Lighter fare, especially meatless dishes, are on my mind
With our temperatures rising a bit, I am thinking of lighter food fare before my barbecue season begins. Let's make some meatless recipes!
It is so easy if you've never made falafel at home, especially if you have a food processor. Just blend, chill and pan-fry. Serve on top of store-bought pita bread and tzatziki sauce, and you've got a quick and delicious dinner.
Hummus is one of my favorite dips. It's excellent with crunchy pita chips, a replacement for mayo on a sandwich and a veggie dip with celery, carrots and broccoli. Yes, the recipe calls for 20 cloves of garlic, but feel free to modify it to your taste.
This ramen soup is one of my weekly recipes. It makes one giant bowl of deliciousness. The broth is rich and delicious and comes together in about 10 minutes. I've used gluten-free ramen (Lotus Foods brand), but feel free to use your favorite noodle.
My Bizzy Kitchen runs once a month in Food. Follow Biz Velatini on her blog at mybizzykitchen.com/, on Instagram at instagram.com/mybizzykitchen/?hl=en and Facebook at facebook.com/mybizzykitchen.
Falafel
¾ cup canned chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon giardiniera
1 teaspoon tahini
Drain chickpeas.
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until a rough paste is formed. Make sure not to overprocess.
Put the mixture in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat skillet with avocado oil spray.
Shape falafel into six patties.
Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until crispy.
Serve with rice and a salad, or in naan with tzatziki.
Serves 2
Biz Velatini
Garlicky Creamy Hummus
2 cups chickpeas (I used canned; drain but save the liquid)
½ cup tahini
20 cloves garlic
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup coconut aminos
½ cup aquafaba*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Put everything in a high-speed blender or food processor.
Process for 3 minutes, or until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Serves 12, ¼ cup servings
*Aquafaba is the liquid from the canned chickpeas, so strain the chickpeas but save the liquid.
Biz Velatini
Ramen Soup with Tofu
1 baby bok choy, sliced lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 mushrooms, sliced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 teaspoon lemon grass
1 teaspoon ginger
3 cups water
3 teaspoons Knorr chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 package (2.8 ounce) Lotus Foods millet and brown rice ramen
1 hard-boiled egg
1 teaspoon chili crisp
Heat a stock pot over medium heat with avocado oil spray and cook the bok choy for about 4 minutes, cut side down, until charred. Remove from the pan. Add a bit more avocado oil spray, and add the garlic and cook until golden, remove for topping.
Add in the carrots, mushrooms, lemon grass and ginger and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, sambal oelek and sesame oil. Bring to a boil, add in the noodles, and cook for 4 minutes.
Serves 1
To plate: add soup to bowl, top with the charred baby Bok choy, add the egg with a teaspoon of chili crisp and sprinkle with fried garlic.
Biz Velatini