Spent Grain Falafel with Tzatziki

In my wanderings to perfect a spent grain dog biscuit recipe, I stumbled across a new website. The Brooklyn Brew Shop. The site itself is for a home brew supply shop, but one section is solely devoted to cooking with spent grain. Home brewing can generate a fair amount of leftovers once the wort has been siphoned off.  When we've brewed a 5-gallon batch of beer in the past, there was typically too much grain leftover for us to use. Most of it would be destined for the compost. However, with this new discovery comes much, much more inspiration and motivation.

So when should I brew my next beer to ensure another insurgence of spent grain? And, oh, which recipes to try first?

adapted from The Brooklyn Brew Shop

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for the tzatziki 
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 mint leaves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar

for the falafel
2 -14 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup spent grain, wet
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
juice of 1/2 lemon

The Process:
for the tzatziki
Place the cucumber in a clean towel or several layers of cheesecloth. Squeeze as much of the liquid from the cucumber as you can.

Combine the cucumber, yogurt, garlic, mint, salt, oil, and vinegar in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

for the falafel
Preheat the oven to 375

Lightly grease two baking sheets and set aside.

Pulse the garbanzo beans in a food processor until a coarse paste forms.

Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Roll mixture into 1" balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, flip halfway through.

Serve with tzatziki.

Tempting Tomato Sauce

The tomatoes are here! The tomatoes are here! Well...were here.  During that long break I took I was blessed with several pounds...POUNDS...of tomatoes from our CSA farm.   In the end I believe I handled nearly one hundred pounds of the bright red fruit.  Sixty pounds of romas were crushed, canned and put up for the winter.  Several beefsteaks and heirlooms were sliced up and enjoyed with just a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  A creamy tomato bisque graced our dinner table another evening.  But still the tomatoes kept coming. 

My fall back became to roast them with garlic, peppers and onions and blend the mixture into an wonderfully rich sauce.   I got into the habit of slicing up as many tomatoes I had to fill up two baking dishes.   Whatever vegetables I deemed worthy would join the  mix...usually onions, peppers, once or twice a carrot.  The occasional small eggplant. Maybe some zucchini.  Herbs I played fast and loose with too.  And the wine?  Usually a dry white, but a red occasionally made a nice change of pace.  And in the end I stopped bothering with that whole seeding and skinning business.  The immersion blender blade did a fair job of getting the skins stuck up in it, so I never bothered trying to strain out the few that didn't managed to get jammed.  And the seeds?  Well, I'm lazy and the texture and flavor they added didn't bother me in the slightest.  The only thing I made certain to do was salt it well.  I had a tendency to go a little to easy on the salt early on...

 I believe I needn't worry about open a store bought jar of sauce for many, many more months...

adapted from Alton Brown

yields about 4-5 cups

The Ingredients:
15-20 fresh tomatoes.  Romas work best
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
several sprigs of thyme
several fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper
1 cup dry white wine

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350.  Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and cram into two 9x13 inch pans.  Divide the onions, peppers garlic and herbs evenly between the two pans.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about two hours.  Increase the oven temperature to 400 and bake an additional thirty minutes. 

Scrap the roasted tomatoes and veggies into a large stock pot along with the wine.  Heat over medium-high heat, bringing to a gentle simmer.  Cook, stirring continually, for 10 minutes.  Blend to a puree using an immersion blender directly in the pot, or transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with addition salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with your favorite pasta, ladle into plastic to freeze for later, or jar and process in a pressure cooker to preserve in the pantry.

Holy Homemade Hummus!

