Family Ker-Falafels

Cooking for a family is a celebration. It isdone with love and careful thought as to what is good for everyone. However there are issues around food that can make or break that feeling of joyful nurturing. To generalise: Kids are often fussy eaters, teenage girls can suddenly decide to go without the habitual family staples, men may be demanding about what they consider a meal lacking in protein and if there are older folk to feed – well they will need less quantity and tempting nutritional quality.

Generalising again; the emphasis on nourishment falls to the mother. It is upsetting and stressful for all concerned when dinners are disliked.

Small kids love to pop things in their mouths and how fantastic is that when the food is an all in one nourishing burst. Working men need low GL carbohydrates that are low on cholesterol - and with diverse textures. Teenagers return from school starving and in that moment they would almost eat anything – so make that anything a valuable nutritional snack.

 Here is a great recipe for success and hey presto a busy mum has succeeded.

The best falafels are made with raw sprouted chickpeas, that way they contain extra nutrients and are a living vegetable.

To make falafels you will need to soak chick peas for about 2 days, rinsing daily, until they have swelled and just begun the sprouting process. They will become crunchy, rather like a raw pea. Sprouted chick peas store well in the fridge for about five days by rinsing occasionally

INGREDIENTS

3 cups lightly sprouted chickpeas            

2 fresh tomatoes                                     

2 -3 onions

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ tsp cayenne pepper             

Light oil for frying

1 tsp salt

FOR THE COATING

1 cup maize meal or polenta

Seasoning, chopped herbs, a touch of peri peri

Alternatives such as: chopped spinach or grated carrot for the mixture

1. Blend the sprouted chick peas with the tomatoes, lemon juice, seasoning and one of the onions.

2. When smoothish stir in a finely chopped onion and adjust seasoning.

This mixture may seem too wet when you first liquidize it, trust that after resting it for 30 minutes it will swell and thicken enough to form the falafels.

3. Generously cover a large plate with the coating. Drop a heaped tablespoon of the mixture onto the plate and gently roll to form small balls.

They are quite fragile so carefully place each falafel onto a plate dusted with the coating and set aside.

4. Heat a frying pan with a generous amount of oil. Gently drop the falafels into the sizzling oil, patiently waiting for the base to form before turning them over. This should only take a few minutes. Drain on tissue.

5. An alternative method, which we use a lot for selling on our market stalls, is to form bigger golf sized balls and lightly bake them in a medium hot oven for about 20 minutes or until they are firm to the touch.

The latter is a healthy and completely fat free version.

The uncooked falafel mix will keep 2-3 days uncooked in the fridge, although raw onion absorbs bad odours so use sooner rather than later.

 6. The formed falafel can be frozen by placing on a flat surface onto grease proof paper, freezing and then placing in an airtight container.

Frozen falafels are a handy and very healthy fast food, fantastic for a protein rich supper for hungry kids.

7. As an extra do experiment by adding grated raw carrot or chopped spinach to the falafel mixture, in fact you could get kids to eat their five-a-day with a few bites of this very delicious snack.

Traditionally falafels are served warm tucked into toasted pita or a tortilla wrap with, a tahini or yoghurt dressing and salad. Three smaller sized falafel are plenty per person.

They go well too with a creamy potato mash, a fresh tomato or fruity salsa and some crispy salad leaves or lightly steamed veg.

The larger version can even be baked in the oven in a rich tomato or a béchamel sauce to make a full hearty meal.

Chickpeas are one of the oldest vegetables and have been discovered in caves and carbon dated to around 6500 years BC. They are a good source of zinc folate and protein. They are high in dietary fibreand a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulinsensitivity. Chickpeas are low in polyunsaturated fat.

Listowel Farmers Market & Slow Food Event

Sproated chickpea falafels for the market

vegetable terrine with tofu

Writers are hungry people. On Friday 1st.June Listowel town square was buzzing with excitement and brilliant sunshine. the Farmers Market stalls looked good, brimming with tasty home cooking, vegetarian delights, gorgeous fluffy cakes, local organic cheeses, veggies, herbs and meat. There was beautiful fresh fish and periwinkles - complete with pin authentic Spanish paella bubbling away in a huge flat pan, pancakes and delicious old fashioned meat pies.

The Listowel Ladies looked the part with creative attire,wearing layers of textured fabrics and pretty summer colours which caught the light and the celebratory occasion.

Lots of smiles and greetings and meetings; chatter and banter that would have made John B keanes heart sing, this festival that honoured him, and His town alive with the magic of the pen.

The participants coming from the workshops and talks were full of inspiration, and they wandered up to us looking for a tasty nibble to relax with on a warm bench in the sun. Food from the heart and food for the soul.

