Sweet Potato Falafel with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

I don't exactly know how I came to have about a dozen sweet potatoes in my pantry. I seem to remember buying a few for a casserole that I never got around to making, but I'm not quite sure how the others got there. My secret suspicion is that while behind closed doors, they're multiplying like little vegetable bunnies. But whatever the explanation, I've had a surplus of sweet potatoes on my hands, so lately I've been slipping them into unconventional dishes, like this one.

These brilliantly colored falafel are a tasty treat, but I'm not going to lie to you: If you're expecting the crispy, crunchy deep-fried delicacy, then you'll be disappointed. I almost didn't call them "falafel" because of that, but since I served them and ate them like falafel, falafel they shall be called. If you prefer, think of them as savory, lightly spiced (or highly spiced, if you're so inclined) sweet potato croquettes that taste great stuffed into pita bread or wraps, topped with yogurt-tahini dressing.

I made these in three different sizes: small patties, double-sized patties, and little balls. The small patties were so much better than the rest that I'm going to insist that you make them that way; the larger patties and balls are too dense inside and lack the crunchiness of the small patties. They're easy to make uniform in size and shape if you use a cookie dough scoop to form them and then flatten them with your fingers or a spatula. (The scoop I use holds just over a tablespoon.) Two of these small patties are just the right amount of filling for an average sized pita half. And don't forget to serve them with the Yogurt-Tahini Sauce; though it's higher in fat, it really complements the falafel--though it's so delicious that it would improve just about anything!



Sweet Potato Falafel
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Cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave is a real time saver, but feel free to bake or steam them instead. The moistness of sweet potatoes varies, so you may need to add a little more flour to achieve the right texture.

1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 2 tbsp hot water
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 18 ounces, total)
2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup minced parsley
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup chickpea flour or besan
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
sesame seeds (optional)

Mix the flax seeds with two tablespoons hot water and set aside to thicken.

Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place on paper towels in microwave. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, turn over, and then cook for another 2 minutes. Check for tenderness, and if not cooked all the way through, cook in increments of 30 seconds until tender. Set aside to cool until easy to handle; peel and place in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mash sweet potatoes well with a masher or a fork. Add the flax mixture, seasonings (including parsley), and lemon juice and stir well. Mix the chickpea flour with the baking powder and add it a little at a time to the sweet potato mixture. Stir until well-combined. Batter should be stiff; if not, add chickpea flour a tablespoon at a time until batter is thick. (If the batter is too stiff to blend in all the flour, add water a tablespoon at a time.)

Oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Use a cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon to make about 20-22 little mounds of dough on the baking sheet (dipping the scoop in water every now and then will help prevent the dough from sticking to it). Flatten the balls to about 1/2-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches wide. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bottoms are medium brown. Serve hot with yogurt-tahini sauce. These keep well and can be reheated briefly in the microwave.

Makes 5 servings (about 4 small falafel each). Per serving: 159 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 500mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Weight Watchers 3 Points.

Per falafel: 38 Calories (kcal); .5g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 119mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers 1 Point.



Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
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This non-traditional sauce is my own creation, so blame me for the addition of ketchup...but whatever you do, don't leave it out!

1/2 cup soy yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch red pepper
4 teaspoons ketchup
2 tablespoons water

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Add additional seasonings to taste.

Makes about 14 tablespoons. Per tablespoon: 20 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (54% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 59mg Sodium; trace fiber. Weight Watchers 1 Point.

Moin-Moin (Nigerian Savory Black-eyed Pea Cake)

Happy New Year!

As you know, it's supposed to be lucky to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. Every year around this time I scour my cookbooks and my imagination for new ways to cook them because the way I grew up eating them was, frankly, a little boring--as well as not vegetarian. Last year I made Creole Black-eyed Peas, and though I missed New Year's by a few days, I think I had a fairly lucky year. I renewed my luck in May by making Spicy Collards and Black-eyed Peas--two lucky foods in one dish. One of my favorite black-eyed pea dishes, Texas Caviar, hasn't made an appearance on this blog, and since it's a salad, I think it will have to wait until the temperature is above freezing.

When I read about moin-moin (or moyin-moyin), a savory Nigerian pudding or cake made of black-eyed peas, I was very intrigued. Information about it was hard to come by, however, because every website I found was passing around the same, identical recipe. Finally, I happened upon a post by Fran Osseo-Asare --complete with video--at BetumiBlog that filled in all the blanks. I learned a great trick for getting the skins off of the black-eyed peas (you literally rub the black-eyes off, what fun!) and discovered that you can cut up pieces of moin-moin and serve it on toothpicks as an appetizer, as shown above.