I have been meaning to make hummus for ages.  Store bought varieties are a staple of my lunches...with veggies, on pita, sometimes with pretzels or chips.  I adore every variety I've tried...plain, garlic loaded, spicy.  With olives or roasted red pepper.   The only thing that bothered me was a slightly artificial acidic flavor that nagged every brand I'd ever purchased.  I suspected the only solution was to make my own.


adapted from Cook Eat Live Vegetarian


yields about 1 1/2 cups

The Ingredients:
1 - 14 oz can garbanzo beans
3-4 Tbsp tahini
2-3 cloves of garlic
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
oil, cumin and paprika to serve

The Process:
In a large bowl, thoroughly rinse the garbanzo beans, gently squeezing and rubbing the beans together to loosen the skins.   Skin the loosened skins off the top of the water.

Transfer the beans to a medium sauce pan.  Add just enough water to cover.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the beans for about 12-15 minutes, or until soft.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid.   Rinse, again while gently rubbing together to loosen and remove any remaining skins.  This may sound incredible tedious, but the extra step yields an extra creamy end product!

Transfer the beans to a food processor.  Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt.  Process until smooth, adding reserved liquid 1 Tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. 

Spoon the hummus to a serving dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin and paprika.  Serve with pita, veggies or chips.

The Review:
I made this to enjoy with lunch.  I almost sat down with the entire batch and a spoon...it's that good...

Homemade pitas to follow!

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

Oh risotto, how you have captured my heart.  Now that I've tried my hand at a few, I am truly addicted.  Despite the cook time, risotto's adaptability to different flavor combinations keeps me coming back.  And roasted red pepper?  Yes please!


adapted from Bev's recipe at bevcooks.com

should serve 4

The Ingredients:
2 medium red bell peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper







 
The Process:
Pre-heat the broiler.   Place the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet and broil the peppers until the skin is charred and blackened all over, turning the peppers as you go, about 12-15 minutes.
Remove the peppers from oven and place them into a sealable plastic bag. Seal and let the peppers steam  for 10 to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel off the skins and remove the seeds and stem. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
 
In a medium sauce pan, heat the chicken stock to a gentle simmer.  Keep warm.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil.  Add the onions and saute over medium high heat until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat evenly.

Slowly pour in the white wine.  Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously.  Once the wine has been absorbed, add the warm stock, one ladle full at a time, allowing each addition to be fully absorbed before adding the next.  Patience is key.  Stir gently and continuously. 

After the last ladle of stock has been absorbed, at the rice is creamy in texture and slightly al dente, add the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the pureed pepper sauce and allow to simmer until the risotto has thickened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the risotto from the heat..  Cover and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. 

The Review:
Risotto: Labor or love.  But or so worth it every time.  Two red peppers yielded almost 1 cup of puree after a whirl in the blender.  As a result the risotto was a little soupy right after adding the red pepper.  A little more time on the stove to  allow the liquid to absorb into the rice helped.  As did a few minutes that the risotto was allowed to rest off of the heat.  


Oh, but the flavor...sweet, rich, deep.  Such a beautiful orang-ish red hue.  So many variations to try, and yet this may turn into the go-to recipe for a special dish.

White Bean and Tomato Bruschetta

The highlight of the bruschetta bar, at least for me, was this little gem right here.  Our event was kicking off an evening of drinking and revelry, and while finger food doesn't offer much by way of substance, I was bound and determined to have something with a little more protein to sate us.
Adapted from a Bon Apetit recipe found at Epicurious

yields about 20 servings

The Ingredients:
1 cup dried Great Northern beans (or one can, drained and well-rinsed)
3 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:

If using dry beans: beans in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Cover and remove from heat. Allow the beans to stand 1 hour.  Drain beans and return to pan. Add enough cold water to cover by them 3 inches. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Drain and cool. 

Transfer cooked (or canned) beans to medium bowl. Add in tomatoes, olives, 4 tablespoons oil, basil and garlic. Mix until well combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Serve cold or room temperature with crostini.

The Review:

The flavor and texture of this simple topping was astounding.  Fresh red-ripe fall tomatoes, smooth and creamy white beans, salty olives and just enough seasoning to tie everything together....heavenly.   I went a little heavier on the bean than the recipe called for, but with no regrets.  