On  the following Sunday The Slow Food event caused a stir in The Listowel Arms Hotel.

A fantastic banquet was laid out with the creativity that only good cooks can achieve. The Local produce helped and there was a good community spirit as well as the pure joy of eating well presented, well cooked food - in an elegant setting - Slowly.

 Kate Carmody and I represented the artisan food producers, in the lovely breakfast room of the hotel watching the rain and the wild river rushing by. However when the sun popped out so did I and  with the help of a few customers I relocated outside - happy giving tasters, talking about the recipes in The Phoenix Cookbook "A Culinary Adventure , simply enjoying delicious slow food and the" infectious party atmosphere of the warm June afternoon at the 41st anniversary of Listowel Writers Week.

Kerry radio and live filming added greatly to the excitement and we can all look forward to the fun of The Listowel Food Fair in November with the prestigious Irish Cookbook of the year award and the tasty culinary events which Listowel people seem to coordinate so well.

Go Kerry you Hot Hot Thing

Even as I parked at Tralee's North Campus for the Gokerry web site launch  last Friday, the car temperature gage was reading a roasting 27celsius.
Sunglasses in place, summery frock nicely flapping, I joined the crowd hovering on the steps of the building. I clutched my Cookbook, like a shield or a tag - who did I know - everyone was mostly unregognizable of course because they like me were all sun kissed and sun dressed. After a brief " Go St. Tropez" blink through the sparkling haze of undiluted sunshine, there we all were and the "Hi's" and "how are you's" and the friendly introductions began.

Inside things were hotting up +30c someone said as we circulated, talking about, dare I say it: The Weather. Mingling for me was made easier due to the fact we had kindly been provided with little colourful merengues, tasty sandwidges and - yum yum - dark chocolate coated eclairs filled with fresh cream. Now, if you were stood next to one of those trays, you may have noticed me - a tall red head on a mission and that mission was to save those sweet baby delights from melting away on the plate. "Delicious" as I mingled and mumphed. I have a large mouth and I found - yes they fitted all in one go, not a dribble of chocolate in sight or a smidgeon of cream on the upper lip. "Blood sugar low ladies? Do try these" and the mock surprise as I encountered another handy plateful " Oh scrumptious, have you tasted them?"
The speeches were made and we clapped and sipped water whilst ferociously fanning ourselves. Glancing out of the door I felt every entusiastic word uttered about the wonders of the kerry product was true, yes this is the most beautiful county and we are all extremely privaliged to live and work here.
Heartfelt thanks to those who contributed to the day and to the trojan work spent on the Gokerry web site.
And whoever made those cute little eclairs......

On my way From St.Albans to the IOW I changed trains for Portsmouth at Three Bridges. Not very far from the heart of London - we had only just passed through St. Pancreas with its gleaming corn blue iron work and red bricked state of the art cellar bars and eateries. In contrast Three Bridges was chilly, old fashioned and an East wind picked at my flimsy May garb. Shivering forlornly I needed a hot tea in a warm spot. " In there" said the man in florescent yellow, pointing to a small wooden shack with a hatch raised on one side to reveal a small very basic cafe. I shivered " Sit inside" said the lady. I pushed open a stiff door and was met with the ultimately comforting food scent - could it be - "Hot Cross Buns" The Cinnamon sent my taste buds a-dripping, " a tea and a toasted bun please" "No madame they can't be toasted, they are already buttered and any way the currents don't toast well". OK I thought, surprised by this culinary rule in a cafe not much bigger than a garden shed, serving HCB's in May. She handed me my buttered bun wrapped in cling film and I sat on a stool at a narrow Formica bar and peeled off the plastic. The Bun was a gleaming golden brown with a beautiful white cross, very fresh and soft, yet not doughy. So far impressed I took a bite and there it was: that OMG food moment "Wow! do you always have them?" survival instincts kicking in, thinking of future journeys, stocking up, how many sit ups - as i reached for another - "yes" she said, nonchalently, in distinctively buttery tones, gently flipping eggs for a customer waiting at the hatch. " A local baker brings them in every morning" and, adding softly, glancing my way with perhaps a little compassion "all through the year". I sipped my tea served in a utility style ceramic mug and I felt like a little girl who was out for a treat with a doting Aunt. Dreamily I remembered my connection, I gathered my case and manoeuvred the awkward door. "Thank you" I called "it was lovely" and it really was.

many years later-Pierre and I share our first grandchild

Fusion Food from The Phoenix - inspired by world cooking.

Tasty desserts on my counter on a sunny May morning