Moin-moin seems to be very versatile: You can eat it cold or hot, as a part of a meal or as a snack. There are similar dishes made of ground black-eyed peas throughout western and central Africa, including akara, a fritter with mostly the same ingredients. The traditional way to make moin-moin is to steam it in banana leaves or, when they are not available, aluminum foil. For my first attempt at making moin-moin, I used small ramekins instead--or, to be more exact, I used the six ramekins I had and used foil packets for the other two servings. Dealing with the ramekins was easier than making and filling foil packets, so that is the technique that I'm illustrating here. If you're interested in using aluminum foil, do check out the videos on the BetumiBlog.

These little cakes or puddings are mildly seasoned, which seems to be traditional, but have the strong, characteristic taste of black-eyed peas. I found no mention of serving them with any type of sauce, but being a saucy Louisianian, I couldn't resist eating them with some spicy cocktail sauce (a mixture of ketchup, horseradish, and hot sauce). Their mild flavor would be complemented by any number of sauces, though give them a try alone first so that you can appreciate their simple, savory flavor. Serve them with some Quick and Delicious Collards and reap your lucky rewards in the new year!



Moin-Moin
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1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 roasted red pepper (or 1 fresh, seeded red pepper)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seafood seasoning (see Note)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste--see Note)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Wash the peas and pick over them to remove any debris. Put them into a large bowl and cover with hot water at least two inches above the level of the peas. Soak for at least one hour.

Drain off the soaking water and place the peas in a food processor. Pulse briefly about 12 times, until peas are just barely broken.

After pulsing

Pour the peas back into the bowl and cover with water. Rub the peas between your hands, removing the skins. The skins will float to the top. Pour off the skins, into a colander, and repeat this process several times.

Skins in the colander

Once the skins are removed, the peas will be white. It's not necessary to get off every single skin, but try to remove as many as possible.

Black-eyes removed

Put the skinned peas back into the processor. Add the chopped onion, roasted red pepper, tomato paste, and about 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth. Process until completely smooth (this may take a few minutes, depending on your processor).

Pour the mixture back into the bowl. Stir in the Old Bay seasoning (or other, see Note below), salt, and white pepper. Add a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth, if necessary, to make a thick but pourable slurry.

Heat water in a steamer or deep pot with a steamer basket set over it. Oil 8 ramekins. Pour a scant 1/2 cup of the batter into each ramekin and cover with aluminum foil. Set ramekins into steamer.

Ramekins in double-decker steamer

Steam for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a ramekin comes out fairly clean.

Keep covered with foil to preserve moistness until ready to serve.

Note: You may use any seasoned salt instead of the Old Bay and salt. Use about 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons and add more to taste.

Makes 8 cakes. Per serving (2 cakes): 158 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 606mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Weight Watchers: Core / 2 Points.

Lower-Fat Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Every year around the holidays, I like to post a recipe (or two) that's a little higher in fat than my normal fare. Last year it was Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake and the year before it was Eggnog Cheesecake.

This year I'm departing from the cheesecake theme to bring you a treat that's higher in fat than most of my desserts yet still contains no processed oils or margarine. Peanut butter provides the flavor in these cookies, but it also provides the fat that makes their texture much more like "regular" cookies than low-fat ones. Mashed banana substitutes for margarine and imparts a distinctive flavor--and natural sweetness--of its own. The result is a cookie that's slightly crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Throw in the optional chocolate chips and you have a healthier treat that's good enough to serve at your next holiday party; don't mention they're low-fat, and no one will guess!

E loved these cookies, both with and without chocolate chips, and gave them 5 out of 5 crumbs on her new rating scale. They're especially delicious served with soy nog or Pumpkin Spice Silk.



Lower-Fat Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
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One of the great things about this recipe is that you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry. Use chunky peanut butter if you like pieces of peanut in your cookies. (I do!)

1/2 cup natural peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup mashed banana
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Cream together the peanut butter and sugars. Add the mashed banana and mix until creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter a little at a time until totally absorbed. Add the chocolate chips, if desired, and mix until well-blended, but do not over-mix.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared pans, about 2 inches apart. Flatten with a fork dipped in water. (These cookies will not spread as they cook, so the shape they're in when they come out of the oven will be about the same as when they went in.) Bake for about 10 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. Remove and let cool before serving.

Makes 20 cookies.

Each without chocolate chips contains: 102 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (27% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 63mg Sodium; 1g Fiber.Weight Watchers 2 Points.

With chocolate chips: 116 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (30% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers 2 Points.