The original recipe suggests serving by spreading freshly toasted slices of French bread with a goat's cheese such as Montrachet and then topping with the bean mixture.  While I'm sure this would have added an even more exquisite depth of flavor and a wonderful play of warm crisp toast against cool and creamy toppings, we opted to keep it simple and remove the broiler and cheese from the equation.  That's quite alright.  This meant I was able to savor a lovely bit of Montrachet on my own some days later.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

At a recent opening night party for work we were treated to a spread of savory Italian finger foods. The highlight of the Mediterranean treats was the bruschetta bar. Large bowls of lightly toasted bread headed a table filled with about half a dozen varieties of tasty toppings. I was itching to have an excuse to set up something similar. Double tomato bruschetta is the first of the three I treated out guests to on the chosen night.

Adapted from Laurie Thompson's recipe at Allrecipes.com

The Ingredients:
for the toasts:
1-2 day old baguettes
olive oil

for the topping:
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
The Process:
For the toasts:
Preheat the oven to 450.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Arrange slices in a single layer on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Allow to cool.

for the topping:
In a medium bowl combine the two types of tomato, garlic, oil, vingear and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

to serve:
Arrange toasted bread on a serving platter. Carefully top each slice with a spoonful of the tomato mixture. Alternatively, set the toasts in a large basket at the table alongside a serving dish of the tomato mixture and allow guests to create their own bruschetta.

The Review:
The sun-dried tomato added a deep and slightly sweet taste that brought a pleasant and rich tomato flavor to their anemic Roma relations. The vinegar likewise added a sweet hint, making me wish I had added just a touch more salt to balance the flavors out.

These little toasts could just as easily be finished off with a touch of mozzarella and a minute or two under the broiler, but with people coming and going the serve yourself bruschetta bar seemed to result in much fresher flavors. And no soggy toasts were to be found from bread topped too soon. Overall this double tomato bruschetta was a big hit, though not the favorite of the evening.

Chicken Skewers with Tarragon-Pistachio Pesto

Fall has arrived. The days grow shorter and the evenings become chillier. What more reason do you need to uncover the grill for one last hurrah as summer slips away? This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time and cook with friends, huddled over the warm grill, beer in hand. We have the friends and beer part down. Now we just need to work on the grill part. In a pinch, a broiler works just as well.

adapted from "Weeknight Cooking" Bon Appetit, April 2011

serves 4

The Ingredients:
pesto
1/2 to 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2-3 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
2-3 Tbsp unsalted pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oilskewers
8 large chicken tenders (about 1 to 1 1/3 lbs)
1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch wedges
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
8 lemon slices, halved
salt and pepper to taste
The Process:
for the pesto
In a blender or food processor, combine the first 5 ingredients and finely chop. Slowly add the olive oil and blend until a coarse paste. Mix in 2 Tbsp water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to use.

for the skewers:
Heat a grill or broiler. On metal or bamboo skewers (soak the bamboo in water at least 10 minutes prior to using to prevent burning), thread 1 piece of onion, 1 piece of pepper, 1 slice of lemon, 1 chicken tender (lengthwise), followed by an addition piece of onion, pepper and lemon. Brush with olive oil and tarragon-pistachio pesto. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and vegetables lightly charred, about 6-8 minutes per side. Serve with remaining pesto.

The Review:
We had a guinea pig, errr, guest for dinner this evening so this incredibly fast and simple, yet elegant looking dinner fit the bill. The flavors of the pesto are fresh and provide a nice change of pace from the traditional basil/parsley concoction. The combination of tarragon and pistachio was a bigger success thanmy hazelnut pesto a few months back. I'll be stashing this recipe to toss with pasta or spread on crostini in the future.

The chicken was tasty, tender and fairly neutral foil to the charred veggies and pesto. Overall the entire meal was light, fresh and filling. And offered a perfect reason to heat up the coals on a chilly September evening.