this summer fruit in a variety of different recipes! Here is my recipe for Cherry Buckle cake, my version of the cake made for me, that day in the french countryside. I hope you enjoy!

Click Here for the PRINTABLE RECIPE!


Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients


STREUSEL
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch table salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened

CAKE
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
10 Tbsp (1/2 cup+2 Tbsp) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups (20-ounces) fresh cherries, pitted and halved

Directions

STREUSEL
1. In a mixer combine flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt until combined and no large lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix until mixture resembles wet sand and large pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Spray 9-inch springform pan with with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment paper, and spray parchment paper. Dust pan with flour.


2. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl. 

Cream the butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest, until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated scraping down the sides between each addition. 
 
Gradually add flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Using a spatula fold in the cherries.

3. Transfer batter to the prepared pan, pushing with the spatula to spread evenly and smooth surface. 
 
Squeeze portion of streusel in hand to form a cohesive clump, then break the clump with fingers and sprinkle over batter. Bake until golden brown, about 55-65 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.


4. Run a paring knife around the outside of the cake. Open the springform pan and invert the cake onto a plate lift off the pan and remove the parchment paper. Invert the cake again this time onto a serving platter. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Fun Tip!

Remember all those cherries that you were pitting?

Well, don't throw out those stems!!


Boiling cherry stems for 8-10 minutes makes for a delicious detox tea that you will absolutely love.

Now, shut up at eat!

Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Pizza

Nothing’s better than homemade pizza… well maybe Brooklyn pizza, but that’s because my mom is from there, and what momma likes, everyone likes… or she’ll “slit ya throat.” – now that’s family. Anyway, making pizza with my family is always so much fun and creates lasting memories. I love it when my mom comes home and is like, “Let’s make some pizza, huh?! It’ll be fun! Horrayyy!” And it always is.

My beautiful family plus Bella!

By the way, I never really introduced my mom/my family yet. My mom is a beautiful, strong woman that taught me everything I know. After my dad’s passing, my mom took the lead, and strong. Nothing would get in her way – don’t forget she’s an aggressive New Yorker. She kept our family strong with love through the darkest times and I will forever be in debt to her. My older brother, Chris, is an ambitious, hardworking, and loving brother. He set the bar as to what a brother should be, always caring and never selfish. And of course, my little brother Nicky, who was always my go-to when I needed to have fun. Nicky and I share a love for everything childish (Disney, Spongebob, Looney Tunes, and more) so if you ever hang out with the two of us, you probably won’t understand us because we only speak in quotes with each other #NotAshamed. Anyway, so that’s my beautiful family. Now, back to the FOOD blog.

Pizza is a fun way to get everyone involved in the kitchen and it’s pretty simple to make. My mom made this broccoli-cheddar pizza with me and my two brothers a few weeks ago and I’ve been dying to make it since I left for school. It’s healthier than store-bought or delivery pizza. Even though it may take a little more time than getting it delivered, it’s worth the wait and you can build friendship and memories. What’s better than that? Actually, I really don’t think there is anything better than that. 

Dan O' Sullivan

Speaking of ever-lasting friendships and good memories, my good friend Dan O’ Sullivan (picture on left, showing his HUMerican pride) helped me make this pizza last weekend. We made this delicious pizza along with a Caprese Pizza, which was also delicious in every way. He actually shared a useful tip when making homemade pizza – to sprinkle breadcrumbs on the pan before you put the dough on it, so it can bake into the bottom and create a crunchy crust. ANYWAY, BACK TO THE FOOD BLOG! I’m just gonna stop stalling this and just give you the recipe. Thanks for checking out our new blog, I hope you guys like it! Tell us what you think and comment at the bottom or follow us on twitter or enter your e-mail above.

Click Here for the PRINTABLE RECIPE!

Now, Shut Up and Eat.

Mangia Mangia,

Dom

Ingredients:

1 bag of prepared white (or wheat) dough – found at any supermarket.

1 cup of shredded mozzarella

1 cup of shredded sharp (or mild) cheddar

1 ½ cups of broccoli, sliced thin

1 can of fully prepared pizza sauce – I couldn’t even look at this when I bought it at the supermarket, but I didn’t have any sauce prepared and I was hungry. Please don’t tell my mom.

½ cup of flour

2-3 Tblsp. of extra-virgin olive oil

Salt, Pepper and Italian Herb Seasoning, to taste

Pam Spray for the pan

EQUIPMENT: Round Pizza Pan (or any sort of large baking sheet), can opener, pizza cutter (or a knife) and spoon

Ignore the Oreos...

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400˚F – 425˚F and spray Pam onto the pan. Start to roll out the dough to desired shape. Now, rolling the dough can be tricky. You want to first put flour on the counter so that it does not stick.