Butter Bean Soup with Portabellas and Wild Rice

In the depths of winter weather--or as deep as it gets in these parts--often the only thing standing between me and acute culinary boredom is the freezer. Sure, pumpkins and winter squash are exciting at first, but it doesn't take long before summer produce envy sets in and I start pining for the juicy tomatoes and fresh field peas of a few months ago. There's not much I can do about the tomatoes--canned and frozen are okay for cooked dishes, but they're never going to make it into one of my salads--but peas and beans that have been frozen when they're fresh lose only a little of their taste and nutrition and make a decent substitute for the fresh thing.

I have friends and neighbors who buy enough butter beans and lady cream peas to eat their summertime fill and have enough left over to blanch and freeze for the winter. In my next life, I hope to be one of these people. For now, I have to settle for store-bought frozen peas, which I'm able to find in several varieties. For this delicious, savory soup, I used Pictsweet brand speckled butter beans. They're about the same size as Fordhook lima beans, but they're dark and a little less starchy. If they're not available in your area, feel free to substitute frozen lima beans or black-eyed peas. Just avoid anything canned; I find that canned butter beans can ruin the flavor of just about anything!



Butter Bean Soup with Portabellas and Wild Rice
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If you don't have wild rice, pearled barley or another grain can be used instead; just be sure to pick one that cooks in less than an hour.

2 medium onions, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
1 pound speckled butter beans or Fordhook lima beans, fresh or frozen
6 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup wild rice
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, or 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon sage
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Heat a large non-stick pot. Add the onions, and saute until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. (Add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent sticking, if necessary.) Add the celery and garlic, and cook for another two minutes.

Add the water and butter beans and bring to a boil. Add all remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans and wild rice are both done, 45-55 minutes. If necessary, thin soup with water as it is cooking, according to taste. Just before serving, about 1/2 cup of the beans may be mashed or blended to make the broth thicker.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 151 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 849mg Sodium; 6g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.

Fall Harvest Fruit Cake (Persimmon-Apple Cake)

I came home after Thanksgiving with a bag of persimmons from my parents' garden. As my father pointed out to me, these were fairly small fruits and still hard at the time, so I'd have to wait for them to soften up before I could eat them. If you've ever bitten into an under-ripe Hachiya persimmon, you know why: The astringent taste will make the inside of your mouth feel like it's coated with a bitter fur, and you'll never want to eat one again. You have to wait until the fruit is practically turning to mush before you can be sure it's ripe, but when it is ripe, it's rich and sweet--the candy of fruits.

So I put my persimmons on the counter and waited. And waited. After a couple of weeks had passed and only two or three fruits had ripened (and been eaten right away), I did what you have to do to make all the fruits ripen at once. I put them in a plastic bag with a ripe apple. Within 2 days the gases from the apple had ripened all the persimmons, and I was free to make use of them.

So, I made a fruit cake--not the kind of fruit cake my mother used to make at this time of year, full of artificially colored dried fruit and soaked in bourbon. This is a fruit cake in the sense that it's almost as much fruit as cake, making it dense and moist and sweet. I combined persimmons with apples because they taste great together and they're both in season this time of year, but feel free to try other types of fruit, adjusting the agave nectar as necessary. Persimmons are very sweet, so you may need a little more sweetener if you substitute, say, bananas or mango. (But then it would be a Tropical Fruit Cake!)




Fall Harvest Fruit Cake
(printer-friendly version)

If you've ever tried a native persimmon, you know that it's full of seeds. From 8 persimmons I got 3/4 of a cup of pulp once I'd removed all of the seeds. With store-bought persimmons, you may need only two or three to get enough pulp.

Fruit:
3/4 cup ripe persimmon pulp
1 large apple
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/8 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Cake:
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup soy yogurt or apple sauce

Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a 8- or 9-inch baking dish or cake pan. (I used a round silicone cake pan.) Remove the skin from the persimmons along with any seeds. Mash pulp and measure. Peel the apple and chop into 1/2-inch cubes.

Place the apple into a saucepan along with the 1/8 cup agave nectar, water, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the apple softens, about 10 minutes. Add the persimmon and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the water, orange juice, 1/2 cup agave nectar, cider vinegar, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ones along with the soy yogurt or apple sauce. Stir until well-moistened. Fold in apple mixture.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 260 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 63g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 444mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 4 Points.

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Looking for more information about persimmons? Check out my previous persimmon recipes:

Persimmon Bread
Frozen Persimmon Sorbet

Also take a look at Falling for Persimmons by Susan Russo of Food Blogga.