Mexican Spinach (great for veggie burritos/bowls)

This recipe is adapted from Pamala Salzman's Mexican-Style Sauteed Greens Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, finely diced (about a cup)
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (remove seeds to make it milder)
Another pepper - or two - cubanella for mild, poblano or more jalepeno for hot.
1 - ∞ garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound spinach or other greens you have. (Used fresh spinach without chopping and it was great.)

Cumin, gound
Ancho or other smoked chili powder
Sea salt to taste
Juice of 1 - 2 limes.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and jalapeno (and other pepper) and cook until onion is tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin and ancho powder to taste. Saute 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, or until tomatoes just start to lose their shape.
Add the greens and salt to taste.
Cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and just tender.
Add lime juice near the end.

Serve immediately.
For burritos you plan on picking up, drain the liquid.
For burrito bowls, your choice.

We served these with plain pinto beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded pepper jack cheese, and fresh salad sprouts, and they were pretty darn awesome!

Sourdough Bagels

This is a blending of this recipe:100% Naturally Leavened New York Bagels with Sourdough
and this one: King Arthur Water Bagels (and simplified).

For the dough:

300g active 100% sourdough starter
350g bread flour*
125g 200g cold water
20g non-diastatic malt
10g salt
*or 350g white whole wheat plus 40g gluten
Water Bath 2 quarts (1814g) water 2 tablespoons (18g) non-diastatic malt powder 1 tablespoon (14g) sugar

1. Mix all the dough ingredients together. I had to add a bit more water to bring it together.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Place dough on counter and knead to make smooth ball. Should take less than a minute since the gluten development happened in the fridge overnight!
4. Divide dough into 8 pieces and make into rounds.
5. Shape the bagels and place on parchment. King Arthur bagel shaping tips here.
6. Let bagels rise one to two hours, depending on how active your starter was and whether you use a proofing setting in your oven.

Boiling and baking:

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Assemble water bath and bring to gentle boil.
3. Place bagels in water, two at a time and boil 30-45 seconds and turn over for another 30-45 seconds.
4. Remove from water and place on another parchment sheet (on a baker's peel if you have one).
5. Sprinkle with seasonings.
6. Repeat with rest of bagels.
7. Depending on your oven, you can bake four at a time or all at once.
8. Bake 20 - 25 minutes until brown to preference.
9. Remove and place on wire rack to cool.

I did four on a baking steel and the bottoms were super crunchy and a bit overcooked for some, but I thought they were perfect.

The other four I did with my new Lloyd Pans Sicilian Style Pizza Pan, and they were less dark on the bottom.

Thanks to Lee Yan of 24 Hour Kitchen and King Arthur for the solid framework!

Easy Authentic Falafel Recipe (adapted from Suzy Karadsheh)

Christian made this under quarantine and it was FANTASTIC! Texture was so perfect with the dried chick peas.

Original Recipe is here. Deep thanks to Suzy Karadsheh!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups dried chickpeas (Do NOT use canned or cooked chickpeas)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed 
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed
• (We had neither fresh dill nor cilantro, but we did have leek sprouts, so...)
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 7–8 garlic cloves, peeled (We used 2 cloves out of deference to Karen, and made a garlic sauce to top.)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Oil for frying (or coating to bake)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. (One day in advance) Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl filled with water to cover the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight for 16-18 hours (more if the chickpeas are still too hard). When ready, drain the chickpeas completely and pat them dry.
2. Add the chickpeas, herbs, onions, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Run the food processor 40 seconds at a time until all is well combined forming a the falafel mixture.
3. Transfer the falafel mixture to a container and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or (up to one whole night) until ready to cook.
4. Just before frying, add the baking powder and sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and stir with a spoon.
5. Preheat oven to 400.
6. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the falafel mixture and form into patties (1/2 inch in thickness each). It helps to have wet hands as you form the patties.
7. Dip the patties into a dish or bowl with a few ounces olive oil in it and coat both sides. Then move to baking sheet (lined with parchment paper if you have it).
8. Fill a medium saucepan 3 inches up with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it bubbles softly. Carefully drop the falafel patties in the oil, let them fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or so until crispy and medium brown on the outside. Avoid crowding the falafel in the saucepan, fry them in batches if necessary.
9. Place the fried falafel patties in a colander or plate lined with paper towels to drain.
10. Bake for 10 minutes and check. Likely need to turn over each patty at this point, bake a further 10 minutes or so. Continue baking until golden brown. May need to turn patties once more.
11. Serve falafel hot next to other small plates; or assemble the falafel patties in pita bread with tahini or hummus, arugula, tomato and cucumbers. Enjoy!