Next you want to start patting it down and turning it as you pat. Use your fingers and palms to press and stretch the dough into desired shape. Make sure you don’t make the middle too thin and the crust too thick or else it won’t bake correctly. If the crust gets too thick, start pulling the ends so they thin out. Remember to liberally sprinkle breadcrumbs on the pan before you place the dough on top. Once the dough is spread out place on pan and add the olive oil. Make sure to spread olive oil throughout the entire dough, including the crust so it doesn’t burn as easily. Place in oven for 5 minutes, then take out. 

Once the dough has baked for 5 minutes, add the sauce, cheddar, mozzarella, broccoli and spices and place back in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden. Once again, I’m color blind; I can’t really help you out there.

 And VOILA! Enjoy everyone! 

Comfort Zucchini Lasanga

Ahhh lasagna, what a wonderful belly filling meal! It can make any bad day feel like it never happened. But why should we have to sacrifice a healthy body for a moment of culinary therapy? WE SHOULDN'T. I crave lasagna in every season, every temperature and any setting, so when I found a clean zucchini lasagna, I knew I had to give it a try. And you know what? It's freaken delicious. It satisfies any melted cheese craving and gives you a healthy dose of veggies and not to mention flavor! This is also an awesome meal you can make that will feed you all week long! Because it's full of veggies and not pasta or heavy cheese, this makes for a perfect summer meal. Make it on sunday and have it for lunch and/ or dinner the following week. It's kind to your wallet and the portions are big enough to keep you full and never bloated or weighed down. It's the lasagna that keeps on giving! This Lasagna is that home cooked meal away from home. And it is so simple! Anyone with zero cooking skills could make this!

Now why is this Lasagna considered clean, you ask? This dish hits on all the major macro nutrients. it is PACKED with protein, 48 grams per serving to be exact! All that awesome protein comes from the lean ground turkey, 1% fat cottage cheese and fat free mozzarella. Just because the cheeses do not have a high fat content does not mean you will lose that wonderful gooey cheese!  Zucchini Lasagna also has just the right amount of healthy fats and your energizing carbs come for the zucchini and onions. This Lasagna has it all and is definitely one of my new favorites! You certainly won't miss the pasta and you will welcome the extra room you have for a Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffin ;).

Now how can I prove to you that this lasagna is no joke on flavor? Well, my father is a stickler for flavor. You can always tell he doesn't like a dish if he says nothing during dinner. Also, my dad doesn't like to hear that a dish is "healthy" before he eats it, he equates this automatically with a dish having no flavor. WHICH IS NOT TRUE! Anyways, you can imagine the joy I felt when my father's face lit up after his first bite and he said "This is pretty good!" He even had seconds! Always a good sign with poppa bear. I impressed one of my toughest culinary critics which means this dish is a winner!

Click Here of the PRINTABLE RECIPE!


Ingredients:

1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey breast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
3 large or 4 small zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise (I honestly only end up using 1 1/2 zucchinis because I use a smaller dish)
24 oz low-fat or 1% or 2% cottage cheese1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Rao's Tomato Sauce, you can find it at any supermarket. It's clean! No sugar added and very little salt)
Non-fat or low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (I found you only need one bag of mozzarella to do the job)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.1. Combine onion, ground turkey breast, sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder in a skillet over medium heat, cooking the turkey until it is no longer pink.

2. Layer zucchini in the bottom of your lasagna pan just as you would lasagna noodles, covering any gaps with additional slices of zucchini.

3. Spread 12 oz of cottage cheese over the layer of zucchini. I like to add a little basil with the cheese just for some added flavor :) 

4. Add ground turkey mixture over cottage cheese, careful to spread turkey evenly.

5. Layer approximately 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce over the cottage cheese and turkey mixture. (This picture is the sauce over the zucchini but it gives you an idea of how even the sauce should be.)

6. Repeat steps 2-5.
7. Place your last layer of zucchini over the second layer of cottage cheese, turkey mixture and cottage cheese.8. Top with tomato spaghetti sauce and add shredded cheese.

9. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

10. Remove tinfoil and bake for an additional 5 minutes at 350 degrees to brown cheese.

11. Let rest for approximately 10 minutes and Enjoy!


Now, Shut Up and Eat.

Note: This lasagna will be a little runny because of the consistency of the tomato sauce, moisture in the cottage cheese and the amount of water that zucchini hold. Just scoop out your lasagna and the excess liquid will stay in your pan.

Nutrition: (Best part!!!) Makes 6 servings. 1 Serving= 380 calories, 12.5 g fat, 18.5g carbs, 48.8g protein.

Recipe from He and She Eat Clean Blog